This blog is the first of our three-part Roundtable discussion of the Canada Reads titles.  Contributing to this discussion are various members of our blogging and buying teams. Taking part in the discussion regarding On A Cold Road and The Game are Andrew Taubman, Michael Nicholson, Sebastian Hanna, Michael Gallagher and myself.

CBC Canada Reads is in its 10^th year, and for the first time is using a list of Non-Fiction titles, the full list of titles and synopses can be found here.

Jason Jordan - The Game has been praised since it was released decades ago. Given that this is Canada and the book is a “hockey” book, it makes perfect sense why it was chosen. After going through it I wouldn’t say it was a book about hockey, for me it seemed like it was the memoirs of a man who just happened to play hockey.  If you went in, expecting a book about the ins and outs of the NHL it could be disappointing.  Seeing as it was Dryden’s first book, and he was still getting his feet wet as an author, it makes sense why there were parts where it seemed like he could have gone deeper into the sport.

Andrew Taubman – Exploring the sport more deeply definitely would have made this a faster-paced book, but Dryden’s choice not to do so is, I would suggest, a strength. It allows the book to appeal to a wider audience. Dryden’s descriptions of childhood hockey, the intersection of politics and sport in Montreal, and the different types of  players necessary for a winning team, connect to larger themes in the Canadian consciousness: a shared childhood experience of this sport; the sometimes fractious regional politics of this country, especially in Quebec; the idea of strength through diversity that is so much a part of our recent history. Dryden has, even if unconsciously, sketched great Canadian themes onto the ice. At the end of the book he reflects on hockey’s past, challenging evolution within existing rules. I wonder (especially given his subsequent political career) whether he was also thinking about Canada’s own transition to a more assertive but brasher nation, still working through the legacy of increasingly creaky national institutions.

Michael Nicholson – This is certainly the most thoughtful and philosophical sports book I can think of, which I think is both its strength and its weakness. Almost every aspect of the game is considered, from its origins to its psychology to its revered place in the Canadian psyche. Clearly this book is the product of an intelligent and careful writer. The book is told from the perspective of an accomplished sports figure reflecting on the game as he is about to leave it for a new career. This bittersweet tone works beautifully.  But the book was often so reflective that it became, for me, ponderous. The lack of energy and vitality around the description of the game felt like an absence. Dryden obviously had a lot on his mind as he wrote this and I doubt whether or not there are many writers who could communicate the story of the game with his authority and his wide ranging intellect.

Sebastian Hanna – Like a good Canadian, Dryden is fair and measured, with a decent regard for the game - but what a slow view to so fast a game. As Andrew notes, he shows the strength in so diverse a group of teammates, each with their part to play. I lived in Montreal at a time when that team seemed undefeatable, like the Yankees caught in the cold on the ice. It was thrilling to see them win so often. The locker room scenes are my favourites in the book, as there’s a light shared humour and Dryden is surprisingly candid about everyone, but not diminishing - and you can imagine how odd the intellectual Dryden must have seemed to his teammates. At the same time, Michael is right: Dryden’s thoughtfulness too often bounds into the ponderous. There are times when he made me understand the game, far more than anything else I’ve read, and moments when I wished he was whistled for delay of game.

Jason Jordan –As of right now, all of the Canada Reads authors for this year have written more than one book. The Game was Dryden’s first book, and however his isn’t the only debut title competing, both The Prisoner of Tehran and On a Cold Road were debut titles for their respective authors.

Michael Gallagher - Alongside hockey, Canadian rock is revered in our Canadian psyche and it’s these two facets Dave Bidini captures in his book entitled, On A Cold Road.  The book documents his band The Rheostatics and the seemingly thankless task of opening for Canada’s biggest rock band, The Tragically Hip.

Climaxing with many a childhood dream of playing at Maple Leaf Gardens, Bidini offers up various emotions involved with this trip cross-country.  What drew me to this book was a glimpse of life travelling this vast land.  Where I would have been happier with more life on the road, by the end I empathized with Bidini and nearly leapt out of my seat at their triumphant gig at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Subtitled Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock, Bidini peppers the tale with anecdotes provided by various figures from the music industry.  This threw me off initially as the anecdotes hampered the flow of the story.  Maybe a separate chapter for each grouping would have been more appropriate? But mid-way through the book the anecdotes fall more in line with Bidini’s subject matter.

For me this books’ success is empathizing with Bidini’s plight and fondly reminiscing on my travels across our great land.

Michael Nicholson – This book was a bit of an adventure. The structure was unsettled and the story of being on the road was full of incident and interruption. It felt a bit like listening in to a boozy, lazy and raucous late Friday night reunion amongst musicians nostalgic for the old scene. Dave Bidini is a lively and colourful tour guide and he gives a convincing sense of the optimism of being on the road in front of fans and the humility of being the supporting act to a better and more famous band. But the throughout the book the story is interrupted by reminiscences by various musicians who provide some context and history but little of interest. The accumulation of stories takes away from any possible narrative structure the book might have had.  I finished the book with the feeling that it might have worked better at a quarter of the length and as a magazine piece.

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Contributors

Jason Jordan, Non-Fiction

Andrew Taubman, Inventory Analyst, Non-Fiction

Michael Nicholson, Buyer, Non-Fiction

Sebastian Hanna, Director Non-Fiction

Michael Gallagher, Music

Our complete Canada Reads 2012 feature is available here along with links to blogs about the contestants