Souvenir of Canada

Souvenir of Canada #1

by Douglas Coupland

Full of surprises and insights, Souvenir of Canada presents us as we have never seen ourselves before in an irresistible flow of text and image.

Douglas Coupland offers new ways of seeing and experiencing Canada-looking at how it feels to be a Canadian right now and speculating what it might feel like in the future. From collective memories, he locates objects like stubbie beer bottles and ookpiks, Kraft dinner and maple walnut ice cream. And with the same unique sensibility, he considers significant events and relevant issues, like the flq crisis, Canada's relationship with the United States, medicare and the landscape itself.

In the section humbly titled "Cheese," he "When you assemble them together, foods that feel intuitively Canadian look more like camping trip provisions than actual groceries...Canada is a cold and northern country...from a biological standpoint, it is imperative that Canadians stockpile concentrated forms of sugars, carbohydrates, fats and salt."

The 50 personal categories of the 30,000-word text are arranged alphabetically and matched with 100 illustrations (50 in colour)-new luscious photos taken by Coupland himself, images of Canadian ephemera and icons, historical photos and pictures from other quite startling sources. Included are photos of cultural installations created by Coupland himself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Art, Essays, Travel, Design, Photography

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2004

About the author

Douglas Coupland is Canadian, born on a Canadian Air Force base near Baden-Baden, Germany, on December 30, 1961. In 1965 his family moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he continues to live and work. Coupland has studied art and design in Vancouver, Canada, Milan, Italy and Sapporo, Japan. His first novel, Generation X, was published in March of 1991. Since then he has published nine novels and several non-fiction books in 35 languages and most countries on earth. He has written and performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, England, and in 2001 resumed his practice as a visual artist, with exhibitions in spaces in North America, Europe and Asia. 2006 marks the premiere of the feature film Everything's Gone Green, his first story written specifically for the screen and not adapted from any previous work. A TV series (13 one-hour episodes) based on his novel, jPod premieres on the CBC in January, 2008.

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Retrieved 07:55, May 15, 2008, from http://www.coupland.com/coupland_bio....

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vancouverite Douglas Coupland examines the products, events, and landscapes that are wholly Canadian while exploring the Canadian psyche, especially in regard to the looming cultural and consumeristic behemoth of its closest international neighbo(u)r.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting in parts, parts I agree with parts I think he is talking to a specific group that is not all canadians more a certain gereration and geographic demographic. West Coast, big city, and ten or twenty years older than me.

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parts of this book were very reminiscent of times gone by, and others were highly educational about aspects of Canada I didn't (but probably should have) known.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information and humour

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of surprises and insights, Souvenir of Canada presents us as we have never seen ourselves before in an irresistible flow of text and image.

Douglas Coupland offers new ways of seeing and experiencing Canada-looking at how it feels to be a Canadian right now and speculating what it might feel like in the future. From collective memories, he locates objects like stubbie beer bottles and ookpiks, Kraft dinner and maple walnut ice cream. And with the same unique sensibility, he considers significant events and relevant issues, like the flq crisis, Canada's relationship with the United States, medicare and the landscape itself.

In the section humbly titled "Cheese," he "When you assemble them together, foods that feel intuitively Canadian look more like camping trip provisions than actual groceries...Canada is a cold and northern country...from a biological standpoint, it is imperative that Canadians stockpile concentrated forms of sugars, carbohydrates, fats and salt."

The 50 personal categories of the 30,000-word text are arranged alphabetically and matched with 100 illustrations (50 in colour)-new luscious photos taken by Coupland himself, images of Canadian ephemera and icons, historical photos and pictures from other quite startling sources. Included are photos of cultural installations created by Coupland himself.

[Codepoetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short essays and artistic still-life photos illuminates contemporary Canadian culture in a very unique and insightful way. I enjoyed many of Coupland's quirky observations, but this book is very much written from Douglas Coupland's west Vancouver perspective. Consequently, I feel that this book will appeal more to Douglas Coupland fans than to Canadians in general.

[Colleen]

This is such a cool book about national identity, specifically Canadian national identity. It combines text and visuals to try and explain what being Canadian is, and though I’m not Canadian, it’s making me think about what being American is. It’s twenty years old at this point, so I wonder what the author would update or add. To be read if you’re going to Canada or are interested in Canada.

[Silvina Lewin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironic view of Canada by one of its most famous writers and artists. Because I live in that country, it is always interesting to read about some of its traditions and popular culture.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a country! And what feelings of nostalgia and gratitude and cautious pride this book evokes.

[W Goldsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canada tho

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and warm insight into being Canadian.

[Mary Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canada for Canadians!

[LiseC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love his Canada books, nostalgic and humour.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good gift, or a way to understand the Canadian psyche circa 2000s. Anecdotal but incisive, with quite good stories.

[Paul Eckert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for an upcoming trip to Vancouver.

Souvenir of Canada is a way of explaining Canada to those who know little about it. Coupland takes subjects in alphabetical order and offers historical, sociological, and personal views about each. Photographs and art are also used to great effect to convey a sense of what being Canadian is like.

Coupland has the unique position of understanding both American and Canadian culture quite well, considering how much he has traveled in both countries. He is able to approach topics of Canadian culture with an American frame of reference, which makes the topics interesting and relatable. After finishing the book, I felt that I had acquired a sense of understanding for Canada that went beyond the mere stereotypes that my previous knowledge had operated upon.

Understanding certain social issues, customs, and attitudes goes a long way to filling the gap in one’s knowledge of other countries. Coupland imparts some poignant understanding about Canada that is humorous and relevant. Sometimes it’s funny, and other times one can catch glimpses of anger and ambivalence creeping through. Citizenship of any country produces complex and contradictory feelings towards the place one calls home, and it’s this aspect that Coupland uses most effectively to relate the Canadian experience.

[Cindy May]

It was okay, but a little boring. Sorry Douglas! I guess as an American I am not really that interested in our neighbors to the north, probably because I grew up in such close proximity to them. They're hardly exotic, and in many ways pretty similar to us. I am a little envious of Canadians in that they don't have many of the same problems we have (gun violence, etc.), they have better health care, and no one gives them a hard time when they travel abroad (which probably explains why many carry rucksacks with a maple leaf on them immediately identifying them as Canadian). Plus, their (medical) drugs are cheaper, which is why I plan many boarder crossings once I'm elderly and need that sort of thing.

[Marc Weidenbaum]

Douglas Coupland's casual survey of all things Canadian -- well, not all things, since there would later be a sequel. It's interesting to watch his curator's eye meet up with his late-blooming sense of nationalism. There isn't a whole lot of writing in the book, but it takes a long time to get through, because interspersed with his semi-alphabetical mini-essays on things like vinegar and hockey are these fascinating still-life photographs that he puts together of items, like stuffed animals and packaged foods and clothing, that strike him as inherently Canadian. Our neighbor to the north never felt as alien to me as it did when I read this book, and that's to Coupland's credit.

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blast to read, these are mini-bits of Canadian culture, with a typical Coupland twist and wit. While I'm happy to lend this one out to locals, it's an autographed and personalized copy, and as such, it has to come back to me - promise? I met Mr. Copeland after an evening where he'd just won an award, and as such, he was a wee bit "under the weather" which is why said autographed and personalized front page is a bit off. When he greeted me he said it was nice to see a young Canadian interested in history, and I told him I was actually a Brit, but a landed immigrant. He spelled my name wrong and wrote "to a fellow Canadian" on the page. Heh.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

More in the style of City of Glass, covering Coupland's personal take on what he consideres the near-universals of Canadian life. It's a trilogy, or more, I guess, with a part 2 to read, a documentary film, and the film's subject--a temporary art installation in a CMHC-plan house that was later demolished.

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time relating to this memoir of Canada. I was born in 1985 and I found many of Coupland's stories to be dated. According to Coupland, Canadian history ended in 1980. This book was published in 2002. What happened during the twenty years between 1980 and 2000? I do love the "chapters" on hockey and water.

[Robin Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that sits on our coffee table in the living room. No one who comes over ever leaves without spending some time with it, because Coupland takes the most basic Canadiana and makes it something memorable.

The storytelling is charming and lovely, a whiff of Canadian courtesy and sensibility on every page.

It's irresistible, as is Coupland.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not the biggest fan of the book's layout, and some of his photo choices are a bit...esoteric. But the pictures and comments that DID speak to me managed to do so with considerable nostalgic depth.

[Yanti Noor]

It's really refreshing to read about a single guy who is desperate to be a dad that he's willing to trade his much valued sports car for a toyota and redecorate his playroom into a nursery. He's willing to do anything to achieve his goal. I enjoyed reading this book!

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go CANADA!

[Jacob Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Coupland is his best when he puts on his graphic designer hat.

[Ami Hoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of it is very accurate but I think for the most part it takes the attitude of a very specific section of canadians geographical and generaltional.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great idea.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and random look at Canada from Coupland's perspective. I wasn't sure it would hold my interest, but I found it as engrossing as most of his fiction.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun, eclectic images of what it means to be Canadian

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times, this Canadian commentary was so spot on that it made me laugh out loud! I can't wait to read the second installment.