"Lord Vishnu's Love Handles" is the story of a man who is teetering on the edge of financial ruin and insanity until a couple of secret agents teac...
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Jan 08, 2010
Mick
rated it: 
Let's set things straight: Will Clarke's LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES is a darn funny book--some of it literally laugh-out-loud funny. Clarke's here-it-is, straight-forward style is fun to read, and the author can set up a scene, antagonize his protagonist, then knock it out of the park with ingenuous comedic wit and ease. Clarke's goofy, ultra-fantastic story--about a yuppie psychic who goes to work for the government in exchange for forgiveness of his IRS debt, yet subsequently loses his family
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Feb 15, 2008
Lena
rated it:
This story of a yuppie with a psychic gift who suddenly finds himself mixed up with covert operatives and Hindu holy men was a mixed bag for me. I loved the premise and loved the title, and enjoyed much of the writing. But I was disappointed in the direction the author took the story and it fell apart for me at the end.
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Sep 20, 2009
Broodingferret
rated it:
Not bad for a first novel, I must say. Clarke's characters, while not exactly paragons of literary complexity, are certainly deeper and more detailed than one might expect. He also has a knack for jarring imagery, though a bit of it was a little too-obviously included for shock value. The plot, while not predictable, wasn't particularly inspired, but was still quite fun. I did really like the ending; everything gets wrapped up in a satisfyingly consistent way by having the main character sho
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Jun 04, 2010
Bayneeta
rated it: 
Listened to this for an RA SIG. Funny in parts, though the language and sex might offend some. I'm usually pretty good at suspending my disbelief, but this book pushed the limits and, while I was mildly interested in where this might end up, by the time we got there I was bored. Man with mild psychic abilities is taken in to a government program in return for the forgiveness of a $5 million IRS debt. Who can be trusted? Is his wife sleeping with his partner? Is there an alligator in the sw
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Dec 02, 2009
Mary
rated it: 
I loved this book— it’s an adventure in the mind of a crazy person. In a good way. Travis Anderson, an alcoholic on the edge of financial ruin, has a psychic gift. His family doesn’t know about it, but the government does and Travis is recruited, partially against his own will, to work as a “remote influencer.”
It’s all about plot. It’s surprising, fun, dangerous, nutty. The sci-fi mind-control aspect is a great device. I would put this in the same category as James Hynes. I’ll look for More...
It’s all about plot. It’s surprising, fun, dangerous, nutty. The sci-fi mind-control aspect is a great device. I would put this in the same category as James Hynes. I’ll look for More...
May 23, 2011
RYCJ
rated it:
I started reading Lord Vishnu's Love Handles by Will Clarke a while back. I picked up the book after catching an excerpt of it that sounded fascinating and instantly find it right up my reading alley. The writing was plain, and when I say plain, I mean each sentence was civil enough that all levels of comprehension should be able to read from one sentence to the next without feeling lost.
Amid quite a bit of sarcasm the man has a failing business, a wife he suspects of cheating, and a More...
Amid quite a bit of sarcasm the man has a failing business, a wife he suspects of cheating, and a More...
Jun 25, 2011
Abbey
rated it: 
I selected the rating, "really liked it," simply because I could not put the book down. But I don't know that I LIKE, LIKED it (to sound a like a teenage girl). The language is not for the faint of heart. And the whole tail is curious - much in the vein of a Tim Robbins book. There probably was some big metaphorical meaning hidden in among on the craziness, but since I was looking for escapism - not theology - I chose to simply read it for the very peculiar, action-adventure that i
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May 15, 2009
Kristine
rated it:
Wacky read -- plays with concept of reality. Main character plays PSYCHIC cow type game online -- has extremely high scores -- government was monitoring site to find people with psychic ability for secret projects. Found the main character...The high-octane swearing made it very tough for me to enjoy reading this possibly humorous novel. Younger generation book club readers who didn't mind swearing liked it.
Feb 15, 2010
Peter
rated it:
A truly inspired, some might say insane, romp through betrayal, paranoia, religious bunk and cops, crooks and IRS agents. Trying to describe the plot of this story is to get the story wrong...you read this story so as to immerse yourself in a bit of weird paranoia that might be slice of life observation if life is being observed while imbibing too many drinks or way to many drugs...
Mar 23, 2010
Paula
rated it:
This book was freakin' histerical. It's essentially about a dude who has some magical mind powers. Obviously he thinks he's crazy when he is kidnapped and keeps seeing the "blue genie" but its actually a covert government operation. He's got a douche bag for a business partner and there are definitely lots of twists and turns in this book. I do highly recommend it!
Sep 02, 2008
C.E.
rated it:
Ah. . . this book was exactly what I was hoping it would be . . . an entertaining if somewhat slight beach read. The plot is bizarre. A Dallas yuppie scum does well enough on a psychic website that he's hired by government contractors and ends up in an all consuming battle of good vs. evil, the stakes being his family's welfare and the future of human kind (or at least Disney World). Clarke's voice isn't all that unique--I kept picking up hints of Bret Easton Ellis here, Tim Sandlin there an
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Aug 24, 2008
Leslie
rated it:
This book was way out of the box for me, and I really enjoyed it. I don't read spy novels, but it was sort of a spoof of them, new age stuff, and Disney world, among other things. I was laughing and also not wanting to put it down. As "out there" as the plot was, it also seemed plausible once you entered the head and life of Travis Anderson, the main character, and I think the first person narration helped in that--a lot! The ending was perfect, and the characters were just--so bel
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Dec 12, 2008
Lacie
rated it:
This was actually a pretty good story once I got passed the strangeness of the main character. A quick read with lots of action that actaully makes you laugh. By the end I found myself rooting for the main character even though he is a borderline psychotic alcoholic with a foul mouth.
Mar 20, 2008
Holli
rated it:
This book is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets Shadow Run (sorry only humans) meets Unbreakable, but it has a soul all its own. It is set in Dallas....poor boring Dallas if only it's good, republican citizens knew what was going on under it's squeaky clean exterior. It is a fast and fun read. The main character has to wade through alcoholism and borderline-schizo apparitions of blue guys as he gets sober and takes on the IRS and secret government organizations and the freaks they employ. All
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Dec 10, 2007
Marion
rated it:
The BIO inside the book cover reads..."Will Clarke does'nt want you to know where he lives or what he is doing next"..A funny line from a funny guy!....I found this book by accident and I am so glad I did. If your a fan of Douglas Adams(Hitchhikers guide to the universe), or Christopher Moore(Lamb:The gospel according to Biff, Christ's child hood pal), then you will probably like Will Clarke's writing. Its a fast paced, quirky, smartmouthed tale of a down and out guy trying to put hi
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Jun 15, 2009
Anyra
rated it:
Strange and weird but fast moving and crazy fun. Imagine James Frey never went to rehab and instead became a family man in Texas and developed enhaced mind-reading power as well as (seemingly) outrageous paranoid delusions.
Jun 25, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
This is a silly, mindless, sometimes annoying comedic romp through the head of a psychic yuppie desperate to please his wife and keep his Stepford family intact - often to the point of "why bother, dude?" It was a mindless read, slightly laughable, to the tune of Tom Robbins (but not nearly as wordsmithy), Christopher Moore, or Carl Hiaasen. Two-and-a-half stars; I'm halfway between it was ok and liked it, but it was a quick read.
Feb 11, 2009
Cheryl
rated it:
I am constantly looking for easy to read entertainment books with different points of views, especially male, and Joe, this is a dude-lit book if I have ever seen one. Funny sometimes, but mostly not...
Dec 03, 2009
Zachary
rated it:
Fun, quick read. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it to friends, but I definitely enjoyed it. It's kind of science fictiony, but the narrator has a great voice -- kind of an edgier Hornby.
Jan 04, 2011
Nothing really happens in the 1st or 2nd chapter but later on I find out it is quite difficult to drop the book before I complete reading it. It's very funny and somehow I can think of it as a motion picture. It's corny, but in a lovable way.
Jan 18, 2009
Greg
rated it:
I liked this book. It is about a man living in upper middle class in Dallas and he has pschic abilities that are tapped by a clandestine organization of the US governemnt
Jan 13, 2012
Melissa
rated it:
It's a quick read, and the story started to get sloppy towards the end. However it's hard not to love the main character if you're imagining him talking like Kenny Powers from Eastbound and Down. Very funny.
Sep 02, 2009
Erin
rated it:
This book I found in the clearance bin at Borders for $4. I greatly enjoyed it. Quick fun read. A comic satire of a spy novel about an alcoholic psychic's adventures.
Aug 06, 2011
Strange, hallucinogenic story of psychic spies. Very bizzare, but fun quick read. Nothing very substantial.
Aug 24, 2009
Melissa
rated it:
I judged this book by it's hilarious cover and the content more than delivered. It's a good, quick, fun read.
May 28, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
Amazingly stupid,irreverent book but I did laugh out loud. Reminded me of the travel book about Disney.
Jan 20, 2012
Mawgojzeta
rated it:
"Shelby is a slut. She is also my wife." What a way to open a story! A fun and quick read. I gave it a "3" because although I enjoyed it immensely, I do not believe I would read it a second time.
Aug 31, 2009
Bart
rated it:
A dumb read but funny about a guy that has a psychic gift. It's a spy novel (sort of).
