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No Relation
"Terry Fallis is fast becoming a master of fiction writing.... What delightful lunacy Fallis has concocted here, with a dollop of intrigue and even romance." Montreal Gazette
This is the story of a young copywriter in New York City. He's worked at the same agency for fifteen years, and with a recent promotion under his belt, life is good. Then, one morning this copywriter finds himself unceremoniously fired from his job, and after he catches his live-in girlfriend moving out of their apartment a couple hours later, he's also single. Believe it or not, these aren't the biggest problems in this copywriter's life. There's something bigger, something that has been haunting him his whole life, something that he'll never be able to shake. Meet Earnest Hemmingway.
What's in a name? Well, if you share your moniker with the likes of some of the most revered, infamous, and sometimes dreaded names in history, plenty. This is Earnest's lifelong plight, but now he's had enough. It's time to take back his name.
Wry, clever, and utterly engaging, No Relation is Terry Fallis at the top of his form.
This is the story of a young copywriter in New York City. He's worked at the same agency for fifteen years, and with a recent promotion under his belt, life is good. Then, one morning this copywriter finds himself unceremoniously fired from his job, and after he catches his live-in girlfriend moving out of their apartment a couple hours later, he's also single. Believe it or not, these aren't the biggest problems in this copywriter's life. There's something bigger, something that has been haunting him his whole life, something that he'll never be able to shake. Meet Earnest Hemmingway.
What's in a name? Well, if you share your moniker with the likes of some of the most revered, infamous, and sometimes dreaded names in history, plenty. This is Earnest's lifelong plight, but now he's had enough. It's time to take back his name.
Wry, clever, and utterly engaging, No Relation is Terry Fallis at the top of his form.
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2014
28 people are currently reading
1290 people want to read
About the author
Terry Fallis
12 books714 followersTerry Fallis is the award-winning author of ten national bestsellers, including his latest, The Marionette, all published by McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House). His debut novel, The Best Laid Plans, won the 2008 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and was crowned the 2011 winner of CBC Canada Reads as the "essential Canadian novel of the decade." In January 2014, CBC aired a six-part television miniseries based on The Best Laid Plans earning very positive reviews. In September 2015, it debuted as a stage musical in Vancouver. The High Road was published in September 2010 and was a finalist for the 2011 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Terry's third novel, Up and Down, was released in September 2012. It debuted on the Globe and Mail bestsellers list, was a finalist for the 2013 Leacock Medal, and won the 2013 Ontario Library Association Evergreen Award. In June 2013, the Canadian Booksellers Association presented Terry with the Libris Award for Author of the Year. Terry's fourth novel, No Relation, hit bookstores in May 2014, opened on the Globe and Mail bestsellers list, and won the 2015 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Poles Apart was released in October 2015, immediately hit the Globe and Mail bestsellers list, and was a finalist for the 2016 Leacock Medal. One Brother Shy (2017), Albatross (2019), Operation Angus (2021), A New season (2023), an The Marionette were all instant bestsellers upon publication.
Terry Fallis earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McMaster University and then spent several years working in federal and Ontario politics. In 1995, he co-founded Thornley Fallis, a full service communications and digital agency with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. He blogs at www.terryfallis.com and his twitter handle is @TerryFallis. Subscribe to his Substack posts here: https://terryfallis.substack.com
Terry Fallis earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McMaster University and then spent several years working in federal and Ontario politics. In 1995, he co-founded Thornley Fallis, a full service communications and digital agency with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. He blogs at www.terryfallis.com and his twitter handle is @TerryFallis. Subscribe to his Substack posts here: https://terryfallis.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
April 23, 2014
Fallis has done it again! Witty, wry, cunning and clever, this novel packs a hefty humourous punch.
From Earnest Hemmingway's meltdown at the DMV, to the first meeting of the NameFame support group he ends up leading (peopled with such non-famous people who have the famous names of Diana Ross, James Moriarty, Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Jackie Kennedy, Mario Andretti, Mahatma Gandhi, Jesse Owens and Marie Antionette, Fallis leaves no potential funny bone untickled.
Combining the frustration of living in the shadow of the original Hemingway's curse along with a deeply traditional family obligation that he wants no part of, Earnest sets forth on a journey of self-discovery and introspection. The story combines silly humour, slapstick situations and unexpectedly touching moments with intriguing twists, knots and turns, creating a pleasurable, well-rounded and ultimately satisfying journey.
This is a book I will look forward to placing into many different reader's hands.
From Earnest Hemmingway's meltdown at the DMV, to the first meeting of the NameFame support group he ends up leading (peopled with such non-famous people who have the famous names of Diana Ross, James Moriarty, Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Jackie Kennedy, Mario Andretti, Mahatma Gandhi, Jesse Owens and Marie Antionette, Fallis leaves no potential funny bone untickled.
Combining the frustration of living in the shadow of the original Hemingway's curse along with a deeply traditional family obligation that he wants no part of, Earnest sets forth on a journey of self-discovery and introspection. The story combines silly humour, slapstick situations and unexpectedly touching moments with intriguing twists, knots and turns, creating a pleasurable, well-rounded and ultimately satisfying journey.
This is a book I will look forward to placing into many different reader's hands.
July 28, 2015
Maybe 50 pages left and I'm happy to ditch it in favour of a new book that just arrived in the mail. My previous comment stands:
"I feel like if this was written by a woman and featured Virginia Wolf instead of Earnest Hemmingway, it would be dismissed as "chick-lit," and it certainly wouldn't win any awards. It's a solid enough book, but I feel like I've read it many times. Women who write books like this receive no fanfare."
"I feel like if this was written by a woman and featured Virginia Wolf instead of Earnest Hemmingway, it would be dismissed as "chick-lit," and it certainly wouldn't win any awards. It's a solid enough book, but I feel like I've read it many times. Women who write books like this receive no fanfare."
June 8, 2014
Well, I hesitate to pile on and criticize this book because I think that Fallis has created some lovely characters in this book. I just would have liked to have seen more of them. Maybe more Mario Andretti and Ghandi and a little less Julia Roberts and Dillinger (so fun to type that!) Maybe Fallis felt like he had to rush through this book to publish quickly, following the success of his first three? I saw a lot to love in the cast of characters he built around his EH4 and might have even learned to love EH4 himself if there had been enough time to do so. I just never really got to know him. Other people got in the way. Other countries. Other baseball games.
The whole book seemed rushed. There were many different things going on - perhaps too many - from the painful relationships in his family, ongoing therapy with an occasionally sarcastic therapist, writer's block that prevents him from realizing his dream to be a novelist, a possible haunting, driving lessons, being fired, losing a girlfriend, finding a girlfriend - and the development of his support group for people with famous names. All of these things combined to make a book that had great potential but ended up fizzling a bit because it didn't pay enough attention to any of it. Too busy. Remarkably I ended up coming away with the strongest sense of how the financial aspects of his father's underwear empire were sorted out. This is not the normal feeling for me, following the completion of a novel. Finance?
So. I am sure fans of Terry Fallis will enjoy reading this book because a lot of his talent comes across here. Clever. Funny and likable. Touch of surprising romance. But, I would never suggest it as the first of his books to read because it wouldn't be the book that keeps people coming back for more, you know.
The whole book seemed rushed. There were many different things going on - perhaps too many - from the painful relationships in his family, ongoing therapy with an occasionally sarcastic therapist, writer's block that prevents him from realizing his dream to be a novelist, a possible haunting, driving lessons, being fired, losing a girlfriend, finding a girlfriend - and the development of his support group for people with famous names. All of these things combined to make a book that had great potential but ended up fizzling a bit because it didn't pay enough attention to any of it. Too busy. Remarkably I ended up coming away with the strongest sense of how the financial aspects of his father's underwear empire were sorted out. This is not the normal feeling for me, following the completion of a novel. Finance?
So. I am sure fans of Terry Fallis will enjoy reading this book because a lot of his talent comes across here. Clever. Funny and likable. Touch of surprising romance. But, I would never suggest it as the first of his books to read because it wouldn't be the book that keeps people coming back for more, you know.
January 18, 2022
I am usually pretty good at maintaining my cool but one thing that does give me anxiety is the thought of losing my wallet, my identification, my bank cards, or my passport. When travelling, I even travel with a picture of my passport just in case. Just the thought of jumping through all those hoops to replace all your cards and trying to make sure that your identity remains intact. Now just imagine how much trickier it all is when you have the same name as a famous person.
In this latest Fallis novel, we find Earnest Hemingway – or Hem as he is nicknamed – in the midst of losing his job at a New York advertising agency. If that isn’t bad enough, the day before he lost his wallet on the subject and he’s about to lose his girlfriend and get roped into taking the helm of the family business. Now that he’s got some time on his hands, he embarks on the process of getting the contents of wallet replaced which results in a hilarious scene at the driver’s licence office. Eventually, Hem ends up connecting with a group of others who also must bear the frustrations that come with having the same name as other famous people: Mahatma Gandhi, Diana Ross, Jackie Kennedy, Clark Kent and more. I quickly got lost into the world of Earnest Hemingway and his fellow "NameFamers" as they band together to help him save the family business.
This is yet another humourous novel by Terry Fallis! A fun, witty read that is highly recommended. The only warning with this book is that you will annoy your family members. At least I did. I kept laughing out loud when reading! For those that enjoy audiobooks, the audiobook is narrated by Terry Fallis and he completely captures the dry wit and humour (available on his website as a podcast).
Thank you very much to Random House of Canada for the advance copy. I am so glad that I won this book.
In this latest Fallis novel, we find Earnest Hemingway – or Hem as he is nicknamed – in the midst of losing his job at a New York advertising agency. If that isn’t bad enough, the day before he lost his wallet on the subject and he’s about to lose his girlfriend and get roped into taking the helm of the family business. Now that he’s got some time on his hands, he embarks on the process of getting the contents of wallet replaced which results in a hilarious scene at the driver’s licence office. Eventually, Hem ends up connecting with a group of others who also must bear the frustrations that come with having the same name as other famous people: Mahatma Gandhi, Diana Ross, Jackie Kennedy, Clark Kent and more. I quickly got lost into the world of Earnest Hemingway and his fellow "NameFamers" as they band together to help him save the family business.
This is yet another humourous novel by Terry Fallis! A fun, witty read that is highly recommended. The only warning with this book is that you will annoy your family members. At least I did. I kept laughing out loud when reading! For those that enjoy audiobooks, the audiobook is narrated by Terry Fallis and he completely captures the dry wit and humour (available on his website as a podcast).
Thank you very much to Random House of Canada for the advance copy. I am so glad that I won this book.
April 25, 2014
(ARC received as part of the First Reads)
I'm a big fan of Terry Fallis' work--I loved his political satires, and I found Up and Down to be heartwarming and funny. No Relation is a decent book with a unique subject, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
The idea behind the book is suitably wacky. After the worst day imaginable, Earnest Hemmingway (no relation to the famous author) decides to do something about the mental anguish he feels every time he introduces himself. He puts together a support group for people with famous names to face down their namesakes' legacies ... and play a little baseball.
I enjoyed Hem's interactions with his from his driven sister to his inexplicably hard-headed father. I felt that some of the plot points were a little extraneous or perhaps not fully incorporated into the story (particularly Hem's short tour of self discovery).
The cast of characters was fun, but not terribly different from those in his previous books; Hem might as well have been an unemployed David Stewart. The exception to this is possibly Hat, the butterscotch-wielding maniac who varies between full on rage and abject apology. The character is original, but rather one dimensional and almost slapsticky, not to mention a little annoying by the end of the book.
Stylistically, Fallis is still adept at the witty turn of phrase, and there are some points at which I couldn't help but laugh out loud at Hem's inner monologue. There were a few sections where some judicious pruning would have made this inner monologue a bit tighter and less long-winded, but in all, Hem's voice was engaging and enjoyable.
What it really came down to for me was the impression that a stronger editorial hand was needed in preparation of the manuscript. No Relation was an enjoyable read, but didn't quite reach its potential.
I'm a big fan of Terry Fallis' work--I loved his political satires, and I found Up and Down to be heartwarming and funny. No Relation is a decent book with a unique subject, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
The idea behind the book is suitably wacky. After the worst day imaginable, Earnest Hemmingway (no relation to the famous author) decides to do something about the mental anguish he feels every time he introduces himself. He puts together a support group for people with famous names to face down their namesakes' legacies ... and play a little baseball.
I enjoyed Hem's interactions with his from his driven sister to his inexplicably hard-headed father. I felt that some of the plot points were a little extraneous or perhaps not fully incorporated into the story (particularly Hem's short tour of self discovery).
The cast of characters was fun, but not terribly different from those in his previous books; Hem might as well have been an unemployed David Stewart. The exception to this is possibly Hat, the butterscotch-wielding maniac who varies between full on rage and abject apology. The character is original, but rather one dimensional and almost slapsticky, not to mention a little annoying by the end of the book.
Stylistically, Fallis is still adept at the witty turn of phrase, and there are some points at which I couldn't help but laugh out loud at Hem's inner monologue. There were a few sections where some judicious pruning would have made this inner monologue a bit tighter and less long-winded, but in all, Hem's voice was engaging and enjoyable.
What it really came down to for me was the impression that a stronger editorial hand was needed in preparation of the manuscript. No Relation was an enjoyable read, but didn't quite reach its potential.
July 25, 2014
When talking books, I've had more than one person tell me that I need to try Canadian author Terry Fallis. His earlier novel Best Laid Plans has been made into a television series by CBC and I was hearing that it was really good as well. So, I decided to pick up Fallis's newest book No Relation.
I should have listened sooner.....
I rarely laugh out loud when reading a book, but Fallis had me chuckling more than once.
Earnest Hemmingway is the protagonist of No Relation. I bet you immediately thought oh right, the author. Not quite....Although Earnest Hemmingway has been blessed with a famous name, it's a family name and the spelling is different. No, our Earnest is a middle aged man who in one day, has lost his wallet, his job and his girlfriend. And now his father is demanding he take his rightful place at the helm of the family underwear business. The name seems to be the least of his worries. But Earnest decides that with nothing but time on his hands and a good severance cheque in his wallet, it's time to make changes. With the help of some other 'famous' names he sets out on a journey to make the name his own.
I loved Earnest's voice from the first few pages. I appreciated his dry, droll humour and his laid back view of life. Although the license bureau incident was not so laid back - but quite funny. Fallis brings physical comedy to the page very well. Ernest is the everyman that you can't help but root for. He's just eminently likable. Just as warmly written are the band of other famous name folks populating the book - Mahatma Gandhi, Diana Ross, Jackie Kennedy, Clark Kent and more. They're an eclectic, amiable bunch, also guaranteed to endear themselves to the reader.
And don't forget about the family factory. Fallis's second storyline and set of characters, including Hem's sister, father and the requisite 'bad guy' is just as entertaining.
No Relation was a wonderfully fun read - definitely humorous, but also with a touching side. And this reader will be picking up Fallis's backlist.
I should have listened sooner.....
I rarely laugh out loud when reading a book, but Fallis had me chuckling more than once.
Earnest Hemmingway is the protagonist of No Relation. I bet you immediately thought oh right, the author. Not quite....Although Earnest Hemmingway has been blessed with a famous name, it's a family name and the spelling is different. No, our Earnest is a middle aged man who in one day, has lost his wallet, his job and his girlfriend. And now his father is demanding he take his rightful place at the helm of the family underwear business. The name seems to be the least of his worries. But Earnest decides that with nothing but time on his hands and a good severance cheque in his wallet, it's time to make changes. With the help of some other 'famous' names he sets out on a journey to make the name his own.
I loved Earnest's voice from the first few pages. I appreciated his dry, droll humour and his laid back view of life. Although the license bureau incident was not so laid back - but quite funny. Fallis brings physical comedy to the page very well. Ernest is the everyman that you can't help but root for. He's just eminently likable. Just as warmly written are the band of other famous name folks populating the book - Mahatma Gandhi, Diana Ross, Jackie Kennedy, Clark Kent and more. They're an eclectic, amiable bunch, also guaranteed to endear themselves to the reader.
And don't forget about the family factory. Fallis's second storyline and set of characters, including Hem's sister, father and the requisite 'bad guy' is just as entertaining.
No Relation was a wonderfully fun read - definitely humorous, but also with a touching side. And this reader will be picking up Fallis's backlist.
December 2, 2014
I give Fallis chance after chance after chance, but I think I'm about done. He starts out with an inventive, if less-than-captivating, premise, then ruins it with two-dimensional characters, clunky dialogue and prose that you'd expect from a first year Creative Writing student.
The humour is leaden (and belaboured). As usual. There's no suspense. As usual. The similes and metaphors are awkward. As usual. The narrative voice is forced. As usual. (Also, I can't tell his narrators apart - they all sound exactly the same).
This book is based on a cute idea, but that's it. Should never have been published.
The humour is leaden (and belaboured). As usual. There's no suspense. As usual. The similes and metaphors are awkward. As usual. The narrative voice is forced. As usual. (Also, I can't tell his narrators apart - they all sound exactly the same).
This book is based on a cute idea, but that's it. Should never have been published.
August 27, 2017
I am a fan of Terry Fallis so I was looking forward to a funny and easy read. I was disappointed with this one. I found many parts of the story to be very predictable. I wasn't drawn to very many characters in the book, except maybe Marie and EH's sister. The laugh-out-loud humour that I found in "The Best Laid Plans" was, unfortunately, not there for me in this book.
February 7, 2016
I loved that the book moved quickly, had numerous sub plots and as usual was very witty. The topic of NameFame is close to my heart as a partial, sounder, before confounded by an apostrophe. Sara O'Connor and Sarah Connor. You'll get it if you read the book.
June 29, 2016
My original review said, "Borrowed". There are so many ways that one might take that. Gentle reader, please do not read anything more weighty than my inability to put comments for my eyes only in the private notes.
There is nothing borrowed about Terry Fallis' sense of humour. It's bought and paid for. Every couple of years, he spit polishes it enough to produce another book. I have now read all of them. I can see the same structure underlying each book--it provides me with a guaranteed elation.
I don't know if I will always read everything by Terry Fallis. Although I no longer try to read everything by Alexander McCall Smith, I am thankful for the books that each have published for my reading enjoyment.
There is nothing borrowed about Terry Fallis' sense of humour. It's bought and paid for. Every couple of years, he spit polishes it enough to produce another book. I have now read all of them. I can see the same structure underlying each book--it provides me with a guaranteed elation.
I don't know if I will always read everything by Terry Fallis. Although I no longer try to read everything by Alexander McCall Smith, I am thankful for the books that each have published for my reading enjoyment.
August 28, 2020
Earnest Hemmingway, a NYC copywriter is haunted by his famous (if differently spelled) name. When he loses wallet, job, and girlfriend in a single day, he must rethink his life. He now has time to write a novel but writers block gets in the way. His powerful CEO father insists he return to head their men's underwear empire. But Earnest, supported by his sister who their father has overlooked to the point of neglect, has zero interest in that idea. His decision to start a support group for people who share famous names, brings an unlikely but fun group of characters together. Exaggerated to some degree, but good fun. I wonder if, like his earlier novel Best Laid Plans, a TV series based on this book would be a good idea.
November 11, 2018
Another very humorous story by Terry Fallis. The story opens with our hero, Earnest Hemmingway (no relation), having one of the worst days ever. When he arrives at work he is called into the office and fired; he goes home to find his girlfriend in the midst of leaving him after four years and to top it all off he lost his wallet with all his ID the day before. When you have a name that is also the name of a very famous person, things can get quite sticky.
You will become quite attached to Earnest and his band of friends.
There are no dull characters in this book and from start to finish it held my attention throughout. I will be thinking about it for quite awhile.
An excellent read.
You will become quite attached to Earnest and his band of friends.
There are no dull characters in this book and from start to finish it held my attention throughout. I will be thinking about it for quite awhile.
An excellent read.
January 20, 2015
We all feel sometimes that we are trapped in our lives. ‘Who we are’, ‘what we do’ and ‘who we are with’ are phrases that seem to depress us into thinking that we are stuck in a rut of unhappiness. And it sometimes takes a good book or a good network of friends to help us see out of that rut of unhappiness. Terry Fallis has written a book about somebody who finds a good network of friends to help him out of a rut of unhappiness. And No Relation is a pleasurable book to read.
http://tinyurl.com/m77cfv8
http://tinyurl.com/m77cfv8
April 19, 2014
Loved this book! Different than what I normally read but a nice change! Have to admit after the first chapter I was wondering if I would take the sarcasmic humor through the whole novel but as I learned more about the character it definitely had me laughing as he was making comments that I could totally relate to. I loved the ending as it wrapped up all loose ends or all the characters, a nice break from leaving it to the imagination as I find many books do. I will for sure look for other Terry Fallis books, hopefully they are as good as this one.
August 9, 2019
I'm of very mixed minds about this book. Although the main premise appears to be the narrator's struggle to live with his too-famous namesake's shadow, it's really more about friendship and family. I found the "no relation" part of the story a bit tedious, although I enjoyed his gradual development of relationships with the others in the NameFame group. They turned out to be a funny, endearing group of people. Oddly, the tale of the family business caught my interest at least as much. Altogether, I'd say this was a light, amusing read but it had moments of trying too hard to be funny.
September 16, 2014
Terry Fallis' novels are a joy to read. I love getting swept away by the entertaining worlds he constructs and spending time with the unique characters he creates. The "name fame" conceit of this novel made me giggle endlessly -- it was way too much fun to read about the lives of characters like Earnest Hemmingway, Marie Antoinette, Mahatma Ghandi, and James Moriarty, and to see how their names have affected their lives. Really fun and funny novel.
June 22, 2014
Pretty good but not his best work. A little predictable in terms of plot and the arc of characters through the story. It also lacks the satiric edge his last three had, so somewhat more gentle humor as it doesn't even touch the subject or themes of his other three (that is; government and bureaucracy are quite literally, crazy). Still worth a read though, he is a good writer and this story does move right along.
May 16, 2014
Poor Earnest Hemmingway. He loses his wallet, his girlfriend and his job in a 24 hour period. This book looks at the next year of his life as he struggles with writer's block and what's in a name.
It's a fun concept and Fallis is an entertaining writer. The dialogue's a little clunky (though your vocabulary will benefit from reading this novel), but the story moves along quickly.
It's a fun concept and Fallis is an entertaining writer. The dialogue's a little clunky (though your vocabulary will benefit from reading this novel), but the story moves along quickly.
September 22, 2021
A man named Gandhi with anger management problems. A writer named Hemmingway with (what else?) writer's block. What if several people with famous names, but lacking the talents of their almost-namesakes, get together to form a support group?
Terry Fallis can tell us, and does, with his usual flair and humour.
Terry Fallis can tell us, and does, with his usual flair and humour.
July 1, 2014
Fallis continues to write funny, entertaining and good humoured books. His tale of Earnest Hemmingway and his namefame group and all of their foibles is fast-paced fun. A quick read that will leave your smiling and pondering what's in a name.
December 20, 2014
Given half a chance, I could have read this book in one sitting. Right from the start, I was caught up in the story. A fun read!
February 11, 2017
I recommend this book. Although quite predictable, the story was so witty, funny and different from the usual storyline. I also found the writing style super easy and quick to read.
February 21, 2022
What a fun read! I consistently chuckled aloud as I devoured this witty little tale by the clever, award-winning Canadian author, Terry Fallis. It details the difficulties of living with a famous name; the constant mockery or disbelief at such a name seems to make everyday activities tedious, embarrassing, or downright enfuriating. From this premise comes personal journey about self-awareness and self-discovery by the protagonist Earnest Hemmingway (no relation) and his search for happiness and direction in life after a string of bad luck leaves him jobless, single, and with a badly bruised tailbone. Funny and heartwarming with bonus points for word play and a creative theme.
April 19, 2020
Loved the book sense of humor. It is good to be able to laugh in the current stressful times the whole world is going through.
July 26, 2025
4.25 stars. Excellent, typical heartwarming and humorous narrative and prose.
I'll just add that i don't understand why this book has a lower rating, and to be honest, it made me hesitate before pursuing this book. I'm glad that I did.
I'll just add that i don't understand why this book has a lower rating, and to be honest, it made me hesitate before pursuing this book. I'm glad that I did.
October 5, 2021
This is a speedy irreverent romp. The plot and tone are definitely G-rated so the novel loses an opportunity to be a bit more realistic, even gritty. The premise is relatable as I worked on Madison Avenue for 11 years.
An aging, long-form copywriter is let from his ad agency of 15 years and, on the same day, is ditched by his girlfriend. Let the soul-searching begin! And name searching. The novel revolves around people sharing the same name of the famous. In this case, our writer main character is named, Earnest Hemmingway (thus the title of the book).
He uses his severance and time off to form a self-help group of those with famous names. Apparently, it is horrible affliction. Among these are a Mario Andretti, Julia Roberts, Mahatma Gandhi, Professor James Moriarty, etc. Earnest's name is so debilitating that it is obstructing his ability to write a novel.
His merry band suggests he expunge the ghost of his namesake by visiting all of the places Hemingway lived. Oh, and they have also formed a baseball team that performs badly. And Fallis throws in a subplot involving Hemmingway's family underwear business that is facing off against a big, bad competitor. Both of these sidelines are unnecessary and add another hundred pages that did not have to exist.
This is my first Fallis book. I found his writing style too cute, forced, glib and smug. It was as if reading someone really trying hard to be endearing and overly witty. It just feels inauthentic. And the novel's resolution is straight out of a Hallmark movie. What I did enjoy were the character's visit to Toronto and the author's take on the real Hemingway's writing (and that of Conan Doyle). That critique was the best part of this sugary book.
An aging, long-form copywriter is let from his ad agency of 15 years and, on the same day, is ditched by his girlfriend. Let the soul-searching begin! And name searching. The novel revolves around people sharing the same name of the famous. In this case, our writer main character is named, Earnest Hemmingway (thus the title of the book).
He uses his severance and time off to form a self-help group of those with famous names. Apparently, it is horrible affliction. Among these are a Mario Andretti, Julia Roberts, Mahatma Gandhi, Professor James Moriarty, etc. Earnest's name is so debilitating that it is obstructing his ability to write a novel.
His merry band suggests he expunge the ghost of his namesake by visiting all of the places Hemingway lived. Oh, and they have also formed a baseball team that performs badly. And Fallis throws in a subplot involving Hemmingway's family underwear business that is facing off against a big, bad competitor. Both of these sidelines are unnecessary and add another hundred pages that did not have to exist.
This is my first Fallis book. I found his writing style too cute, forced, glib and smug. It was as if reading someone really trying hard to be endearing and overly witty. It just feels inauthentic. And the novel's resolution is straight out of a Hallmark movie. What I did enjoy were the character's visit to Toronto and the author's take on the real Hemingway's writing (and that of Conan Doyle). That critique was the best part of this sugary book.
June 21, 2017
Whenever I go on vacation I make sure one of the books I take with me is a comedy. This year the book I chose was "No Relation" by Terry Fallis. I loved it and I had trouble putting it down. (When you're there to see the sights of New York that's a bit of a problem.) I still had a couple of chapters to go when I arrived home and so I read it on my front porch. My neighbours kept being startled as I'd suddenly break out in raucous laughter. The problem in reviewing it for you is the first spoiler alert is in chapter 2. How to share one of the best laughs I've had in a very long time without giving away to much of the plot?
The main character, Hem, loses his wallet, his job and his girlfriend within 24 hours. That's how the story begins. We also learn quite soon that he has multiple burdens foisted upon him by family tradition. As a result of that he develops a support group to deal with one of those issues, and members of the group go on to become one of the worst softball teams in Central Park history. While all this is going on we get to join our hero at his psychiatrist's office and get some extra giggles.
Does he resolved his issues?
Does he fall in love again?
Does he get a new job?
Does he develop a winning softball team?
The only way you'll find out is to read the book but only if you like to laugh. It is no surprise to me that Fallis was awarded the Stephen Leacock prize for Canadian Humour. This book is a delight.
The main character, Hem, loses his wallet, his job and his girlfriend within 24 hours. That's how the story begins. We also learn quite soon that he has multiple burdens foisted upon him by family tradition. As a result of that he develops a support group to deal with one of those issues, and members of the group go on to become one of the worst softball teams in Central Park history. While all this is going on we get to join our hero at his psychiatrist's office and get some extra giggles.
Does he resolved his issues?
Does he fall in love again?
Does he get a new job?
Does he develop a winning softball team?
The only way you'll find out is to read the book but only if you like to laugh. It is no surprise to me that Fallis was awarded the Stephen Leacock prize for Canadian Humour. This book is a delight.
April 26, 2018
A delightful book filled with quirky characters and fun dialogue. And let me tell you , it makes you think about even making a comment when meeting someone who has a famous name. Strangely enough during a slow evening at work on the phone, I actually had a caller named Terry Fox, and I just shut my mouth. So thanks Terry for making me think. I enjoyed this one based on the characters alone and it was just a nice sweet story. That being said it had way too many story lines and felt a little rushed. Not a perfect book, but still an enjoyable story for losing yourself for a while and it has some lovely messages about family, forgiveness and helping out your fellow man. I particularly enjoyed both scenes at the Department of Motor Vehicles and well the scene with the chasing of the -- umm --- bulls, it is worth the price of the book alone.
Favourite Quotes
"If Hemingway's writing is a competent skater crossing a frozen river, Conan Doyle's is an elite skater, elaborately costumed, tossing off triple Salchows and quad toe loops along the way. Yes, both writers get you across the river, but Conan Doyle makes the journey as entertaining, significant and rewarding as the destination."
Favourite Quotes
"If Hemingway's writing is a competent skater crossing a frozen river, Conan Doyle's is an elite skater, elaborately costumed, tossing off triple Salchows and quad toe loops along the way. Yes, both writers get you across the river, but Conan Doyle makes the journey as entertaining, significant and rewarding as the destination."
October 10, 2017
Is telling you it has a happy ending considered a spoiler? I enjoy reading Terry Fallis' books. They remind me of professional wrestling -- they're fun, clever and filled with interesting and likeable characters who always, somehow, seem to triumph over the few cartoonishly unlikeable characters who pop up. The fun is in seeing it unfold.
If you don't mind knowing before the book is halfway finished who is going to end up on top and who is going down, then you might already be a fan.
Like I said, I like his books. But after reading one, I'm always in the mood for something a little meatier. Hence, the next title I'll be rating on this site will probably be one of Graham Greene's darker offerings.
If you don't mind knowing before the book is halfway finished who is going to end up on top and who is going down, then you might already be a fan.
Like I said, I like his books. But after reading one, I'm always in the mood for something a little meatier. Hence, the next title I'll be rating on this site will probably be one of Graham Greene's darker offerings.
November 28, 2017
Quite the good read... Humorous in many spots, but it's the actual set up that I liked best...
What if you had the name of someone famous, or infamous? You'd go through life always explaining, always hearing the same dumb jokes, or dumb puns on your name, seemingly from the same dumb person who always has to laugh at his own jokes...
Earnest has had it. If you think your day has been bad, you haven't heard about Earnest's day yet.
First he loses his wallet with all his ID and cards and money.... and then things go downhill from there.
What if you had the name of someone famous, or infamous? You'd go through life always explaining, always hearing the same dumb jokes, or dumb puns on your name, seemingly from the same dumb person who always has to laugh at his own jokes...
Earnest has had it. If you think your day has been bad, you haven't heard about Earnest's day yet.
First he loses his wallet with all his ID and cards and money.... and then things go downhill from there.
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