The best of both authors combines to make a wonderfully funny and thoughtfully moving masterpiece
593194
It's been more than a decade since I last readGood Omens (full title: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch), the collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Since then, I've come to know and deeply love the work of Terry Pratchett, and I've become more familiar with the work of Neil Gaiman (who, at the time I last readGood Omens, had only had a couple of novels published). That's made it a perfect excuse to revisit the book, and see how it holds up as a work by two of my favorite writers.

The answer: it holds up perfectly and then some, representing some wonderful union of the best of each author's sensibilities, and creating something wonderful in the process.

Nominally,Good Omensis the story of the Apocalypse, brought about by the birth of the Antichrist. But, in typical Pratchett style, from the get-go, there are reversals and oddities, from the way that the Antichrist is raised by a family who doesn't know what their child is and simply raises him normally to the way the book follows an angel and demon as they attempt to prevent all of this from happening. And through it all, Gaiman fleshes out the mythology and imagination of the piece, playing off of Pratchett's wry social commentary and gleeful silliness.

The result is, first of all, laugh-out-loud, consistently, constantly hilarious, from page one until the end. From a hellhound trapped in the form of a little dog to four bikers who nominate themselves as the followers of the four true Horsemen of the Apocalypse (bikers who have given themselves names like Grievous Bodily Harm, Really Cool People, Things Not Working Even When You've Given Them a Good Thumping, and more), from the wonderful banter between a group of children to the running gag about how every cassette left in a car gradually turns intoQueen's Greatest Hits, Pratchett and Gaiman stuff the book with jokes and silliness, ranging from the profound to the absurd and childish. (My favorite throwaway gag involves a group of ducks that's uniquely attuned to international politics because of all the "covert" meetings that happen at their pond.)

But what makesGood Omensgreat isn't the sly parodies ofThe Omen or the wonderful silliness. No, what makes it great is what makes so many Pratchett (and Gaiman, to a different extent) books great: the way it uses the plot to get to something more meaningful and profound. What begins as a book about the end of the world becomes a study of human frailty (the demon Crowley's thoughts about how human nature trumps anything he can ever come up with ring as true today as they did when the novel was first written), but also what makes life worth living. As with so many books by these two, the final confrontation doesn't come down to an action sequence - it comes down to ideas, to optimism (or hope, perhaps) in the face of defeat and cynicism. That's something both men have always been fascinated by, and always brought out in their work - that the world, and people, are so often horrible, and yet there is something magical and essential about life that's impossible to ignore. ThatGood Omensturns that into the text of the novel is what gives is a surprising punch that hits home, even more than any scene of Crowley driving his rapidly disintegrating car or enjoying (what I assume is Gaiman's work) the novel's inspired modernization of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (and, in one case, one that has never changed, and never will).

It truly is the best case scenario for a collaboration - something that brings out the best aspects in both authors and plays them off of each other, creating something that feels like both of their work and yet feels totally of its own piece. It's funny, it's imaginative, it's profound, and it makes you feel better about the world, even while we recognize the pain of it all. In other words, it's typically brilliant Pratchett and Gaiman in every way.
4793694
At times darkly comic, hopelessly romantic (by which I mean the ideal of love and hope) and observationally masterful - this novel takes a group of people who are in a holding pattern in life into a fog-bound location at the end of a winding road from the rest of the world. In so much as the location and its environs - not yet crumbling but certainly in need of love - mirrors the emotional impasse the characters either find or have put themselves in, this story is a triumph of light-hearted plotting and musings on the intricate, often coincidental, but ultimately biologically driven urges of life.

 From the guests of the hotel and its owners, to the secondary characters that lead off or are drawn to the major characters - there is a streak of delicate selfishness in them all that is so close to reality that you wonder if you might one day find yourself in this town, at the hotel, observing the goings on along the boardwalk. It is ultimately this selfishness - which sounds like a mean word, how about self-preservation or choosing your own destiny for a change? - that intertwines the plans and mishaps of our players and brings them together, or apart - but always searching to move away from the grey inertia of the fog-bound and into the clear delight that surely exists at the other end of the road.

I've read several of Steven's books and while there's no cunning crimes or curious aliens here (that's a hint to see his other books, c'mon people!) - what you get is life's humour and its tragedies writ large in a confined space - almost like the great playwrights produced in ages gone by. If you don't finish this book feeling entertained, amused and in wry agreement with its exclamations - I fear for your sanity!
4721226
Delightful comedy that makes us think about the true purpose of our lives at the same time that makes us laugh and cry.
2716889
omg.  i started reading this story again the minute i finished it.  it is so full of humor and wisdom and goodness.. i loved it and certainly shed some tears also.  it's a thoughtful, unique, deeply moving book.
4114412
This wonderful book moved and delighted me.  It is simple in that it is almost a diary of a long life lived on the fascinating island of Guernsey.  But it is enormously profound in the depth and breadth of its wit and wisdom.  I can't think of much to add to the chorus of acclaim that reviewers have given it herr on Amazon.com  All I can do is add emphasis to the consensus that this is a book the serious reader will love and never forget.
512415
It's been quite a while since a book floored me so, in a really good way of course, but also in a very, very thoughtful way.
Hollywood Sinners~by Peter Joseph Swanson isn't at all what you'd expect.
The beautiful, failing heroin Karin's got more heart and more chutzpah than any other charachter I've come across in a literary work in a long time.
Peter takes her and breathes an unfailing depth into her. You see her sweet little struggle with herself, her determination to surpass all the convoluted crap that tries hard to make her falter on her quest to become a Hollywood Diva of the  late 1930's as she tears it out of an unquestionably sucky past into a future replete with possibilities that somehow always gets skewed and trip her up.  But this little sweet pea is unwavering and pushes on and on and NEVER gives up, not ever.
She's a definite character study in perseverance.
Peter brings back to rich and colorful life the 1939 Hollywood.  The dialogue is exquisite, decorated in humorous lingual twists that makes you chuckle but also have a certain sharp wit about them edged in deep little pockets of sociopolitical commentary that hits you from left field and you go, ahhhhh, and smile and nod knowingly.
Sharp, witty, crafty, the conversations between the colorful, diverse, so alive characters in this book are priceless, absolutely enthrallingly rich, rich, rich!
On her quest to diva hood we meet the most surreal characters that get their hooks in Karin who becomes CAROL and hook her up with situations of refined irony, characters styled and guttery, bitter and side splitting comical.
Mama Gravy, one of the most attention-grabbing characters in Hollywood Sinners had me in stitches of gutter laughter at every turn of page. Her phraseology and attitude toward life made me grin and made me cringe.
Overall, there is no other book in which you will find Tinseltown quite like THIS, enriched with exquisitely fleshed out characters that suck you in with their dilemmas, their strengths, their very existence, and nowhere else will you find such predicaments as in Hollywood Sinners, predicaments to make you laugh uproariously, shout out loud to guide the characters so alive on the pages, and sometimes your little heart may just skip a beat here and there because a lot of us are shapes of Karin in one way or another.
Shootouts, and irony served rich, conversations so true to the swish style lingo of 1939.
And my favorite movie princess of the 30's makes an appearance in the sinuously jaded beauty of Francis Farmer.  Gotta' tell you, kiddos, you ain't never seen Francis like THIS!
And I can tell you , I will never look at cacti the same way again. Oh my!
And the ending, the ending, should've maybe made me tear up a little bit, but even on those last pages,damn, but this girl, my Karin, she got heart and the soul of a survivor, and she made me smile, kind of soft and kind knowing, and feeling all right.
Can you tell how much this book made me grin and feel and just thoroughly groove on every page?  Maybe I personalized it a little bit and became Karin for a while, maybe cuz she and I kinda maybe share a little bit of past.  You gonna feel the same, because we all got a smidgen of Karin Panotchitch in us.
As for Peter Joseph Swanson,the man's got TALENT, and he's got HEART, and if you don't wanna miss out on one the most exceptionally written and thought out literary gems of today, get your copy of HOLLYWOOD SINNERS and lean back and fall through into the wonders and giggles and smiles and delicious twists and turns of Peter Joseph Swanson's scrumptious and complex mind and the characters it shapes, the stories it dreams and tells the world between the pages of  books called The Tinseltown Trilogy which begins with Hollywood Sinners!
1116137
I just finished reading Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" (which is a fine read), and a friend recommended The Shadow of the Wind.  Let me say that this novel is far superior to The Historian, and may be on of the best read I've had in years.  The intricacy of the plot line, the somewhat gothic/haunted ambience, and the witty and often hilarious dialogue work together to create a story that is both compulsively readable and thought-provoking at the same time.

I won't let you in on the story...just pick this up and prepare to be charmed!
2944795
Memoranda is the second part of the Well-Buitt-City trilogy

and is a far better book than his predecessor. This time Ford uses the idea of Memory Palace to marvellous effect and the journey of Cley through Dracthton Below's mind is simply breathtaking.

Memoranda is full of original ideas and abounds with invention and the characters are not as shallow as in The Physiognomy.

Memoranda is at turns, humane, profound, weird, bizarre and hilariousy funny, less dark and more romantic than his predecessor and Ford's clear prose flows like a river, a joy to read.

Memoranda is a kepper.
1305817
One of the strangest and wonderful coming of age stories that I have read in years, and one of the best novels I have read in the last ten years.  MO Walsh is  at the top of his game, and the world he spins is vibrant and rich and authentic and comic and lovely and tragic.  This should be at the top of everyone's reading list, and if it doesn't win a major award next year I will eat my hat.
1541519
A delightful read!  Made me laugh out loud and also shed a few tears.  Masterfully written, so the characters come to life and evoke wonderful memories of people you have known in your own life.  The author endears each one (especially Ove) to you and makes you rejoice in the connections and the sense of community that bring them together in the end.  I also loved the thoughtful gems of wisdom scattered throughout the book, often in a sort of offhand way, as you are given insights into each characters thoughts and reactions to those around him.
3661823
"Losing Graceland" is like other great art in that it works on many levels. On the one hand, it's simply a great read. While reading it, I hadn't slept more than four hours straight in about a year, and even so, it kept me up at night. The story is that good. And the writing itself is beautiful; reading it was like eating caviar in bed. On the other hand, without being clunky or indulging in obtrusive, shoe-horned digressions, the novel deftly addresses deeper themes of ambition, fame, hero worship, and personal destruction. Oh -- and another thing -- it's funny. Wickedly, twistedly funny.
"Losing Graceland" is an odd, surprising, captivating, and happily unique book, and one that lovers of fiction will surely appreciate.
4638461
*MILD SPOILERS*

This is a sneaky book.  It starts off one way--as a comic recount of eccentric, genteelly arrogant Brits (the narrator's Aunt and a high-church Anglican priest) on a quixotic mission to convert and reform Turkey.  As told by the crazy Aunt's niece (?), Turkey itself (and the Turks' reaction to the Brits) is beautifully evoked.  Then, a hint here, a little more explication there, then a major plot twist as the Aunt and the Priest disappear into the Soviet Union, and the book evolves into a profound rumination on love and faith, and the conflicts the two can engender.

The story is always told in an arm's length, almost unemotional, way.  And I think the last page of the book, on the "eternal dilemma" of searching for the City on the Hill is one of the most moving and profound pieces of writing I have ever read.

The book is also hilarious.  There is more than one LOL moment, but my favorite is when the narrator from her (?) Turkish phrase book confuses, "I don't speak Turkish well," with "Can you connect me with Mr. Yorum"--and then is introduced to a Mr. Yorum.

Kudos to whomever it was that noted that the gender of the narrator is never clearly identified.  One tends to assume it is female, from the voice of the book, yet when you look back, you really don't know.  The ambiguity just adds one more layer to an already many-layered book.

I'd like to conclude by noting my thanks to New York Review Classics.  I have read something like twenty of them now, none of which I would have heard of, much less read, without their publication through this series.  The editors have done a magnificent job in bringing back to new and more-than-deserved life these forgotten classics.
4621237
This is a book that will make you laugh and cry  at the same time.  It is deeply moving and the same time is written with a great sense of humor.  I loved the writing style - very precise, with not a wasted word, and with a humor injected in every phrase. Characters are very memorable.  It should translate very well on a screen, so I hope to see it as a movie soon.
1938669
Kayla Rae Whitaker's THE ANIMATORS is an absolutely stunning, visceral, and funny story about the friendship between two talented animators and business partners, Sharon Kisses and Mel Vaught, and their rise to fame in the world of animation and cartoons.

Kentucky native Sharon Kisses, gets a golden ticket out of her small town and away from her close-minded family by way of a prestigious scholarship to Ballister in New York City. There, she meets another hugely talented artist, Mel Vaught. This marks the beginning of a business and personal relationship that takes them on a ride to fame, notoriety, and debauchery in the world of entertainment

Their big breakout hit Nashville Combat takes them from starving artists to overnight successes. But the sudden fame takes its toll on them both, especially Mel, whose painful childhood was the inspiration and subject of the cartoon. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll was a way of life for Mel, until life served up a big dose of reality that shook Mel and Sharon's lives.

Sharon, the more reserved of the two, has spent most of her life trying to ignore her past and put it in a box, while Mel put hers on full display. Sharon's family have always seemed foreign to hershe can't really relate to her father, mother, brother or sister and her mother hasn't exactly been the most supportive person of Sharon's choice of career.

Mel Vaught is an interesting character with a ton of layers. She is unapologetic and so completely herself all of the time. She seemingly doesn't care what anyone thinks of her or her choices, and I admired her for that. But her biggest vulnerability lies in her friendship with Sharon; there is a gentleness in Mel's heart when it comes to Sharon.

I had a visceral reaction to these characters and the strong bond of their friendship. I didn't want this book to end. Mel and Sharon's relationship is tumultuous, but the one constant is their love. I have a feeling that these two will stay with me for awhile; there is just something special about them.

This book isn't a comedy by any means, but laughed so hard throughout most of it. Sharon is full of Southernisms and Mel is a firecracker; you don't know what's going to come out of either of their mouths at any time.

The Animators is a story of forgiveness, redemption, and resurrection from deep-seeded pain. I wasn't expecting to feel so much in the end.  The story seemed so lighthearted and quirky until it wasn't either of those things anymore. Whitaker's writing is incredibly noteworthy, confident and strong. Her ability to craft flawed and likable characters is truly fantastic. She is someone in the world of fiction to look out for.

Deeply affecting and heartfelt, Whitaker's THE ANIMATORS is one I would read again, just so I can visit these characters again. I'm really going to miss the adventures of Sharon and Mel.

Audiobook Comments:
I have absolutely zero regrets for experiencing this novel through an audiobook. Narrator Alex McKenna was truly fantastic. I think her performance is one of my all-time favorite audiobook performance ever, definitely a favorite audiobook of 2017.

Sharon and Mel's wit is already sharp and giggle-inducing, but Alex's voice for both of them was perfect. Her Sharon was sweet and southern, but with a New York sass to it. Mel's voice was rough and gravely and completely brash. Her performance was especially compelling and impressive in its ability to balance the humorous moments with the heavy, emotional moments. I give this audiobook all the thumbs up in the world!

* Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for providing me with the audiobook for review.
123731
Magnificent!  It's a work of art.  I loved The Sellout and it's the first book in a very long time I felt like reading all over again immediately.  So clever and witty.  Insightful, poignant and hilarious.  I screamed with laughter.  The laughs are not cheap, they creep up and punch you in the guts.  This book goes into my top five of all time.  Just wonderful.
1804388
This is an extraordinary book, a ferocious story told with a mix of wit and gut punching candor, that offers an unflinching view of living with mental illness. Told in the first-person narrative of a 42-year-old man from a wealthy English family who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, the reader is taken on a wild ride with the brilliant but emotionally ravaged John as he launches, yet again, in a quest to find warmth and love in the arms of a woman. In this case, the titular Carla.

Exploration of mental illness has been taken on by many an author and often quite successfully. Too Bright To Hear Too Loud To See by Juliann Garey covers the territory in a powerful tale of bipolar disorder; even James Frey's notorious A Million Little Pieces (a book I loved) dealt with the mental illness aspects of addiction. But Mark Barry's treatise not only digs deep into the particular disorder he's exploring, but it also brings a brilliant sense of humor to the proceedings, unique when covering such a savage topic. I laughed out loud so many times you'd think I was reading a comedy, and yet this story is so alarming, so jarringly brutal, and often so deeply heartbreaking, it would seem impossible to be told with as droll a touch as it is. That element, the mix of humor and horror (not an exaggeration) is what pulls this book out of the pack. That, and Mr. Barry's utter facility with word flow and rhythm.

As we meet John, he very candidly explains his illness, gives us some background on how it's impacted his life over his 42 years, and why he's living under the particular constraints he is. After years of therapy, drugs, and even long-term commitment, he's now lives independently, though financed well by his father. His story begins when he meets the new barmaid at the local pub, 20-year-old, Carla, a sweet, guileless college student to whom he becomes increasingly more attached as they connect over social banter at the bar. As this indefinable relationship develops, John explains to the reader his history of histrionics in the specific arena of pursuing women, disarmingly blunt about how badly it tends to go, and as we watch and listen -- sometimes in panic -- he torments himself, moment-by-moment, over every smile, innocent touch, forgotten text, walk in the park, or email with its "two kisses." He's frank about his own failings and weaknesses, and for that we care about him and want him to succeed, but given the merciless depths to which he'll torment himself in service to his illness, we dread where this seemingly charming relationship is headed.

Beyond the exhilarating flow of Barry's storytelling style, which is like skiing on undulating phrases and verbal moguls, the detail with which he depicts John's responses to his mental triggers is excruciating, sometimes wincingly so. Part of what makes this story extraordinary is its fierceness in offering an honest portrayal of what a borderline personality struggles with and is driven by. Certainly I never understood the disorder to the degree I do now. Wrenching.

As the plot develops, new characters come into the fold to create more obstacles, certainly something John does not need, but it's when Carla's estranged father shows up that the things takes an unexpected and violent turn. The results of this are not for the faint of heart, nor do they bode well for our narrator, but we hold out hope for this man who struggles so relentlessly to get it right this time.

Powerful, painful, and intense. I look forward to reading Mark Barry's other works; it's rare that I so enjoy the sheer storytelling poetry of an author's prose.
3607045
This book is a true masterpiece: brilliantly original, grippingly suspenseful, and profoundly moving, with a fascinating and colorfully wrought cast of characters including Ms. Gilman's hyperlexic, radiant and vulnerable son Benj, his "theatrical impresario" brother James and withdrawn "Abraham Lincoln-esque" father, Ms. Gilman's "no-nonsense pragmatist" mother, her "scatterbrained" and magical Grammy Peg, the "gaunt" and "imposing" pre-school director, and the "deeply calm" pediatrician Dr. B to name just a few.  As a man and a father, I especially liked and identified with Ms. Gilman's "madcap," "sage" and "childlike" father, who reassures his daughter (and us by extension) that it is all right "to remain in a state of awe and mystery".  Rounding out the cast are the Romantics, especially Wordsworth, whose poems resonate with and guide Gilman through her struggle to re-imagine her son's otherness.

This story, filled with its particular and sometimes peculiar characters, has universal appeal in its exploration of the ways we to seek to relate and to know one another.  Ms. Gilman's insights into how our expectations can inhibit true understanding and appreciation will be extremely helpful and reassuring to anyone who has ever struggled to be understood or struggled to understand a loved one.  Likewise, anyone who has ever experienced disappointment will feel heartened by Gilman's tale where the loss of a dream makes space for a flourishing reality that's much better, richer and, ultimately, more romantic in the truest sense of the word.

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough!