Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir

by Mark Critch

A heartfelt and outrageously funny memoir about Newfoundland, family, and being the weirdest kid in school

What could be better than growing up in the 1980s? How about growing up in 1980s Newfoundland, which as Mark Critch will tell you, was more like the 1960s. Critch takes us to where it all began in this tremendously funny and warm look back on his formative years. A "recovering Catholic," he recalls his many misadventures growing up on the outskirts of a small town. And when your radio-star dad is the talk of the town, and your mom can't stop talking at all, life at home is always entertaining.

Best known as the "roving reporter" for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Mark Critch has photo-bombed Justin Trudeau, interviewed Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle (while impersonating Alan Doyle), offered Pamela Anderson a million dollars to stop acting, and crashed White House briefings. But in this hilarious debut, we learn that Critch has been causing trouble his whole life. Son of a Critch will have you longing for life in Canada's most unique province--even if you've never been there--and marvelling at how one person's childhood could be so ridiculously funny.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Memoir, Canada, Humor, Autobiography

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

Mark Critch is one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian comedy and has won multiple awards for both writing and performance. For fourteen years, he has starred on CBC's flagship show, This Hour Has 22 Minutes. As an anchor and "roving reporter," he has brought celebrities and politicians to Canadian living rooms across the nation. He is the host of CBC's Halifax Comedy Festival and has written for and appeared in CBC's world-renowned Just for Laughs series.

Reviews

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Critch may be funny on 22 Minutes, but he's even funnier inside this book! Do yourself a favour and grab an audiocopy version to hear him narrate the story with his great accent and enthusiasm.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
I laughed a LOT while listening to Mark Critch narrate his early life, telling us of his family, and years in school. He’s funny in This Hour has 22 Minutes, but I found this book funnier than his work in those sketches.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific read about growing up on this island. It brought back aspects of growing up in Newfoundland that I'd completely forgotten about.

Well-written, well-paced. So funny I was crying at times.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed so much listening to this book. We all know Mark Critch is funny and he brings such humour to the stories of his childhood in this book. I especially enjoyed the tidbits about his big brother Mike, who I’ve enjoyed on the radio for years.

[Jeanelle d'Eon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderfully Canadian memoire.

I love This Hour Has 22 Minutes and didn’t know anything about Mark Critch other than I assumed he was from Newfoundland (and Labrador).

I actually laughed out loud in public listening to this book. Newfoundlanders and Nova Scotians share a lot of similarities so reading about his childhood was hilariously nostalgic. The rocky and dangerous beaches, swimming until your body goes numb, the locals and their obsession with gossip, boiling your meat and vegetables until all the nutrients are gone and it’s barely edible.

I could have listened to a whole book about his parents. Every time his dad said “Good god” and his mom said “Oh my god Mark” it brought me so much joy.

[Anna-Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Newfoundland is both a simple place and a complex one. The people are warm and friendly but their humour is sharp and biting. Newfoundland is always walking the line between prosperity and poverty. The people who live here are forced to go away for work, but they would never leave. This place is not black and white. It is as grey as the sky above it, the water around it, and the fog that links the two. It takes and it gives, just like the surrounding ocean. Sink or swim: it will make of you what it wants.“

I absolutely adore this man!!

[Kelly Bellware · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Mark Critch’s book about growing up in St. John’s was a joy to listen to and had me laughing out loud. I loved that the audiobook was narrated by Critch, himself. Such a pleasure. Definitely my kind of book.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit home for me on so many levels. I laughed, I cried, I laughed til I cried. A coming of age story about growing up in Newfoundland.

[Harold Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marvelous bit of fun, eh b'ys?

[Ronald Kelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. It was on my Christmas list last year (didn’t get it) and this year (got it!). Once the Christmas festivities wound down, I settled in with a Screech fortified eggnog to read. Mark Critch and I are both from St. John’s. He is about eight months older than I am. He is, of course funnier than I am and we had different experiences, family dynamics, friends, etc. growing up, but I cannot help but think that reading about his experiences with Catholic schools and growing up in St. John’s is maybe a little bit of a window into what my life could have been like if my family had not moved to Alberta when I was three. Not that my life and childhood were bad by any means, but being an ex-pat Newfoundlander is such a huge part of my identity, some family back home say that I’m more of a Newfoundlander than most Newfoundlanders, I do wonder how my life might have been different if I had actually been raised there as opposed to be raised looking it from afar.

Anyway, Mark Critch’s book is incredibly funny (naturally). It is self-deprecating without being melodramatic. It reads as being extremely heartfelt and honest. A wonderful read.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Critch is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work on the CBC comedy series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes. I must admit that I've never watched This Hour Has 22 Minutes but I do know who Mark Critch is ... he was in The Grand Seduction, a fun movie I've seen quite a few times.

I like reading bios/autobios, he's Canadian and I grew up in the Atlantic provinces so that's why it caught my eye.

This book focuses on Mark's childhood. His stories about growing up in Newfoundland, being in a Catholic school, living on the outskirts of town, having a dad who was who was on the radio (the station was next door), being a weird naïve kid (someone put a condom in his sandwich and he had no idea what it was) and more were amusing. There are lots of pictures of him and his family over the years.

I liked this book ... I found it funny and I liked the writing style. Fans of Critch and This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Newfoundlanders will probably really enjoy it.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/11...

[Steve Tripp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A number of laugh out loud moments make this worth reading. The bulk of the book centers around Mr. Critch's grade school years so don't expect to learn much about his adult life or about his time on 22 minutes or interacting with famous politicians and celebrities. I'm certain some of the memories have been stretched to make a good story, but that doesn't detract from how funny they are. Also, the book provides vivid insight into the Newfoundland way and the love of family that seems so strong. Good light, uplifting reading.

[Ellen McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a solid read from a man who comes a famous rock no less. Like a sailor calling into the unknown, Critch seemingly called directly into a part of me I didn't realize existed. The references, having older parents, thinking wildly adult thoughts even when you're trapped in a child's body. It was all wonderful and I laughed so much, people stared at me (more than they already do mind you). Towards the end, it got tender and reflective and it was the perfect way to end it. Pick this up if you want to laugh, laugh some more and then maybe have a little cry.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Critch is funny, and if you like Newfie quirks, humour, and accents (definitely listen to this rather than reading hardcopy or ebook!), then this is a good read for you. I enjoyed it. It was a tad too long for the style of writing. Critch took many scenarios past their comedic limit, and the book could easily have been shortened by tidying those portions up. Overall, a fun read, especially the audiobook. His imitation of his mom was hilarious!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this audiobook book on a road trip through Northern Ontario and did we ever make a great choice! He certainly has a very detailed memory about his childhood-it felt like we were in the house with him, dangling the long green phone cord and listening to his parents. He shared some very personal reflections about the whole Catholic priest scandal and his childhood school stories are hilarious! The audiobook is excellent-he often speaks in his Newfoundland accent-we laughed a great deal!

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving, sweet, funny, with the odd moment of melancholy. In many ways, this is exactly what I expected it to be...but that's ok, because it's also the type of memoir I was hoping it would be. Something to read when life seems glum and grey.

[Trina Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book, narrated by the author.

[Mary Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed it even more when I listened to it afterwards when it was read by the author,Mark is hilarious!

[Candice Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both hilarious and touching

[Rachelle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was devastated when this one ended. I listened on audiobook and it’s definitely the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time. 10\10 would recommend!!

[Lu Pannunzio · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (audiobook)

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longer review to come - may I just say that the epilogue reduced me to a puddle of tears?

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook—Mark Critch is just naturally funny, and such a gifted story-teller. Hilarious; I lol’d on walks, on planes, and trains, anywhere I was listening and consistently throughout.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook had me laughing out loud.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

wish we could’ve started the book at the last two chapters

[Tim Beals · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely hilarious and just a lot of fun. It had me laughing out loud for an audiobook which was read by Mark Critch the author.

[Ryan Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did the audiobook version which Mark reads himself and it made it absolutely hilarious. I never laughed so hard

[Jill S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I was laughing out loud by the first page of this book. I think Mark Critch is hilarious so I suspected this book would tickle my funny bone. There are some excellent moments where Mark recalls life in Newfoundland in the '70s and '80s; having grown up in St. John's 90's and 00's, not too much had changed, and I could relate to a lot of his experience.

I did find that the comedy dragged this book down a bit, in parts. Mark really milked particular moments, pushing them past their comedy limit and instead making it tedious to read about. I wish he'd written less about his very young childhood (i.e. the dragged out bits) and more about his high school years and how he go into sketch comedy. He glossed over the later, and I suspect just as, if not more, interesting parts of his life.

All in all a very enjoyable read!

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw the television show based on Mark Critch's biography first, but the book is OH SO MUCH BETTER. It's everything I love about overly polite Canadians and the awful journey of awkward adolescence all rolled into one. Normally I don't like reviews which claim a book "laugh-out-loud funny," but this one really is.