Understanding Ken

by Pete McCormack

Book by McCormack, Pete

Genres: Fiction, Hockey, Canada

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[David Horton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling, quick read even though it suffers from a wobbly narrative. There were many, many set pieces that brought life to the story and built up the characters like when the poor English mom tried playing basement hockey with her son or when the son tried going to church for the sake of a girl. I would have liked the characters to have actual names and not just neutral place-holders (Negro friend, Big Boy, Mother's Boy-Friend). I doubted the reliability of the ten-year-old narrator. A boy of that age tasked with the job of writing out his life's story would not know proper sentence structure if at the same time he didn't know the difference between duct tape and duck tape or if he didn't know insolent from insulin. His father is both a doctor and a handyman. Wouldn't he be a better character if he had some of his father's gifts that set him apart from his peers even if his preferred talent (hockey) turns out not to be all its cracked up to be?

There are characters conveniently left out of the story that would surely rate an appearance if not an influence on his young life. Does his school have only one teacher and a mean Scottish one at that?

This would have been an excellent short story. There's even room for a novella. As a long form story it runs out of gas and the author props it up with dollar store melodrama.

It could be that I missed the point. I'm close enough to the era this book was set in although I was a toddler at the time. I came for the hockey nostalgia but I stayed for the boy's view of the world. In the end, it felt like his mom or his father's young girlfriend was writing it for him. There it is.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the funniest book I've ever read, and the only book I've ever read three times. My brother bought it on a whim years ago and just began reading it aloud and we were both cracking right up!! When he finished reading it, I borrowed and read it and then it got passed around amongst my friends and everyone absolutely loved it. Recently my co-worker kept hearing me laughing while reading it and she wanted to borrow it - so I lent it to her but was somewhat concerned that not being male and not being a hockey fan whatsoever, she might not appreciate it the way the rest of us did. Boy was I wrong!! She LOVED it and began researching everything from the author and is plans on reading the rest of his work. This should be required reading for any Canadian male though (as soooooooo many of us can relate to the main character and his father), and deserves to be an absolutely iconic piece of Canadian literature. I can not recommend this book enough, and I know I will read it several more times in the future. It's just so much fun!!

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most under appreciated book ever!! By far the funniest book I've ever read - like seriously bust a gut funny!!! This book should be required reading for every Canadian that grew up in a hockey loving household, but I've lent it to people who had no such background and they loved it too. Everyone I've lent it to loved it, and that's about a dozen people and counting. The only book I've ever read three times, and I will definitely keep re-reading it. It's awesome!!!

[Richard Lehingrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rare breed of sports / humour books, a great read along companion with The Game. Fiver out of fiver.

[KB Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decidedly Canadian story about a broken, dysfunctional family told through the eyes of a hockey-obsessed pee wee player. Set in Trail, B.C., in the early 70’s.

[Fenna Wieczorek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

[Sarah Hannay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely relatable as a Canadian and a hockey parent. I could smell the rink and hear the dad. Both funny and heartbreaking...highly recommend for hockey fans and parents of hockey obsessed kids

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding Ken, a riveting hockey novel set in the interior of British Columbia in the West Kootenay region, is written by Pete McCormack. He narrates the story as if he were a 10 year old kid, who dreams of one day playing in the National Hockey League. The boy in the story is always mourning the retirement of Ken Dryden, the former goalie of his beloved Montreal Canadiens. We aren’t given the name of the main character of the story, but we know that life is difficult for him because his parents are divorced. He also has very few friends at school and seems to be a bit of a loner. McCormack uses literary devices such as hyperbole, personification, and puns to make us think that it's actually written by a 10 year old. At times the lacks of descriptive words make it somewhat boring, but overall it's an unbelievable book. I would recommend it to everyone, hockey fan or not.