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martinbihl's review against another edition
3.0
uneven, but forgivable because of some really brilliant work. in other words, what you would expect from the folks at mcsweeney's.
littlestcabbage's review against another edition
4.0
I found this one slightly easier to tear through than Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans, for some reason. There were occasional pieces concerning literary works I've never read. Interestingly, some of them were still funny, though I had no basis for the parody. The others, though. WHEW. Sometimes I'd wonder if I really NEEDED to read all of the words on the page to still claim I'd read the book. I did, though, and there's enough solid book humor in here to please most readers.
alldaffer's review against another edition
3.0
This book was quite funny in places, but it also had entries that I was not familiar with. But by far, the funniest entry is this: Ikea Product or Lord of the Rings Character. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of strong language, so it's not appropriate for my tenage daughter>
ypiper's review against another edition
4.0
Inconsistent, but great at points. I recommend "Re: Hardy Boys Manuscript Submission" and "Thirteen Writing Prompts."
"A wasp called the tarantula hawk reproduces by paralyzing tarantulas and laying its eggs into their bodies. When the larvae hatch, they devour the still-living spider from the inside out. Isn't that fucked up? Write a short story about how fucked up that is."
"A wasp called the tarantula hawk reproduces by paralyzing tarantulas and laying its eggs into their bodies. When the larvae hatch, they devour the still-living spider from the inside out. Isn't that fucked up? Write a short story about how fucked up that is."
melissamaerz's review against another edition
3.0
"Social Security Denies Gregor Samsa's Security Claim" made me laugh out loud, as did "Perhaps I Should Stop Naming the Protagonists in My Semi-Autobiographical Fiction After Myself." But I must admit, I didn't get the Moby Dick jokes.
librarianinperiwinkle's review against another edition
2.0
I had high hopes for this book because a co-worker had recommended it to me and had me read one little section from it which was quite funny. However, the rest of the book was largely a disappointment. So much so that I must confess I quit reading it about two-thirds of the way through. I usually felt like I really should have paid more attention in my high-falutin' literature classes in college because I was definitely missing something. Ironically, one of the spoofs on why Shakespeare wanted to kill all lawyers based one section of the spoof on a misinterpretation of a key word in the quote--something even a ninth grader could have told the writer of that section. Argh! "Wherefore" means "WHY," not "where." If you're going to be a literary snob, you should at least get your facts straight!
Sorry. Yoga breathing now.....
Anyhow, this book did have a few funny parts. And if you have read and analyzed all the literary works or authors in question, you might enjoy the book quite a lot. If not, well, the "quiz" on which names were from Lord of the Rings and which were from IKEA was amusing...as was the bit about recruiting Harry Potter, apparently to a college with a Quidditch team...and the part about denying social security benefits to the giant cockroach.... You know, really, I'd give most of the first 100 or so pages about 3 stars. After that...one star. So I'll compromise with 2.
Sorry. Yoga breathing now.....
Anyhow, this book did have a few funny parts. And if you have read and analyzed all the literary works or authors in question, you might enjoy the book quite a lot. If not, well, the "quiz" on which names were from Lord of the Rings and which were from IKEA was amusing...as was the bit about recruiting Harry Potter, apparently to a college with a Quidditch team...and the part about denying social security benefits to the giant cockroach.... You know, really, I'd give most of the first 100 or so pages about 3 stars. After that...one star. So I'll compromise with 2.
trin's review against another edition
2.0
Sort of gently amusing, as opposed to the laugh-out-loud funny I'd been hoping for. A lot of the pieces were rather of one-note, and thus seemed to go on too long. One would probably be better off just poking around on the site for a while rather than dishing out $13 for this. (And what a sad commentary on the internet vs. books this review has become! Alas.)
mrswhite's review against another edition
4.0
As John Hodgman writes in the book's introduction, "(T)hese are all original pieces of humorous writing that are joined together merely by their appreciation of the intrinsic and unique hilariousness of books...We all know that books are funny. First, they are made of paste and cloth, which is funny, as is the fact that people still read and buy them. Also, books connote a sort of intellectual stuffiness, which is always easy and appealing to make fun of. It's humanizing."
He's being silly, but it's also the truth. Making fun of Jean-Paul Sartre's morose intellect, Ernest Hemingway's bloated male ego and Emily Dickinson's poetic melancholy is fun - especially if you're someone like me whose education has forced her to read No Exit more times than she cares to recall.
Fortunately, not all the jokes revolve around James Joyce (although several do), so an English major is not necessarily a prerequisite. In fact, my favorite pieces are ones like "Thirteen Writing Prompts" and "A Serial Killer Explains the Distinctions Between Literary Terms," where the joke comes more from literary devices rather than specific books or authors.
Of course, the actual book jokes are fun too, with "Jean-Paul Sartre, 911 Operator;" "Rough Drafts Of Jenna Bush's Young-Adult Novel;" "Bedtime Stories By Thom Yorke;" and "Phrases On The Marquee At The Local Strip Club To Cater To A More Literate Crowd" being among my favorites.
In short, if you're a fan of McSweeney's and at all literary-minded, it's very much worth your time.
He's being silly, but it's also the truth. Making fun of Jean-Paul Sartre's morose intellect, Ernest Hemingway's bloated male ego and Emily Dickinson's poetic melancholy is fun - especially if you're someone like me whose education has forced her to read No Exit more times than she cares to recall.
Fortunately, not all the jokes revolve around James Joyce (although several do), so an English major is not necessarily a prerequisite. In fact, my favorite pieces are ones like "Thirteen Writing Prompts" and "A Serial Killer Explains the Distinctions Between Literary Terms," where the joke comes more from literary devices rather than specific books or authors.
Of course, the actual book jokes are fun too, with "Jean-Paul Sartre, 911 Operator;" "Rough Drafts Of Jenna Bush's Young-Adult Novel;" "Bedtime Stories By Thom Yorke;" and "Phrases On The Marquee At The Local Strip Club To Cater To A More Literate Crowd" being among my favorites.
In short, if you're a fan of McSweeney's and at all literary-minded, it's very much worth your time.
willbefunorelse's review against another edition
4.0
For the full review (and to learn about the amazing character known as Colonel Maldefore), click the entry at That's What She Read
gjmaupin's review against another edition
5.0
More fine geekish bathroom reading from McSweeneys.net. If the title "Tolkein Character or IKEA product?" appeals to you, I recommend it.