Jan 06, Stephen Witt rated it did not like it Shelves: purged. Reading this book, and other near-death experiences. Bonkers by very funny and utterly enjoyable! Scathing and witty observations about the human condition, and taking examples and descriptions far too far into silliness. But an amusing man to be inside the head of.
This book is definitely not for children. The language and mental imagery what on Earth kind of sex does Rob have that requires a curtain pull and a decorative candle holder and destroys half the furniture and fittings in a room and may or may not need a gallon of lube, lots of antiseptic gauze!? Not your normal mystery plot, or journey of self discovery… self help book this is not. A few obvious plot pointers along the way but generally a fun surprise read.
Even though most were cremated or are still alive. Really enjoyed it. What they said. Towels are key to the plot. So… go buy some towels. The life you save may be your own. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If this book was a movie, it would be one of those awkward, cringe-worthy ones. Usually starring Hugh Grant. Sorry, some Hugh Grant films are brilliant - but it's his English self-effacing apologetic mannerisms that irk me.
The type of story that tries too hard to be funny then fails miserably. Starting out with an interesting albeit unoriginal premise - that every decision we make could potentially alter our future lives significantly Sliding Doors, any one?
I skimmed huge chunks of content and missed absolutely nothing. Well, I missed gratuitous swearing and fantasy which added nothing to the story anyway. Incidentally, I had to check if this novel was written by a year-old male No, it wasn't.
The plot amounted to nothing except a predictable happily ever after ending. And I felt robbed of good quality reading time. Conclusion - Deciding to read this book was a mistake but luckily has not caused my demise or any other life-changing event.
Don't bother with it. Aug 06, Caitlin rated it liked it. How the fuck do I explain this book? It started out great. Got really shit. Ended up good. Beth being the one who wanted to murder everyone; that I saw coming. Zach was too nice to switch and I did love Zach. Describing women's attractiveness and arses in the second half?
Being incredibly horny and detailing weird sex with the odd love interest? This is where I was gonna stop but I forced myself to continue because I was curious how it would end. The love interest Elizabeth.
I saw it coming How the fuck do I explain this book? I saw it coming. There was no real attraction but it made sense. He saved her life. They were always fighting. Yadda yadda perfect book couple. Pete and Jo getting married?
Saw that too. Good ending. Made complete sense. All the characters were interesting, unique and fun to follow. I don't know how to feel. It went from 4 to 5 then 3 to 2 back to 3 stars. It was a rollercoaster I will say that. Dec 08, Martin Chambers rated it really liked it. Read other reviews here and you will see some one and two stars, or others with five stars, and reviews to match.
Awful, or Brilliant. I agree with them all, and like Rob the first person character here, could not decide I should tell you I sat at the computer for five hours trying to decide such an inconsequential choice, but I didn't. Ultimately it is not brilliant literature, but it is witty and fun and lands some glancing blows observing the world we live in, and although soon you might fo Read other reviews here and you will see some one and two stars, or others with five stars, and reviews to match.
Ultimately it is not brilliant literature, but it is witty and fun and lands some glancing blows observing the world we live in, and although soon you might forget it, it is easy to read in a way that belies its depth. Humorous writing with some drama, a story with a message for those who care to think about it.
Isn't that what novels ought to be? However much we might believe,and wish,it were true,you can't really be sure of what you feel however intensely and seriously and constantly you examine your thoughts and emotions. You can be really sure only by forcing yourself to wait:time alone can tell you what will last.
The dialogue was frustratingly wordy "The annoying thing about time is thay it takes time The dialogue was frustratingly wordy but I somehow enjoyed the story. I bought this book ages ago thinking it sounded good but then it took so long for me to read it. Every time I read the back I decided this wasn't the book I was in the mood for.
Glad I finally gave it the chance. Absolutely crazy and not at all what I expected. I especially loved the humour I think a lot of it is relatable just because it's so damn British!
And from the beginning I never would have been able to guess where on earth the plot was heading. Wittiest read in a long time! This book has some of the most hilarious dialogue I have ever read! I came to care about the characters, their stories and their humor in the most ridiculous circumstances! I recommend this book to mature readers that appreciate beautiful usage of all the literary tools. I hope to find more books by this author!
Jan 03, Rebecca Horn rated it liked it. Really draws you in at the start but gets a little tedious and contrived. Sep 08, Emma Lavin rated it really liked it. Enjoyed it. Jan 05, Helen Potter rated it it was amazing.
One of the best books I've ever read - I can't remember belly laughing so much at any other read. Jan 17, Benjamin added it. A silvery trail of spit was running across the cushion under my face, as though a slug had slid slowly over the material and up into my mouth during the night. Has popular culture entirely passed you by?
And shook them. At first it was simply a vague desire to find something more fulfilling than Welsh Methodism: something with a more direct spiritual connection to the Universal Force and a better range of jewelry. The drugs are merely cosmetics, emotional beauty products: they give me the appearance of not being a fundamentally shit person. The splash is a confirmation, and a spectacular one, but the heart of the dive is the falling.
When you do all that fixating on what microscopic decision could lead to your death, you have it wrong. The fact is, all those miniscule, mundane decisions actually lead to your life. You take hold of life, moment to moment, by making those choices: and every time you choose, you win—because you choose to carry on. You decide to live life, instead of it living you. The correct way to look at it is to be amazed at each moment you beat the house: arrogantly, bloody-mindedly stick two fingers up at chance and whoop at your continued winning streak.
Mar 16, Bitsy rated it really liked it Shelves: comedy. The story of a guy named Rob and his attempts to get around a new found phobia about making decisions, since one made by chance happened to save his life.
So he put his job on the line one night as a late night Jazz DJ to talk about his problems on the air, pou "Hello. So he put his job on the line one night as a late night Jazz DJ to talk about his problems on the air, pouring out his feelings about his near death experience and his issues now even being able to choose what clothes to wear in the morning or whether to walk left or right around obstacles in his path, as who knew what choice would result in life or what one death?
In the end his late night admission opened a can of worms with internet bloggers grabbing the audio recording of the show and running with it, the radio station forums overflowing with supporters and bashers alike, and with other near-death survivors coming out of the wood work. Soon he finds himself in the middle of a crazy plot with fellow near-death survivors and trying to find out answers and make correct choices before time runs out. I personally find the book absolutely hilarious, as it's intended to be.
Lots of dry English wit, some admittedly funny jabs at Americans, and plenty of irony and humor to make this near-death tale have plenty of levity to keep you laughing all the way through, even while you are on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.
Also, you can't help but like the main character juxtaposed against the American character. I thought they made a great and humorous team and you couldn't help rooting for both of them throughout the book. As I was reading it aloud to my husband, I had to watch where I read this book to him as it had a LOT of swearing, as one of the characters liked to use "all of the English language" to express herself and did so to great, and comedic, effect.
Sometimes I thought it was a bit of overkill, but if you can get around that, and if you enjoy English humor, you will enjoy this book. Apr 29, Beth rated it did not like it Recommends it for: I don't know who to recommend it to, many people adore this book, though.
This book was recommended by Christopher Moore on his website -- recommended as a very funny book. It gets really fantastic reviews other places online - a lot of people really love this book and rate it 4 or 5 stars.
I was really drawn in at first, but then I just didn't enjoy reading this after the first few chapters. I did keep reading until the end, though. The characters are big weirdos, which I normally really love. I'm a big fan of Christopher Moore, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen and other This book was recommended by Christopher Moore on his website -- recommended as a very funny book.
I'm a big fan of Christopher Moore, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen and other authors who bring a bunch of nutty characters together in bizarre situations, but this book just didn't work for me. Maybe I missed the point. A lot of people found it clever and hilarious. Your Rating:. Your Comment:. Add a review Your Rating: Your Comment:.
A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias. A Certain Chemistry by Mil Millington. Publisher Random House Publishing Group. Release 14 February Subjects Fiction Literature Romance. Search for a digital library with this title Search by city, ZIP code, or library name Learn more about precise location detection. View more libraries But his poor shopping sense accidentally set off a convoluted chain of events that meant he lived when all those others died in the pub explosion.
Perhaps it was some other random action, some other small movement that was the utterly trivial yet vitally important factor.
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