I am part way through this book and I would say that it is hit and miss. I can read an essay without any huge laughs and then find myself laughing out loud in the next essay. I think that it is amusing through and through. It is not hysterical, but it does have frequent points that make me laugh.
The short chapters are nice because you can pick it up and put it down after reading 2-3 minutes. I am busy so that is a nice perk.
The book is a lot more amusing if you are very cynical about the American culture and consumerism. I am, so I love laughing at the absurd behavior we have grown accustomed to. I would suggest this book; it will give you a couple laughs and make you think about the strange life we live in America.
The short chapters are nice because you can pick it up and put it down after reading 2-3 minutes. I am busy so that is a nice perk.
The book is a lot more amusing if you are very cynical about the American culture and consumerism. I am, so I love laughing at the absurd behavior we have grown accustomed to. I would suggest this book; it will give you a couple laughs and make you think about the strange life we live in America.
I have no idea now where the recommendation for this book came from, but I am afraid I am going to disappoint someone.
I had the same reaction to this that I have to some modern art, like a canvas painted all one color. I thought "I could write this. I could write a lot better than this guy did."
Nearly the entire book consists of very short (1-2 page) chapters describing the story of the Norman family as they travel to watch the second bear/shark battle. This is a parody of America, though, so while most of what we see is familiar, it's all deliberately exaggerated to the point of silliness.
In an attempt to heighten the effect, most dialog isn't quoted, characters talk past each other, and all kinds of events aren't really explained. Then end result is a ball of semi-related things that sort of make up a story, but a story without any reasonable ending. In fact, it's rather like the author couldn't come up with one, so he decided to leave it open and let the reader imagine his own.
In any case, I didn't find it funny, though others apparently do. It does contain a lot of social commentary, but only of the most blunt kind.
This is the author's first novel. I have no desire to read anything else by him, and I can't imagine why a publisher would spend money on this book. Not recommended.
I had the same reaction to this that I have to some modern art, like a canvas painted all one color. I thought "I could write this. I could write a lot better than this guy did."
Nearly the entire book consists of very short (1-2 page) chapters describing the story of the Norman family as they travel to watch the second bear/shark battle. This is a parody of America, though, so while most of what we see is familiar, it's all deliberately exaggerated to the point of silliness.
In an attempt to heighten the effect, most dialog isn't quoted, characters talk past each other, and all kinds of events aren't really explained. Then end result is a ball of semi-related things that sort of make up a story, but a story without any reasonable ending. In fact, it's rather like the author couldn't come up with one, so he decided to leave it open and let the reader imagine his own.
In any case, I didn't find it funny, though others apparently do. It does contain a lot of social commentary, but only of the most blunt kind.
This is the author's first novel. I have no desire to read anything else by him, and I can't imagine why a publisher would spend money on this book. Not recommended.
