Souvenir of Canada

The book probably resonates most with people of a certain age, especially those who are male and from the West Coast. Coupland is only a few years younger than myself, and a lot of what he described seemed very familiar.

I immediately sent our copy to a friend in Kentucky who is still trying to understand our country. I don't know how much it helped, but she enjoyed it.


It gets you right in the Canuck   September 13, 2002
This little book about the subtle and not so subtle differences between Canada and it's favourite neighbour to the south will tickle any loyal Canuck's funny bone. Coupland's highly constructed photographs of Canadian cultural artefacts will delight as childhood items such as table hockey, Honey Bee corn syrup and clear bottles of white vinegar are recognized as simply, 'unidentifiable by an American'. The alphabetical listings and descriptions of Coupland's Canadiana are brilliant. The only thing missing from this book is an acknowledgement that perhaps persons from outside the North American continent may be interested in the book (let alone Canada!), thus these items may also be unidentifiable or perhaps just plain ordinary to the rest of the world ...


An Americanadian reflects....   August 21, 2002
This is a wonderful, passionate, heartfelt rumination. Not as hilarious as Coupland usually is--it just means too much to him.
Nostalgic beyond his years, he wants to capture all that Canada has been in his lifetime: that Canada which is rapidly tofu-ing and beige-ing in the face of globalization.

I'm a dual citizen (b. in USA, but lived 8 years in Toronto) and have very strong allegiances to the Truth North. If you're Canadian, Doug will probably unravel some of the subtle, mysterious essence of your own "Canadian-ness," to you. If you're an American, read very carefully and you'll get some amazing clues. Doug does define in relation to the USA more than a wee bit, but as Trudeau once said: "No matter how you try, you can't ignore it if you're sleeping next to an elephant. Every time it moves even a tiny bit, you feel it."