08 March 2010

Canada Reads Day 1

I'm throwing all the enthusiasm I usually spend on Rrroll Up the Rrrim into Canada Reads this year. I think, in the end, it will be far healthier for me.

So, I've never followed CR, so this should be fun. For me, at least. I really have no idea how it works, not technically. I suppose I'll find out. I'm 3 minutes into the first broadcast, but so far it's all introductions, and awkward banter that reminds me of the Jeopardy talk-to-the-contestants segments.

Okay, I think we're getting started! They're making their book pitches. (Everything I say from now on may make more sense if you a) read the books and/or b) watch the sessions).

Jade Peony should be the first gone. The prose wasn't all the "powerful," in my opinion. Nikolski - it was an interesting story. So far, the guy isn't selling it that well. It won't win though. Good To A Fault - is apparently the underdog. Hhm, I do like a good underdog. Generation X - yeah! Go Coupland! (I'm waving my giant Coupland foam finger). I like the defender of Gen X. And the winner will be, Fall On Your Knees. Sorry, Doug. But that won't be officially until Friday.

Someone has already brought up the disappointing ending of Nikolski. (That same person just dismissed fish as being uninteresting?! WTF?). Nikolski's defender says that it's not a book that gives you the answers, that you have to work at it. That doesn't sound like something most Canadians are going to want to do. And someone just brought up how disconnected the stories in Jade Peony feel. I completely agree. I hadn't noticed that Good to A Fault had bad grammar, or that it was too detailed. But I did read it awhile ago now.

Okay, so that's it for the first session. They vote off a book tomorrow.

No comments: