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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Ignatius Reilly and Charles Pooter together...
I hadn't heard of this book until by chance, very recently. Written less than a hundred years ago, I thought of both 'Diary of a Nobody' and 'A Confederacy of Dunces' while reading it, and thoroughly enjoyed the life story of a rather unlikeable, snooty man portrayed.
From childhood to manhood, Augustus Carp is grovelling, self-satisfied and someone you wouldn't really want to spend any time with at all. Outside of the book, of course.
It's a rather funny tome, the author's descriptions of misadventures, medical problems, and Carp's successes and failures all so trivial and minor, but to him so important.
I loved it, I felt so sorry for Augustus's poor walked-over mother, SO wanted to see his equally pompous father brought down low, and wanted to see if Augustus ever got taken down a peg or two.
Very amusing little volume about a middle-class life in a middle-class setting, a quietly comic minor classic. I liked the sketches included as well, by a woman no less, who was thought to be a man, included in a book whose author himself was unknown.
Much easier to read than you might expect, the old-fashioned chapter headings (with a summary of the points of the chapter ahead) through to the Grossmith language and ridiculous situations are thoroughly enjoyable, even to a modern audience, I would hope.
I hadn't heard of this book until by chance, very recently. Written less than a hundred years ago, I thought of both 'Diary of a Nobody' and 'A Confederacy of Dunces' while reading it, and thoroughly enjoyed the life story of a rather unlikeable, snooty man portrayed.
From childhood to manhood, Augustus Carp is grovelling, self-satisfied and someone you wouldn't really want to spend any time with at all. Outside of the book, of course.
It's a rather funny tome, the author's descriptions of misadventures, medical problems, and Carp's successes and failures all so trivial and minor, but to him so important.
I loved it, I felt so sorry for Augustus's poor walked-over mother, SO wanted to see his equally pompous father brought down low, and wanted to see if Augustus ever got taken down a peg or two.
Very amusing little volume about a middle-class life in a middle-class setting, a quietly comic minor classic. I liked the sketches included as well, by a woman no less, who was thought to be a man, included in a book whose author himself was unknown.
Much easier to read than you might expect, the old-fashioned chapter headings (with a summary of the points of the chapter ahead) through to the Grossmith language and ridiculous situations are thoroughly enjoyable, even to a modern audience, I would hope.
redcurrant_rum's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this solely because it was referenced in Christopher Shevlin’s acknowledgements of his inspiration, alongside Douglas Adams and PG Wodehouse. It was alas not in the same league. The better read, for me, was Shevlin’s “The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax”, which is basically the modern Augustus Carp without the frustrating self-righteousness.
This book started strong and the humour of the main character’s total ignorance of the human condition was well maintained throughout. You’ll either love him or hate him, you’ll find yourself siding with the schoolyard bullies and the author has some treats in store in the last quarter of the short read.
This book started strong and the humour of the main character’s total ignorance of the human condition was well maintained throughout. You’ll either love him or hate him, you’ll find yourself siding with the schoolyard bullies and the author has some treats in store in the last quarter of the short read.
vsbedford's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely sustained chuckle of a novel that skewers both the form and content of the gentlemen's memoir from a certain time. Mr. Carp, Esq., and father, are gems of comic creation and both deserve a swift kick up the butt. I would caution that, to me, this is a real love it/hate it experience so if you're not in by, say, the 4th chapter, there's no shame in moving on. If you're in, however, it's a very satisfying time!
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
htetrasme's review
5.0
Extremely hilarious novel narrated by a brilliantly conceived pile of ironically unjustified self-regard. Highly recommended and apparently almost completely unknown.
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