The Vinyl Café Diaries Review

Why Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café is Definitely Worth a Read

Oct 6, 2009 Jenna Galley

Looking for a laugh out loud read? Canadian Stuart McLean's' Vinyl Café Diaries delivers the goods!

Vinyl Café Diaries focuses on a family of four and some of the hilarious adventures they have. Each section is written from the point of view of a different family member – father/wannabe music legend Dave, mother/starving intellect Morley, college student /drama queen Stephanie and younger brother/master chef Sam. With each character, McLean takes on the voice and the personality and what ensues is one of the funniest Canadian short story collections this reader has ever encountered.

Meet the Cast of the Vinyl Café Diaries

Perhaps what makes their stories so hilarious is the fact that they are completely relatable. This is a typical Canadian family from the suburbs. Dave’s section is written before he has children and follows his trials and tribulations of trying to quit smoking, losing his wedding ring inside a duck and becoming the greatest rock roadie this side of the equator. However, perhaps the funniest tale comes from Dave’s attempt to give a college speech several years down the road. His appalling public speaking skills are put on stage and readers will not be able to hold in the laughter.

Morley, a quiet and non confronting character, finds herself in the middle of the book club from suburban hell and the most confusing neighborhood Christmas present swap ever recorded, but manages to handle the events with compassion and humility. Her attempts to avoid confrontation always manage to go astray, which leads to both ironic wit and slapstick humor.

Stephanie regales us with stories about her first year in college, her newest boyfriend and the latest Christmas road trip where the family attempts to visit their grandmother in the middle of a snow blizzard. Eleven-year-old Sam’s stories are quiet and yet surprisingly mature, which is exactly how Sam is. He encounters a love affair with truffles before discovering the secret to being “gifted”. All four characters become legends in their own right through the brilliant writing of McLean.

The Beginning of Vinyl Café

Vinyl Café Diaries began as a radio show on CBC called The Vinyl Café and expanded into this hilarious little book. Vinyl Café Diaries has won the Canadian Authors Association Award for Short Fiction as well as the Stephan Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor. Although it was written in 2003, this is one book where its humor will never be outdated. Since publishing Vinyl Café Diaries, McLean continues to broadcast the hilarious tales on The Vinyl Café every weekend on CBC and through satellite.

The copyright of the article The Vinyl Café Diaries Review in Canadian Fiction is owned by Jenna Galley. Permission to republish The Vinyl Café Diaries Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Laugh Out Loud with McLean's Classic Book