Lisa's Review: The Best Laid Plans

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Best Laid Plans is Terry Fallis' first book and winner of the Steven Leacock Award for Humor in 2008.

Daniel Addison, a head speech writer and political aide in Ottawa for the Liberal party, decides he has had enough of the grind working on Parliament Hill. So he resigns to pursue a teaching position at the University of Ottawa.

However, he promises to do one final task. He agrees to find a Liberal candidate to run in the Cumberland-Prescott riding in the upcoming election - a riding that is staunchly Tory, so the Liberals have no chance or hope in winning. The job for Daniel is to find any breathing person willing to enter the race, run the campaign, and then be done with politics. He does find a reluctant soul, and hilarity ensues.

I definitely enjoy Fallis' style of writing - it is humorous and easy reading. I wasn't certain how well I would appreciate the politics part of the story line, but I did!  

This is my second book read for the 11th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Review: No Relation

No Relation by Terry Fallis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I was growing up I could tell as soon as attendance was taken on the first day of school how I would feel about the teacher. If there was any mention of Peter Pan, or singing it was a bad sign. This was because I shared my name with a famous (at least among my parents' generation) performer. When I got married I took my husband's last name and thought my namefame troubles were behind me. Alas, my new non-famous name was soon adopted by a mystery writer for one of her characters. The character, and the novels, became very popular (they are quite excellent) so I am back to having a famous name.
Given this history I thought I should read this book about a man who shares his name (though not its spelling) with a very famous writer. I loved the parts of the story that dealt with that issue, but overall the main plot of the book was a bit thin and the ending was way to "happily-ever-after" for my tastes.
The author is Canadian, so I am counting this toward the Canadian Book Challenge.

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.