Extreme Vinyl Cafe

Vinyl Cafe #6

by Stuart McLean

If you ask them, Dave and Morley's friends will tell you that no matter how long you've known people, they can still surprise you. After all, no one expects to see a grown man dive into the trunk of his car to chase a rat. And despite what they may claim, few people are actually prepared to have their backyard, never mind their twelve-year-old son, shoot to stardom on YouTube's Most Watched Videos. And yes the sight of an 87-year-old bungee-jumping off a cruise ship is...unusual. But well-wishers at the Vinyl Cafe will advise you to be philosophical about such things.

No matter who sends a volley of nails through your truck window, which mannequin is disrobed or how green your skin turns when your mom leaves town, life marches on. In Extreme Vinyl Cafe bestselling author Stuart McLean regales us with the wild impulses, and extreme behaviours of Canada's favourite characters at the Vinyl Cafe.


 

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Short Stories, Canada, Canadian Literature, Comedy, Collections

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 29, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There was more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

From the Vinyl Cafe web site: Stuart McLean was a best-selling author, award-winning journalist and humorist, and host of CBC Radio program The Vinyl Cafe.

Stuart began his broadcasting career making radio documentaries for CBC Radio's Sunday Morning. In 1979 he won an ACTRA award for Best Radio Documentary for his contribution to the program's coverage of the Jonestown massacre.

Following Sunday Morning, Stuart spent seven years as a regular columnist and guest host on CBC's Morningside. His book, The Morningside World of Stuart McLean, was a Canadian bestseller and a finalist in the 1990 City of Toronto Book Awards.

Stuart has also written Welcome Home: Travels in Small Town Canada, and edited the collection When We Were Young. Welcome Home was chosen by the Canadian Authors' Association as the best non-fiction book of 1993.

Stuart's books Stories from the Vinyl Cafe, Home from the Vinyl Cafe, Vinyl Cafe Unplugged, Vinyl Cafe Diaries, Dave Cooks the Turkey, Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe and Extreme Vinyl Cafe have all been Canadian bestsellers. Vinyl Cafe Diaries was awarded the Canadian Authors' Association Jubilee Award in 2004. Stuart was also a three-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for Home from the Vinyl Cafe, Vinyl Cafe Unplugged and, most recently, Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe.

Vinyl Cafe books have also been published in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

Stuart was a professor emeritus at Ryerson University in Toronto and former director of the broadcast division of the School of Journalism. In 1993 Trent University named him the first Rooke Fellow for Teaching, Writing and Research. He has also been honored by: Nipissing University (EdD(H)); University of Windsor (Lld) and Trent University (DLH). Stuart served as Honorary Colonel of the 8th Air Maintenance Squadron at 8 Wing, Trenton from 2005 to 2008.

Since 1998 Stuart has taken The Vinyl Cafe to theatres across Canada, playing in both large and small towns from St. John's, Newfoundland to Whitehorse in the Yukon.

Close to one million people listen to The Vinyl Cafe every weekend on CBC Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio and on a growing number of Public Radio stations in the United States. The program is also broadcast on an occasional basis on the BBC.

Reviews

[Ian M. Pyatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most short story collections I have read (and it sounds like a broken record), there were some I liked, others I didn't - obviously.

Certain stories will resonate with some people as memories will come to the front of your memory banks. For me: Sam Goes Green (really funny), The Birthday Cake, Spring In The Marrows, Wally, Petit Lac Noir, Trip To Quebec were my favs.

One more short story collection and that will be it for books by Mr. McLean.

Enjoy my friends

[Afton Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My parents are fans of The Vinyl Cafe radio show and suggested I read this book. Well, it wasn't so much a suggestion as a guilt trip, but I'm really glad I gave in to the guilt and read this book. Each chapter is a short story about a fictional family: Dave who works at the Vinyl Cafe, a vintage record store, and his Wife, Morley, and their kids Sam and Stephanie. The stories are charming and touching and hilarious. I read "The Waterslide" to my kids one night and they were mesmerized during the entire reading. The next day they asked me to read another story to them, so I read "Wally," which they also loved, even though I had to explain what it meant to be made redundant. Not all were stories that would interest kids, but they were all stories that interested me. I believe my favorite was "Newsboy Dave."

[Emma Grace Blumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites in the collection!

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection, as always

[Molly Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Dave stories - you've got to love it. Stuart McLean wrote the best most whimsical stories and I miss him. Highly recommend any of his books.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my third Vinyl Cafe book after being introduced to the radio program and accompanying books a couple of years ago. Each chapter is a vignette from the life of Dave (owner of the Vinyl Cafe, the world's smallest record store), his wife Morley, their two children, and various quirky neighbours and friends. Mclean is an expert storyteller whose prose quickly brings you into each story. The stories often left me laughing out loud, while also touched by the occasional moments of pathos mixed in. Americans might find these stories somewhat reminiscent of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. Though transcriptions of radio shows, these stories work very well on the written page, though if you get a chance to check out Vinyl Cafe on YouTube, they come to life even more. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Jay Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 8.5

Can always count on Dave & family to produce some good reading in the December timeframe; What is also notable is that McLean just seems to be a better storyteller (the opening lead-ins are well done)

There is more of a connection as well as everyone has aged w new stories, new laughs & new tender family moments; Personal favorites were the Birthday Cake, Dave's Funeral & the Roller Coaster

[PegS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed my first time reading a Stuart McLean Vinyl Café book of short stories and look forward to reading more of his book.,While I wasn’t a loyal listener of his radio show, whenever I came across it while driving, I would inevitably end up at my destination still sitting in the parked car to hear the end of the story. What a wonderful storyteller (may he rest in peace) so quirky and funny characters and the stories seem so real, and Canadian. 🇨🇦❤️

[JoeK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume had a pretty even distribution of humour and pathos. I didn't feel that any of the stories were written for cheap laughs, and the more emotionally grounded stories didn't grind me up (except for "The Cruise", which I'd heard twice before).

Again, I read the story while I listened to Stuart narrating from a long-ago downloaded podcast. I was unable to locate "Rat-a-tat-tat" although I'm sure I had heard it before. I am struck by the subtle differences and would really like to know which came first (the chicken or the egg question). Did the books precede the radio stories or vice versa? I am always struck by how subtly better the narrations are over the printed pieces, which makes me think that Stuart reconsidered all his work every time it was performed.

This book has also made me want to know about Stuart McLean more, in-depth and personal. His characters are all so fully developed and rich in the way no other books I have read ever were. Are they based on real people and events? Did he make them out of whole cloth? I saw a CBC news segment on his death where he talked to an interviewer about how letters he got in the mail had inspired him.

Speaking of letters, I liked the "extreme" introduction but felt that the letters themselves were silly and obviously manufactured for the book. I'd subtract half a star for that, but I just can't since they probably only amount to a half-percent of the page count.

[Monica Penthor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book - so uplifting - love Stuart McLean. This book was structured a bit differently. A reader sends in a letter (although I wondered if readers really send in the type of letters that were in the book), Stuart answers and then follows with a story. Just the thing when the world seems just a bit too much. I am just amazed that he had so many ordinary and amazing stories to tell about his fictional family. We have lost a great story teller.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this book was an Xmas gift many years back. I finally decided to give it a go as many Canadians of a certain age rave about Stuart McLean.

This book is a slice of life type book. I did not really find it funny but the short stories were harmless and were easy to read as every chapter is a new life lesson story.

[Cathy Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many of the stories in this book were ones that I had heard on Stuart’s radio show, and as I read, I could hear his voice. His exquisite timing. His interjections, “Now don’t get ahead of me!” Boy, do I miss him! Rest In Peace, Stuart, and thanks for the stories you left behind! I read a few aloud to my husband, just to enjoy them more.

[Meagan Jesmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, as always. The stories that really got me were: Dave's funeral and Margaret gets married. Both for the opposing reasons that make me live Vinyl Cafe and Stuart McLean--one made me laugh out loud and one made me cry.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. McLean takes a more nostalgic view of life, although there are a few laugh out loud stories still. Very sad that Stuart McLean passed away this week. The world has lost a great story teller

[Olivia Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stewart Mclean never fails to make me laugh- I picked this up as I was having reading burn out from my more serious topic books- and it was such a welcome cozy little read- always reminds me of childhood listening to the CBC- the stories from the vinyl cafe will never fail to brighten my days

[Jennifer Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! I can hear Stuart McLeans voice as I'm reading this book. I hearing miss his stories on CBC so very much!

[Peter Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

great stories, very funny at times

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable stories.

[Amanda Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything by Stuart McLean is always so comforting, like a nice cozy blanket.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I miss Stuart McLean on CBC.
What is going to happen to Dave, Morley, Stephanie and Sam...

[Norman Weatherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wildly entertaining walk to the Vinyl Cafe. Stuart McLean was an astonishing master of psychology and wit all at the same time. I highly recommend any of his books, they are all winners.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me smile every single time

[Dave Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written with wit and candour, Stuart McLean can make me laugh like no one else. His characters feel like old friends and make you want to spend more time with them as they journey through life.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories from a simpler time I can relate to.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the short stories in the book.

[Lyle Boylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book in the Vinyl Cafe collection.

[Nick Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good old CBC nostalgia fuel in these short stories; this was just overall a real comforting read. Got me audibly laughing in public more than a few times, especially in “The Birthday Cake”.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Stu.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a joy-
so nice to be able to pick up a short story.

Gift from a young son who heard us regularly listening to the radio show.

[Earl Inglis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner with lots of laughs.