Why I Hate Canadians

by Will Ferguson

First published in 1997, this hilarious book launched satirist Will Ferguson's career. Challenging the notion that Canadians are “nice,” the book asks, “Do we as Canadians deserve a country so great?” Tackling subjects from Canada's favorite inbred royals to the mighty beaver as national icon, from sex in a canoe to all-Canadian "superhero" Captain Canuck, Ferguson rampages across the cultural landscape. The book also provides a fast-paced, opinionated overview of telling moments in Canadian history, including its run-amok Mounties and “fun-loving days” of the country's (unacknowledged) slave trade.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Humor, History, Comedy, Politics, Cultural

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Will Ferguson is an award-winning travel writer and novelist. His last work of fiction, 419, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. He has won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour a record-tying three times and has been nominated for both the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. His new novel, The Shoe on the Roof, will be released October 17, 2017. Visit him at WillFerguson.ca

Ferguson studied film production and screenwriting at York University in Toronto, graduating with a B.F.A. in 1990. He joined the Japan Exchange Teachers Programme (JET) soon after and spent five years in Asia. He married his wife Terumi in Kumamoto, Japan, in 1995. They now live in Calgary with their two sons. After coming back from Japan he experienced a reverse culture shock, which became the basis for his first book Why I Hate Canadians. With his brother, Ian Ferguson, he wrote the bestselling sequel How to be a Canadian. Ferguson details his experiences hitchhiking across Japan in Hokkaido Highway Blues (later retitled Hitching Rides with Buddha), his travels across Canada in Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw, and a journey through central Africa in Road Trip Rwanda. His debut novel, Happiness, was sold into 23 languages around the world. He has written for The New York Times, Esquire UK, and Canadian Geographic magazine.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I avoided reading this book for the longest time based solely on the title.(Yes, sometimes I do judge a book by its cover.). My loving mother eventually thrust it into my skeptical hands over Christmas, along with a few other books she enjoyed. And of course I've loved every single one. Let this be a lesson to you ladies and gentlemen: always listen to my mother. Especially about books.

I don't want to share any plot details, because that would spoil the surprise and I think this is a book best read when you aren't quite certain what you are getting yourself into. Canadians are pretty nice, so if you read it in public your house might get egged, but chances are good you won't get lynched. This book was an eye-opening journey through Canada's history and you should read it too. Most of the history Ferguson shared was news to me; I had never heard of the Komagata Maru, Captain/Johnny Canuck, or most of the aboriginal history mentioned in the book. Why don't we cover more of this stuff in high school, instead of doing WWI and WWII for four years in a row? Which is mainly what I remember from high school Social Studies; I realize it's important but after a while it feels less like learning and more like cud-chewing. Perhaps that would give the coming generations of Canadians a more accurate perception of what Canadian is, instead of relying on stereotypes, rhetoric, cliches, and blind, over-zealous patriotism.

[Sebastien · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever met a friend that you grew up with a couple of decades ago and you happen to run into each other? Maybe you decide to go to a bar to catch up. Your "friend" has a couple of good stories in him, but then he starts slurring his words, becomes overly arrogant and makes a giant ass of himself. He starts saying things that contradict previous statements he has made, and each story has even less to do with the previous one, and after hours of this, you get fed up and want to leave. After that you never meet up with him again.

This is allegory for my experience with Will Ferguson and this book. This book was atrocious, D-grade English major rubbish. I actually had to check to see if he had written other books after this one (unfortunately for me, yes). You know those people who think vaccines cause autism and have no proof? Ferguson is the historical version of that - he makes claim after claim that he can't back up. I looked in the back of the book and there were no sources! In the book he repeatedly attacks Pierre Berton, the infamous Canadian historian, on what he perceives to be an overly glorified view of Canada and Canadians, yet Ferguson can't even tell us the works he cited himself.

Before I continue, I am fully aware that as a French-Canadian, it is pretty easy to assume that I did not like this book because of his political opinions or something like that. That has nothing to do with it; in fact, his chapter on Quebec was the only enlightening and interesting thing in this word dumpster. It even tricked me into thinking that it might be a good book (wrong). Quebec or no Quebec, this book just plain SUCKS.

Each chapter is written in a different style, which comes off as clunky, aggravating, and the literary equivalent of bleach in the eyes. Why he decided to write the book like this defies all logic. One chapter is supposed to be part memoir, another on the history of the beaver as a national symbol, another on how Superman isn't Canadian and how we should get over it.

The title has nothing to do with the subject of the book. He doesn't hate Canadians. Just the 1990s version of click-bait. It might as well have been called, "Historical Lies and Boring Personal (but Overwhelmingly Positive) Opinions on Canadians." It's not biting satire and it did not age well. In the 1990s maybe his dad-joke humour made a couple of Gen-Xers guffaw but I wanted to rip pages out 95% of the time he tried to make a joke. It reads like if my present-day uncle got drunk, went back in time and started a blog in 1997.

His arrogance and ignorance is infuriating beyond belief. He knows more than you and everyone else. He knows more about the political system than you, and he knows more about Canada than you, and he didn't even need a fancy economics degree to write this book! And who wants to read a book written by someone who got one of these utterly useless degrees?

I live in Nunavik, one of the places Ferguson claims to know a whole lot about but doesn't really. This book is so bad that this weekend I will take it out on the land and leave it somewhere where hopefully a muskox can take a giant shit on it. My only hope is that once it gets warm enough the feces will permeate through this book and destroy it by August. Will Ferguson is the destitute man's Mordecai Richler, and even that is giving him too much credit. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It wasn't quite as funny as I expected, yet there was some great, biting satire in it. The book is essentially part memoir (and that part is a bit weak), part sociopolitical analysis of culture. The latter is very well done.

That said, I think there are places where a non-Canadian might find themselves lost. I definitely understand why some American readers might dislike it - Ferguson didn't really do enough to let you in on some of the jokes... it could well be like coming into a play at the middle of the second act. I also found the various chapters didn't link together as well as they could have. It's for those reasons I knocked off one star.

Still, the book is worth reading just for the chapter on hockey. And overall, the author had some really interesting ideas to share regarding the nature of Canada, our culture and our struggles. I definitely want to read more Will Ferguson.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate Canadians. They have more issues than the English. Mounties are hot though

[Troy Parfitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea for a book, but hardly a great book. Super title, but his brother came up with it. Will Fergusson can't stop imparting how clever he is long enough to tell you anything of substance about Canada, but, hey; this is a guy who tells you about himself in a history of Canada that someone asked him to write; a guy who wrote an article for the NY Times telling women what they should and shouldn't do in the bedroom. I'm sure they appreciated the tips.

It'd be one thing if Ferguson's life were interesting, but if it is, he doesn't choose to relay the interesting parts. His dad was a character. Whose wasn't? He likes whiskey. Who cares? He likes women, too. Yes, it's difficult to find men who like women. Why did I pay $20.00 for this?

Canadians need someone to remind them, or tell them outright, that they're not nearly as liberal, progressive, or dynamic as they think they are. The world doesn't want to immigrate there, no one cares if you've got a Maple Leaf stitched to your back pack, many Europeans don't know the first thing about it. Mordecai Richler used to do this, with intelligence and wit, but he's gone. Will Fergusson could have done it, because he gained perspective - what Canadians lack - by living abroad, but he pulls his punches knowing that it would be bad for business to start out of the gate criticizing the only audience he might ever have.

The back-cover copy tells you Fergusson is out to challenge the notion that Canadians are "nice." But he doesn't really do that. He also wants to know: "Do we as Canadians deserve a country so geat?" But what does that mean? And what if we don't? And how do you measure? Country or nation?

As a premise, this question is, quite frankly, dumb. And he doesn't answer it anyway. Rather, the book concludes with a description of some multi-cultural dance in, if I recall, Charlottetown, PEI, which he seems to think is just wonderful. One wonders what you can truly learn about a country's culture from observing a cultural performance. It's a bit like ending a critique of the United States by going to New York to see the Rockettes.

Thin stuff.

[Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite can't-put-it-down/binge-read-in-two-days good, but it was close. I imagine people already familiar with the historical events and regional tensions discussed in the book might find it boring or pretentious. But as an American with little previous knowledge of Canada, I felt like I gained a lot of insight from this book (albeit from just one man's perspective). I also really enjoyed Ferguson's writing style, and I felt like I could clearly picture his personal experiences across Canada.

[Kcarma · Rating 5 out of 5]

So True!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5. I would have rated it 4, but my lack of background in Canadian history and politics made it a trifle less enjoyable. Not a fault of the author, but it is something that non-canadians should be aware of. Still, it was an engaging and enjoyable read.

[Carin · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was recommended by a close friend as being hysterical, along the lines of Bill Bryson. However that wasn’t my experience.
Large parts of this book went right over my head. I am not only American, but I am from the South, so there’s very little I know about Canada. I did kind of know that already but this book really pointed out how very little I know about Canada. My friend who read it, his wife’s family is Canadian and they spend part of each summer there, so I think that’s a big reason why he liked it so much more than I did. I think he already knew more, and he had people around that he could ask about confusing parts.
Now I will say that Mr. Ferguson is a very good writer. He’s authoritative but casual in a way that speaks to everyone (or at least to every Canadian). But as he pointed out in the introduction (to the new 10th anniversary edition) he considered this book in a lot of ways to be his journalistic resume, so he filled it with a wide variety of topics to show his breadth and skill, not necessarily to be the best grouping of essays for readers. And it’s true at times it did seem a bit wide-ranging, though still entertaining. As an ignorant America, the parts about Quebec wanting to secede and issues with First Nations were not fully explained. This was obviously written for a Canadian audience. (I was reading a Canadian edition, though it was also published in the U.S. The American edition is not out of print, and I don’t know if perhaps it had a different foreword that explained more. But I do think it’s appropriate that this is the edition that lapsed quickly.) Some parts were just too serious and political for my taste. I wanted it to be more humorous, like the essay about how the 3 goals of Canadians are 1) keeping Americans out 2) keeping French in and 3)making the natives disappear. I think his conclusion that instead of being subsumed by American pop culture instead it helps to define Canada as not-American, and really they are more voyeurs than wannabes, is very perceptive. Naturally the last section, titled “Sex in a Canoe” is the funniest. The diatribe against the poor beaver, as the official symbolic animal representing Canada was certainly amusing. “It’s sad, really, that a nation would try to emulate a fat, flat-tailed rodent. Sadder still that we don’t measure up.”
Naturally, a book with a large focus on politics doesn’t hold up well more than 10 years on (1997). The fall of the Berlin wall was just a few years ago in this book, and September 11 certainly hasn’t happened yet. While it can be interesting to look back at these spots of history frozen in time – at what we thought the big problems were and see how they worked out, it’s also of course turned out to be a bit dated.
Overall, I think this is a good book to read as an introduction to Canada, if you will have a Canadian available to explain Katimavik, Rick Salutin, and Micmac. Otherwise it’s a bit esoteric for your typical American. I found it at times frustrating.

[Pascale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of an Anglophone Canadian, "Why I Hate Canadians" explores Canadian culture and history through satirical, albeit obscure, references and quips. The views Ferguson presents are unsurprising considering it's time of publication, consisting mostly of sympathy for Canadian minorities with the exception of Francophones. In the 10th Anniversary Edition, Ferguson makes an effort to preface the book by acknowledging its biased and exaggerated aspects, though his youthful pretentiousness can still impede the reader's enjoyment and trust at times. It is a book aimed solely for Canadians, offering little to anyone who does not identify as such (not a pro or a con, simply an observation). While some chapters offer light-hearted banter on some of Canada's more laughable characteristics, many require constant attention due to its heavy subject matter, or heavy use of citations. All in all, "Why I Hate Canadians" is an honest commentary on Canadian culture (even if it consists mostly of stereotypes) that I would recommend for the politically-inclined and not-so-easily offended.

[Chinchilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the author was very honest about his take on this national identity of “niceness”, which was the very focus of this book. Ferguson wasn’t trying to sell readers his perspective, but rather reminding readers that there were more than one way to look at things. I couldn't agree with everything he said, but I appreciated the fact that for most of the topics he touched on, he laid out arguments from both sides even though his own opinion was clearly stated through his blatant sarcasm.

Since I did not grow up in Canada, some of the cultural references and significant events were foreign to me. I found it quite enjoyable to learn more about Canada through this book. However, I skimmed through the chapters on Canadian hockey history and something about superman comics (?).

I would recommend this book to anyone who tends to look at Canada or Canadians through rose-coloured glasses.

I give this book a solid 3 star. Borrow it from the library.

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a humourous look at Canada’s culture, history and politics. This was Will Ferguson’s first book, originally published in 1997. The edition I read was reissued in 2007 with a new introduction. For whoever wants to read this book now, I think you should try to get the 2007 edition with the intro, as it updates some of the info in the book, as well as explains more about Ferguson himself at the time he wrote it.

It was funny and I really did like it, but it wasn’t as funny as I expected. But, I also learned some stuff about my own country and its history. I’m not sure if it would be as appealing or funny for someone who isn’t Canadian, but I bet you’d learn a lot, too! If you know you already like Ferguson, you might want to give it a try anyway.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did making fun of Canucks become so popular? Maybe this book? It was written back in 1995 and I feel like in the last 5 years making fun of Canada is super cool. This book was a little making fun and from an American point of view, a lot of history. Actually more like a history of why we make fun of Canada, like the stuff they do that makes them just so easy to make fun of! And for some reason, being nice seems to be the number one reason! And so easy to make fun of them because they are too nice. My favorite parts of the book were the parts of Canada I was unfamiliar with, such as some young persons volunteer program that the country had but cancelled because the Mounties needed new hats or something. So unCanadian-like!

A must read for anyone that loves Canada in anyway.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts out strong with a funny and personal opening. Then the middle part rambles a bit until the beat picks up towards the end when the author touches on multiculturalism and his time in Charlottetown.

The prose is cynical, funny, sometimes true, and a bit shrill when it comes to Quebec separatism.


Some quotes

"Forget the mosaic; our national metaphor is the market. Multiculturalism is our new ideal, and we chose it because we had no choice."

"What this country needs is more Sudburys and fewer shopping malls"

"They were singularly the most inoffensive group of people I have ever met. They were brimming with enthusiasm, as though they were auditioning for life itself."

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My neice and I were traveling from Barcelona to Paris and we had some time to kill in the airport. She brought out two books she had to read for extra credit in school, I was living Norway and grabbed her book by Will Ferguson, to remind myself why I didnt live in Canada. I never laughed so hard in my life, my stomach was sore and I kept having to use the bathroom! My neiecs and I decided to take turns reading outloud, so we could both enjoy the book. In the end it was bang on! Every clich in the book! It was just the book only a true Canadian would get! In the end I began to miss Canada, and I did not expect that!!!!!

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finally finishing this book, I have to say it's interesting to look back on a historical time capsule so to speak, but also to recognize how little has actually changed. Will Ferguson ranges from humorous to angry, superficial to insightful, and from looking at Canada with unbridled cynicism to recognizing that it also contains something worthwhile.
While at times abrasive and annoying, he is also laugh-out-loud funny and has some very perceptive observations about Canada. So much is still relevant more than a decade after it was first published, it's quite saddening in some cases just how little progress we've made.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up expecting Ferguson's usual funny take on the world, in this case Canadians, but no. Yes, his humor peeks through at times, but it is really a socio-political critique of Canadian smugness and attitudes, largely in counterpose to their southern neighbors. He blends history, culture, and memoir to buttress his criticisms. I think he is mightily proud to be Canadian, but at the same time willing to pop illusions. I'm sure many folks up there were less than pleased. Presented in essay format. I really enjoyed the sections on sports and comics. I'm sure some of the humor and jabs went over my head, and l realize it is a bit dated, but I enjoyed it.

[Susan Chow-Dukhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting to read due to the way the chapters were written/organized. It starts with impressions of Canada after five years in Japan, then travelling back in time to when the author was involved with youth organizations supported by the Canadian government. Just when you think that the book will be made up of stories of the author's life, you progress to the history of Canada, and it's association with the US, Quebec and Natives, before moving back to the present. Some of the information provided, makes me wonder if the Canadian reputation exists only because we compare Canada with other countries.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not laugh out loud funny like his How to be a Canadian, but really enjoyable nonetheless. He brought an interesting perspective to some pretty hefty - and some not so hefty - happenings of the late 1990's (ok, and plents of events and history leading up to that decade). I can't help but feel an affinity on some things (Remember the Soviets?! Plus, I've actually been to some of the places he was talking about, though I've never had urban amnesia) I think it might be a Gen X thing ... but maybe I'm just loopy on jet fuel fumes.

[Andrij Zip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Feguson, having spent five years in Japan, returned to Canada with a unique view on Canada and Canadians, warts and all. With this book, essentially a collection of essays, he successfully deflates many of the myths that Canadians like to insulate themselves with and shows how this self-delusion part of the Canadian character. The writing itself is excellent - Ferguson is funny without being trite, insightful without being dry, cynical without being negative. Highly recommended for all progressive thinking Canadians.

[Annalise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself drawn to this book as I had previously read How to Be Canadian by the same author. The books overlapped on quite a few topics (I think Why I Hate Canadians was written first), but this book was still enjoyable, with quite a few fresh new topics.

This book tries to delve into the meaning of being Canadian, along with the idiosyncracies, in a series of short stories. It was enjoyable, but dry in some places.

[MusicalMommy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much moaning and complaining about a country that is a great place. Try living in Indonesia or mainland China (both of which I've done). Sometimes we have to get off our "high-horse" and count our blessings and just let things "be". When journalists have nothing better to do and need to justify their existence and an income for themselves, they invent "angst" and then get their knickers into such a tight knot all the while thinking that the rest of us really care what they think.

[Kaija · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book. I know many people did.
However, I didn't really find it funny. Maybe if I had read it when it first came out I would have enoyed it more. I found he complained too much, and it was more about him finding himself than really talking about anything else.

He made some very good points about Canada, I appreciate how he mentioned the Natives were mistreated and still are.

That didn't make up for the rest of the book though.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, often humorous, insights into what makes Canadians Canadian. It was first published in 1997, and I read the 10th anniversary edition published in 2017, so some of the information, of course, is dated. Most, I think, is still relevant. I did want to look up background information on a number of items while I read, and, I suspect, that, had I not lived in Canada for six years, I would have been lost with a lot of the references.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ostensibly marketed as a humor book, and certainly the title captures attention ... while I did find parts of it funny, I also found it fascinating in a lot of areas, and learned way more about Canadians than I ever knew before. But judging by what Will Ferguson writes, I learned way more than even some Canadians know about themselves. Great book about our next-door neighbors.

[Sylvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought the book at the airport ... going to Cuba.

This is the first book the author wrote.
He tried different litterary style for each chapter.
I have enjoyed the book and got some laughs out of it.
I will certainly pass it on to some of my American friends that sometimes tease me about the weel know Canadian niceness !!!

Do not take too seriously!

[David Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was annoyed after the first chapter, couldn't stop laughing afterwards, especially the chapter on Sudbury, but it fizzled out at the end. If I had been editor, would have axed the last chapter. An honest look at Canada by an Anglo trying very hard to figure the place out. He's a bit hard on Quebec, but his tough love seems sincere. Pleased to have read it.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book of essays over a few years. The essays are in turn funny, poignant and thought provoking. Ferguson wrote this book upon returning to Canada after 5 years spent abroad in Japan. By the end, he was glad to be back in Canada with all its foibles. I would recommend this book to other non-Canadians.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for years, so I thought I really should read it before I donated it. I was a bit disappointed, but only because the book has become dated. Some of Ferguson's humour is still applicable to the average Canadian. However, the problems from 1999 seem rather quaint compared to the problems of today. The book is simply not that relevant today.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A humorous look at our neighbors to the north ... the descriptions of "Canadian quirks" are dead on. Ferguson's examinations of the culture are fascinating and he mixes that well with side-splitting humour. Not readily available in bookstores.. well worth the shipping price.