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3rd out of 10 books
—
5 voters
Up and Down
by
Terry Fallis (Goodreads Author)
The author of the Stephen Leacock Medal-winning The Best Laid Plans brings his trademark humour and sharp storytelling to a new novel set in the high-stakes world of a global public relations agency.
On his first day at Turner King, David Stewart quickly realizes that the world of international PR (affectionately, perhaps ironically, known as "the dark side") is a far cry f...more
On his first day at Turner King, David Stewart quickly realizes that the world of international PR (affectionately, perhaps ironically, known as "the dark side") is a far cry f...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
September 11th 2012
by Douglas Gibson Books
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After reading Terry's first two books I was actually waiting quite anxiously to read "Up and Down". I was not disappointed in this book but I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as "The Best Laid Plans". This may just be because I, personally, am not quite as knowledgable about the reality of life in a PR agency or in NASA as I am about the Canadian Parliamentary system thus taking a bit of the bite out of the satire. I did think Up and Down returned to more of the humour of The Best Laid Pla...more
This new novel by award-winning Terry Fallis is hazardous! I say that only because I was listening to part of the novel while driving and was laughing so hard that I almost got in an accident.
In all seriousness, having been a fan of the author's first two books, which were a satirical look at politics, I was eager to read this latest stand-alone novel. Fallis completely impressed me with this novel about a PR agent who takes on the task of trying to re-vitalize the public's interest in the space...more
In all seriousness, having been a fan of the author's first two books, which were a satirical look at politics, I was eager to read this latest stand-alone novel. Fallis completely impressed me with this novel about a PR agent who takes on the task of trying to re-vitalize the public's interest in the space...more
The Good Stuff
•Descriptions of the PR world - dead on accurate. Ok, I only worked in a PR agency for a year, but I think I worked with some of the characters in this novel
•Oh so very Canadian - and I mean that in a good way
•Could not put the book down, eventhough it wasn't my usual fast paced type novel - it was just so damn interesting and funny I was affected that very same way. I stayed up way too late reading it and would even read it while brushing my teeth and drying my hair
•Absolutely...more
This time, Fallis takes on a world he's very familiar with: PR.
David Stewart starts his first day at Turner King - a big PR firm in Toronto by pissing off his immediate boss and getting assigned to a major project, a campaign to revitalize America's (and Canada's) interest in NASA programs.
This is thanks to the fact that he just came off a real job on Parliament Hill working with politicians.
Put on the spot, he comes up with a crazy idea: launch civilians! Even crazier, it gets picked up by NASA...more
David Stewart starts his first day at Turner King - a big PR firm in Toronto by pissing off his immediate boss and getting assigned to a major project, a campaign to revitalize America's (and Canada's) interest in NASA programs.
This is thanks to the fact that he just came off a real job on Parliament Hill working with politicians.
Put on the spot, he comes up with a crazy idea: launch civilians! Even crazier, it gets picked up by NASA...more
"Simpsons did it! Simpsons did it!"
Remember the episode where NASA needs to boost public interest so they send an average citizen, (Homer) into space. That is basically the premise of Up and Down. A man starting his new PR career suggests that NASA send up two average people on a space mission to renew public interest and secure more funding for the space program.
There are some problems like plot holes or things not fully examined/explained and the humour can be a little on the nose, (literall...more
Remember the episode where NASA needs to boost public interest so they send an average citizen, (Homer) into space. That is basically the premise of Up and Down. A man starting his new PR career suggests that NASA send up two average people on a space mission to renew public interest and secure more funding for the space program.
There are some problems like plot holes or things not fully examined/explained and the humour can be a little on the nose, (literall...more
Terry Fallis has produced another charming novel. This time his focus is an elderly woman with a compelling story, one Landon Percival. I really enjoyed her character, as well as that of the narrator, David Stewart. Like in his previous novels, Fallis tells the story of someone with the wisdom of years who has been in some way "stifled" by the powers-that-be. This is a very good formula for this author. With a comic touch, he pulls at our heartstrings and, like David, we find ourselves rooting f...more
If there was a half-star option, I'd give it three and a half. As always, I enjoyed Fallis' writing (which is clean and clear), his characters (who are endearing and memorable) and his story (which is fantastical in a charming way).
However, he still hits his jokes too hard. He's ham-handed. He gives us a funny incident, then tells us that it's funny, then explains WHY it's funny. And his foils, his antagonists, are one-note stick figures. They're boring, and therefore their contributions to the...more
However, he still hits his jokes too hard. He's ham-handed. He gives us a funny incident, then tells us that it's funny, then explains WHY it's funny. And his foils, his antagonists, are one-note stick figures. They're boring, and therefore their contributions to the...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Canadian author, Terry Fallis. David Stewart trades in his Ottawa government position for a PR role in Toronto in order to be closer to his ill mother. His assignment is to revitalize the old, tired NASA and bring back its former 60ties allure in order to avoid government funding cutbacks. Sound familiar? His suggestion to select 2 people, one Canadian and one American, by lottery, to allow them to accompany the space shuttle team, at first is ridiculed, but the...more
This was my first Terry Fallis book. Politics is not really a great topic of interest for me so I never thought much about reading them. The subject matter in UP and Down did however appeal to me.
I am glad I picked this book up to read. I understand why Terry won the Stephen Leacock award. Reading this made me go way back in my memory bank to when I read Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
The humour is not laugh out loud in your face but a has moments that just made me laugh having worked for...more
I am glad I picked this book up to read. I understand why Terry won the Stephen Leacock award. Reading this made me go way back in my memory bank to when I read Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
The humour is not laugh out loud in your face but a has moments that just made me laugh having worked for...more
I really enjoyed Up and Down. I haven't read Terry Fallis before, and I was pleasantly entertained. What I loved was Fallis' ability to incorporate Canadian content without it being overwhelmingly Canadian (which many of our proud Canuck authors try to do). The writing was witty, lighthearted, and just deep enough. I could see how the novel could have sunk into a mire of critique of PR, but smartly Fallis kept it light and still made his point. A really nice story with likeable characters and a...more
Dec 20, 2012
Bev Trojnar
added it
Up and Down is about a man, David Stewart who works for a public relations firm in Toronto. He has been contracted to come up with a PR plan to improve NASA's appeal to the Public. The scheme is extremely outlandish. But the way it is explained by Mr. Fallis makes it seem believable (with a tongue firmly in cheek).
I really enjoyed the story. I found the pace of action a little like I had to run to keep up with the story. But the writing was very clear and easy to read.
I would recommend this book...more
I really enjoyed the story. I found the pace of action a little like I had to run to keep up with the story. But the writing was very clear and easy to read.
I would recommend this book...more
I loved this book! Terry Fallis' tale of "citizen astronauts" going for a ride on a NASA space mission was laugh-out-loud hilarious, touchingly heartwarming, and quintessentially Canadian.
It is impossible not to love David Stewart, the PR man who plays the role of the naive narrator to perfection. The heroine, Canadian astronaut Landon Percival, is one of the most memorable fictional characters I have met in a long time.
Aside from the wonderful humour in the story, it is also a real page-turner...more
It is impossible not to love David Stewart, the PR man who plays the role of the naive narrator to perfection. The heroine, Canadian astronaut Landon Percival, is one of the most memorable fictional characters I have met in a long time.
Aside from the wonderful humour in the story, it is also a real page-turner...more
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway contest.
I had never read any Terry Fallis before, only heard of him and intended, at some point in time, to pick him up and give it a shot. I like humour. I'm okay with people making fun of politics. I like Canadian Lit.
I liked this book. The characters, while sometimes seeming a little too good to be true, were like-able, except the ones who weren't supposed to be, and I found myself wanting to see them succeed. I'm not sure how plausible the id...more
I had never read any Terry Fallis before, only heard of him and intended, at some point in time, to pick him up and give it a shot. I like humour. I'm okay with people making fun of politics. I like Canadian Lit.
I liked this book. The characters, while sometimes seeming a little too good to be true, were like-able, except the ones who weren't supposed to be, and I found myself wanting to see them succeed. I'm not sure how plausible the id...more
Initially, I was really excited that Terry Fallis was branching out from politics into something new. Then I started reading this and thought "he should have stuck to politics." The first third of the book was somewhere along the lines of dreadful. Then, something happens in David's personal life that I felt was a huge turning point in the quality of the book - it became much better. I did enjoy the second half of the book much more than the first, though I thought the ending was a bit rushed an...more
* * * * 1/2
For David Stewart, former assistant to the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, his new employer, PR firm Turner King, may as well be a different planet. How appropriate then that he ends up playing a major role on the firm's latest account: NASA, which is looking to revive interest in the space program. David is something of a space buff himself, so he devises a plan to get the general public on board: have a contest for one Canadian and one American to join the crew o...more
For David Stewart, former assistant to the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, his new employer, PR firm Turner King, may as well be a different planet. How appropriate then that he ends up playing a major role on the firm's latest account: NASA, which is looking to revive interest in the space program. David is something of a space buff himself, so he devises a plan to get the general public on board: have a contest for one Canadian and one American to join the crew o...more
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
Up and Down is less slapsticky than The High Road, but unfortunately also much less charming. There were moments of mild humour, but they felt too forced to really elicit a laugh. Most of the story plodded from one plot point to another -- perhaps it was just that the conclusion seemed inevitable. The narrative earnestly wants us to cheer for certain characters, and in doing so ends up with stock character types that are occasionally charming but mo...more
Up and Down is less slapsticky than The High Road, but unfortunately also much less charming. There were moments of mild humour, but they felt too forced to really elicit a laugh. Most of the story plodded from one plot point to another -- perhaps it was just that the conclusion seemed inevitable. The narrative earnestly wants us to cheer for certain characters, and in doing so ends up with stock character types that are occasionally charming but mo...more
humour in literature is difficult. at least, i have a hard time with it on occasion. terry fallis is a funny guy. i have met him and enjoy him, so it was easy for me to imagine him telling me this story. but, on the page, i sometimes got a bit tired of david stewart (main character) being so prone to pratfalls and one-liners. for me, this served to detract from a great story. overall, i had a lot of fun with this quirky novel. some moments, i laughed out loud but overall, i was more taken with t...more
I was a little disappointed in the beginning of this book but it got much, much better. I know it was difficult to live up to "The Best Laid Plans" but this book's quirky character gives the professor in the first one a run for his money.
Some of the humour in this one wasn't as funny.........guy walks in glass door, catches a beer in his lap, etc. but there were plenty of other moments that were great.
Overall, I really liked it. Would give it 4.5 stars if this program would let me.
Some of the humour in this one wasn't as funny.........guy walks in glass door, catches a beer in his lap, etc. but there were plenty of other moments that were great.
Overall, I really liked it. Would give it 4.5 stars if this program would let me.
Really amusing book. If you haven't done so, read one of Terry Fallis' book, they are funny. However the 3 of them kind of have the same storyline in a sense that they have the same ingredients. Love between the main character and one other one, which starts and develops in the novel; sad story of someone dying or died of cancer; funny parts; and mystery solved. It is quite a refreshing read though. If you have to know about space training program, this book is for you! ;)
Nice to find a fun, light-hearded book while avoiding chick-lit. Really enjoyed Best Laid Plans, so thought I'd check this out. It still has the political connection but dives into the depths of a PR agency. While the plot lines slightly mirror Best Laid Plans - sick family member/friend, minor romantic storyline, and the non stereotypical hero character, I definitely still enjoyed the character development throughout. Overall thought it was a great little novel!
Terry Fallis is certainly my favourite writer of humour today....I loved his previous two books and this one didn't disappoint me. I laughed many times out loud wishing I had someone nearby to read a particular paragraph or statement to...just wanted to share the fun. As with his first two books about Canadian gov't, I also learned a lot in this book about the space program in both Canada and the USA.
I was deeply honoured to be asked to provide a blurb for Terry Fallis’s Up and Down. Here it is: In Landon Percival, Terry Fallis brings to vivid life an unexpected hero—tough yet endearing, brave yet vulnerable. As told by the adorably self-deprecating David Stewart, Landon’s highly entertaining story of NASA intrigue and public relations high jinks reminds us of what it means to be Canadian.
I love this man. His sense of humour is so dry - I actually laugh out loud while reading his books. His latest does not disappoint. While Angus McClintock was nowhere to be found, the protagonists in Up and Down were almost as endearing. Clearly there is a formula that works well for this author, so you won't see anything new or different. However, you will laugh - and what is better than that?
While I prefer Fallis' Best Laid Plans, this book is simply anotehr good read - the story of "citizen astronauts" is certainly appealing, and Fallis manages to to add a few twists and turns in the story. However, I find that his writing is ALMOST dull - he spices it up enough to be readable, but there are some points where I just want to skip paragraphs. All in all, not a bad choice if you enjoyed his previous works.
This book was hilarious, and extremely easy to read- I ripped through it in a few evenings while on vacation. I've been living outside Canada for some time, and if I ever need to explain to anyone how Canadians see themselves in the context of our relationship with America, I'm going to hand them this book. A fun, light read, and I enjoyed the opportunity to absorb some Canadiana.
Terry Fallis' first novel, The Best Laid Plans, was crowned the winner of Canada Reads as "the essential Canadian novel of the decade." Up & Down is his 3rd novel and I loved it. Great characters, plenty of surprises, laugh out loud moments mixed with tears, a sense of place that feels like a movie set and a story that kept me reading way late too many nights in a row. This guy can write!
This book was out of this world - to have a citizen Astronaut drawn at random from those who enter is sure to attract a wide range of candidates. The woman chosen to represent Canada would surely have voted for Angus if she lived in his riding. Terry Fallis' books writes about seniors in a wonderful light - their knowledge and life experiences are assets that should be treasured.
I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Opened Terry Fallis' Up and Down. I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page. Terry has a genius for creating and fleshing out characters you care about. And his storytelling gets better with every book. The only "down" for me about "Up and Down" is that it came to an end. Now I have to wait for another year for the next Terry Fallis novel.
Told from the point of view of David Stewart, a newbie in the PR world, this hilarious new novel from Terry Fallis follows David’s experience working on his first campaign – with none other than NASA as his firm’s client. David and his team need to create a plan to revitalize North America’s interest in the space program, and the idea he comes up with is, well, out of this world: a lottery contest that would send one Canadian winner and one American winner on a mission to the International Space...more
I was lucky enough to win an advance reading copy of this wonderful novel through the Goodreads First Reads Program from Random House Canada. I also won a copy on another promotion as part of their staff picks Holiday Reads contest. (So I have one copy to give to a friend.)
New Turner King hire, David Stewart, is thrown in the deep end in the world of PR when he finds himself on a huge project for NASA to vamp up public interest in the space program by sending an American citizen and a Canadian c...more
New Turner King hire, David Stewart, is thrown in the deep end in the world of PR when he finds himself on a huge project for NASA to vamp up public interest in the space program by sending an American citizen and a Canadian c...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELEVEN READER'S CLUB: Update#2 | 1 | 3 | Jan 20, 2013 11:20am | |
| ELEVEN READER'S CLUB: Update 1 | 1 | 5 | Jan 20, 2013 08:22am | |
| ELEVEN READER'S CLUB: Up and Down | 1 | 16 | Oct 04, 2012 01:31pm |
Terry Fallis is the bestselling author of the comic novels The Best Laid Plans, and The High Road, and Up and Down. His debut novel (TBLP) was originally self-published in 2007 and won the 2008 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Then McClelland & Stewart published TBLP in September 2008. He also won the Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Regional Fiction - Canada East ca...more
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