Two well-known and generally respectable book-reviewing firms recently examined ‘The Dive’. Somewhat surprisingly, their views were almost diametrically opposed. One can be found in any Google search of the author and title. The other review deserves mention here since having been squashed, it will not be found elsewhere.
This company found the work less than impressive. Those there thought that the characters showed promise, but unnecessary descriptions, digressions and dialogues slowed the plot to a fault. The condescending tone of the review was unexpected even if the reviewer’s opinion contained some legitimate grain of truth. Instead, an unfortunate comparison voiced by the book’s principal villain and reprinted below may have struck a nerve.
Johnny D. said no more about it and watched the signs of life appear outside on the sidewalk in the form of passing pedestrians. Inside it smelled like bacon, sausage and eggs frying; outside it looked like westerners, right-wingers or both wearing Stetsons, bolo ties and cowboy boots. The obvious out-of-towners stumbled along Bloor St. and stared up at the Hudson’s Bay building looking lost in their conspicuous attire. For guys like Sloan and Johnny D. they might as well have worn a bullseye as well. Perhaps they’d forgotten where their tour bus was because a couple of them came in to ask the way to Bay St.
“They’re either from Texas or Calgary. What do you think Mike?”
“What’s the difference? Either way they’re dickheads.”
Johnny wondered if Sloan was planning to relieve them of their holiday cash.
“Well, what do you think?” There was a hrumph.
“They've probably got more money than brains, but I don’t have enough energy to give them the gears today,” Sloan muttered.
The company in question is located in Texas and some Texans like to consider their state as having and being the biggest in everything. Exception may have been taken to the idea of its being compared with Calgary. Or possibly this individual took offence because Texans were not categorically stated as being bigger dickheads than Calgarians. If so, then in this instance I am willing to concede that at least one Texan is a bigger dickhead than many elsewhere. Calgarians of course bear no resemblance to Texans, aside from the oil, the ranching and occasional similarities in attire. The reviewer may need a more ‘Foreword’ point of view – or perhaps I'm just overreacting to a bad one.
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