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matthewwester's review against another edition
2.0
I bought this book because of its premise. I expected a clever detailing of what it's like to try, and then somehow succeed, in publishing a book. The book was okay but in my opinion would have been just as strong 200 pages shorter. The author notes this in the book but the whole project starts to sound more like a rough draft than a final product (more a personal journal than a memoir of an author). I don't think this was a consequence of the author's talent (because I get the sense he's a talented writer) but rather the premise backing him into a corner. The author's frat boy style is a lot to live with for almost 500 pages if you're not quickly a fan.
dixiet's review against another edition
1.0
I loved this author's book on Iceland, but just could not get into this one. I gave it the best chance I could, but it just didn't work for me.
pbobrit's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was just a totally random purchase, I had not heard anything about this book before this. Anyway the book is great, it was everything I had wanted 'Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius' to be, engaging, funny and well structured, it moved along well. Definitely worth a read if you get a chance.
rachelj62's review against another edition
2.0
At first, I thought that this book was going to be easy to review, because I just flat out didn't like it. Markley initially struck me as an intelligent Tucker Max. I was afraid that I was going to waste my time reading 500 pages of inside jokes and nonsense improved only slightly by the fact that Markley is actually a talented writer. Now that I've finished it, I can say that I didn't hate it, though to say that I enjoyed it might be a stretch too. Markley seems like he is a genuinely nice person, as to be evidenced by the stories he shares on his journey to get this book published. He may be sarcastic and use far more "potty humor" than my taste, but the parts that I enjoyed most were the parts that showed his emotional side. This is definitely a man of layers, which is what makes him so much different (and much, much more likable) from Tucker Max. The book was a bit too long for me, and I definitely felt that there were a number of parts that were unnecessary and kind of weighed the book down, but I won't discount Markley's talent for writing at any point. There are a number of references to his talent for writing fiction and I'd be quite willing to give it a try. This isn't a bad book per se, but when faced with almost 500 pages, you want to love what you are reading, and that just didn't happen for me.
kstericker's review against another edition
5.0
Not 100% sure this book would stand up to scrutiny on a second reading, but I ADORED it when I discovered it back in high school so it holds a special place in my heart
jonathanwlodarski's review against another edition
3.0
Strong start that, as it gets more meta, loses its humorous center. Disappointing.
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