The best laid plans

by Terry Fallis

CD audiobook, 2011

Status

Checked out

Due 2024-06-02

Series

Daniel Addison (book 1)

Genres

General Fiction

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Toronto : CNIB, 2011.

Description

WINNER OF CBC CANADA READS 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.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Cecilturtle

I'll admit, it's not the most intellectual book out here - but I don't think it had that pretension either. Light, funny and very Canadian, this book is a great read to discover the lighter side of politics, learn a bit more on the government's workings while enjoying a stroll through the streets

of Ottawa and Cumberland-Prescott. Even though they don't evolve much, the characters are strong and well-established with quirks and personalities all to their won; the storyline is tight and - although perhaps naive - uplifting; and the decor, well... being an Ottawa resident, it was a real pleasure walking through my streets, even in the dead of winter!
In my opinion, this book well deserves its acclaim!

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LibraryThing member Nickelini

Crusty, intelligent, and opinionated Angus agrees to have his name put on the ballot in an election that he has no chance in winning, and that's just the way he wants it. He lives in a riding that always votes for the other guys, the incumbent is the most popular finance minister ever, and expected

to become Prime Minister of Canada one day. But then scandal hits, and Angus finds himself elected to office. With no desire for re-election, and no desire for a political career, Angus can be that politician who actually does the right thing rather than being a politician.

The Best Laid Plans won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour and the 2011 CBC Canada Reads competition (the theme that year was the most important book of the past decade).

It took me a while to get into it but once I got to around page 30, I started to enjoy it. I don't find the humour especially funny, and some of the writing makes me cringe, and it's predictable . . . but many parts are clever, and while the humour isn't laugh out loud, it does make me smile. It's not difficult to read, yet I'm learning about how my country ticks. And best of all . . . I kept looking for opportunities to pick it up, and when was reading and needed to put it down, I'd think "one more chapter."

Recommended for: Well, as I said, it won CBC Canada Reads, so that means it's a must-read for all Canadians, obviously. I'm trying to think if someone who doesn't live in Canada would get anything out of it, and I'm not sure. Maybe; probably not.

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LibraryThing member fiverivers

The Best Laid Plans, by Terry Fallis, is, in my opinion, a perfect novel, deserving of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, and of every accolade it receives. If you haven't yet read it you must, right now, rush out and purchase your very own copy; no, don't borrow one, buy your own because it

will be a mainstay on your bookshelf for years to come.

Now, it's best to understand it's not easy to make me laugh, and I'm also a very critical reader; despite that Terry had me laughing myself silly with the opening scene, to the point I couldn't speak and still break into spontaneous giggles when I think about it. And while that side-splitting humour toned down through the novel into a voice of wit and delightful absurdities, it remained an engaging read that produced explosions of giggles throughout.

Terry's characters are endearing, real, deftly crafted, his plot tight and seamless, the ending the perfect bow on the perfect package. I'll never again think of Parliament Hill in quite the same manner. Well done, Terry! Bravo!

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LibraryThing member baubie

Combining humour with hard politics is not an easy feat. Fallis has accomplished this though in a witty, smart, enlightening book that many Canadians would enjoy. As an outsider to the house of commons, this inside look actually teaches a thing or two about how our government is run and keeps a

tongue-in-cheek attitude towards the whole institution. The only downside was that I found the book slightly longer than it had to be and the diary entries at the end of each chapter provided little more than a summary of previous events. I thought Fallis could have used the diary entries to give a more direct look into the mind of Angus or used them only when they could add something important to Angus' inner thought process. At times I think they were added only because every other chapter already had one. This is a minor detraction though and I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Canadian politics and having a laugh at the same time.

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LibraryThing member LynnB

I really enjoyed this book. It is funny -- and I rarely laugh out loud when I'm reading, but I did several times.

This is the story of Daniel, who has decided he's had enough of life as a political back-roomer. Just one more thing to do before he can leave his old life behind: find a Liberal

candidate to run in a riding that's been Conservative forever. Which he does. Which doesn't work out as planned.

Angus McLintock, the unlikely candidate, is a marvelous character; he's a misfit and an independent thinker without being a cliche.

Great writing, very funny, and provides a glimpse of life inside politics.

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LibraryThing member houlihan

The Best Laid Plans richly deserves both the Leacock award and the position it assumed atop the Canada Reads pile this year. A great novel, filled with memorable characters and a wry humour that makes it easy to devour.

I am less than thrilled with the illustration it provides of Canadian politics,

not because it lays out an embarrassing and calculating group of power-hungry people all grasping to be in power for the sake of being in power, but instead because it feels like a bit of a glimpse behind the curtain confirming all of my worst fears about our Canadian political system. I can see why it would either make you wish to run for office, or make you glad you don't.

Either way, I purchased the sequel online as soon as I closed the first. So far as I can see, our culture doesn't provide much higher praise for a book.

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LibraryThing member ontariofan

Absolutely the best novel I've read in a long time. Great characters, good story, witty and funny. Can't wait to read the sequel.

LibraryThing member lamour

A friend recommended this book to me and I wish I could remember who that was for this was a great deal of fun to read. While it does paint a very bleak picture of our Federal politicians, there are those in the story who do try to do the right thing. It won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour and

it is well deserved.

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LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite

The story line was fairly predictable, but there were some real belly laughs in the text which meant that this didn't matter very much. The main characters were likeable and the political background was interesting without being overpowering. A fun read

LibraryThing member gypsysmom

This is one of the books chosen for Canada Reads 2011 so I wanted to try to read it before the debates started. It has won the Stephen Leacock award for humour so I expected it to be funny. And it was. Not roll on the floor funny but amused snicker funny.

The story is told from the point of view of

a Liberal speech writer, Daniel Addison, who decides to pack in the political life and take up teaching English in University. Before he leaves though he is talked into finding a Liberal candidate for a strong Tory riding that is held by the popular Finance Minister. Everyone knows it's just a matter of time before the Prime Minister calls an election to try to get a majority government (does this sound familiar) so there's no time to dally. Daniel also has to find a place to live so he talks to Angus McClintock, curmudgeonly Scot and talented engingeering professor. Angus has a boat house with an apartment upstairs which Daniel is lucky enough to rent. When he goes to hand in his postdated rent cheques he also finds his Liberal candidate. Angus has been saddled with the job of teaching English to Engineering students and he'll do anything to get out of that, including letting his name stand for the Liberals. There are a few provisos the main one of which is that he must stand no chance of winning. Of course, Daniel feels perfectly confident in promising that. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the title, taken from a Robbie Burns' poem which ends with "aft gang agley", is appropriate to this pact.

I really liked the character of Angus. He's a recent widower and he misses his wife dreadfully. It's hard not to like a man who was that much in love with his wife. He's also a man of conviction and honour. We could use more people like him in Parliament. The other character I really liked is Muriel Parkinson, the woman who ran for the Liberals five straight times before refusing to be the sacrificial lamb again. She's feisty and optimistic and doesn't give in to the Parkinson's disease which has put her in a seniors' home.

Other than that I thought the characters, especially the politicians, were more caricatures than realistic. And I thought there were times when Fallis dragged on a joke past its funny parts. I don't think this will win the Canada Reads competition but you never know. Maybe this is the year for a humourous book to win.

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LibraryThing member latorreliliana

Interesting at beginning. Got bogged down in politics towards muddle.

LibraryThing member Josephientje

Excellent account of the goings-on on parliament hill. Story of an MP in Ottawa.

LibraryThing member bogdanno

Plenty of fart jokes. The humor and the sentence construction was forced.
Add to this the main subject of the book: politics and you will see why I couldn't finish the book.
On the positive side-the author has an impressive vocabulary.

LibraryThing member xlsg

This was a good book to read over the holidays - pleasant enough, but not so gripping that I had to sequester myself away from family and food to read it. It seemed to try too hard, and the characters just didn't appeal that much. Set in Ottawa, otherwise would have been 2 stars.

LibraryThing member bookbabe50

So far, no one I know has been able to read this book without laughing out loud! I can hardly wait for the sequel.

LibraryThing member Dabble58

This is another jolly but well-informed romp through the houses of the Canadian Parliament and also through politics in general. It's fun, and a speedy read. I am having some difficulty suspending disbelief, but given the craziness of press coverage these days, I can almost see the situations

developing as Fallis describes them. It's given me a few snickers here and there and I am desperate to see the final fallout with Angus....
I also quite enjoy Angus' late night chats with his departed wife. They are sweet in the extreme and I find myself looking forward to them at the end of every chapter.
Quite lovely, and highly recommended.

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LibraryThing member janismack

Very funny and satirical look at politics in Ottawa. Mr. Fallis has a wonderful writting style. Very enjoyable.

LibraryThing member M.J.Perry

Recommended for: People who like to laugh
Read from January 24 to 29, 2014 — I own a copy, read count: 1

One day I thought I was going to be kicked off the bus by the driver because I was laughing so hard while reading this book. I've wanted to read this book for quite a while and when CBC made a

mini-series about it I knew I wanted to stay a section ahead of each broadcast.

This story about an idealistic party hack who is verging on cynacism trying to save his soul is hilarious. Leaving the party behind him when he realizes he's either been betrayed or used by the party woman of his dreams, he looks forward to a life of quiet academia teaching English at his alma mater. However, prior to allowing him to leave the party asks for one more service. Find a candidate who is certain lose to run in a riding that has never been won, and manage the campaign. He knows that in agreeing to this assignment his is putting the final nail in his political coffin.

He finds the perfect candidate in his new landlord. A Scottish professor of mechanical engineering at the same university the landlord, who has no desire to win the election, and the hack make a deal. The landlord will run in the election if the newly minted English professor will teach the English to Enginers.

It's a match made in heaven.... almost.

I loved the book and I don't think it's necessary to know a great deal about Canadian federal politics to enjoy it. Between the laughs I found I actually learned more about my political system. It's wonderfully entertaining and uplifiting.

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LibraryThing member LibraryCin

3.75 stars

Daniel has left his job working for the Liberal Leader in the House of Commons, but has promised to find someone to run in the next election for the Liberal Party in the Cumberland-Prescott riding, where the PC candidate has served for years and is loved by all. The PCs have this riding

locked up. So, after a lot of searching, Daniel convinces Angus McLintock, an engineering professor, who has absolutely no desire to be a politician, to simply put his name on the ballot for the Liberals. However, things don't quite go as planned...

I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I'm not a big fan of politics, or especially reading about it, but this is funny and entertaining. I couldn't quite give it a full 4 stars because in the first half of the book, there was an occasional slow patch, but the second half really picked up. Angus is a great character and I loved the "antipolitician" that he was. Not caring what people thought of him, he said and did what he thought was right. There were some great secondary characters in this book, as well.

Reread, just over 2 years later:
4 stars

This was a reread for my f2f book club. I love Angus! He's an honest politician who doesn't even want to be there. I thought the book picked up in the second halff but there is a lot of humour spread throughout the book. This is one that I suspect might be better appreciated by those who have some kind of knowledge of Canadian politics, but I wonder if there might be enough humour (and novelty – an honest politician!!) to keep others interested, as well.

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LibraryThing member TheBookJunky

A Canadian political satire, won the Stephen Leacock prize. LOL.
Duncan Angus McLintock is a Scottish prof of engineering in Ottawa, who agrees to run as Liberal candidate in a federal election, as part of a horse trade that lets him escape the dreaded horror of teaching English to engineering

students. He agrees to run in a riding that is the safest Tory seat in the country until…as the title says…
The Best Laid Plans" captured the simultaneous cynicism, idealism, humour and resignation that infects and defines Canadian politics.
Great fun.

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LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson

Hilarious scenario of a reluctant candidate running for the Liberals in a "safe seat".

LibraryThing member lkernagh

For me, this farcical political romp can best be summed up as a truly Canadian spin on my favorite British political satire, Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. A word of caution for readers: This is an extremely Canadian story and while Fallis does take some pains to explain certain aspects of

the Canadian political system and party politics, the story is filled with nuances, clichés and metaphors that may miss their mark with some non-Canadian readers. Should also mention that Fallis was a former Liberal Party advisor so it is not surprising that he takes a number of humorous swipes at the other parties – and in particular, the Conservative party as being the party in power in the setting of this story – that might not sit too well with a reader, depending on their personal political point of view. For me, I am more of an issues voter than a party voter, so I am happy to chuckle along with all political humour. Some of Fallis’s humour tends more to caricature than satire – another reason why I recommend that this book will probably make for a more rewarding read for readers with more than just a passing knowledge of Canadian politics and issues.

Overall, a fun, quick read and would make for perfect reading in the lead up to a federal election. I have already dipped into the second book, The High Road so that I can continue along with Angus and Daniels’ continuing political misadventures.

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LibraryThing member Carlathelibrarian

Daniel Addison is leaving parliament hill to become a professor at the University of Ottawa. To appease the Liberal leader, he promises to find a candidate in the riding of Cumberland-Prentiss and act as the campaign manager. There has not been a Liberal MP in this riding for many years, in fact

the very popular Finance Minister in the MP. Daniel is unable to find a willing candidate. He convinces his landlord, Angus McLintock, an engineering professor to run in exchange for teaching one of his hated English classes for Engineers. He also assures Angus that he has no chance of winning. Angus agrees, but stipulates he will not campaign or appear in any way. He actually goes off to Bali to work on a water project during the election campaign. When the Finance Mister is involved in a scandal, Angus is in for a big surprise upon his return. A great story, humorous, interesting and very Canadian.

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LibraryThing member sdramsey

This was the audio version of this book, as originally podcast. I expect a few of the minor issues I had with it have probably been ironed out for the print version. If you like satire or Canadian politics (and maybe even more if you DON'T like politics) you will likely enjoy this book!

LibraryThing member c_why

A cute little romp. Some of the scenes & characters will stick around in my memory for a while (more then I can say about most novels). But not exactly the book all Canada NEEDS to read.

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