Battle of the Lit-est?
March 18, 2015 5:18 PM Subscribe
Canada Reads is an annual reality show-style contest organized by the CBC to promote works of Canadian literature. Five public figures, each championing a book begin the program and each day, one book is eliminated from the competition. Debate is often lively, sometimes controversial.
Past winners include everything from CanLit classics like Michael Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion, to Terry Fallis’ The Best Laid Plans, which was originally self published and went on to be adapted into a miniseries.
The theme of the 2015 competition is “a book to break barriers”. The two books still in contention are Kim Thúy’s Ru – a somewhat autobiographical novel about a Vietnamese refugee settling in Quebec and Raziel Reid’s When Everything Feels Like the Movies – a young adult novel about a flamboyantly gay high school student living in a small town. Winner to be announced tomorrow.
Past winners include everything from CanLit classics like Michael Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion, to Terry Fallis’ The Best Laid Plans, which was originally self published and went on to be adapted into a miniseries.
The theme of the 2015 competition is “a book to break barriers”. The two books still in contention are Kim Thúy’s Ru – a somewhat autobiographical novel about a Vietnamese refugee settling in Quebec and Raziel Reid’s When Everything Feels Like the Movies – a young adult novel about a flamboyantly gay high school student living in a small town. Winner to be announced tomorrow.
I thought they tried for hip, intelligent and soulful and wound up with Jian
posted by peppermind at 5:42 PM on March 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by peppermind at 5:42 PM on March 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
I like the Canada Reads panelists? It's better than Real Housewives of McMurray or what have you.
posted by GuyZero at 5:44 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 5:44 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I thought they tried for hip, intelligent and soulful and wound up with Jian
I included "soulful" for a reason.
Anyway, in regards to talking about books on Canadian radio, I don't know what I'll do when Eleanor Wachtel retires. Cry, maybe.
posted by Nevin at 5:47 PM on March 18, 2015 [8 favorites]
I included "soulful" for a reason.
Anyway, in regards to talking about books on Canadian radio, I don't know what I'll do when Eleanor Wachtel retires. Cry, maybe.
posted by Nevin at 5:47 PM on March 18, 2015 [8 favorites]
Having listened to a few of these rounds on the radio, I have to say that these have been some of the stupidest discussions of literature I've ever heard. There are panelists who can't distinguish between the narrator and the author in a work of fiction, and talk about what the "author" says when it's the narrator speaking. It's unbelievably bad.
They've amped up the "voting off" thing in a stupid way.
That said, the books selected all look pretty good.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:48 PM on March 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
They've amped up the "voting off" thing in a stupid way.
That said, the books selected all look pretty good.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:48 PM on March 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
Just listening to today's round. I like Cameron Bailey and Craig Keilburger. Very impressed with Elaine Lui, whose work I don't really know, other than it involves celebrity gossip. Martha Wainwright is annoying as hell, and Kristen Kruek is sort of invisible. Wab Kinew is doing very well as host, I think.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:52 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:52 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Goldwater sounds like a really unpleasant person.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 5:56 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by a lungful of dragon at 5:56 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been listening, too, while reading this thread. I really like Wab Kinew as well.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:06 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:06 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wab Kinew is a great choice for host! I've read two of this year's selections--Ru and Intolerable (the rest are on request from my local library)--and look forward to reading the rest. I usually follow the debates with interest but I just started a job where I don't have access to CBC during work hours so I miss the first few debates.
One of the things I love most about Canada is living in a country where this is a thing, discussing a select series of novels that usually have to do with the Canadian experience. You could never do this back in the US, not on a scale like this.
posted by Kitteh at 6:10 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of the things I love most about Canada is living in a country where this is a thing, discussing a select series of novels that usually have to do with the Canadian experience. You could never do this back in the US, not on a scale like this.
posted by Kitteh at 6:10 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Craig Keilburger
I am continually amazed by the places that kid pops up.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:13 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am continually amazed by the places that kid pops up.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:13 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am continually amazed by the place that kid pops up
Cult of personality for sure, but I have to give him situational props for yelling "We have a racism problem in Canada" when he was talking about The Inconvenient Indian.
Even though I haven't read it, it's been on my reading list for a while because I'm a huge Tom King fan, and I thought it should have stayed.
All snark and bitching aside, I think the theme and books for this year's Canada Reads was great.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:21 PM on March 18, 2015
Cult of personality for sure, but I have to give him situational props for yelling "We have a racism problem in Canada" when he was talking about The Inconvenient Indian.
Even though I haven't read it, it's been on my reading list for a while because I'm a huge Tom King fan, and I thought it should have stayed.
All snark and bitching aside, I think the theme and books for this year's Canada Reads was great.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:21 PM on March 18, 2015
I'm always interested to see who the panelists will be. Really a varied group - musicians, athletes, politicians, other public figures . I think the first five years it was all musicians who won, wasn't it? Wasn't the sixth year the tournament of champions and it was all musicians? Didn't Jim Cuddy win twice?
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:22 PM on March 18, 2015
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:22 PM on March 18, 2015
Not a big deal, but I would have appreciated a spoiler warning since I couldn't listen this morning (it airs again at 8pm here).
Anyhow, Wab absolutely cracked me up at the start of the first episode: "Last year, I defended The Orenda and won - which, of course, is the only reason I'm the new host this year..."
posted by mannequito at 6:37 PM on March 18, 2015
Anyhow, Wab absolutely cracked me up at the start of the first episode: "Last year, I defended The Orenda and won - which, of course, is the only reason I'm the new host this year..."
posted by mannequito at 6:37 PM on March 18, 2015
I think Lainey Lui is going to win. Who wants to bet?
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:45 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:45 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not a big deal, but I would have appreciated a spoiler warning since I couldn't listen this morning (it airs again at 8pm here).
That's a good point. I think next year's might be a great candidate for FanFare. It would certainly lend itself to it - discussion of books, plus a series with results, with proper spoiler protocol in place.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:53 PM on March 18, 2015
That's a good point. I think next year's might be a great candidate for FanFare. It would certainly lend itself to it - discussion of books, plus a series with results, with proper spoiler protocol in place.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:53 PM on March 18, 2015
I haven't been listening because I'm so tired of the CBC in general, but catching a few of these clips (especially Lui kicking Kielburger butt) means that I'll tune in for the rest of the week to cheer her on. (Cueing up her Tedx talk now.)
posted by maudlin at 8:04 PM on March 18, 2015
posted by maudlin at 8:04 PM on March 18, 2015
...especially Lui kicking Kielburger butt
Heh, I missed that. That was good.
"Oh noes! Swearing in a book!"
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:16 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Heh, I missed that. That was good.
"Oh noes! Swearing in a book!"
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:16 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
All day they've been playing the clip where Lainey announced her elimination choice and the audience gasped super loudly. It was a really CBC moment.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:24 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:24 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Haaaaaa! Just watched the clip maudlin posted of Lainey schooling Craig Kielberger. Lord, he is insufferable. When he was a kid, I felt kind of bad that I found him insufferably self righteous, but now that he's an adult, I don't feel bad any more. He drives me batty.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:36 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:36 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've always found it creepy that as an early thirty-something he's had a school named after him.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:42 PM on March 18, 2015
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:42 PM on March 18, 2015
Worth noting. I've noticed that there's not a lot of love for it from some of the nation's more literate types (ie: writers). The notion of taking a serious art form and turning it into what amounts to a radio version of Survivor leaves a bad taste.
And oh yeah -- two of the worst Canadian novels I've tried to read recently were Canada Reads winners. I say "tried" because both got hurled at a certain point.
Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
Nikolksi by Nicolas Dickner
That said, when you look at the list of winners, there are some serious gems.
posted by philip-random at 8:45 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
And oh yeah -- two of the worst Canadian novels I've tried to read recently were Canada Reads winners. I say "tried" because both got hurled at a certain point.
Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
Nikolksi by Nicolas Dickner
That said, when you look at the list of winners, there are some serious gems.
posted by philip-random at 8:45 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Le combat de livres just sounds better and that's what CBC, not just SRC, should call it. And maybe add a fencing round or something.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:53 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:53 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's nice to see Al Purdy make it on the list one of those years. Does Al Purdy's Canada even exist anymore? We may be living in a Milton Acorn world...
posted by Nevin at 9:00 PM on March 18, 2015
posted by Nevin at 9:00 PM on March 18, 2015
This year's version has just turned into a mess. I've tried listening to it...and it's just noise. Martha Wainwright is terribly annoying, and no, Wab Kinew is not that great or he'd be able to keep the whole from being so awful. The bottom line is that it has become far more about politics and celebrity than reading. The show could be good, used to be much better, but should now be taken off air forever.
posted by blue shadows at 11:03 PM on March 18, 2015
posted by blue shadows at 11:03 PM on March 18, 2015
Holy cow, how did I miss the Goldwater dustup from the "controversial" link?? I must have been asleep in 2012.
I'm glad Wab Kinew is hosting. I wish he had won out as Q replacement, honestly.
I'll admit, they're not all winners on Canada Reads, but there have been a few I've read and enjoyed that I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise. I adored wrestler Carol Hunyh's earnest defence of Indian Horse--she was my favourite of that year, just so genuine and passionate.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:13 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm glad Wab Kinew is hosting. I wish he had won out as Q replacement, honestly.
I'll admit, they're not all winners on Canada Reads, but there have been a few I've read and enjoyed that I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise. I adored wrestler Carol Hunyh's earnest defence of Indian Horse--she was my favourite of that year, just so genuine and passionate.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:13 PM on March 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Whoops, my comment about Wab Kinew wasn't meant as a reply to you, blue shadow. It was an independent observation.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:17 PM on March 18, 2015
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:17 PM on March 18, 2015
I love the idea of the contest, and I think it's raised the profile of some really great writing, but I'm not a huge fan of the whole theme and the heavy-handed approach the panelists are taking to it this year.
posted by peppermind at 2:12 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by peppermind at 2:12 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ha, I have had that exact same argument with several other librarians about WEFLITM; personally, I loved the book and thought it had a really authentic voice.
posted by saucysault at 6:13 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by saucysault at 6:13 AM on March 19, 2015
Le combat de livres just sounds better and that's what CBC, not just SRC, should call it. And maybe add a fencing round or something.
Also interesting that Le combat de lives is judged by a panel of literature students. The panellists themselves don't vote to eliminate the books. I really like Canada reads but I've always felt like the debates aren't of much value as it pertains to the actual contest since it's the contestants are as likely just to vote out the strongest contender.
posted by beau jackson at 7:46 AM on March 19, 2015
Also interesting that Le combat de lives is judged by a panel of literature students. The panellists themselves don't vote to eliminate the books. I really like Canada reads but I've always felt like the debates aren't of much value as it pertains to the actual contest since it's the contestants are as likely just to vote out the strongest contender.
posted by beau jackson at 7:46 AM on March 19, 2015
This year's couldn't have gotten much more shouty if they'd had Ezra Levant on.
oh god oh god could you imagine?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:40 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
oh god oh god could you imagine?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:40 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
philip-random, I'm with you on Nikolski. That was a serious slog with very little payoff.
posted by yellowcandy at 8:56 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by yellowcandy at 8:56 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
They should really switch up the formal so that the final vote is for the book you want to win. Instead of a triumphant finish with the best book to break barriers, all of the attention was on When Everything Feels Like the Movies, and it felt very negative.
posted by beau jackson at 9:17 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by beau jackson at 9:17 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is such a great concept; I wish we had it here in US. Instead it's metro "book clubs," with everyone reading a designated book simultaneously and maybe commenting (online? I didn't join). Food for thought on the cultural differences (and maybe similarities, like the idea that there has to be one winner).
posted by mmiddle at 5:12 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by mmiddle at 5:12 PM on March 19, 2015
This year's couldn't have gotten much more shouty if they'd had Ezra Levant on.
That's the thing. Over the last twenty years or so as my generation as become ascendant (Levant, John Baird, James Moore, Jason Kenney, Rob Ford and others are my age), Canada has become a nation of assholes.
posted by Nevin at 6:21 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
That's the thing. Over the last twenty years or so as my generation as become ascendant (Levant, John Baird, James Moore, Jason Kenney, Rob Ford and others are my age), Canada has become a nation of assholes.
posted by Nevin at 6:21 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Does anyone know how the panelists are chosen? How did Elaine Lui or Perdita Felicien or Craig Keilburger or Jim Cuddy even occur to anyone?
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:21 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:21 PM on March 19, 2015
Does anyone know how the panelists are chosen? How did Elaine Lui or Perdita Felicien or Craig Keilburger or Jim Cuddy even occur to anyone?
Mmm. Mysteries of the Mother Corp. I mean,I get where you're coming from, but whoever is making that decision has a slightly better handle on reality than the asshole who's saying "Yep. Rex Murphy. We all need to hear his views on what Canadians should think about racial minorities and LGBT people some more. Because he offers such unique and compelling insight."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:03 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Mmm. Mysteries of the Mother Corp. I mean,I get where you're coming from, but whoever is making that decision has a slightly better handle on reality than the asshole who's saying "Yep. Rex Murphy. We all need to hear his views on what Canadians should think about racial minorities and LGBT people some more. Because he offers such unique and compelling insight."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:03 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yes, I'm not suggesting that those choices are good or bad. (I think it's been a mixed bag.) I just wonder what that process is.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:20 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:20 PM on March 19, 2015
Just reminds me that one day Jeff Douglas will be heralded as the second-coming of Peter Gzowski
I will give a hundred dollars to the first person to point me to an episode of As It Happens when he doesn't stumble over his goddamn words
posted by anothermug at 7:46 PM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
I will give a hundred dollars to the first person to point me to an episode of As It Happens when he doesn't stumble over his goddamn words
posted by anothermug at 7:46 PM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
I've been home this week and so have had CBC radio on. I've enjoyed listening to Canada Reads, but for one thing.
I wanted to scream every time Martha Wainwright said "you know".
And she said it so many, many, many times.
(Thank you, just needed to vent.)
posted by Savannah at 9:26 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
I wanted to scream every time Martha Wainwright said "you know".
And she said it so many, many, many times.
(Thank you, just needed to vent.)
posted by Savannah at 9:26 PM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by Nevin at 5:32 PM on March 18, 2015 [4 favorites]