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Vancouver Special
Vancouver is at a crossroads in its history—host to the 2010 Winter Olympics and home to the poorest neighborhood in Canada, it is a young, multicultural city with a vibrant surface and a violent undercoat. In Vancouver Special, an alternative guidebook, writer and performer Charles Demers digs deep to examine the past, present, and future of Vancouver, shedding light on t...more
Paperback, 280 pages
Published
March 1st 2010
by Arsenal Pulp Press
(first published 2009)
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Finished reading this the same day that the Canucks lost Game 7 and tons of assholes destroyed the city. I thought it was sort of fitting that the last two chapters were 'Sports' and 'Vanarchism' - even though the riots were actually caused by idiots with absolutely no agenda/politcal motive, aside from wanting to rob London Drugs of all their Pringles.
Alongside Coupland's 'City of Glass', it's definitely a cannon-look inside the city, breaking down Van-city by each neighborhood and also Vancou...more
Alongside Coupland's 'City of Glass', it's definitely a cannon-look inside the city, breaking down Van-city by each neighborhood and also Vancou...more
Charles Demers is a man torn between the Vancouver of his youth, and the one that exists today. Reading Vancouver Special was an interesting experience, one that inspired almost as much knee-jerk defence as it did warm and fuzzy vibes.
I was five when my family abandoned my birthplace of Calgary for South Surrey, BC. (The “South” is always emphasized, lest we be unfortunately lumped in with the Whalley crowd. It was often easier to just say “White Rock” and be done with it.) As a suburban kid, li...more
I was five when my family abandoned my birthplace of Calgary for South Surrey, BC. (The “South” is always emphasized, lest we be unfortunately lumped in with the Whalley crowd. It was often easier to just say “White Rock” and be done with it.) As a suburban kid, li...more
By and large, the essays that comprise this appraisal of Vancoucer are witty and on point. Full disclosure: I lived in Vancouver for 8 months out of the last 11 and will continue to be living there on-and-off for the next 2 years. So I know just enough to wince at how familiar Demer's descriptions of riding the #3 is -- I lived on Main Street for a month, and I have never before known a bus route so consistently inhospitable to having a good day. And then there was his essay on Kitsilano, once V...more
Jun 15, 2011
Yuri Artibise
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Vancouverites
Shelves:
vancouver
Vancouver Special tells an authentic story of Vancouver, warts and all. The story starts with it's cover and layout. The book itself is austere and colorless, filled with stark, black and while photographs. It is reflective of a particular image of Vancouver�the overcast drizzle that is all too familiar to residents.
The title refers to the much maligned houses production houses that were built in droves between the late sixties and early eighties. Their homely, boxy shape has been the butt of ma...more
The title refers to the much maligned houses production houses that were built in droves between the late sixties and early eighties. Their homely, boxy shape has been the butt of ma...more
As a very fresh Vancouverite, I feel like like the only way to judge Demers's book is from the very limited perspective of a newcomer. I was reading the book as a guide to Vancouver; as such, I found it quite clever at times and very informative in terms of local culture and society -- although I missed a load of local puns and references, and too often felt lost.
However, regardless of the reader's knowledge about Vancouver, what this book lacks -- being over-abundant in facts and information --...more
However, regardless of the reader's knowledge about Vancouver, what this book lacks -- being over-abundant in facts and information --...more
Enjoyed this book thoroughly. I learned a lot and really enjoyed Demers' perspective. Of course, his POV might not be for everybody, but it was a welcome change for me. Really helped add dimensions to issues that I've become aware of since moving to the city in the last year. Funny as hell too. Had me laughing out loud every few pages. Highly recommended as a more realistic companion book to Douglas Coupland's enjoyable-but-peachy City of Glass
Charlie was actually one of my profs for a Creative Writing course at UBC this past term. Couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a three hour class than with a comedian.
Vancouver Special is a collection of essays about our beloved city, ranging from topics such as the Police, Racism, Politics, Transportation, Sports, and many more.
Charlie's unique voice shines through each piece, and even though I was pretty much raised in Vancouver, I have to say that now I feel woefully ignorant about V...more
Vancouver Special is a collection of essays about our beloved city, ranging from topics such as the Police, Racism, Politics, Transportation, Sports, and many more.
Charlie's unique voice shines through each piece, and even though I was pretty much raised in Vancouver, I have to say that now I feel woefully ignorant about V...more
A must-read for anyone who wants to learn more, or who is in love with Vancouver. This is a great collection of essays about various aspects of Vancouver, enhanced by some wonderful photography. I was surprised by how much I agreed with, and how many people that the author mentioned that I actually know. All in all, a good read and a nice portrait of an interesting city.
This book is not only a great read, but due to the incredible photography and excellent layout, it makes a great coffee table book for friends to skim when they come by. It reads well as a cohesive collection of recent Vancouver history, but each chapter stands well on its own. I'd recommend this to any Vancouverite, born-and-raised or recent transplants.
He picks and chooses, but nothing is sacred and I got a sense of the flavour of my city, both what I already knew and some new angles. And he admits, "Drug money is the unknown variable in almost any economic equation that you can't otherwise reconcile in Vancouver."
A witty and insightful portrait into Vancouver. Demers uses his own experiences to shed light on the city that all Vancouverites share.
this book was brutal and by brutal i mean i refused to finish it, which is extremely rare for me.
the content of this book is good but the writing style reads like he is trying to impress every SFU professor he had, which i found beyond pathetic, pompous and pretentious.
i realize this is a book about Vancouver but i still found myself shocked over his blatant snobbery. there was nothing even remotely 'resplendent' about it.
the content of this book is good but the writing style reads like he is trying to impress every SFU professor he had, which i found beyond pathetic, pompous and pretentious.
i realize this is a book about Vancouver but i still found myself shocked over his blatant snobbery. there was nothing even remotely 'resplendent' about it.
1 like · like · see review
An interesting and funny read about a place I live in and got to know more about.
A well written account of all the things that make up what Vancouver was/is/will be. My only complaint is that my edition was screwed up and half way through the book skipped from one chapter to repeating two others before moving on. Thus I feel I missed out on a fair bit. Otherwise a good read.
Great pictures.
I found the text often quite difficult to read due to long sentences and information that required a lot of background knowledge that I didn't have.
Still a good introduction to the city.
I found the text often quite difficult to read due to long sentences and information that required a lot of background knowledge that I didn't have.
Still a good introduction to the city.
Apr 21, 2013
Sarah W.
marked it as to-read
Apr 11, 2013
Francie
marked it as to-read
Apr 04, 2013
Kayi
marked it as to-read
Mar 06, 2013
Michael Hingston
added it
Apr 08, 2013
Judsen
added it
Jan 03, 2013
Margaret
marked it as to-read
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Jan 16, 2012 12:56am