The Best Laid Plans

by Terry Fallis | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0771047584 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingAceofHeartswing of Mississauga, Ontario Canada on 10/2/2012
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3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingAceofHeartswing from Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Amazon Editorial Review

Selected as the 2011 CBC Canada Reads Winner!

This book beat out work by Douglas Coupland and Will Ferguson because it is very, very good — a terrific Canadian political satire.

Here’s the set up: A burnt-out politcal aide quits just before an election — but is forced to run a hopeless campaign on the way out. He makes a deal with a crusty old Scot, Angus McLintock — an engineering professor who will do anything, anything, to avoid teaching English to engineers — to let his name stand in the election. No need to campaign, certain to lose, and so on.

Then a great scandal blows away his opponent, and to their horror, Angus is elected. He decides to see what good an honest M.P. who doesn’t care about being re-elected can do in Parliament. The results are hilarious — and with chess, a hovercraft, and the love of a good woman thrown in, this very funny book has something for everyone.

Journal Entry 2 by wingAceofHeartswing at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Sunday, March 17, 2013
Daniel Addison is a former staffer for the Opposition Liberal Leader. He leaves Parliament Hill for a University position in the English department. But first,he needs to find and run a candidate in the safest Conservative riding in the country. Muriel Parkinson, the previous candidate five times over will help with the campaign, but not run for election again.

Daniel finally strikes a deal with his landlord, engineering professor Angus McLintock. Angus agrees to run, on the presumption that he doesn't have to do anything for the campaign, and will definitely lose. In return, Daniel will teach the English for Engineers course.

Of course all things do not run smoothly and Angus does win the election. Now we have a Member of Parliament with no axe to grind, no need to cozy up with anyone and will do what is 'right' for the country.

This was a humorous story not LOL but still funny. I have survived the English for Engineers course as a student and the author had this course 'down pat'. What I did not understand was why Daniel had to do anything when he left Parliament Hill but I guess this is the main premise of the book. I loved Angus and did grin when I imagined him stripping and jumping off the dock.

Journal Entry 3 by HoserLauren at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Friday, March 29, 2013
This book is with me now.

Journal Entry 4 by HoserLauren at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Daniel Addison leaves Parliament Hill after having been a speech writer for the Leader of the Opposition to pursue a career in academia. He feels a bit jaded from his time in the Canadian political system and is looking forward to a somewhat more normal existence. The only thing he needs to do before he completely transition is find a Liberal candidate for one of the biggest Tory strongholds in the country, his new home, Cumberland. The incumbent of Cumberland is the current Finance Minister and very popular. It takes Addison a very long time to find a candidate before he happens on his new landlord, Angus McLintock. Angus is a Scot who teaches Engineering at the university and despises teaching English to Engineers because they don't get it. In exchange for not teaching English to Engineers, Angus agrees to become a for-sure loser of the Liberal party in his riding. Hilarity ensues!

It's not typical that you get to read a comedic book about Canadian politics. Usually most Canadian books are sub-par. This one, however, was very enjoyable. The characters were entertaining and the story line more so. Some things didn't make a whole lot of sense, such as why the Liberals would ask Addison to find them a candidate and then do nothing but ridicule his decision when they wouldn't have been able to find better themselves. But putting aside the small issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Journal Entry 5 by wingAceofHeartswing at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Saturday, June 15, 2013
This book is back with me :)

Journal Entry 6 by HoserLauren at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Monday, December 23, 2013
My dad read this book and enjoyed it. CBC is making it in to a tv show as well. I'll try to find a good home for this book.

Journal Entry 7 by HoserLauren at Thirty Bench Vineyard in Beamsville, Ontario Canada on Sunday, August 31, 2014

Released 9 yrs ago (8/31/2014 UTC) at Thirty Bench Vineyard in Beamsville, Ontario Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To the finder of this book: I hope you enjoy reading this book. Please keep it or set it free when you're done. If the book is of no interest to you, please release it into the wild for someone else to find and enjoy. I hope you will make a journal entry so its journey can be tracked and to let me know the book has been found. You can remain anonymous if you wish, but if you join BookCrossing, you are in for a great experience and I do hope you will use my mom, AceofHearts, as a referring member. 

Journal Entry 8 by wingAnonymousFinderwing at Niagara On The Lake, Ontario Canada on Monday, July 27, 2015
Found it and brought it home to Kitchener and have set it free.

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