In the new capital : a nineteenth-century view of Ottawa in the twenty-first century

Very interesting book.

Assigning a rating to this book is difficult. It is presented as a utopian novel, but as anovel it has very little plot and no character development to speak of. The book reads more like a plain-language treatise on political economy.

On the other hand, it is fascinating to read a book written in 1896 that looks to the "future" of 1999. The author correctly predicted the independence of Canada and the maple leaf flag, among other things. He missed other changes entirely, and not surprisingly.

One of the best parts of the book is the introduction by Pofessor R. Douglas Francis. He explains the structure of the utopian novel, and sets the book in the context of its time.

So, 4 stars for the novelty and uniqueness of show more this little volume. show less