Sunday, November 19, 2006

Drowning in the Wells

In the "capital of the free world", hunting down Paul Wells’ book (now apparently #4 on the Canadian bestseller list), is no easy feat.

I started my search last weekend when I was hankering for some good Canadian political nostalgia.

First stop: Barnes and Nobles in Georgetown, arguably one of the largest bookstores inside the District. I start browsing in the politics section – nothing. Then the history section (hey, the fall of Paul Martin component – is now one for the history books)… anyway, there I am in the history section, going through the different sections: South African history, Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Hungary…. Hmmm … Canada? Nothing. Ireland and Mexico, yes… Canada, zero (For god sakes, it was almost like being at the World Cup!)

So, I decide to ask.

I aim low: “Do you have any books on Canadian politics or history?” “Uh, Canadian?” “Yes, Canada” I clarify. A brief look on the computer system reveals that the one and only book on hand was a book on comparing US and Canadian political systems. Oh and they didn’t have it in stock. I have to order it.

Next stop. Amazon dot com. Turns out that I can get it sent to my doorstep for $34.00 approx. American dollars at that. If I get it sent home to Montreal, I can have it for 21.00$. Oh and there is a review of the supplier to the US, from the last person who ordered, saying that they’d never buy a book from that supplier again. Hmmm… So do I get it sent home to Montreal and then resent to me in DC? Or should I risk the supplier for $13 US dollars extra? Tricky. Very tricky.

Not one to resist a challenge, I start asking other Canadian colleagues at work. As luck would have it, one of them had ordered it and finished it and offered to share it. Ah, mission accomplished!

So I delve in. I can’t wait. The last book on Canadian politics that I read as Susan Delacourt’s Juggernaut. And I just couldn’t put that one down. Nothing gives me more pleasure than getting lost in a really-can’t-put-it-down-for-a-second pager turner book. And that’s what Juggernaut was for me.

Now, as soon as I started reading, I can’t help compare Well’s Rise and Fall to Delacourt’s Juggernaut. Maybe that’s an unfair juxtaposition. Maybe it’s just cause the first time I met Wells was actually with Delacourt…

I was at some event for this Canada25 group that a friend of mine was involved in and she got me to come along to hear Wells and Delacourt talk about their experiences in political journalism. I know this sounds strange, but at that time, I had just returned to Canada after 6 years abroad (way farther abroad than the country next door) and I had no idea who they were. Despite my ignorance, I found them impressive: frank, honest, challenging, and well spoken. Balancing pints on their knee (well, Wells was…I can’t remember what Delacourt was drinking) and pontificating on the state of the nation. It was a nice. A sort of fireside-ish chat with the Canada25ers policy wonks.

So after all of this rambling, the trip down memory lane and the trials and tribulations of getting my hands on Wells’ book, I couldn’t wait for a moments peace this weekend, to finally crack it open. Imagine my disappointment that I can’t seem to get past page 6.

I find Wells omnipresent. He seems to overpower his narrative. I guess I was looking forward to juicy gossip and insights into the Conservative’s fusion and electoral victory – without having to think about how smart Paul Wells is every two seconds. And I can’t help but think that he’s really smart. But I just wish that I didn’t feel like he wants to make me feel that he’s smart.

Interestingly, though Delacourt is present in Juggernaut as a narrator, I didn’t get the same vibe. It’s hard for me to articulate and again maybe the comparison is unfair. However, I really want to get past page 6.

Any suggestions on how to get over my reader’s block, suggestions on chapters I should skip ahead to, or when things start to get really good (i.e. pages where Wells no longer makes sort of uncomfortable “look at how witty I am talking about Hannibal and the Rockies” references) – would be very much appreciated.

7 Comments:

At 7:30 PM, Blogger Prairie Fire said...

Was reading a funny article about Wells on efrank.ca where they describe Paul Wells as: "a pundit with an ego swollen so massively that his head has its own Kyoto targets" (efrank has cleverly designed their site so you can't cut and paste content, other wise I would share the whole article).

Having read the book and his blog, one increasingly gets the impression that whereas some men have adult magazines stashed under their bed, he has a scrapbook with his old columns...

 
At 12:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"(efrank has cleverly designed their site so you can't cut and paste content, other wise I would share the whole article)."

How I loathe the use of flash technology for non interactive websites.

 
At 11:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It doesn't get any better. Thank god you didn't buy it.

 
At 1:01 PM, Blogger Oxford County Liberals said...

If that was indeed Paul, it proves you certainly do read a lot of blogs.. though I'm surprised you're jumping all over the blogosphere to participate in posting snark at any blogger's site who has an issue with your book.

Personally.. I'll ask it (the book) to be put on my Christmas Wish List so I can draw my own conclusions.

 
At 1:03 PM, Blogger Oxford County Liberals said...

PS to Prairie Fire. I find Wells is about the only columnist worth reading at Macleans nowadays.

I'm hoping Adam Radwanski's move over there will improve matters.

 
At 1:27 PM, Blogger Prairie Fire said...

I guess I need to revise my comment in light of new information. It isn't a scrapbook of old columns under Paul's bed for those lonely nights...it is a laptop with every posting about him in the blogosphere lovingly indexed for review and response.

Oh Paul, we still love you just the same :-)

 
At 1:59 PM, Blogger JJ said...

Guys, guys. Let's take some deep breaths and tone down the rhetoric. Paul and I have had a nice email chat this a.m. - results of which I will post later today.

 

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