A Fair Country (edition 2009)

I think this book should be required reading for all new Canadians. Not least because John Ralston Saul says such nice things about new immigrants. And because it makes such a lot of sense. It gets very political in the middle, but the historical perspective on how Canada was forged out of the Aboriginal approach to welcoming the 'other' is absolutely fascinating and I was nodding my head all the way through the early chapters. This man knows his history and has a clear vision of how it can be incorporated in a national vision for the future. Which is unfortunately a lot more than can be said for most of the current crop of leaders of the county. ( )

“In the circle of life, the circumference nurtures the centre.” P 62. This describes the web of relationships of First Nations society of the northwest coast, in BC. Many nations, each considered themselves different, yet the relationships of stories, myths, economic roles linked them into a larger more complex culture.
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“In the circle of life, the circumference nurtures the centre.” P 62. This describes the web of relationships of First Nations society of the northwest coast, in BC. Many nations, each considered themselves different, yet the relationships of stories, myths, economic roles linked them into a larger more complex culture. ( )

A pleasant surprise of a book that makes a good argument why Canada should, and probably will, return to the aboriginal ideas and ideals as our society finally starts to become truly multicultural. Saul challenges the reader to think deeply about what he is saying, usually by his explicit or implicit disclaimer that he's not being naiive is his perspective on past and present aboriginal culture. Though I'm not yet through the book, I know that I will finish it soon and that it will stay in my thinking about our country. ( )

Flawed But Stimulates Discussion

This latest book by Canadian intellectual John Ralston Saul is a philosophical study about Canada, its identity, and its place in the world. There is probably no better person to write a book like this than Saul and the the boldness with which he writes and argues is certainly to be commended.

The best parts of the book are Saul's polemic on the enduring myths and legacies of Canadian history which have to some extent limited the cultural development of Canadian nationalism. One could argue that this may or may not necessarily be in fact a negative attribute, but any "patriotic" Canadian would argue otherwise. Back to the Saul, he is entirely right about the self-consciousness and lack of confidence which is projected by the established Canadian institutions and structures. He is also right to critique the legacy of colonial inferiority and complacency resulting from our mythologized ties to the western-liberal tradition.

Once Saul tackles all that is wrong with Canada, he attempts to develop an alternative blueprint for how Canada ought to be constructed socially and culturally. This is where he veers off the deep end. Saul decries the use of populism as a rhetorical tool whose sole purpose is manipulation of fear as an empty signifier. Yet Saul is guilty of the same manipulation he so critiques through his perpetuation of an imagined "aboriginal heritage" as an empty signifier to stand for a uniquely Canadian identity that values of fairness, good governance, and inclusion. This is not in any way directed as a criticism of First Nations, but certainly Canada in the postmodern age is far beyond a singular definition of an essentialized Canadianness built on an invented tradition.

Though I disagree completely with Saul's vision of what Canada "is," the book is most definitely thought-provoking and on that purpose alone the book is worth reading for any Canadian who has pondered these very same questions of identity. ( )