A Short Sad Book (it is fairly short, but I don't find it sad—on the contrary) sets forth, in an atmosphere of fantasy and parody, some of Bowering's views; introduces various fictional or "real" characters; and tells a series of little fables that involve Tom Thomson, D. H. Lawrence, Al Purdy, and several others.

Bowering speaks directly to his readers and tells us, among other things, that from early youth he has had difficulty dealing with the idea of Canada—in adolescence, apparently, he yearned to be an American. Now, in his forties, he appears to be at home in Canada but not entirely at home with Canadian culture. At one point he tells us: "Canadian literature is a lot like a bank. It has Group of Seven paintings all over the wall and it is always lockt up at night."…

For Bowering, clearly, A Short Sad...