They were 91 days in a city and didn't go to a bookstore! WTF!!!!
I was all set to give this book four stars. True, it didn't mention a single bookstore and implied that the only French Canadian Cuisine was poutine, but the writers focus on little known festivals as well as drawing attention to some lesser known places. Plus, they like my favorite place- Notre Dame de Bon Secours, so cool.
But then I read the section about St. Joseph's Observatory. Look, it's true that Montreal's St Joseph's is a bit of a pilgrimage type tourist trap. And while I might disagree, I can see using the term over the top in describing. (Though it is unclear if the pair toured the international nativity collection, which has some pretty awesome artwork), but there was something very off about the tone in that section. Look, I get the writers might be atheists or agnostics, fine, and they might look on the claim of a miraculous saint healing cripples with a bit of a jaded eye, but to take a mocking tone is a bit too far. Look, you might not believe it, fine - but what gives you the right to poke fun, even gently, at the people who do? There was a level of snark and mockery in the section that contributed to a picture of the two men standing and laughing at the pilgrims. Let be clear, I don't think they did, and when they describe other churches, there is none of that mocking tone. It's why it stood out so much here. That tone put me off. It came across as cruel.
But then I read the section about St. Joseph's Observatory. Look, it's true that Montreal's St Joseph's is a bit of a pilgrimage type tourist trap. And while I might disagree, I can see using the term over the top in describing. (Though it is unclear if the pair toured the international nativity collection, which has some pretty awesome artwork), but there was something very off about the tone in that section. Look, I get the writers might be atheists or agnostics, fine, and they might look on the claim of a miraculous saint healing cripples with a bit of a jaded eye, but to take a mocking tone is a bit too far. Look, you might not believe it, fine - but what gives you the right to poke fun, even gently, at the people who do? There was a level of snark and mockery in the section that contributed to a picture of the two men standing and laughing at the pilgrims. Let be clear, I don't think they did, and when they describe other churches, there is none of that mocking tone. It's why it stood out so much here. That tone put me off. It came across as cruel.
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