CanadianContent discussion

A place to discuss Denison Avenue

Single ‘n’. Denison instead of Dennison

thanks - fixed

so far, this is my favourite of the books... I loved reading about an area of Toronto where I have visited and found that the characters and their experiences have stayed with me. It is a story to consider the experience of others, the challenges of living in a busy city that is growing and changing around you, of not speaking English fluently and of the devastation of loss, grieving and persistent change.

you just never know what lies beneath, what people deal with day to day while others judge based on face value!

I picked up this book in paper version today. My local indie store, The Novel Idea, had 4 signed copies! Two were on hold and two were up for grabs.

For those of you who love the feeling of interesting paper - this is high gloss and thick.

Interestingly, the text and the illustrations are completely separated. In fact, you need to turn the book upside down to see one then the other. I don’t see how they’ll weave together, but maybe once I read it I will.

I’m looking forward to this one!

So lucky to come across a signed copy!!

I finished this one today and thought it was very well done. This was only available to me as an ebook, so the illustrations didn’t make as much of an impression on me as they maybe would have in print. This book obviously fits this year’s theme and there is a lot to think about and discuss. One of the biggest takeaways for me is imagining what it would be like to live a life within a small neighbourhood due largely to language barriers, but also how culturally rich that life is for the protagonist. I did find this book almost unbearably sad at times, though.

I read Denison Avenue as an ARC for ECW Press. I must say it was moving.
Here is a link to my Review ... as posted here on Goodreads .... and submitted to ECW Press
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I probably will (and usually do) get around to reading other Canada Reads contenders (from this year and previous years) when the books show up on thrift store shelves or at our local library's ongoing booksale. I don't borrow books from the library .. for a couple of reasons. 1) I am not comfortable reading to a deadline and 2) I like to own my books because rereading them is usually a better experience than first reading. I donate the ones I'm done with.

I finished Denison Avenue last night and I felt I had no choice but to leave a negative, two-star review. I can only imagine the work that goes into writing a novel and I truly hate to be too critical, but I couldn't find much to redeem this one in my eyes. Even if the book doesn't grab me or the premise is ridiculous, I usually go with three stars unless the writing is deplorable, and in this book, it is. Here is my review:

My inner pragmatist balked at the entire premise of Denison Avenue. Scrounging for recyclables while sitting on a mortgage-free million dollar home makes absolutely no sense to me. I get that there was emotional value in the home, but there comes a point when facts cannot be ignored.

This book is as much about the city as it is about the protagonist, and I understand what it is to see things change and not like it, but time stops for no one and progress will not be cowed into submission.

The lament for the way things were could have been the saving grace for me, but the style of the writing was insufferable. The dialogue was excessive, with the main character often speaking to herself in full sentences. It felt manufactured just to put in more of the Toisan dialect. The choppy narration was also difficult to read. There were enough encounters with the protagonist struggling with English for the reader to empathize with her. The inner monologue had absolutely no reason to be so stunted.

I just finally read this one, and I really did enjoy it.
I think what resonated with me most is how small the main characters world was, and how changes in the neighborhood were stripping her of her own identity.