Categories: Arts, Bethune on Books, Books

Top 10 Canadian books of the decade

Maclean’s books blogger Brian Bethune picks his favourites

by Brian Bethune on Friday, December 11, 2009 12:00pm - 8 Comments

1. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003)
Atwood has always been an acutely intelligent, viciously funny and stylistically impressive writer. With this dystopian novel, critics started adding prescient to the list of descriptives: a compelling, believable tale of a strange love triangle, a globally warmed—fried, actually—world and the Asperger’s genius who decides to do something about them both.

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John Geddes

Most interesting pick: Soucy. Excellent call.
Strangest omission: A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. How can a book this funny not make the cut?
Aaron Vincent

I'm not an avid reader of Atwood, but my girlfriend insisted that I read Oryx and Crake. I did and I've become a huge fan of Atwood. I'm really pleased and surprised it was voted number one.

John D

I loved the book but still can't stand listening to Atwood. I wish she would write more books and do less promo activity.

r3 30 fan

Nominated for longest title and most intriguing adult picture book: "Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry" by Leanne Shapton. Please, please read it. It will haunt you and make you look at your stuff in a different light.
ADF

Its pretty difficult to compare works of non-Fiction and fiction, I think the list should have stuck to fiction. Richler and MacMillan are worthy choices though; Richler for his ambition, MacMillan for her achievement.
Brad

Hey Aaron, my girlfriend once told me to read Margaret Atwood, too. She said Margaret Atwood is so smart and original and that she has this way of touching you like nobody else and she insisted I read her so I can one day touch her like Margaret Atwood does. I was like, yeah, okay, that sounds good. I’ve been meaning to read something of hers for a while and it’ll be fun and new and all intellectually to discuss books together. But, I said, just to clarify, you are talking about her stories, right? I mean, Margaret Atwood has never touched you, right? And she was like, oh yeah, of course, mostly it’s her stories that touch me. Mostly, I asked. What do you mean by mostly? But she didn’t respond. She just stared at me and bit her bottom lip and did this thing where she screams without opening her mouth. But, yeah, long story short, Margie’s a darn good read and I’m also glad she’s on this list.
mambacmaba

One of my international history professors at the London School of Economics recommended MacMillan's book as good prep material for one of our exams.
Marushka

Atwood certainly deserves to be #1 but Oryx and Crake is my least favourite of her novels. The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace were most memorable; Lady Oracle the funniest and most inspiring to a formerly fat girl.