The Book of Stanley by Todd Babiak is one of the funniest books I’ve read all year.
There’s something about books about God that really tickle me. I suppose it’s repressed anxiety from attending the Catholic Church as a kid.
Stanley Moss is an average man. He’s a retired florist, diagnosed with cancer. He’s a putterer and his wife’s the same. They live in Edmonton, across the way from a car dealership, and sometimes in the clear, summer afternoons they can hear the receptionist announcing calls over the PA. It’s the prairies.
So what happens to Stanley Moss? How does he become my hero and favourite character of 2007?
Like this.
Stanley is stricken by … well, we’re not sure, but afterwards things are different. He’s different.
Stanley can hear what people are thinking. He can convince them of things. He can lift heavy objects. He can throw himself from a cliff.
He’s God.
But he’s also human in a way to which we can relate. Stanley’s nervous about his new self. He’s unsure of what to do. He wants to use his power for good, but he’s surrounded by bad. He makes decision by committee. He gets confused. He starts losing himself.
I think we have these worries whenever we take on new challenges and that’s what is great about Stanley. Stanley’s not a leader. The Book of Stan. Come on. But they do, people come in droves to hear what he has to say, to try to silence him, to try to follow his teachings. It’s a behemoth mess as far as his wife is concerned.
You have to love her for that.
The Book of Stanley is Canadian satire. It’s not British and definitely not American. It’s perfectly Canadian.
I’ve been telling people that The Book of Stanley is “Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets Michael Winter.”
Read the book and let me know if you agree.
Todd also has a smart ass blog at ToddBabiak.com, last I checked he was trying to replace Rabinovitch as president and CEO of CBC. He’s definitely an author to watch out for, I mean, watch.