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Originally Posted by CRussel
In a very real sense, social media has turned the world into a small town. And I think this last is perhaps the most important lesson from this book. The world is now a small town, with all the good, and bad, that can come with that.
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Neat insight. I’ve never thought about it that way, but it’s true that in this era, everything comes to light. If you’re a public figure, you really can’t escape your past more. Which is very much like the long memories of small towns.
Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
...The incident about the judge’s son was nasty and told you everything you needed to know about life in the underclass in the town.
I also think with that kind of folksy humor it’s hard to avoid an edge of contempt; it reminded me even of Twain in that respect and I love Twain. Fondness, yes, but you are always aware that the author is putting himself in a position to judge his fellow creatures, and that he knows he’s smarter, if not better, than the people he mocks.
I thought it impossible to escape this, especially as the book was bracketed by an intro and epilogue in which Leacock somehow felt it necessary to parade his academic achievements and make it clear he got out and didn’t go back. I can’t blame him, of course, especially as it’s impossible to deny how stultifying such a town would have been to those with ambition and ability; the upshot, however, is that there’s a sneer in that affection. So this didn’t work for me as pure humor, and as satire it didn’t have enough point. Unlike the judge’s son, he pulled his punches.
Still I did laugh and the understated humor was the best part. One of many funny bits as an example:
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The incident with the Judge’s son rang true to me. There was (is) a privileged class, and everyone knew that the doctor’s son, or police chief’s daughter etc, would never face the same justice system. I agree that Leacock did pull some of his punches; maybe that was his privilege showing.
In terms of humour, my favourite lines were:
“Mr. Smith, by the way, encouraged the use of the French language in the caff. He viewed it, of course, solely in its relation to the hotel business, and I think, regarded it as a recent invention.”
That’s a perfect observation about an Ontario town, next door to Quebec, and the two solitudes of Canada.