teagirl05's review
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
kentons's review
3.0
I certainly enjoyed this, but I found a lot of discrepancies between the Canada he grew up in and the one I did (we're a year apart in age, but almost a country apart in geography). This is a book about his Canada, not all of Canada (kind of like if a New Yorker was to write a book about the United States). When viewed from that perspective it's funny and insightful. It's certainly interesting to see Canada viewed from the perspective of someone who is proud to be Canadian but has lived outside of it for a number of years.
micheala's review against another edition
1.0
This feels like a very niche book. You either need to be a huge Mike Myers fan, or have grown up in Toronto in the 60s/70s.
As a millennial Canadian who isn't from Toronto, I'm going to say that Myers view on Canada is outdated at best, and almost entirely bad faith/incorrect at worst.
The underlying tone of this book was like a sales pitch about how Canada is "quirky" and should grow up to be more like America.
I'm guessing that this was written with an American audience in mind, based on all the things that are "explained" (in the most stereotypical manner possible, that in my own experience are not how Canadians actually are)
Side note - if you've spent 30+ years living and working in America, and only really return to Canada for Christmas, aren't you just an American immigrant at that point?
In the end, this book left me annoyed more than anything else, and unless you happen to fit the venn diagram growing up in Toronto in the 60/70s and being a big Myers fan, I would not recommend this.
As a millennial Canadian who isn't from Toronto, I'm going to say that Myers view on Canada is outdated at best, and almost entirely bad faith/incorrect at worst.
The underlying tone of this book was like a sales pitch about how Canada is "quirky" and should grow up to be more like America.
I'm guessing that this was written with an American audience in mind, based on all the things that are "explained" (in the most stereotypical manner possible, that in my own experience are not how Canadians actually are)
Side note - if you've spent 30+ years living and working in America, and only really return to Canada for Christmas, aren't you just an American immigrant at that point?
In the end, this book left me annoyed more than anything else, and unless you happen to fit the venn diagram growing up in Toronto in the 60/70s and being a big Myers fan, I would not recommend this.
hybum's review
4.0
This is a charming and interesting cross between and memoir and a selective history book about Mike Myers' relationship with Canada. Sometimes gut-bustingly funny, sometimes strikingly insightful, Canada is a page turner almost the whole way through. I particularly enjoyed reading about his initial entry and experience with Saturday Night Live and his perspective on Canada's wonder years, as he likes to think of them.
It kind of turned into a Trudeau fan page by the end, but the book did not disappoint.
It kind of turned into a Trudeau fan page by the end, but the book did not disappoint.
pharmdad2007's review
5.0
So many laugh out loud moments in this terrific memoir by Canada's own Mike Myers. Canada is such a funny country for so many reasons, and Myer's brings out its funny parts better than anyone.
jenna_cross's review
4.0
Listened to this with my husband on my 40th birthday trip to Victoria, Canada and again on a road trip with my parents from my hometown in California to my home in Oregon over Labor Day weekend. Both are very special memories. We learned and laughed our ways over the miles. Thank you, Mike Myers.
stephanie_di's review against another edition
3.0
At times this book was quite charming, but as it went along it became increasingly tedious. At its best it's a book about Myers's life in the context of being Canadian. At its worst the book felt like being someone's plus one to a high school reunion, completely left out of all the nostalgia and private jokes. Myers's takes on Canadian politics gave off a self-serving vibe, as if he's positioning himself for a political run. (I don't think he is, but that's how he came across.) As a performer with a middling to poor reputation in Hollywood, I got the sense he was writing this book to remake himself - which was fine but came across as forced.
I recommend the audio version so that you can hear his accents and superb comic timing. There are a few laugh out loud moments; wish there had been more.
I recommend the audio version so that you can hear his accents and superb comic timing. There are a few laugh out loud moments; wish there had been more.
alids's review
4.0
I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised!
This is very much a love letter from Mike Meyers to his experience as a Canadian both in Canada and abroad. I don't know if I've ever read a book where I got so many of the references!
He talks about everything from his childhood, his acting career to politics (and his love of the Trudeau family which...can't relate but I also acknowledge this was written in a different time).
All in all, this was a good time!
This is very much a love letter from Mike Meyers to his experience as a Canadian both in Canada and abroad. I don't know if I've ever read a book where I got so many of the references!
He talks about everything from his childhood, his acting career to politics (and his love of the Trudeau family which...can't relate but I also acknowledge this was written in a different time).
All in all, this was a good time!