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Anglo Guide to Survival in Quebec
Excellent condition
- GenresNonfictionHumorCanada
148 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1983
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 1, 2017
3 and a half, rounded up.
My (American expat) husband found this at our favorite used book store: it was published the year he was born, and yet, a lot of the hilarious passages in this delightful satire are shockingly relevant to his experience of being a English-speaker living in Montreal. I was born here and French is my first language, but I was raised in the more anglophone suburbs, so I've basically been a linguistic fence-sitter for as long as I can remember: I agree with both sides of the infamous Quebec language divide just as much as I am permanently exasperated with them. So let me tell you: I enjoyed this so much! Because my relationship with my home province is the same as the (mostly Montreal-born) authors': can't live with it, can't live without it!
This book's target audience is an often marginalized group: the English-speakers who live in Quebec and who love it... even when they hate it. There are many irritants to living here when you don't speak French, but then you venture to other places in Canada, and find out that frankly, it's not much better. Sometimes, it's even worse! Because there is something about Quebec: people have a joie de vivre, an enthusiasm that can become quite infectious. Other Canadians are very nice, but... it's just not the same. So you put up with the crazier Quebecois, because they are annoying, but also a lot of fun to rile up. Make no mistake, plenty of fun is made of the English-speakers too! This book doesn't spare any side of the fence.
It might be difficult to understand for someone who hasn't lived here for at least a few months, because it's full of very local references (most of which are out of date, at this point; the book was written in 1983, hot on the heels of a separatist referendum), but if you are curious about the strangely schizophrenic language issues the average Montrealer wrestles with and you happen upon this, you will find it enlightening. And hysterical. It is a wonderful compendium of all the little idiosyncrasies that make my city the best and the worse place ever. Thanks for the giggles, Jason!
My (American expat) husband found this at our favorite used book store: it was published the year he was born, and yet, a lot of the hilarious passages in this delightful satire are shockingly relevant to his experience of being a English-speaker living in Montreal. I was born here and French is my first language, but I was raised in the more anglophone suburbs, so I've basically been a linguistic fence-sitter for as long as I can remember: I agree with both sides of the infamous Quebec language divide just as much as I am permanently exasperated with them. So let me tell you: I enjoyed this so much! Because my relationship with my home province is the same as the (mostly Montreal-born) authors': can't live with it, can't live without it!
This book's target audience is an often marginalized group: the English-speakers who live in Quebec and who love it... even when they hate it. There are many irritants to living here when you don't speak French, but then you venture to other places in Canada, and find out that frankly, it's not much better. Sometimes, it's even worse! Because there is something about Quebec: people have a joie de vivre, an enthusiasm that can become quite infectious. Other Canadians are very nice, but... it's just not the same. So you put up with the crazier Quebecois, because they are annoying, but also a lot of fun to rile up. Make no mistake, plenty of fun is made of the English-speakers too! This book doesn't spare any side of the fence.
It might be difficult to understand for someone who hasn't lived here for at least a few months, because it's full of very local references (most of which are out of date, at this point; the book was written in 1983, hot on the heels of a separatist referendum), but if you are curious about the strangely schizophrenic language issues the average Montrealer wrestles with and you happen upon this, you will find it enlightening. And hysterical. It is a wonderful compendium of all the little idiosyncrasies that make my city the best and the worse place ever. Thanks for the giggles, Jason!
April 6, 2024
from another era but very silly
July 8, 2019
Oldie but goodie. Found it in a cottage I was renting. Hilarious. It has the charm of those vintage books, slightly outdated but full of immortal wisdom. The kind of book you nowadays just read a few pages a day, just for the fun of it...
November 26, 2020
You may have to me an Anglo living in Quebec to appreciate it; you might not understand it. I am a former Anglo who lived in Quebec. I loved the book. I probably first read the book 40 years ago. Read it again and still love it
June 24, 2019
Dated, but still very funny. A quick, good read
July 21, 2022
Little outdated but still holds strong
July 12, 2012
This is hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews