WHY I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE GLOBE AND MAIL
By Alex Good

The Globe Books section of Toronto's Globe and Mail is Canada's only stand-alone weekly book review. Why is this a bad thing?

(1) Despite its long history, high profile and deep pockets, the fact is the Globe and Mail has never produced a single literary critic of any prominence whatsoever.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The New York Times only embarrasses itself by trying to build up the reputation of Michiko Kakutani, a writer of barely high-school caliber book reports. (Seriously, when is the last time Kakutani had anything interesting to say about what she's read?) Unfortunately, the Globe and Mail's failure to produce any significant critical voice has not been through lack of trying. It's just that their columnists aren't very good. 

This absence of a strong voice might be turned into a positive by making their 100 Best Books of the Year into a poll rather than just tossing out a hundred opinions from people taken off the street, but I don't imagine that's going to happen any time soon. And by the way, am I to understand from this appalling list that there were a hundred great books that came out last year? 

Good heavens! Where have I been?

(2) The interviews are a joke.

Frequent goodreports.net readers have already heard me characterize the Globe and Mail's book section as obsequious drivel. My evidence?

Listen to Peter Gzowski leading off his interview with one of Canada's best writers, Alice Munro:

Gzowski: First of all, Ms. Munro, how do you know so much?
Munro: How do I know so much? I barely know anything at all.
Gzowski: You know everything.

One can be totally confident that nothing is going to come of this. Is it any wonder Canadians just can't get enough of this avuncular sycophant?

Not to be outdone, here's Sandra Martin warming herself up in preparation for her meeting with Dennis Bock (back when he was "on the cusp of international literary fame"):

I read The Ash Garden for the joy of the narrative, and as soon as I finished I wanted to start over again to unmask his writerly allusions and chart his metaphors.

This sounds almost indecent. Not surprisingly, the "interview" that follows mostly consists of Martin repeating Bock's promotional material back at him. But then, those of us who attempted The Ash Garden may wonder: Did Ms. Martin really make it all the way through that joyful narrative the first time? 

(3) The marketing of Pamela Wallin as Oprah Canuck.

A year or so ago I made a few critical remarks about Ms. Wallin shilling for Chapters (you can read them here). For some reason, this ad-copy scribbling was felt to be a perfect fit with the editorial policy at Globe Books. Could it have something to do with the fact that Pamela Wallin is a well-known television personality? Or that the Globe and Mail is a Chapters affiliate?

I won't speculate. I should, however, say a few words about Ms. Wallin as a reviewer. After all, she is probably the highest-profile book columnist in the country. 

But immediately we are faced with a problem. Is Pamela Wallin a real reviewer? When she tells us that Susan Coyne's Kingfisher Days is "perfectly, utterly, breathtakingly splendid," does it not sound a little too much like a blurb?

This is a deep question. The line between book reviewer and bookseller is getting rather blurry these days. Is Globe Books primarily a review, or an industry flyer? And where does Ms. Wallin fit in? In what can only be described as a blatant attempt to cash in on Oprah's demographic, her top ten Christmas picks include two purely inspirational titles. Made For Happiness offers "a whole new motivation" while To Make a Difference "is a compelling and very moving story - for anyone who can benefit from a glimpse of true courage." And please note that this isn't a list of the best ten books of the year, but ten books you are being told to buy. "I've just done my Christmas shopping," Pamela tells us on the Globe Books Web-site, "and wanted to share what I bought for all the friends and family on my list."

I tell you it's perfectly, utterly, breathtakingly depressing. 

(4) Finally, I have to admit I find the Globe Books section sometimes a little too . . . well, let's just say familiar for my tastes. Like when I read Martin Levin's defence of reviewing and thought that I had just read another defence of reviewing written by a Canadian book reporter a few months previously (you can find it here). And what about the recent review of the new book by John Ralston Saul, On Equilibrium? Three years ago I remember saying how, "At its best, Saul's writing is witty and provocative" (you can read the full review here). Of On Equilibrium the Globe and Mail writes: "At its best, Saul's writing is provocative and witty."

Guys! Please!

Notes:
Essay first published online December 19, 2001. Shortly after, Pamela Wallin announced that she would no longer be writing a column for Globe Books.