Quality Time

by Suzannah Showler

A debut love story of 2000s discontent from author and poet Suzannah Showler--for readers of HOW SHOULD A PERSON BE? by Sheila Heti and NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney.

Ferociously in love from the start, Nico and Lydie spent a first year together so beautiful that they've been recreating it, day by day, ever since. Their anniversaries, sometimes elaborate, sometimes small, have become the couple's entire universe, tethering them to a reality they've built together, collapsing their sense of time.

But the real world is creeping in. As the people around them start to get married, get pregnant, get serious, Lydie wonders what it is they're really doing, and why it leaves her so little time to focus on the art she moved to the city to create. Meanwhile, Nico experiences a divine event that convinces him the anniversaries matter more than ever, and in the city around them, the urban wildlife is rising up on a mission of their own.

A vivid time capsule from an era of Millennial love, recession discontent, and city garbage strike racoons, Quality Time is about that rare, innocent moment when we feel like masters of our own fate, and what happens when the real world starts to press in from the edges.

Genres: Canada, Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

Suzannah Showler is the author of two collections of poetry and a book of cultural criticism about The Bachelor franchise. Her debut novel, Quality Time, will be published by McClelland & Stewart in 2023.

Reviews

[Robyn Covell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of a large number of parallels between my life and the main character's. I too was an artist living in Toronto during the garbage strike, involved in an all consuming relationship. I love a book that puts experiences I've had into words. This was filled with beautiful prose, a slower read for sure. Some of the trash panda scenes were downright disturbing, but I still don't really understand what they were doing there. In the end, I feel like there was just something I didn't get about where this story went.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of 2023 featuring raccoons gaining consciousness in Toronto.
Book 10 of 2023 that Toronto features in, despite me not making an effort to choose Toronto books.
Hated the main characters and their whole project.

Loved the prose and everything that happened around the main characters.

Like, have been complaining about the whole anniversary premise all day. But I still really liked the rest? Didn't go where I expected.

Good, weird. Hard to sum up! Still thinking about it, kinda loved it. Standing by my 5-star review.

[Nicolette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m in between a 3 and 2.5
It started out very interesting and I almost couldn’t put it down, but I did to prioritize some other reading and then when I picked it back up it almost felt like a different book.

It feels a little disjointed to me and I was hoping to see more connections between the “trashpandas” and the couple (other than their quick encounters every now and then). It also ended quite abruptly for me. It felt like there was this build up to something shattering their reality and then we just fast forwarded to an interview with Nico 🤨.

I wanted a bit more closure for them, and a bit more about the unravelling and maybe just more in general ?

[Mackenziekolton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 2.5 star read…. Some nice parts to it but the rest was pretty meh

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining!
Thank you to the publisher via Libro.fm for my ALC!

[Jackie McConnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first part of the book from Lydie’s perspective… but once it flipped to Nico I started to lose interest. I just didn’t really like him at all or fully understand what his point was. Also I don’t understand how Lydie could just float along with it all for that long? The ending was rushed. Without giving it away I would have loved more on the fall out and more Lydie’s progression and development as an artist. I really appreciate anything set in a Canadian city, so the parts about Toronto and Quebec I enjoyed. But overall, it’s not what I expected it to be and I finished it just to say I finished it. Would read more from Suzanne though.

[Femke Van Splunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. There were parts that I didn't like (trash pandas, the lightning strike?). But I loved the vibe, I loved how relatable it is, I love that I spent days after reading this still thinking about it.

[Robyn Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was nothing like I was expecting based on the book store recommendation l, which is no fault of the author. I liked the concept of the story, and I really liked the style of the writing, but it just didn’t come together for me. The trash panda storyline really took me out of it. As someone who has lived in the era of Toronto the book is set in I was pulled in by the nuances and nostalgia but I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much without that layer of relatability. All this said, I’d definitely give this author another shot based on the quality of their writing. Considering it was such an abstract story that isn’t my usual type of read I felt really immersed in it because of their descriptive writing style.

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just do not take anyone seriously who uses "trashpanda" more than once, either ironically or unironically, to refer to raccoons. This story also felt like it was building up to something profound but actually the air kinda farted out of the story, like the end of a deflating balloon. I feel this may have worked better as a novella or a short piece of fiction because the story didn't have the legs for this many pages.

[Harriet Lye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the writing of this book, it was sort of like a painting can be in that it made me see the world slightly differently. This is a coming of age story buried in a rom com and I loved following the lead character, I really felt her feelings. I skimmed the trash panda sections by the end but appreciated that they were there.

[Liza_lo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this more than I did.

Set in post-recession Toronto it follows a millenial couple who re-enact their anniversaries over 4 years. I think this was the most interesting narrative thread that presents a lot of questions. Unfortunately those are barely raised or answered in this book.

I like Showler's writing and her ideas but maybe not her form. Still an interesting read.

[Stephanie VanBesien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I liked that it is Canadian. Lydie and Nico had an interesting relationship. I did not understand the point of the trash pandas but did like finding out what they were up to. I was not surprised to find out at the end that Lydie and Nico were no longer a couple.

[Amy Pulman · Rating 2 out of 5]

not entirely sure what the point of that was. Some weird stuff with raccoons happening. Besides having some Toronto nostalgia this didn’t do much for me. Also, WHY NO QUOTATIONS I can’t tell who’s talking

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

it gets real slow in the middle. was tough to finish. just okay.

[Alexandra Mita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this is a 5-star narrative with a very very bad ending. Everything is vague and rushed in the last chapter - extremely disapointing.

[anarres. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be the one of the brightest lights of the year, I can tell already. Phenomenal.

[Cassy]

Stupid wordy nothingness

[Caralyn Rubli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway through Goodreads
I like that it took place in Toronto. I didn't understand the story or like the writing style

[Marisa (Mirroredpages) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 14%

It’s a chaotic stream of consciousness kind of book lacking in proper punctuation so you can’t tell what’s thought and dialogue. I’m sure the stylistic choice is artsy and has deeper meaning but I just find it esoteric and headache inducing.

[Laurel C · Rating 4 out of 5]

toronto 2014 nostalgia. surrealist bent and to be honest i skipped the raccoons.