Ibis3’s Comments (group member since Sep 06, 2010)

Ibis3’s comments from the CanLit Challenge group.

Nice to see some women in the Hockey Hall of Fame. (But what took them so long??)

CTV now has the episodes online: http://shows.ctv.ca/TheScotiabankGill...

Although I'm not planning to start this until I'm done Alias Grace, I did read the preface last night. The talk about God and faith makes me a tad apprehensive. I'm worried this will end up being a heavy-handed moralistic tale or an excuse to preach to the reader. Which might be interesting from an historical point of view, might make reading it a bit of a chore.

I'm still working on Alias Grace, but this one's up soon. Anyone else reading or planning to read The Man from Glengarry in November?

I missed the first one (never saw an ad for it -- good job, Bravo), but Bravo is showing profiles of all the shortlisted books every evening this week at 7pm under the title "One Country 5 Books". It doesn't look like the episodes are available online either (good job, CTV).

ETA: It appears that episodes are repeated during the day on the regular CTV channel.

Not Wanted on the Voyage is CanLit Challenge book #27, so hopefully by the time you read it, I'll have the appropriate discussion thread up.

I made a mistake though. The winner the year that NWotV was up for consideration was the year that King Leary won. I did really like King Leary, but thought NWotV really was in a class of its own.

The one that I felt should have won against The Book of Negroes was The Fat Woman Next Door Is Pregnant.

I've read 4:

Late Nights on Air
Life of Pi
The Book of Negroes
Through Black Spruce

A bunch more are already on Mt. TBR. I liked all of them, but thought Not Wanted On The Voyage was a better novel than The Book of Negroes and deserved to be the Canada Reads winner back in 2008.

Honestly, I was expecting this to be funnier than it was. I mean so much is made of Stephen Leacock and his humour, I was kind of expecting a Canadian P.G. Wodehouse or something. So in that sense it was a little disappointing.

However, there was plenty of really good satire that still rings true today. And there were many times when I did laugh out loud at the absurdities portrayed and the amusing way Leacock words things. It’s remarkable how little changes. What Leacock satirized in 1914 (following closely in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray) is the same kind of stuff pilloried by the likes of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Rick Mercer (sans topical current events–Leacock takes more of a timeless approach).

It would be difficult to give examples or describe it because just stating it outright takes all the humour out. Anyway, as with most good satire, it’s sad at the same time as it’s funny—because it’s so close to reality.

Jane Urquhart’s writing in this book reminded me quite a bit of Virginia Woolf’s (I’ve only read the latter’s Mrs. Dalloway) and of Michael Cunningham’s in The Hours.

I’m not really sure what the bracketing or framing sections concerning Robert Browning were all about. They seemed kind of out of place (and I often find it difficult to buy real historical people in works of fiction).

Of the main story, I enjoyed certain elements: the talk of Laura Secord, the whole process of what level of mourning attire was proper, the idea that it was the poet who could speak to the ‘autistic’ boy, the home in the wilderness by the whirlpool.

It just didn’t seem like a cohesive whole to me. Didn’t care too much for the ending.

Weekend now worse than boring. Torture. I've got to go out and get new shoes. Don't get me wrong, I love new shoes as well as the next girl who loves new shoes. But my feet are wide and my instep is high. It's very, very difficult for me to find shoes that fit. Wish me luck...

A.J. wrote: "Okay: Hello, group. (I actually hate these introduction things.)"

Everyone together: Hiiii, A.J.!

A.J. wrote: "How nice to find a group on Goodreads that talks about good Canadian books. Even if you do read the New Canadian Library.... Me, I am most interested in contemporary Canadian writers. There are loads who are doing great work but of course will remain under the canon's radar for years to come."

I sympathise with the sentiment and I certainly have nothing against current CanLit. I know that many members read lots of contemporary Canadian books, so please feel free to start as many discussions about the new stuff as you wish here in the General folder.

A.J. wrote: "That'll be the third of the Giller books I've read this year, which is unusual, but this year's is the most exciting Giller list in years."

There's a Giller thread here (not to mention a GG thread) if you want to fire up people to check out the shortlist (and hopefully there are some people out there who've read some too so you can chat about your favourites). And did you notice the Giller poll? I'm thinking I should re-invite the group to vote since I think we had only about a dozen members when I put it up.

I'm about 60 pages in and I've decided to, in my mind, put aside the historical facts upon which the novel is based and pretend there was no real Grace Marks. Not that it's been a problem so far, but I suppose that once we get into the story of the crime, much is going to be constructed from Atwood's imagination. Is it going to depart from the historical record (at least as given by Moodie)? I suspect it will have to, to give the reader something to contemplate or sympathise with in Grace.

Anyone going out for Halloween? If so, what are you dressing up as?

I'm boring. Staying home like any other weekend. My mother (who's 68) is dressing up as Lady Gaga and going out dancing.

@Barb: Cool! I appreciate the company!

@C.: I'd love to hear your thoughts about it in the Alias Grace thread (just be sure to mark spoilers).

We now have a list of the top 40. http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/ Which have you read? Which are your favourites? Which haven't you read but most want to read? (Use the add book link so this thread will show up on the books' pages.)

Lucky Barb. American Gods is somewhere in the middle of Mt. TBR, so you'll have to let me know what you think of it.

Barb wrote: "Sadly, it was my first foray into Atwood, but it most certainly won't be my last!"

If you have time right now, why not pick up Alias Grace, the current CanLit Challenge book? I'm only about 50 pages in.

Patricia wrote: "Thanks! Yes, it's nice to start feeling a sense of community here."

It is a bit slow going since the group is so new, but I'm optimistic. :)

I just think of it as an all-purpose establishment, depending on the mood, the weather, and the time of day. :)

I spent most of the day tuned into my iPod (listening to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo )and tuned out of everything else. I hardly noticed when the Leafs lost again...

Any exciting plans for the weekend? Reading anything interesting?