Just like the Ones I used to Know: A review of Christmas at the Vinyl Café by Stuart McLean

            When Stuart McLean died on 15 February 2017, Canada lost more than a great writer; to fans like myself, we lost a friend.  Stuart’s writing had a way of drawing people together.  His characters Dave, Morley, Stephanie, Sam, and Arthur the dog became our friends and neighbours in a strange way, with each new volume telling us the latest news.  How were Stephanie and her boyfriend Tommy getting on?  Was Sam still enjoying his part-time job at Mr. Harmon’s gourmet grocery store?  How was Dave’s record store – the Vinyl Café – going?  And - most of all – will Morely be able to make it through Christmas in one piece?  And on the topic of Christmas, many fans will remember the joy of hearing or reading the heartwarming stories of the Vinyl Café during the holiday season.  Much like how Thomas the Tank Engine once mused that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Mrs. Kindly, Christmas won’t be the same without be the same without Stuart.  Thanks to former Vinyl Café producer Jess Milton and Stuart’s long suffering story editor Meg Masters, readers will be able to continue to share in remembering Stuart for years to come with the newest book for the festive season Christmas at the Vinyl Café.

            Christmas at the Vinyl Café is an anthology of the series Christmas Stories that Stuart had written throughout the Vinyl Café’s twenty plus years.  The book opens the most famous story “Dave cooks the Turkey” and concludes with the last story Stuart wrote “The Christmas Card”.  Each story features the characters that we know and love, whether it be Dave trying to cook the Christmas after forgetting the bird until Christmas eve, the infamous incident at Polly Anderson’s annual Christmas party concerning confusion over punch, or the time Morley had to direct Sam’s school’s holiday pageant (a story that can only be experienced properly by reading or listing to a recording).

            I could talk about the writing style in the book but…

            Wait! Yes, I can!

            There is a certain style to any story by Stuart McLean.  Each tale runs like it is a conversation between the author and the reader, going off on tangents that somehow connect back to the main story.  This gives a more personal connection between the reader and the reader and the author.  The stories feel more like a friend passing the news onto you than just a short story.

            If I had one complaint, would be the fact that this is the final book.  Stuart left us too soon but at least we have at least the books and recordings of Stuart’s narrations to allow us to continue remembering him.

            In closing, Christmas at the Vinyl Café is a touching send off to one of Canada’s great writers of prose.  These stories continue to remind readers of why Stuart was so special to his fans and why they enjoyed his work in the first place.  It is a great read for those who are both interested in the books or just starting to read Stuart's classic stories of that family with a record store in the heart of Toronto.

All the best this Christmas Season from myself to you.

Bibliography

McLean, Stuart. Christmas at the Vinyl Café. Toronto: Viking Canada. 2017.