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farkle's review
2.0
Entertaining, and "fluffy" when I had a lot going on at work, but definitely outside my norm. Felt myself blushing whenever I pulled this out on the T/bus which brought down the ranking. (While I have learned not to judge the book by the cover, mom, I have no faith that others won't judge me based on it.)
sticksnstout's review
3.0
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow at times, but the storyline was good and has a quirky humour
athira's review
2.0
I won this book at the First Reads give-away and got started with it right after receiving it. I liked how the book started, it was quite gripping. I particularly liked that the main character, Marcus was a nice guy, but made decisions based on his survival instinct, rather than to "do the right thing". It feels good to read a book about some one normal, who is not driven by altruism or love for others, but just by his instinct to survive and do what he can to avoid a bad name, as most of us would do.
Occasionally I felt the book slowing down, especially when the author attempted to describe some memories from the past. I liked the way it ended, though it felt more coincidental. But being fiction, anything can happen.
This is the first book I am reading by [a:Seth Greenland|153293|Seth Greenland|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]. I would definitely try out his other book, [b:The Bones A Novel|729755|The Bones A Novel|Seth Greenland|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177736529s/729755.jpg|254199], sometime.
Occasionally I felt the book slowing down, especially when the author attempted to describe some memories from the past. I liked the way it ended, though it felt more coincidental. But being fiction, anything can happen.
This is the first book I am reading by [a:Seth Greenland|153293|Seth Greenland|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]. I would definitely try out his other book, [b:The Bones A Novel|729755|The Bones A Novel|Seth Greenland|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177736529s/729755.jpg|254199], sometime.
rosseroo's review
3.0
I'm always in the market for a funny book, simply because there aren't that many good ones. So, after hearing lots of buzz about how hilarious this book was, I took it along on vacation. The story revolves around an mild-mannered Los Angeles factory manager in his late 30s named Marcus. When his childhood friend and current employer pulls the rug out from under Marcus's middle-class lifestyle by relocating his job to China, Marcus is left twisting in the wind as the family's debts start to pile up. Fortunately, his brother dies.
It seems that this brother was the polar opposite of Marcus -- a hellraiser with outsize appetites and a penchant for shady shenanigans. As a final dark joke from beyond the grave, the brother has left Marcus the titular dry cleaning company -- which is a front for his prostitution ring. Desperate to save his family from financial and social ruin, it doesn't take Marcus long to rationalize himself into the pimpin' game. The rest of the book plays out somewhat predictably, as Marcus struggles to keep his new job a secret from his wife and son, all while learning the tricks of his new trade. There are the inevitable over-the-top characters, some menace from a competitor, and several reversals of fortune.
Greenland writes well, with very funny lines scattered throughout, and story is well-paced, but it lacks a certain edge. Even when the story is supposed to turn dark, it never quite manages to move beyond light gray. There's a device throughout whereby Marcus tries to contextualize his situation by drawing on snippets from his undergraduate philosophy studies, but these fall kind of flat. Finally, it's hard to imagine any reader failing to figure out well in advance just how Marcus is going to be able to turn it all into a Hollywood ending -- the clues are too obvious. Don't get me wrong, it's all perfectly entertaining fluff -- but nothing that amazing.
Note: Readers of a certain age may recall another mild-mannered fictional character who is forced by circumstances into the pimping life -- Doctor Detroit.
It seems that this brother was the polar opposite of Marcus -- a hellraiser with outsize appetites and a penchant for shady shenanigans. As a final dark joke from beyond the grave, the brother has left Marcus the titular dry cleaning company -- which is a front for his prostitution ring. Desperate to save his family from financial and social ruin, it doesn't take Marcus long to rationalize himself into the pimpin' game. The rest of the book plays out somewhat predictably, as Marcus struggles to keep his new job a secret from his wife and son, all while learning the tricks of his new trade. There are the inevitable over-the-top characters, some menace from a competitor, and several reversals of fortune.
Greenland writes well, with very funny lines scattered throughout, and story is well-paced, but it lacks a certain edge. Even when the story is supposed to turn dark, it never quite manages to move beyond light gray. There's a device throughout whereby Marcus tries to contextualize his situation by drawing on snippets from his undergraduate philosophy studies, but these fall kind of flat. Finally, it's hard to imagine any reader failing to figure out well in advance just how Marcus is going to be able to turn it all into a Hollywood ending -- the clues are too obvious. Don't get me wrong, it's all perfectly entertaining fluff -- but nothing that amazing.
Note: Readers of a certain age may recall another mild-mannered fictional character who is forced by circumstances into the pimping life -- Doctor Detroit.
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