‘The Best Laid Plans’ by Terry Fallis

Very funny and very Canadian! Brisk and highly readable, this political satire won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour in 2008 and Canada Reads in 2011. This post is timely because a CBC TV series based on it, with the same name, is airing in just a few days! Now I almost wish I hadn’t cancelled my cable! 😦

The Best Laid Plans, CBC TV mini-series

Behind the Scenes – The Best Laid Plans

Angus McLintock is the most unlikely politician to hit Parliament Hill! This quote from the book describes his larger than life character: “you cannot be bought, you have no desire for re-election, you have no interest in higher office, you don’t care what people think of you, you actually do what you say.” How refreshing is that!

Angus, a big burly Scottish engineering professor will do just about anything to escape teaching English to Engineers – even running for political office. Still mourning the death of his wife, he agrees to embark on an unlikely political campaign which should have been doomed to failure. Throw in a little love story, a monstrous hovercraft, some drams of good single malt, and a few games of chess and you end up with a novel that has a little bit for everyone. And if you want to carry on with Angus, there is a sequel called The High Road which came out in 2010.