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lisamchuk's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent humour and bookish satire - I thoroughly enjoyed it!
ovenbird_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I just enjoyed every second of this book. while it wasn't exactly a comedy it was full of darkly comedic moments that made me laugh out loud. I loved the reflection on reading and writing. I'll think twice before picking up a self help book now!
theloosepage's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mldias's review against another edition
5.0
One of the funniest books I have had the pleasure of reading in ages. A must-read for anyone who has ever worked in publishing or has grown tired of the vain, self-serving tripe that passes as self-help gospel nowadays.
mehitabels's review against another edition
4.0
"Troublemakers grow up to become priests and politicians and social reformers. They are always meddling in other people's lives. Hellraisers don't meddle. They rage and roar, and they celebrate life and they mourn its shortness. Hellraisers destroy only themselves, and they do it because they love life too much to fall asleep."
"To the written word! To characters who exist only on the printed page. To characters who exist only in books and aren't even aware of it - who exist only on the printed page, yet live and breathe and are sorry to go nonetheless."
"To the written word! To characters who exist only on the printed page. To characters who exist only in books and aren't even aware of it - who exist only on the printed page, yet live and breathe and are sorry to go nonetheless."
amn028's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the idea behind the story. It was full of sardonic characters, but I just could not find and/or appreciate the humour in it. However, I did not find this book all that funny. Parts were almost painful to get through and if I had other options (on vacation and gross underestimated the number of books required), I would have gladly abandoned this book well before the last page.
alicemc25's review against another edition
1.0
Interesting premise but actually quite boring. I lost interest about halfway through but ploughed on as it was a bookclub read. The writing style is satirical and there are some vaguely amusing bits but it just wasn't gripping at all.
ldv's review against another edition
3.0
Full of irony and dry humour. In portraying what would happen if a truly successful self-help book was ever published, Ferguson points out many of the idiosyncrasies of books, publishing, consumerism, and life in general. The story is set in the US, but the humour is very Canadian. Tongue in cheek yet truthful all the way. Some good philosophy, too (and some not so good philosophy). A beach read.
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
2.0
A very funny and lighthearted read that skewers everything we all hate about society already. Not the most original and I caught more than a few stolen jokes (668 - Neighbour of the beast?), but all in all it was an enjoyable read. This would be a good book for a long flight or a day at the beach. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe if Furguson had seemed a little less impressed with himself then I would have been moreso, but as it stands he seems like a weak mix of Dave Eggers and Christopher Buckley. Good, but not great. But good enough all the same. I'm glad I read it and I'll never read it again.