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noel_rene_cisneros's review against another edition
Sam Savage construye esta novela con todo lon escrito por Andrew Wittaker, desde las cartas solicitando el pago de la renta a quienes le deben hasta la novela que intenta escribir, pasando por las cartas de rechazo (o aceptación) de colaboradores de su revista literaria o la correspondencia con su ex-esposa o su hermana. Wittaker labra su propia caída en desgracia como se puede observar a través de sus múltiples yos que produce en su escritura: ese perezoso que se queda quieto y colgado de una rama hasta que un día cae muerto.
headingnorth's review against another edition
5.0
My review is here.
"One thinks, after finishing one interminable sentence, with no verb or subject in the offing, and having finally reached the relative safety of a full stop, that one will just not have enough strength for the next sentence, not enough *willpower* to haul a clogged boot out of the sticky mess and heave it forward into yet more mess, until finally one *really can't* and doesn't, at which point one lets the whole thing slide off one's lap onto the floor." p.29
"I think those people are fantastically lucky who live in houses where they can call out and expect someone to answer." p.133
"The sloth, for its part, appears not to have any ears and so probably can't hear itself, the only silver lining in the creature's cloudy existence." p.186
"I have learned to imitate the sloth's cry almost exactly. I am able to do this, I think, because I have been upside down for so long. When I am not upside down I am bathing." p.187
"Something has been falling from the sky. It could be snow. It could be tears. It could be the chain of days." p. 220
"I have unpacked my soul and there is nothing in it." p. 221
"One thinks, after finishing one interminable sentence, with no verb or subject in the offing, and having finally reached the relative safety of a full stop, that one will just not have enough strength for the next sentence, not enough *willpower* to haul a clogged boot out of the sticky mess and heave it forward into yet more mess, until finally one *really can't* and doesn't, at which point one lets the whole thing slide off one's lap onto the floor." p.29
"I think those people are fantastically lucky who live in houses where they can call out and expect someone to answer." p.133
"The sloth, for its part, appears not to have any ears and so probably can't hear itself, the only silver lining in the creature's cloudy existence." p.186
"I have learned to imitate the sloth's cry almost exactly. I am able to do this, I think, because I have been upside down for so long. When I am not upside down I am bathing." p.187
"Something has been falling from the sky. It could be snow. It could be tears. It could be the chain of days." p. 220
"I have unpacked my soul and there is nothing in it." p. 221
caramel_peaches's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stefgibmc's review against another edition
3.0
Dry & witty, which was cynically captivating initially. It wasn’t enough of a hook. The momentum slowed too quickly. I’m not upset I gave it a chance, but I would never recommend it to another soul.
ula_j's review against another edition
3.0
Written only from the POV of the main character through letters he writes to people, I thought it would be hard to follow but it was a really quick and interesting read. Andy Whittaker is a self-centered, selfish, delusional, sexist, racist and totally unlikeable character yet Sam Savage manages to pull just a few tiny bits of sympathy for him here and there in the letters. Very well written and a good book I got from Powell's Indiespensable subscription. (woo woo go Powell's!)
juliavanstory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
discomagpie's review against another edition
4.0
I gave this book a 4.5/5 on InsatiableBooksluts.com. My co-reviewer, Rob, gave the book a 3/5.
We often do discussion-style reviews at our site. Here's an excerpt:
"Susie: well… (grins) I could tell exactly why you didn’t like it, but I thought I’d let you put it in your own words.
Rob: I didn’t marginalia it much. I wonder why? Probably it was just too boring and irritating to bother.
Rob: Oh, I know exactly why I didn’t like it.
Rob: Andrew Whittaker sounds like Holden Caulfield–all grown up, but still whining, and pissing, and moaning about his life. It was Catcher in the Rye Part 2 for me.
Susie: I thought it was hilarious. I laughed out loud when he wrote in a letter about how that guy wrote like Hemingway would have written, had Hemingway never gone to high school.
Rob: it made me laugh a few times, early on, but midway through that stopped. I just wanted to get it done.
Susie: Andrew’s writing is dreadful.. which made me appreciate Sam Savage, it must be damn difficult to be a purposely bad writer in a way that isn’t actually making the book terrible.
Rob: lol–yeah, he pulled that off pretty well. And while I can appreciate it, and while some of it was funny, the overall book gave me bad flashbacks. Heh.
Rob: There was one very good line though, on pg 55. He’s talking to Miss Moss, and he says, “As for God, I am not simply agnostic–I am indifferent…” I think that’s Savage peeking through there, it was too poetic and subtle for Andrew."
Read the read of the review discussion at our site.
We often do discussion-style reviews at our site. Here's an excerpt:
"Susie: well… (grins) I could tell exactly why you didn’t like it, but I thought I’d let you put it in your own words.
Rob: I didn’t marginalia it much. I wonder why? Probably it was just too boring and irritating to bother.
Rob: Oh, I know exactly why I didn’t like it.
Rob: Andrew Whittaker sounds like Holden Caulfield–all grown up, but still whining, and pissing, and moaning about his life. It was Catcher in the Rye Part 2 for me.
Susie: I thought it was hilarious. I laughed out loud when he wrote in a letter about how that guy wrote like Hemingway would have written, had Hemingway never gone to high school.
Rob: it made me laugh a few times, early on, but midway through that stopped. I just wanted to get it done.
Susie: Andrew’s writing is dreadful.. which made me appreciate Sam Savage, it must be damn difficult to be a purposely bad writer in a way that isn’t actually making the book terrible.
Rob: lol–yeah, he pulled that off pretty well. And while I can appreciate it, and while some of it was funny, the overall book gave me bad flashbacks. Heh.
Rob: There was one very good line though, on pg 55. He’s talking to Miss Moss, and he says, “As for God, I am not simply agnostic–I am indifferent…” I think that’s Savage peeking through there, it was too poetic and subtle for Andrew."
Read the read of the review discussion at our site.
catladylover94's review against another edition
1.0
it was slow, it fit the name just great, i felt sorry for Andy at times, and i guess he spent alot of time just writing, something and nothing at all