Lisa's Review: No Relation

No Relation by Terry Fallis

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Meet Earnest Hemmingway (or "Hem" as he prefers to be called). Hem lives in New York City & has been a copywriter at the same firm for 15 years. Hem is having a very bad day - he lost his wallet, he was laid off from his job, and he returned home to find his girlfriend was moving out & moving on. 

Adding to his troubles is the fact that Hem aspires to be a writer & has the unfortunate burden of sharing his name with the famous writer, who Hem really does not like:

"I am Earnest Hemmingway. That other writer guy is just plain old Ernest Hemingway. I cling to my extra "a" and "m" to set me apart from the literary titan. Stripped of that extra "a" and "m", his name seems simple and spare to me, like his writing. His name almost seems incomplete, abbreviated, truncated. Conversely, my name is more complex and flowing, like my writing." p.26

"...but I much prefer the scenario where I'm haunted by Hemingway. That's just what it feels like. He hovers around me, trying to turn my long, flowing, ornate sentences into simple, barren, boring, First Grade prose." p126

I thought No Relation was an excellent, light read. It was a lot of fun & I found myself laughing out loud at many points. I liked the way Hem talked directly to the reader at points. I'd never really thought about what it must be like to go through life with the name of a famous person or character, but am glad I don't have to experience it. 

This is my fifth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.