Beauty Tips from Moosejaw

by will-ferguson

Will Ferguson has spent the past three years criss-crossing Canada. In a helicopter above the barrenlands of the sub-arctic: in a canoe with his four year-old-son: on board seaplanes and along the Underground Railroad, Ferguson's travels have taken him from Cape Spear on the remote coast of Newfoundland to the sun-dappled streets of Olde Victoria. Through his engaging and witty prose style he takes us on a journey of discovery through Canada's hidden history and landscape. Funny, poignant and insightful, Beauty Tips from Moosejaw is a provocative tribute to a quirky and fascinating country.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Canada, Humor, Memoir, History, Essays

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Ferguson visits spots across Canada, many of which are lesser known, to explore culture and history. My favorite was the chapter/essay near the end with the renditions of the Viking settlement reenactors with Newfoundland accents. It was also interesting to revisit the Hudson Bay Company and its competitors within Canada (any Oregonian child learns a lot about HBC in 4th grade.) The polar bear chapter probably does the best job at putting the reader there (many crossover places with Annie Muktuk in that one.)

Some essays were fascinating, some had moments of humor; others I felt struggled to find their "why." I liked how the essays started with BC and moves eastward.

[Kkraemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I chose this book because of its title, a sort of Fredericks of North Dakota sort of appeal.

I've been to Moose Jaw, and have always loved the name. I also have traveled extensively in Canada, and was intrigued to read about the country that everyone seems to forget.

Will Ferguson wrote the chapters in this book over a number of years, randomly traveling hither and yon. He is a writer who captures the look, feel, history, and humor of the places he goes and, in this book, he organizes his tour from west (Victoria) to east. He hops from place to place in a somewhat random fashion (maybe chosen because of journalists' tours and family vacations?) to give the reader a sense of the interesection between people and geography. Canada is so vast: he writes of a town where no one can walk around alone because there are polar bears lurking everywhere (churchill) and of towns where the smallest break in the prairie is a town with a name on it.

Now, I want to go back to Moose Jaw, and I want to go on to eastern Canada, where I've never been before. This was a nice way to take a virtual trip: Ferguson is funny and insightful, and the pictures he's planted in my mind's eye make me wonder why I'm sitting here writing this rather than googling cheap flights to Ontario.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me well over 6 months to finish this book - not because it wasn't great, but because I didn't want it to be over. A wonderful Canadian travelogue that inspired a summer road trip! It's funny and educational and makes you happy to read. If you like travel books with a personal touch, check it out. It also won the Stephen Leacock for good reason.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

January book club selection ... Another gooder from Will Ferguson. I love his descriptive and evocative writing style - Ferguson creates such vivid mental images for me. ("The pavement keeps bucking beneath my feet, trying to throw me off ... " "History is not contained in museums; it lies in layers all around us." "{Driving through prairie towns} as though carried on a conveyor belt.")

This book truly is a "travel guide," but unlike any other travel guide you will read ... with his irreverent (and very Canadian) sense of humour, Ferguson describes select bits of Canada as you would not see it otherwise. Previous reviews have disparaged Ferguson for being a narcissist ... I dunno ... I enjoyed getting in his head with the descriptions of his deadbeat dad and his hangovers. If I wanted cold facts, I'd go buy a Lonely Planet. I also appreciated how he connects the things he's describing to Canadian history, and makes it interesting ... history class should be taught with books such as this. His research is detailed and exhaustive.

Even though I liked the book, it took me a while to get into it and get through it. But, that seems to be true of most books these days for some reason.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite books I've read in recent years.

Part travel memoire, part-history tome. Will Ferguson takes you from west to east through Canada by visiting the places that, though off the beaten path, somehow capture Canadian life and identity with accuracy, wit, and a heaping load of nostalgia.

In his chapter on St. John's Newfoundland in reflecting on the town he says, "Is it possible to be homesick for a place you haven't even left yet?" Well, in reading that line with about 20 pages left in the book I realized how much I did not want to finish it!

I highly recommend this for anybody willing to fall in love with places like Victoria, Moose Jaw, Churchill, Saguenay, and George Street. This is Canadiana at its finest!

[Marigold · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I travel I like to buy a book in my destination city/country, related to the destination city/country if possible. Even if I can't find anything I will buy something in the airport! So my husband & I went to Victoria for our anniversary & I picked up this book, used, at Russell's Books. I think Ferguson is funny & I enjoyed reading the book; I feel I learned quite a bit about Canada, especially some of the under-the-radar places. I learned that the Parliament Building in Victoria was built on a swamp, for one thing! And I learned that I didn't know quite as much about the Underground Railroad as I thought I did - argh, I hate it when I don't know important information about my own country's history!

Funny bits, among others:
- Ferguson's home town was listed in a book called Ghost Towns of Alberta. This was news to all the people who lived there at the time.
- I don't know if a group of ducks is really called "a disappointment of ducks," but it should be!
- "What is a porcupine, after all, if not simply a beaver with better weaponry?"

Yes - along with being just fun & enjoyable, this book did make me want to visit more of Canada! Maybe not the really, really cold part with the polar bears. And I got to finish reading it over the 4th of July holiday, which gave me a sort of perverse pleasure in itself!

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get into this at all. Didn't find the writer the least bit amusing and the writing style felt vaguely pompous.

[MARC DES ROSIERS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Will Ferguson! I read Hitching Rides with Buddha and Beyond Belfast and love his mix of humour, poetic depictions and profound insights. Road Trip Rwanda is next on my list. I think this is an early work, and the book is about travels in Canada. Very well-researched, it covers many lesser known corners of Canada. I particularly enjoyed Victoria, Churchill, the Saguenay and Fort Vermillion, Will's hometown. A great read that helped me better understand my Canadian identity.

[Ruby Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall: some nice moments, didn't make the snooze-fest worth it. 1/5

I will start by saying that it may be that his style is just not for me and there were Canadian subtleties that fell flat on my brutish Aussie ears. Reading this right after finishing a Theroux was always going to be rough going and if you're looking for a relaxed travel novel to pass away the time, this is for you!

But either way, I have many, many bones to pick with this book.

First of all I was under the impression when I picked this book up that I would be reading something that explored the complexities and eccentricities of the political, social and historical aspects of Canada and it's people. I feel a bit ripped off.
Generally I found that instead this book very laboriously explored the historical foundations of Canada and the loose ties between those events and the current state of things. Often this was done while glossing over what happened in between, this left with me an understanding of Canada from the 1600's-1800's, not what I was hoping for.

Secondly, infuriatingly, he mentions a huge number of regional colloquialisms and characteristics that he never explained...? This is literally the place to do that...in your book...about Canada...?

In saying all of that, I did enjoy some bits. Some loosely scattered bits. Some of the stories in here are lovely, (the chapter about polar bears was a nice read!).

But I found the style of this book to be...hodgepodge. There seems to be no clear approach, to any of it. There were sentences of withering humour, (sarcasm, "wit", self-condescension that tasted of narcissism), followed closely by abstract nature descriptions and derivative comparisons. Note: calling the sky "impossibly blue" several times in a book with only a handful of sky descriptions will give me the irits 100% of the time.
The passages where he perhaps intended to portray himself as bumbling or endearingly foolish, to me left him looking inflexible and close-minded (especially in regards to Quebecois politics).

And finally, the author regularly fails to contribute his personal feelings or experience, aside from annoyance at his travelling companions, and instead uses a variety of witticisms that range from hard-to-pick sarcasm to downright rude. Not my style of travel novel!

It all seemed more like a collection of his personal, incidental travel in Canada fleshed out with extensive historical niceties than: "...three years criss-crossing Canada", as was advertised by the blurb.

Phew...feels good to get all of that out!

[thereadytraveller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw: Excursions in the Great Weird North is a funny and extremely well written book detailing Ferguson's travels "in search of Canada" among the outposts and enclaves of the Great White North during the early 2000's. Whilst the trips take place in a non-contiguous fashion over a period of three-and-a-half years, the quality of writing ensures that each of his excursions melds seamlessly with the next, as he travels from the southern end of Vancouver Island in the west to the northern tip of Newfoundland in the east.

Dipping into each chapter within the book provides access to wonderful insights into the history and people of each region he visits and collectively the book provides a patchwork explanation of what it is that makes the 10 provinces and 3 territories into the federal state of Canada.

Serving up equal parts geography and history lessons, Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw is delivered against the personal backdrop of the author's own life while growing up in Canada. This memoir-like approach to parts of the book adds an additional positive dimension to the book.

While sometimes referred to as Canada's Bill Bryson, Ferguson has his own unique voice and storytelling style that is extremely sharp, wry and engaging. Given the wonderfully scenic images invoked of the prairies, tundra and riverways through which Ferguson travels, one is almost forgiven for assuming that Ferguson is on the payroll of the Canadian Tourism Board. From the majesty of ye olde town of Victoria on Vancouver Island to the Polar Bear strewn tundras outside of Churchill, this is travel writing near its very best.

Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw is a must read book for anyone interested in the early (European) history of Canada and who prefer it served up in an offbeat, fun and lively fashion. It is especially recommended for those with a love for Canada and who are interested in discovering some places off the usual snow trodden path.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In order to remedy the terrible deficiency in my knowledge about our Neighbor to the North, I checked out Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw, a wonderfully named travel book, written by a Canadian, all about travelling from the western edge of the country, to the eastern edge, to the Great White North part, and many stops in between.

After reading the book, I learned a lot more about Canada that I didn’t know before. For example:

- Victoria is “more English than England” and full of neat things to see.

- During Canada’s storied past, control of the inland regions was fought over by two fur trading companies: The Hudson Bay Company and the Northwestern Company.

- St John, in Newfoundland, doesn’t have any intersections with right angles in its downtown area. Also, Newfoundland is what Ireland would like to be.

- Canada has lots of “Large Objects By the Side of the Road” - like concrete dinosaurs, or gigantic eggs, you know, “Home of the World’s Largest _____”

- Despite having many “Large Objects By the Side of the Road,” the best way to see Canada is not by car, but by canoe. Awesome.

- The guy who started Tim Horton’s (yes, that would be Tim Horton) is up for sainthood in Canada, and the doughnut holes that Timmy Ho’s sells are called Tim-bits. Also Awesome.

- Canadians really drink lots of beer.

So there you have it. Canada in a nutshell. If you want to know more about Our Neighbor to the North, you ought to check out Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw ; I feel like I know a lot more about the Great White North (and the east and west bits, too). I also feel like I really want to visit Canada. They have Large Objects By the Side of the Road, and, um…French people. Perfect for a memorable vacation!

[Chinchilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a complete waste of my time. It actually feels like a waste of my time as well to write a short review for the book.

This is a travel memoir, but the content overlaps with Ferguson’s other book(s). I had just read Ferguson’s Why I Hate Canadians last week. It seemed to me Ferguson did not have much to say in the first place but had to stuff words in between pages to get paid. This was the general impression I got from attempting to finish the book. I suffered along Ferguson from Victoria, British Columbia through Fort Vermilion, Alberta, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Churchill, Manitoba and died. I fast paced myself across the rest of Canada from Ontario to Newfoundland.

In Why I Hate Canadian, Ferguson was witty and sarcastic. In Beauty Tips, Ferguson was whiny. He whined across Canada from the west coast to the east. Admittedly there were some interesting and useless historic facts about Canada, but were they worth the time sifting through the entire book for? No.

I would not recommend this book to anyone. This is a book bought off the sales rack at a bookstore labelled “Best Value: $10. Canadian author” as a gift for some relative you hate but still must give a Christmas present to.

I give it minus stars if I can. One star on Goodreads.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book written for Canadians, by a Canadian. Anyone reading from outside, have to realize that this book is written with a Western Canadian mentality (which I can identify with, and maybe that's why I feel like i "get" it).
The feeling of this book to me is one of a guy who is trying to explain what Canada is and looks to areas most often overlooked by everyone (Even its inhabitants). Takes you away from the most obvious (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, etc), to the buried gems across the country. It made me feel by the end of the book, that if I were to take a drive through Canada, I would want to include some of those places on my list. I mean, who wouldn't want to check out a ship stranded on the prairies, or take a tour bus to see some polar bears.
Even if I never do get to travel Canada the way he did, at least I feel a bit more enriched by the stuff I learned about my country in this book.

[Chinook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books about Canada and this one is particularly awesome. It covers Victoria, Fort Vermilion, Moose Jaw, Churchill, Thunder Bay, Chatham, Amherstburg, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tadoussac - Lac Saint-Jean, New Brunswick, the Republic St. John's, and L'Anse aux Meadows.

Of those places, I've been to six. Since I never did finish this post back when I read the book, I have no idea what my note "cash cars at Eaton's and Woolworths" might have meant. But I do know that this quote:

"At its peak, the company's territory would encompass nearly five million square kilometers, an area ten times the size of the Holy Roman Empire, making the HBC the largest commercial landowner on earth and the biggest private company--in terms of real estate--in human history."

made me laugh my ass off after my short employment for Hudson's Bay Company.

Read in Bolton.

[Terra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked but did not adore. I learned heaps of interesting things about Canada from someone who appears to hold it in very deep affection, which is always nice, but Ferguson is a wee bit too self-consciously Mr. Quirky Funny Travel Writer With An Edge for my taste. He didn't have the abandoned, delighted sense of YAY about his subject that makes (in my mind) for a truly fabulous non-fiction writer - it was all a little too patently writer-y. And now I'm just saying words. Words words words. ANYWAY. You people know what I mean, right?

In sum: Good enough for me to read it through with some sense of enjoyment, but not so much that I will be seeking out more Ferguson work.

[Debra Komar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comparisons with Bill Bryson are inevitable, although I think Ferguson is kinder and gentler - more Canadian, perhaps. An interesting, somewhat choppy overview of the country, with ample attention paid to the north and a lot about the Hudson's Bay Company. The travelogue portions are more entertaining than the history lessons, although Ferguson handles both well. The writing is competent - you can tell instantly he writes for newspapers and magazines, everything is polished, simple and inoffensive - and there are even the occasional flashes of wit. Humor is very subjective, and I don't find him funny, but that is simply a matter of taste.

[Becca O'Hara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, witty, beautiful, and significant, all wrapped in one man’s travel journal across Canada. As an American, the stories were easy to follow (despite my almost complete ignorance of all things Canadian) and very informative (which gently remedied that ignorance). This book was intellectually fascinating and still so enjoyable! I’m armed with a lifelong supply of Canadian fun facts and a much deeper appreciation for the country of outposts to my north.

[Pen]

"With characteristic warmth and humour, Beauty Tips from Moosejaw will test your stomach, freeze your eyeballs, and tickle your funny bone."

What's not to love! Diving right in :)

[Judd Street · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the first couple of chapters, I thought I was going to give up on the book. By the time I finished it, I was glad I didn't.

Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw is a travelogue by Will Ferguson. It features a handful of stand-alone accounts of Ferguson's trips across Canada. Each narrative is highly personal and situated, exploring a single trip to the location and Ferguson's experiences.

The writing is weakest when Ferguson tries to reduce the town or locale he is visiting to some version of his particular visit. In the first couple of chapters in particular, the writing comes across as a little preachy and a little too quick to announce "this is true Moose Jaw or Victoria, and I know it because this is what my day in Moose Jaw or Victoria was like." Look - I too drove through Moose Jaw once, but I wouldn't claim that entitles me to some divine understanding of the city or province.

Where the writing shines, however, is where Ferguson leans into the story and embraces it for what it is: a single story; a tiny taste of a place; a totally contingent experience of a particular person in a particular place at a particular time. When the stories are shared as stories alone, it becomes a beautiful book that made me want to visit those places I haven't yet, and return to those I have.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canada is an incredibly vast and diverse country, something which is quite hard for a European to really understand, and the writing reveals many different areas to us. From the westernmost point in Vancouver Island to the delights (and accent) of Newfoundland, right across in the east, each chapter reveals a new idea of what it means to be Canadian. From the earliest colonial settlers starting up a new town to the Inuit tribes and even the Vikings, Will Ferguson gives a great rundown of Canadian history in a very readable way, but there are other episodes - particularly the fascinating trip to see polar bears in Churchill - where it is all entirely focused on the here and now. Whatever you are looking for, you're bound to find it somewhere in Canada - and the book gives us a great overview of some of the quirkiest places.


Full review on my blog : https://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspo...

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The funniest travel book I have read, easy read and contains a lot of interesting historical facts while Still being entertaining and funny.

Although it fails to convey the romanticism that I usually get from good travel books, will’s writing style and storytelling is refreshing and interesting, A great read.

[Piku Sonali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I started because I was travelling to Canada for the first time ever. Will Ferguson is called the Canadian Bill Bryson and I can see why.

[AJ Stoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently I have lucked upon the Canadian Bill Bryson. Funny moments, some very interesting history tales. Not exactly the kind of travel info I was looking for but worth the listen nonetheless.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably read this too soon after Hokkaido Highway Blues (5 stars) as I kept comparing it to that. I enjoy Will's writing and how he weaves history into it. I learned quite about about Canada and it's culture even though I've been there quite a number of times. But I like Hokkaido better. I think he also falls into the trap where someone includes their family in the stories not realizing that we most likely do not think their kids are the cutest things in the world nor do we want to hear stories about them. I'll wait longer to read his most recent travel book about Rwanda.

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can one resist the book's title... especially when one at one time called Moose Jaw home? Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw: Travels in Search of Canada by Will Ferguson is like taking a literary road trip accross this vast country and stopping to check out all the crazy shit that seems to line our highways. Ferguson chooses to write about small, and in many cases, relatively unknown areas of Canada, and the interesting history they share. History geeks and useless information lovers will especially enjoy this journey- as Ferguson blends witty/interesting facts with the historical. Ferguson's approach is light hearted, and often laugh out loud funny all while educating and giving you a finer appreciation about the Great White North.

The book begins on the west coast of Canada, on Victoria Island and through various essays, he spans a majority of the provinces all the way down to the east coast. The book is set up in essay format-- and they do not necessarily follow one massive road trip, but various short trips that Ferguson has taken thus far in his writing career. (I enjoyed this book so much that I'm hoping that he plans to take more!!) I highly recommend to read, (even to non-Canadian history buffs), because it can offer more than just a historical reference. It gives you an idea of the world outside the major cities, like (my apologies to schwingette, *GAG* TORONTO) and takes you into the lesser known, where many would argue the true heart of the Canadian people lie. I'm giving this book a 9/10 - the author was enjoyable and I will definately be keeping my eyes peeled for books of his in the future!

[Sage · Rating 2 out of 5]

Right, so Will Ferguson's apparently a columnist of some kind who writes occasional books about Canada. This one is a series of trips across the country from west to east. The best parts are where he talks about his childhood and various regions' folk histories. The worst parts are when he invokes any kind of poetry (he is a self-described failed poet) or humor.

He manages to be self-deprecating and pretentious at the same time, and I suspect it's all part of his "everyman" persona, but it grates, oh does it grate. Also, the last two chapters feel pasted on, and the attempt to say something compelling about how awesome Canada and Canadians are feels forced and artificial. I really wish his editor had demanded another revision, even if by ghost writer.

But like I said, the areas he knows from having lived in, rather than the areas where he's merely a tourist, are really good. Also, the polar bear chapter is entirely fun...possibly because I dig polar bears, but also because he nearly gets himself killed.

Which...see, I really dislike schadenfreude, but there's a whole Homer Simpson "Heh, what a dumbass" attitude to his self-projection that makes me laugh AT his mistakes rather than with them. Which makes me wonder if this is the Canadian national sense of inadequacy talking, or if it's just the author's particular issues showing.

[Samantha Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I heard Will Ferguson speak at a Teacher's Convention. He is an incredible speaker and I retold his stories to my husband for days afterward. This book very funny and I love the way he brings Canadian History to life. However, it wasn't the same as having Will tell the stories himself. If you ever get the chance, go hear Will Ferguson!

The book begins in Victoria, BC and travels east to L'Anse Aux Meadows, NFLD. At each stop along the way, Ferguson regales his reader with stories of the people, history and nightlife of each site. He also weaves in a bit of his own history, which I found endearing.

The most memorable story in to book for me was the tale of Tom Sukanen, a Finnish shipbuilder who, among other things, walked almost 1000 km from Minnesota to Saskatchewan, built a steel ship in the middle of the prairies and then began to pull the ship by horse and then hand toward the sea so he could sail home. Of course, he was crazy, but something about this story haunts me.

A fabulous read and I highly recommend the Cheat Sheet Ferguson provides at the end of the book for all students forced to read this for school!

[Heep · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a choice piece of Canadiana - upbeat without being too glib, patriotic but remaining clear-eyed and representative while finding unique stories. Ferguson is a very good writer who spent most of his early career on relative fluff like this book recounting road trips throughout Canada. The lightness of the subject matter belies the author's craft and skill as a storyteller. In a few sentences, seemingly effortlessly written, he is able to get to the essence of an idea or capture a mood. It makes this a very easy read, and an entertaining one. On occasion, Ferguson waxes poetic but not too much. The economy of fervour makes it all the more appropriate and effective. Canada is certainly worth some applause and gratitude. As my family prepares for our great Canadian rail and road trip to celebrate the 150th, it is good to be reminded:
"We have inherited an easy life in Canada. A life of calm. It is freedom of a lazy sort, a freedom so pervasive we barely notice it, and one that we claim by virtue of our citizenship. But it is worth remembering that people - in the words of Bulgarian-born Canadian philanthropist Ignat Kaneff - "crawl across minefields to get here"."

[Caroline Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most well-written, funniest, and most enjoyable travel books I've ever read! Warning: if you read in bed and your partner falls asleep before you do, excessive jiggling due to escaped or stifled belly laughs may wake him/her up. You may also have, as I did, the sudden urge to see the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba or the ancient Norse settlement of L'Anse Aux Meadows. Or to return to the spa in Moose Jaw. The author's narrative voice is a unique blend of folklorist and historian, gonzo travel guide, proud family man, perennial little brother and Canuck party animal. A survivor of Katimavik and Canada World Youth's Ecuador program as well as a resourceful independent traveller (he met his future wife in Japan), Ferguson is a hardworking and very successful writer of hilarious travel books, especially How To Be Canadian with his older brother, Ian, and the exceptional, critically-acclaimed novel, 419.

[Troy Parfitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm pretty certain Furgusson got the idea for this book from Jan Morris's O Canada! Travels in an Unknown Country. Morris's attempt is superior, but unfortunately out of print. What we have instead is this watery, dumbed-down version, heavy with personal asides (the origin of my kid's name, that song by Smash Mouth I like so much, why I'm so humourous) and light on Travels in Search of Canada. You wonder who the audience is? Teenyboppers? The jokes are juvenile, and it's unbearingly narcissistic. The odd thing is, when Furguson opines on something, I usually agree. And he can be funny at times. If only he could get over himself long enough to do it. He mentions (in this book, or another one, or in an interview) that he doesn't listen to his editors. He should. Aspiring writers take heart; if Will Fergusson can succeed, so can you.