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The Book of Stanley

by Todd Babiak

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442577,981 (3.61)6
A riotous new novel from the #1 bestselling author of the hit sensation The Garneau Block. By all accounts, Stanley Moss is an average man. A retired florist, he lives quietly with his wife, Frieda, in a modest bungalow in Edmonton. Stricken with cancer, Stanley has few wishes for the time he has left, except perhaps for his son to call him back. But on the day of an appointment with the palliative care specialist, Stanley experiences a boom and a flash, and then, a remarkable transformation. He discovers he can read minds. He can fulfill people's dreams. He has the strength of ten men. And, his illness has vanished. What could this mean? Could it be, as his New Age friend Alok believes, that Stanley's powers are divine? Is Stanley, a confirmed agnostic, the new Messiah? With Alok and a reluctant Frieda in tow, Stanley heads to Banff (the most sacred place on earth) to look for answers and find a way to use his new powers for good. He encounters there his disciples -- a Vancouver TV executive, a pro hockey player from the Prairies and a teenage girl from suburban Montreal -- and together they start The Stan, a new religion, and invite the world to join. When the world shows up, along with the international media and an angry long-dead spiritualist, things take an unexpected turn. Satirical, fantastical, filled with humour and pointed observation about organized religion in the modern world, The Book of Stanley is a provocative comedy about life, love, and devotion in all its guises.… (more)
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I really enjoyed this book. The premise was good, and it was led to a bittersweet ending which I didn't predict. A good read. ( )
  lizzy-x | Apr 7, 2012 |
Having grown up in Edmonton myself, it is a pleasure to see a home-town boy succeed in the worlds of journalism and of literature. I have always enjoyed reading Todd Babiak's columns in the Edmonton Journal, and read little sections of one of his other novels that was serialized in the same newspaper. I had wanted to read a complete novel of his for some time when I found this present novel in the bookstore. Having primed myself to enjoy the local landmarks cited in this novel, I was somewhat disappointed to see the locale of the novel shift to Banff. (It came back to Edmonton at the end of the book.) But no worries; that is a small quibble.
I was also a bit disappointed that one of the main themes was the normal-Everyman-going-about-his-business-suddenly-becomes-saviour-of-the-world scenario. But my initial distaste turned into admiration when I saw where Babiak was going with it. I believe where he was going with it was to show that appointing a Messiah can only cause problems because humans chasing a God/god tend to get even more wrapped up in personal follies than otherwise would be the case, maybe.
The writing and editing are very tight and economical, just the way I like it. Very accomplished prose styling. I imagine that this is the kind of facility that is produced by living under journalistic deadlines and demands for high volume on a regular basis. Will definitely pursue other novels, both those already written, and other ones coming in the future.
1 vote libraryhermit | Sep 8, 2010 |
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A riotous new novel from the #1 bestselling author of the hit sensation The Garneau Block. By all accounts, Stanley Moss is an average man. A retired florist, he lives quietly with his wife, Frieda, in a modest bungalow in Edmonton. Stricken with cancer, Stanley has few wishes for the time he has left, except perhaps for his son to call him back. But on the day of an appointment with the palliative care specialist, Stanley experiences a boom and a flash, and then, a remarkable transformation. He discovers he can read minds. He can fulfill people's dreams. He has the strength of ten men. And, his illness has vanished. What could this mean? Could it be, as his New Age friend Alok believes, that Stanley's powers are divine? Is Stanley, a confirmed agnostic, the new Messiah? With Alok and a reluctant Frieda in tow, Stanley heads to Banff (the most sacred place on earth) to look for answers and find a way to use his new powers for good. He encounters there his disciples -- a Vancouver TV executive, a pro hockey player from the Prairies and a teenage girl from suburban Montreal -- and together they start The Stan, a new religion, and invite the world to join. When the world shows up, along with the international media and an angry long-dead spiritualist, things take an unexpected turn. Satirical, fantastical, filled with humour and pointed observation about organized religion in the modern world, The Book of Stanley is a provocative comedy about life, love, and devotion in all its guises.

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