Beach Reading

by Lorne Elliott, Timothy Elliott (Illustrator)

Lorne Elliott's new novel, Beach Reading, takes us back to the early 1970s on the North Shore of Prince Edward Island, where a hilarious and colourful cast of Lorne Elliott characters are engaged in uproarious political, financial, musical, amorous, and ecological shenanigans. Our young hero, Christian, is an eloquently wry and precocious university drop-out, who has never savoured the wonders of women or alcohol. A budding naturalist raised in central Canada, he arrives on PEI for a summer job in the newly-established Barrisway National Park, and sets up camp on the beach. There, he becomes enmeshed in the struggles of the boisterous MacAkrin siblings to remain in their park-enclosed home, rivalries and lustful longings at park headquarters, and the skullduggeries of an Island political campaign. Lorne Elliott gloriously conjures the mischief and zaniness, the lovable rascals and lamentable rogues, of Island life behind the tourist posters. He deftly evokes the kindness and camaraderie of Islanders, and the Island's high-spirited revelry. Beach Reading transforms the Land of Anne and Avonlea into the land of Wallace MacAkrin, the Barley Boys, and Barrisway. "Come play on our Island," as the tourist slogan says, and you'll be laughing with bittersweet delight for days.

Genres: Humor

267 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2013

About the author

Lorne Elliott is perhaps best known as the host for ten years of CBC Radio's "Madly Off In All Directions" and is a musician, comedian, playwright and novelist. He has written and performed in numerous plays and shows in various media. His latest musical play, "Jamie Rowsell Lives" won the 2012 Playwrights Guild of Canada Award for Best Musical. He has had a novella, "The Fixer-Upper" and a novel "Beach Reading" published.

Reviews

[Anne Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the word reading in the title, wouldn't you expect that the characters in the book would actually spend time on the beach reading???? Unfortunately, no reading as such takes place in this novel.

I started reading this book because I was looking for books about the cottage. While the protagonist of this tale doesn't live in a cottage, one could say that it starts it almost starts out as a cottage novel; the early description camping out on the PEI shore, the red dirt and all, made me feel as if I could feel the sea breeze, too.

Yet, it was a little disappointing to learn that this is just another political novel. In some respects the political content reminded me of Terry Fallis' political novel Best Laid Plans, but this novel is rowdier. In some respects, it reminds me of the classic Canadian movie "Strange Brew", and yet in others the protagonist's meanderings are Murakami-esque in their all-knowingness. But while Murakami's characters propels me to turn the next page, I don't feel that similar propulsion here.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried, I really tried, but I just could not get into this book. I took it on my commute for some 'forced reading', I took it to bed for evening reading, I sat down with it at quiet times but no, I just could not get into it. I renewed at the library and renewed it again but that is the limit and I had to return it to them, and I have no great need to get the book out and try again. I tried and tried. I also read 5-10 other books, good, bad, and so-so during the time that I had Beach Reading on loan so it was not a lack of reading-ness on my part.

The book is not terrible, and I can even see how people of a particular type of humour might enjoy it. But for me, I never clicked with the characters and never warmed up to them or the plot. I also thought that the author was trying too hard to be funny and clever. Trying hard to be funny and clever generally destroys the funny and clever in the book.

Ah well, I tried...

[Abcdarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. A few good laughs, but generally disappointing.

[Jennifer Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although others haven't been generous in their reviews of this novel, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was--a far fetched romp through the summer of our 18-year-old protagonist in PEI. The cast of characters are overblown caricatures, but that's exactly how they are meant to be--bigger than life, amusing, and very Canadian. Entertaining, light, and funny, read this one on the beach and don't try to dig too deep under the surface. It is what is is. Enjoy it.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful read. As a biologist, I enjoyed the naturalist notes throughout. Extremely well written and funny