Compared to Hitler: Essays

by R.M. Vaughan

R. M. Vaughan’s essays—taking on everything from photo-conceptualist art to the discordant joys of a Mariah Carey concert—have appeared in Canadian and international publications since the early 1990s. Compared to Hitler is both a “best of” collection and, in Vaughan’s own words, an apology for being such a brat. As the collection’s title tells us, the award-winning writer has been compared to unsavory characters his entire working life—and Vaughan wouldn’t want it any other way.

Genres: Nonfiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Richard Murray Vaughan was a Canadian poet, novelist and playwright.

Reviews

[Erika Nerdypants · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of essays on being queer, being an artist and in general just living in Canada's always changing social stratosphere. What convinced me to read on after glancing through the first few pages, was the wicked sense of humour ( not always kind), with which Vaughn approaches his subjects. Even if I couldn't always agree with his point of view, I couldn't fault him for making me laugh, frequently out loud. And granted, on lots of stuff he makes perfect sense, in an opinionated, at times subtly misogynistic sort of way. Although for the most part he reads like a cranky old queen, occasionally a gentle tenderness shines through, as in "You Bear, Me Jane", and "Dominick's Fish".
"Silly Seasons" are gossipy pieces that are fun to read, delicious like spending a few hours with your favourite girlfriend, the one who has the dirt on everyone. I dare you not to snicker while reading about Mariah Carey's planned emotional breakdowns and Paris Hilton's antics, that have quite frankly earned them not only infamy but also plenty of money. Like most collections of essays, the book suffers from an overabundance of witty punch lines, which probably worked okay in single essays but fell a little flat for me in chapter after chapter. This was relevant, timely and amusing, an easy read that can be put down and picked up again, but that only took me a few days to finish. If you are queer, an artist, a Canadian, or just want to have you thinking challenged while also being entertained, I can recommend it.

[b · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Our ancestors understood the value of good literature, because they had nothing else to do and carriages to chock” (121)