I wonder how many reviews start with the words 'This is not normally the kind of book I would have read but...' Well this one is going to start that way too. This is a highly insightful and bitterly funny take on the fine line between popularism and bigotry as see through the eyes of a failing English teacher Max, who is forced to ply his trade first in a corrupt Saudi backwater and then in a no less corrupt Chinese backwater. It is a tale of the fall from selfless idealism to self-interested bigotry. Max's overseas tribulations are in start contrast to those of his Donald Trump supporting brother, who success seems to based almost entirely on his small minded intolerance and desire to conform to the norms that society expects of him. This mainly consists of drinking beer watching, watching Ice Hockey and pornography (nothing wrong with the first two) and belittling his brother's education. (Oh and quite a bit of not so casual too). Although the settings may be unusual the tale should be familiar to those who've witnessed the rise of Trump in the US and the Brexit vote in the UK; the seemingly unstoppable slide towards popularism and fear of "The Other." Max's story seem to be to be a metaphor for the state we've found ourselves in. Plenty of well observed social commentary along the way and characters you just couldn't make up that will remind readers of people we've all met. The rendition of the Canadian accent and slang it brilliant too, especially Karl’s ‘rate’ and ‘prawly’. Definitely worth five stars and a few hours of anyone's time.
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