O Canada!: Travels in an Unknown Country

Travel writer Morris visits the various cities and provinces of Canada and gives her impression of the locals and Canadians in general.

I hated this book. But even worse, Morris seems to have hated writing this book, originally a series of articles for a Toronto newspaper. From the beginning to the end, she gives the impression that she thinks she is doing the country a favor to be there. She often makes statements to the effect of "Why would anybody live here?" while her introduction assures the reader that Canada isn't as boring as it used to be. What she never realizes is that Canada isn't boring; she is. Morris' essays are like taking a two week vacation with your grumpy xenophobic grandmother. She dislikes most of the people and show more places, makes ample references to how awful America is, and to her homeland politics. She wants to discuss churches, private schools and prime ministers. Her idea of a perfect weekend in Toronto is reading all the newspapers.
All of this might have been amusing if: 1. she was a good writer who could create a sense of wonder and movement to her writing. Instead, she seems to travel in a bubble, barely conscious of what's going on outside her own discomfort, and 2. she were Canadian. Morris is Welsh and lives in Wales, not Canada, which gives her unforgiving attitude the sound of just another tourist grumbling that things aren't the way they are at home. show less