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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I should've checked Goodreads before I bought this book on an impulse in January. Who would have thought most reviews rated this one star like I am doing right now? Not me. I bought it for two decent reasons: The title was really cool. I still stand by that. Secondly, the cover was intriguing and cool in a way. Made me curious about what is within the pages. You know the saying "you shouldn't judge the book by its cover"? This time it's the case.
It's really bad. Disappointed to say this but it was. The premise was cool, but the author wrote it really bad. So much passive voice. A lot of telling, instead of showing.
Here are few examples from the novel:
I found myself wondering if her public hair was as blond as the hair on her pretty head. Or did she dye it, as I'd once read that Marilyn Monroe used to do? I also questioned whether my skills at writing sex scenes might exceed my skills at sex or the other way around. Would the basic sexual chemistry that I felt surely existed between Clyde and myself hold up when tested in the lab?
It isn't that difficult for two soulful, mercurial individuals to come along and take over your life, especially if you don't have a life. Or at least if you didn't really have one until they came into it. Now you suddenly find yourself swept mightily along by currents that flow from places you know not and go to places beyond your imagination.
With those immortal words, Fox marched into Starbucks carrying the cardboard box, with me left trailing in his wake, following along like the Village idiot. I don't contend that there was any high-minded existential credo motivating Fox or Clyde.
The author tries too hard. He put in a lot of words that are wasteful and pointless. A lot of adjectives too (like bad adjectives, which are worse). Bleh.
It's really bad. Disappointed to say this but it was. The premise was cool, but the author wrote it really bad. So much passive voice. A lot of telling, instead of showing.
Here are few examples from the novel:
I found myself wondering if her public hair was as blond as the hair on her pretty head. Or did she dye it, as I'd once read that Marilyn Monroe used to do? I also questioned whether my skills at writing sex scenes might exceed my skills at sex or the other way around. Would the basic sexual chemistry that I felt surely existed between Clyde and myself hold up when tested in the lab?
It isn't that difficult for two soulful, mercurial individuals to come along and take over your life, especially if you don't have a life. Or at least if you didn't really have one until they came into it. Now you suddenly find yourself swept mightily along by currents that flow from places you know not and go to places beyond your imagination.
With those immortal words, Fox marched into Starbucks carrying the cardboard box, with me left trailing in his wake, following along like the Village idiot. I don't contend that there was any high-minded existential credo motivating Fox or Clyde.
The author tries too hard. He put in a lot of words that are wasteful and pointless. A lot of adjectives too (like bad adjectives, which are worse). Bleh.
This book changed my life. Seriously. I loathed this book. Boring and without a point, it's a mindless painful collection of words that takes you on a tortuous journey nowhere. I slogged through this book because I just kept waiting for something to happen, something to tie it all together. Something never came. So when I finished this book, I decided life is too short to waste precious time reading crappy books. This was the book that gave me permission to abandon the duds and move on.
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Short, demented, and sweet - just like life, or a Texas Jewboys song. RIP Kinky, and thanks for the laughs
While insanity may not be a great trait for a politician, it can be ideal for an author. I will be looking forward to reading more from Mr. Friedman.
I read this too long ago to really remember how much I liked it. I'm a huge Kinky fan, and my copy of this book is even autographed. This is not a Kinky book, with his regular gang of misfits.
No rating.
No rating.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What would've taken me a few days to read, I recently just finished the book - took me about a week, by the way. The book's amazing, it's difficult to put into words. Or that could be attributed to the fact that I have a head cold.
The book follows Walter Snow, a non-writing writer, as he befriends the two troublesome adventure seekers known as Clyde Potts and Fox Harris and their adventure throughout the streets of New York. The novel is littered with wit, wisdom and the human spirit. Much like it is said with On the Road and traveling, the same can be said with Kill Two Birds & Get Stoned - if you're going wanting to take down corporate giant Starbucks by the end of the novel, then you're one of the no-hopers of this world, lacking the human spirit.
The book follows Walter Snow, a non-writing writer, as he befriends the two troublesome adventure seekers known as Clyde Potts and Fox Harris and their adventure throughout the streets of New York. The novel is littered with wit, wisdom and the human spirit. Much like it is said with On the Road and traveling, the same can be said with Kill Two Birds & Get Stoned - if you're going wanting to take down corporate giant Starbucks by the end of the novel, then you're one of the no-hopers of this world, lacking the human spirit.
I am actually a little bit shocked that I enjoyed this book, and Kinky Friedman’s style of writing, so much.
I have not read anything by Kinky previously, and went in with somewhat-tempered expectations...which proceeded to be blown out of the water.
This is an easy read, but not so easy that you don’t take the story (and the people inhabiting the story) seriously. I think that the characters are what stand out most in Friedman’s writing style, as he does a brilliant job of creating people just unbelievable enough to be believable.
There are plenty of quotable one-liners, memorable settings, relatable internal dilemmas, and a perfect amount of lackadaisical prose to come together for a read that could truly be described as enjoyable.
Just because I rarely hear Kinky Friedman idolized or viewed as a top-tier writer, I am going to assume that the rest of his novels aren’t this good. But this does mean that I will certainly be giving at least one more of his titles an opportunity.
Somehow the combination of the accessibility and the humanity of the prose was reminiscent of some of my favorite authors. I am doubtful that Friedman can continue to carry such a powerful and intriguing voice through his work, but I will have to give him the opportunity to do so before I completely write him off.
I have not read anything by Kinky previously, and went in with somewhat-tempered expectations...which proceeded to be blown out of the water.
This is an easy read, but not so easy that you don’t take the story (and the people inhabiting the story) seriously. I think that the characters are what stand out most in Friedman’s writing style, as he does a brilliant job of creating people just unbelievable enough to be believable.
There are plenty of quotable one-liners, memorable settings, relatable internal dilemmas, and a perfect amount of lackadaisical prose to come together for a read that could truly be described as enjoyable.
Just because I rarely hear Kinky Friedman idolized or viewed as a top-tier writer, I am going to assume that the rest of his novels aren’t this good. But this does mean that I will certainly be giving at least one more of his titles an opportunity.
Somehow the combination of the accessibility and the humanity of the prose was reminiscent of some of my favorite authors. I am doubtful that Friedman can continue to carry such a powerful and intriguing voice through his work, but I will have to give him the opportunity to do so before I completely write him off.