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canadiantiquarian's review against another edition
3.0
This book is often described as a great, or even masterful depiction of small-town Ontario life in the early 1900s. Read today, however, Leacock's humour-centric and anecdotal observances read more like a depiction of one man's self-involved opinions, rather than a look at life of the era. It is a book that celebrates ironic character above all else -- right down to illustrations that show barely more than portraits of the characters he created.
To get more of a sense of lived life in that time and place, one would probably be better served with Phyllis Brett Young's rare memoir 'Anything Could Happen!,' which, in retrospect, reads like a response to Sunshine Sketches. Describing the same area during the same time, PBY's stories include many of the same subjects -- restaurant renovations, erecting churches, farms and rural life, and even doomed lake voyages -- with a focus on environment and lived memory.
To get more of a sense of lived life in that time and place, one would probably be better served with Phyllis Brett Young's rare memoir 'Anything Could Happen!,' which, in retrospect, reads like a response to Sunshine Sketches. Describing the same area during the same time, PBY's stories include many of the same subjects -- restaurant renovations, erecting churches, farms and rural life, and even doomed lake voyages -- with a focus on environment and lived memory.
caitlyn_mcmunn's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
devinr's review against another edition
4.0
I have a hard-to-explain love of the writing of Stephen Leacock. It started when I read a short story of his when I was nine or ten, and fell in love with the way he wrote. Stephen Leacock is decidedly NOT something the average ten-year-old would normally like. But he could write about the most banal thing, like going to the dentist, and make it seem like an exciting adventure, and that's part of the joke. That style is put to good use in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, where the narrator waxes rhapsodically about the goings-on in Mariposa, a small Canadian town at the start of the 20th Century. Leacock populates the town with a host of interesting characters, and then has the narrator tell their banal adventures as though they were the stuff of high drama. The result is well worth a read, and chuckles abound. But my favourite chapter was the final one, a surprisingly touching cap on the whole exercise. The humour can get a little old and hokey sometimes, but when Leacock is on there are very few who can match his wit.
thegracexu's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised about how many times I giggled while reading this book. Leacock has such a light and affectionate tone when commenting on some of the more absurd and ridiculous series of events that the town undergoes. His wit really shines through his seemingly innocent tone covering some biting satire. He turns every mundane event into the star of a Wagner opera. The characters are caricatures of archetypal townies, but there's something about the way Leacock paints them that makes each person come alive. A great portrait in miniature vignettes of a distinctly small-town Canadian flavour of living - what a fun fluffy read!
zebra52's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
keberko's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this. I read it because Ernest Hemmingway and Stuart MacLean both refer to this book as one that had inspired them, so I thought I would check it out. I enjoyed the humor, and Leacock's way of writing like you are an old friend.
jodarroch4's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thedoctorsaysrun's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this I wondered if Garrison Keillor had as an inspiration for his Lake Wobegone. Also, the final chapters dealing with local elections are somewhat hilariously prescient for where we are a century later.
peacefixation's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this wonderful book far too quickly, but it brought me many smiles, a few chuckles and even a couple of thigh slaps. Stephen's humour is charming. I couldn't help but think it was similar to Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide), in the best possible way.
Highly recommended if you're a human being that likes to smile. :)
Highly recommended if you're a human being that likes to smile. :)