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Today I Learned It Was You
When a retired actor who frequents a city park is purported to be transitioning from man to deer, municipal authorities in St. John’s, Newfoundland, find themselves confronted by an exasperatingly difficult problem.
Complications mount as advocates, bureaucrats, police, and local politicians try to corral the situation, which escalates into an even bigger problem after the story blows up on Facebook. Leading the charge is the mayor himself. A former professional hockey player and local hero, Mayor Matt Olford is juggling a number of personal challenges on top of his city’s man-deer his wife has become a born-again Christian and he’s found himself attracted to one of his colleagues at City Hall. When the Prime Minister’s office calls to ask if he’ll run as a Conservative in the next federal election, Mayor Olford finds himself at a Surrender his political values or remain as the sole voice of reason on the increasingly ineffective city council?
Hilariously sending up the drama and dysfunction of local politics, overzealous rights activists, and perils of contemporary social media, Today I Learned It Was You is another bitingly brilliant comic novel from one of Canada’s funniest and most astute literary talents.
Complications mount as advocates, bureaucrats, police, and local politicians try to corral the situation, which escalates into an even bigger problem after the story blows up on Facebook. Leading the charge is the mayor himself. A former professional hockey player and local hero, Mayor Matt Olford is juggling a number of personal challenges on top of his city’s man-deer his wife has become a born-again Christian and he’s found himself attracted to one of his colleagues at City Hall. When the Prime Minister’s office calls to ask if he’ll run as a Conservative in the next federal election, Mayor Olford finds himself at a Surrender his political values or remain as the sole voice of reason on the increasingly ineffective city council?
Hilariously sending up the drama and dysfunction of local politics, overzealous rights activists, and perils of contemporary social media, Today I Learned It Was You is another bitingly brilliant comic novel from one of Canada’s funniest and most astute literary talents.
Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2016
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370 people want to read
About the author
Edward Riche
6 books19 followersEdward Riche is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and playwright. His previous novels include Rare Birds, which was adapted into a major motion picture starring William Hurt and Molly Parker, and a second novel, The Nine Planets, which won the Thomas Raddall Head Award. His writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, The Walrus, and the Telegram. He is a frequent contributor to CBC Radio's "Talking Books." Edward Riche lives in St. John's, Newfoundland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 6, 2017
Two stars for the characters Matt and Alessandra. But two only because as much as I wish Riche had pared his story to capitalize on the potential of these two people, it was squandered.
This book was a disappointment for me. I was looking forward to it, as it is set in my native province. But Riche made only occasional, and then seemingly half-hearted attempts to reveal anything about the province's capital city that wasn't a trite stereotype.
Wally read to me like a badly constructed NL joke with no punch line - his entire presence felt vengeful and mean-spirited. Patty's motivation eludes me, and I am left shaking my head as to the function Gary Mackenzie was supposed to serve. And that HUGE unaddressed plot point? Ridiculous.
I was so let down by the lackluster writing that even the main gimmick of the book fell completely flat - more meaness, more capitalization on existing vulnerabilities and more unlikeable characters in Lloyd primarily and Natalie to a much lesser extent.
There were few astute observations about human nature; nothing groundbreaking or particularly emotional in the characters' development (or glaring lack thereof), so I can't classify it as a personally satisfying people-driven novel. Which I guess was the point. There is also little funny to me about the book. As noted above, most of the humour feels petty and pointless.
However, the closes scenes with Matt and Alessandra were particularly beautiful - these are the characters with soul and I truly, truly wish Riche had invested in them.
I won't be recommending the book. It's my first foray into the Canada Reads 2017 long list, and I'm honestly left wondering WHY anyone would consider this a book Canadians should be reading. I'm flummoxed.
This book was a disappointment for me. I was looking forward to it, as it is set in my native province. But Riche made only occasional, and then seemingly half-hearted attempts to reveal anything about the province's capital city that wasn't a trite stereotype.
Wally read to me like a badly constructed NL joke with no punch line - his entire presence felt vengeful and mean-spirited. Patty's motivation eludes me, and I am left shaking my head as to the function Gary Mackenzie was supposed to serve. And that HUGE unaddressed plot point? Ridiculous.
I was so let down by the lackluster writing that even the main gimmick of the book fell completely flat - more meaness, more capitalization on existing vulnerabilities and more unlikeable characters in Lloyd primarily and Natalie to a much lesser extent.
There were few astute observations about human nature; nothing groundbreaking or particularly emotional in the characters' development (or glaring lack thereof), so I can't classify it as a personally satisfying people-driven novel. Which I guess was the point. There is also little funny to me about the book. As noted above, most of the humour feels petty and pointless.
However, the closes scenes with Matt and Alessandra were particularly beautiful - these are the characters with soul and I truly, truly wish Riche had invested in them.
I won't be recommending the book. It's my first foray into the Canada Reads 2017 long list, and I'm honestly left wondering WHY anyone would consider this a book Canadians should be reading. I'm flummoxed.
July 25, 2017
Brilliant!
December 28, 2017
I know that others have rated this book more highly, and I did enjoy reading it, but I wasn't as enthused about it as I thought I might be. To be sure it is a well-written book, one of identity "confusion" amongst all the main characters, from the Mayor of St. John's to Harry who thinks he is a deer to a member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and others. Mr. Riche is a writer for the stage and screen, and it shows in the way each chapter feels like a scene in a play or movie, first as the main characters are introduced, then as each scenario plays out.
An entertaining read, with some amusing moments of satire including some displays of city council meetings that probably ring all too true.
An entertaining read, with some amusing moments of satire including some displays of city council meetings that probably ring all too true.
June 8, 2016
Weaves in and out of the everyday moments in life that shouldn't mean anything but instead mean everything. Reading Riche is like being offered glimpses into a dozen different lives at once, all of them far more mundane and troubled than your own, but no less important.
May 6, 2017
This book was bland, had not plot, and the characters we so flat. The whole time reading it I couldn't help but wonder when the book was actually going to develop a purpose. I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
May 11, 2016
It says that "Hilariously sending up the drama and dysfunction of local politics, overzealous rights activists, and perils of contemporary social media....", and, yup, I agree. I love, love, love how this book, in a unique way, shows the ridiculousness of thing such as overzealous rights activists. This book pretty much sums up the way I feel about how crazy things have gotten; I can't read the news or check my Facbook without seeing some indication of overly-self-entitled zealots. What is great about this book, though, is that it shows how nutty things have gotten, using humour, which is a very effective way of doing it. On top of that, it's just a good read, with a funny story line. It's the best of both worlds - a good read, plus a good point.
June 4, 2017
This sly and quirky book economically covers a slew of problematic issues. The focus is on issues of identity but ER hilariously covers a lot of bases and quite nicely exposes quite a range of contemporary follies from politics to varieties of infidelity.
The medium wasnt the message.It was the mania. p201
The medium wasnt the message.It was the mania. p201
June 18, 2017
Newfoundland
"They weren't countrymen; they were a sprawling family nine generations from their shipwreck." Pg 122
It occurred to me while reading this book about so rarely I read books written by men. Or what is the male equivalent to "chick lit"? The fluffy, one-dimensional stories narrated by an explicitly gendered persona? That. I don't normally read novels like that.
While I was not necessarily interested in reading it with a "gendered lens," although how could I not, I found it continuously jarring how the author wrote, and I assumed, believed about women. It occurred to me, in my experience, that in these books written by men, women are ravenous about sex. They want it. To fill a need. To fill a primal need. In books written by men, the entanglements of womens' relations or care are absent. Not because of lack of importance, but more like lack of recognition that care or the expectation of care or the explicit disavowal of care is a large part of women's lives.
In books written by women, sex is present, but also the threat or the haunting or the borders of violence that always present idea that women must navigate through. This is not something I've seen in books written by men. If it is, it's often titalating. See above.
Sex, men, and women were not the main things this book was "about," but the mediocrity of this book (one I wouldn't have necessarily read or finished if not for the #ReadCanada150 theme for the summer, highlighted these (yes, broad strokes) themes found amongst similar types of books.
The back description of this book doesn't really set the premise up very well, although frankly I don't know how they would have described it: "St John's politicians and the comefromaway-ers they interact with."
Themes I think I'll see in other ReadCanada150 books:
- Transnational links: People from other countries as central characters the Canadian characters interact with. Not as a probables but as a way to see one's own "canadianness" better/clearer. Ie the outside characters tell you who you are or demonstrate what you are not.
- Isolation: (see Atwood's 1978 Survival)
- Toronto and/or Ottawa (ie the Federal government) as players acting upon characters in novel
- Colonial vestiges: a character or place or distant time that evoked first peoples. A primitive time before colonialism.
- Natural trickster or trickster that is nature
"They weren't countrymen; they were a sprawling family nine generations from their shipwreck." Pg 122
It occurred to me while reading this book about so rarely I read books written by men. Or what is the male equivalent to "chick lit"? The fluffy, one-dimensional stories narrated by an explicitly gendered persona? That. I don't normally read novels like that.
While I was not necessarily interested in reading it with a "gendered lens," although how could I not, I found it continuously jarring how the author wrote, and I assumed, believed about women. It occurred to me, in my experience, that in these books written by men, women are ravenous about sex. They want it. To fill a need. To fill a primal need. In books written by men, the entanglements of womens' relations or care are absent. Not because of lack of importance, but more like lack of recognition that care or the expectation of care or the explicit disavowal of care is a large part of women's lives.
In books written by women, sex is present, but also the threat or the haunting or the borders of violence that always present idea that women must navigate through. This is not something I've seen in books written by men. If it is, it's often titalating. See above.
Sex, men, and women were not the main things this book was "about," but the mediocrity of this book (one I wouldn't have necessarily read or finished if not for the #ReadCanada150 theme for the summer, highlighted these (yes, broad strokes) themes found amongst similar types of books.
The back description of this book doesn't really set the premise up very well, although frankly I don't know how they would have described it: "St John's politicians and the comefromaway-ers they interact with."
Themes I think I'll see in other ReadCanada150 books:
- Transnational links: People from other countries as central characters the Canadian characters interact with. Not as a probables but as a way to see one's own "canadianness" better/clearer. Ie the outside characters tell you who you are or demonstrate what you are not.
- Isolation: (see Atwood's 1978 Survival)
- Toronto and/or Ottawa (ie the Federal government) as players acting upon characters in novel
- Colonial vestiges: a character or place or distant time that evoked first peoples. A primitive time before colonialism.
- Natural trickster or trickster that is nature
July 1, 2017
Really felt like a random collection of ideas kinda strung together loosely. I enjoyed reading the newfie accents though.
June 13, 2016
I received a free advanced reading copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I finished this book a few days ago and I'm still mulling it over. I I enjoyed reading it, but it's not a book I'll read again and I doubt I'll recommend it to anyone. This is one of those entirely forgettable books. It's not a bad book, but it's not particularly good either. Riche is certainly a skilled writer, but something about this book just didn't click with me. Judging by the many positive reviews, I feel like this is a book that depends entirely upon its audience. There are certain people who will love this book...I'm just not one of them.
I finished this book a few days ago and I'm still mulling it over. I I enjoyed reading it, but it's not a book I'll read again and I doubt I'll recommend it to anyone. This is one of those entirely forgettable books. It's not a bad book, but it's not particularly good either. Riche is certainly a skilled writer, but something about this book just didn't click with me. Judging by the many positive reviews, I feel like this is a book that depends entirely upon its audience. There are certain people who will love this book...I'm just not one of them.
June 27, 2016
Would it be too cliched to say I loves this book?
A very interesting, even a bit odd, look at the inner workings of a city council and others laterally involved.
There was a lot to be said about how government works, how society works, and that we are likely all doomed in the end.
There was a lot of lovely passages, including this one about what it was that drew people to Newfoundland "...the place was enchanted.Locals...were inured to it, so long were they inside the mystery they could not see how it acted upon them". I have felt the same way about Newfoundland every time I have visited there.
A very interesting, even a bit odd, look at the inner workings of a city council and others laterally involved.
There was a lot to be said about how government works, how society works, and that we are likely all doomed in the end.
There was a lot of lovely passages, including this one about what it was that drew people to Newfoundland "...the place was enchanted.Locals...were inured to it, so long were they inside the mystery they could not see how it acted upon them". I have felt the same way about Newfoundland every time I have visited there.
July 4, 2018
I did not get the point of this book. There didn’t seem to be much of a plot and what was there really went no where. There were also too many characters that in the end didn’t add anything to the story since their chapters were too short to learn anything about them.
I also hated the character Wally - he just seemed like an over exaggeration of the Newfie stereotype to the point that he was arrogant and came across as ‘stupid’. Maybe it was meant as a joke? If so, I didn’t get it nor did I appreciate it.
I did enjoy Alessandra and Matt’s characters and plot points and if the book focused on them it would have been a much better book for me.
I also hated the character Wally - he just seemed like an over exaggeration of the Newfie stereotype to the point that he was arrogant and came across as ‘stupid’. Maybe it was meant as a joke? If so, I didn’t get it nor did I appreciate it.
I did enjoy Alessandra and Matt’s characters and plot points and if the book focused on them it would have been a much better book for me.
December 21, 2016
Another NL author with a point of view I understand even if it is not my experience. If you are from St John's you will recognize the people and places here. The synopsis on the cover had me expecting a different focus than what really emerged and I was pleasantly surprised. The story about a man who thinks he is a deer sounded slightly ridiculous - turns out that is not really the point, but it is an appropriate place event around which other characters are revealed. Not particularly plot-driven; more a study of people. You know them...
April 26, 2016
It was a very interesting novel. It weaves a story line around many characters that come crashing together. I had to read a few chapters over to keep the different characters crystal clear in my mind but it was worth it. A man transforming into a deer.....a great story that occurs in St. John's Newfoundland!
I recommend this book. It is a great read. I received this book as a free giveaway fro Good Reads.
I recommend this book. It is a great read. I received this book as a free giveaway fro Good Reads.
December 4, 2016
Pretty fun little jaunt through small-town Atlantic Canada. The format of this book was interesting to me - extremely brief chapters from maybe a dozen different perspectives, sometimes told by characters who never spoke up again. Sort of a pastiche - a paper mache story told in bits and pieces so the whole is gradually revealed. Surprisingly effective. Me, I'm happily surprised. But I'm a natural skeptic.
February 15, 2017
Hilarious! Highly recommend!!
February 21, 2017
I wanted a bit more from the ending but overall thought it was a funny and saucy book. A bit of an oddball book so I appreciated the change.
February 24, 2017
Canadian writer,
A bit strange, set in Newfoundland- about a man who is transforming into a deer and the community, city council and all involved in this dysfunctional cast of characters
A bit strange, set in Newfoundland- about a man who is transforming into a deer and the community, city council and all involved in this dysfunctional cast of characters
April 18, 2019
There had to be at least a dozen or so different perspectives going on here before the story actually started to come together. And only sort of for me ... did I miss something??
Thank goodness for all of those short chapters. You almost had to make a list of all of the characters just to keep them straight(no pun intended there either) (I'm all for LGBT Rights and basically any human rights) but there really was so many characters and they didn't seem that well developed?!?
A bit of an oddball story with lots of different minor themes going on. I guess if you are curious about the inner political type workings of what goes on with city council, you may get something more from the book than I did.(You know, other than the mayor with the wandering eye and hands and other body parts) The story sort of weaves in and out(kind of like this half-hearted review of trying to find the positive in the book) of everyday moments. Compared to these characters though, my life would be considered mundane but you know what? I'm quite ALRIGHT with that! Anyways, sometimes not having so much going on means less troubles and you get to figure out what's really important to you in life as you go along. I sort of think this could have been one of the 'messages'/themes from Mr. Riche !?!?!
The book is funny in a unique/crass way. I did enjoy those moments but there weren't enough of them. I enjoyed the way the author portrayed the ridiculousness of our social media system and the way some folks believe EVERYTHING they see/read without question. A lot of people only see one side(their side) to the story.
Overall, it wasn't a bad book(because there will always be people who read it differently than I) but it was just okay for me. I could not honestly recommend it.
One last thing that sort of irked me was how quickly Mr. Riche shut down the storylines ... so, so different than how he led into them ... where the heck was the balance???
Thank goodness for all of those short chapters. You almost had to make a list of all of the characters just to keep them straight(no pun intended there either) (I'm all for LGBT Rights and basically any human rights) but there really was so many characters and they didn't seem that well developed?!?
A bit of an oddball story with lots of different minor themes going on. I guess if you are curious about the inner political type workings of what goes on with city council, you may get something more from the book than I did.(You know, other than the mayor with the wandering eye and hands and other body parts) The story sort of weaves in and out(kind of like this half-hearted review of trying to find the positive in the book) of everyday moments. Compared to these characters though, my life would be considered mundane but you know what? I'm quite ALRIGHT with that! Anyways, sometimes not having so much going on means less troubles and you get to figure out what's really important to you in life as you go along. I sort of think this could have been one of the 'messages'/themes from Mr. Riche !?!?!
The book is funny in a unique/crass way. I did enjoy those moments but there weren't enough of them. I enjoyed the way the author portrayed the ridiculousness of our social media system and the way some folks believe EVERYTHING they see/read without question. A lot of people only see one side(their side) to the story.
Overall, it wasn't a bad book(because there will always be people who read it differently than I) but it was just okay for me. I could not honestly recommend it.
One last thing that sort of irked me was how quickly Mr. Riche shut down the storylines ... so, so different than how he led into them ... where the heck was the balance???
October 24, 2017
The city is St. John's, Newfoundland. A retired actor turns to the security guard profession and on a nightly check in a local park, has a clash with some teens. The next time we hear anything about him, he is apparently living in the park and is transitioning to a deer. Or something like that. Yes, you, too, will shake your head in disbelief.
In the meantime, we've shifted views to the local municipal council and the mayor, Matt Olford, who is a local hero because he used to be in the NHL on a Stanley Cup winning team. His wife has found religion, he's contemplating entering Federal politics, he's got a crush on a lovely fellow councillor, an immigrant from Italy. There are two animal rights activists stirring things up and another councillor who has a very large, ugly chip on his shoulder. Social media goes viral over the whole deer situation. Many aspects of the tale are told by a lot of different voices, most of whom really have nothing to contribute to the actual story and are never seen again. That leaves most of the other regulars less developed than they should be. Not all of the narratives really cross over or just a little. It's a bit confusing at times. And yet, it's also kind of fun and it was enjoyable and quick to read.
While reading the book, I could almost picture it as one of those goofy Canadian films with quirky characters and lots of local colour and colourful locals. You can never go wrong with local colour in St. John's. There are loose ends untied which loses a star in the rating and another star for the somewhat disjointed feel of the overall story.
This book was on the long list for Canada Reads 2017 though I do have to say I don't think it would ever be considered a book that would fit the theme of "the one book every Canadian should read".
In the meantime, we've shifted views to the local municipal council and the mayor, Matt Olford, who is a local hero because he used to be in the NHL on a Stanley Cup winning team. His wife has found religion, he's contemplating entering Federal politics, he's got a crush on a lovely fellow councillor, an immigrant from Italy. There are two animal rights activists stirring things up and another councillor who has a very large, ugly chip on his shoulder. Social media goes viral over the whole deer situation. Many aspects of the tale are told by a lot of different voices, most of whom really have nothing to contribute to the actual story and are never seen again. That leaves most of the other regulars less developed than they should be. Not all of the narratives really cross over or just a little. It's a bit confusing at times. And yet, it's also kind of fun and it was enjoyable and quick to read.
While reading the book, I could almost picture it as one of those goofy Canadian films with quirky characters and lots of local colour and colourful locals. You can never go wrong with local colour in St. John's. There are loose ends untied which loses a star in the rating and another star for the somewhat disjointed feel of the overall story.
This book was on the long list for Canada Reads 2017 though I do have to say I don't think it would ever be considered a book that would fit the theme of "the one book every Canadian should read".
July 19, 2019
3.5/5.0
Hidden Gems:
Natalie thought human babies unspeakably ugly, no better than swollen, squirming spermatozoa with the unfortunate habit of suckling.
Only a stone's throw away was the block of yeast known as George Street; joints from the same faux-Celtic pub kit, "Mussels in the Corner" on an endless loop, cod-kissing rubes from the mainland and soused locals looking to fuck or fight.
Lloyd had an aversion to having his picture taken and considered sharing images of oneself on the internet unimaginably vulgar; taking one's own picture and then sharing it with the world was pathological. There were actors for that.
Hidden Gems:
Natalie thought human babies unspeakably ugly, no better than swollen, squirming spermatozoa with the unfortunate habit of suckling.
Only a stone's throw away was the block of yeast known as George Street; joints from the same faux-Celtic pub kit, "Mussels in the Corner" on an endless loop, cod-kissing rubes from the mainland and soused locals looking to fuck or fight.
Lloyd had an aversion to having his picture taken and considered sharing images of oneself on the internet unimaginably vulgar; taking one's own picture and then sharing it with the world was pathological. There were actors for that.
November 7, 2017
I couldn't get into it. It didn't feel authentic to me. I couldn't understand the relevance. I felt like I was forcing myself to get through it because it was supposed to be special seeing as it is a Newfoundland book from a reputable and established literary talent in the province. I got frustrated with my inability to dig deep and feel some sort of substance in it. I donated it away. At least the cover is nice!
June 14, 2019
As many others have mentioned, the plot is rather, er, spartan. It's not so much a plot as a device to introduce some characters. Some likeable, some not so much. All are at least interesting, even if their motivations are not fully developed. Above all else, this book is funny. Sometimes laugh-out-loud, but most often subtle. It's also a sort of tragedy.
It's complicated.
It's complicated.
March 12, 2023
I read Riche's Rare Birds years ago and really enjoyed it, but this one just wasn't for me. Felt like there were too many characters for the length of the book. There were some funny bits on the (fictional) St. John's City Council, though.
May 2, 2023
This book wasn’t a bad read sometimes the story line was hard to follow and the charter’s increased more and more but other than that I had no trouble finishing this book . Being from Newfoundland I enjoy reading books based around it !
August 30, 2017
This was a bit of an odd book. Nice break from the ordinary and predictable novels.
October 18, 2017
Savin' it for book club!
November 12, 2017
I liked this book but not as much as I wanted to. It left a lot unresolved and parts seemed extreme!
July 10, 2018
Quick and interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews