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161st out of 257 books
—
445 voters
SWELL
Reminiscent of Christopher Moore’s ‘Fluke’ and Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods,’ this slightly fantastical tale is told from the perspective of ever reluctant Orange Whippey, the story of his involvement in the comically unnecessary Whale Network unfolds as rival whaling factions, Korean smugglers/ultra tourists/storytellers, and a privacy advocating talking head all do their
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Paperback, 390 pages
Published
October 25th 2011
by Dark Coast Press
(first published September 20th 2011)
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so i was thinking last night about what differentiates a book like this from a book by Kurt Vonnegut or by Tom Sharpe. they're all funny--Kurt in his deadpan glory, Sharpe wicked and relentless. Ericson is funny, but it's like stand-up--a bunch of what are basically one-liners that don't really connect to the larger story.
whether there is a larger story here is the big question. our protagonist Orange Whippey is an island-dwelling slacker, which might be ok if the island were tropical. but his i...more
whether there is a larger story here is the big question. our protagonist Orange Whippey is an island-dwelling slacker, which might be ok if the island were tropical. but his i...more
Based on the cover art and the description - Christopher Moore meets Neil Gaiman? Sign me up! - I thought I'd enjoy this novel.
I was wrong.
That's not because of a lack of skill on the author's part, which is why I didn't give it my traditional 1-star rating for a DNF. No, the author is skilled enough; I just absolutely could NOT get into the book.
Basically, if you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you'll like.
Which is to say, it's a rambling, shambling, postmodernist semi-farce...more
I was wrong.
That's not because of a lack of skill on the author's part, which is why I didn't give it my traditional 1-star rating for a DNF. No, the author is skilled enough; I just absolutely could NOT get into the book.
Basically, if you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you'll like.
Which is to say, it's a rambling, shambling, postmodernist semi-farce...more
Feb 11, 2013
Ashley McQuaid
marked it as did-not-finish
If I am a fourth of the way through your book and I still don't know what it's about, if every single one of your sentences is close to a paragraph long, and you write like you're pretentiously puking a thesaurus, I cannot finish your book.
Flowery sentences and big words do not a good writer make.
Good grief.
(Yes, I found this significant enough to temporarily break my internet hiatus. I just about never, ever, ever give up on books and this is the second in a week. I'm kind of more than a little...more
Flowery sentences and big words do not a good writer make.
Good grief.
(Yes, I found this significant enough to temporarily break my internet hiatus. I just about never, ever, ever give up on books and this is the second in a week. I'm kind of more than a little...more
To me, this was just okay. I had heard some interesting things about this book and I was expecting a lot. It fell way short. I think the biggest disappointment about this was that I thought it had so much potential, especially in terms of concepts: whale cell phone networks; deep, weird and unique forms of intercultural understanding; a Lebowski-esque slacker named Orange as the main character. Mostly, though, I felt that all of the great concepts were underdeveloped. Maybe I read too fast, but...more
For some reason, I have an absolute inexplicable attraction to books about the sea. Let me explain why this just may be the strangest thing about me.
I live in Colorado. My family moved here when I was very young, and I cannot remember anything in my life before this place. I've been to the ocean twice (maybe three times, I can't really remember), and every time I went, I didn't enjoy it much. I hate seafood and sushi and the smell of fish. Yet, I am always intrigued by a story pertaining to a s...more
I live in Colorado. My family moved here when I was very young, and I cannot remember anything in my life before this place. I've been to the ocean twice (maybe three times, I can't really remember), and every time I went, I didn't enjoy it much. I hate seafood and sushi and the smell of fish. Yet, I am always intrigued by a story pertaining to a s...more
This frequently-hilarious novel (set on a fictitious island off the coast of Maine) reminded me a pit of Thomas Pynchon, with a higher degree of snark. The final act meanders a bit too much, but if you like the postmodern-satirical-prose (Pynchon, Walker Percy, Vonnegut and others) you will probably enjoy this book. If you like that style AND live (or have ever lived) in coastal New England, you will probably LOVE this book.
I started out not knowing how to feel about this novel. I wanted to give it a good review, but I just can't. Part Melville, part Christopher Moore, and part Douglas Adams, it starts out funny and quirky but lacks the follow through to make it a fully developed novel. It is as if the author picked up a portion of a story and dumped in on the page without giving it a coherent beginning and ending. The vocabulary makes it even more disconcerting because the main character, a preeminent slacker, has...more
Deeply, deeply weird, and completely fascinating. Orange mostly has things done to him, rather than does things, which slows down the middle section some, but it comes together in the end.
Nov 18, 2011
Angie
marked it as to-read
How can I not read a book with a charactor named Angie Bombardier who is described as fetching and forthright
I started this book, but couldn't continue. It really feels like the author went through the text and used the thesaurus function to change as many of the normal words into $5 words as possible. What resulted wasn't high-brow or intelligent as much as clunky and ridiculous (not in a good way). I've given up on this one and I'm not sure I'll pick it back up.
My first review and I will resist the urge to say it was... "Swell." It was a crazy, trippy, and strange story that I found very amusing and extremely entertaining. Wonderful characters throughout the novel and a bizarre plot that reminded of many odd-ball stories, but still retained it's complete originality. Highly recommended if you're on acid (or seagum!).
If there is not a sequel to this I am going to cut someone.
Swell is a book about a charismatic loser named Orange Whippey living on an island in New England who may or may not be able to talk to whales.
While I appreciated the Christopher Moore style humor and nutty characters, there was a tad more rambling whale mythology than I usually prefer. Orange's inner monologue and description of his world and life were amusing enough, but I never felt any of the events really mattered or built to anything, and it's hard to care about even the funniest characte...more
While I appreciated the Christopher Moore style humor and nutty characters, there was a tad more rambling whale mythology than I usually prefer. Orange's inner monologue and description of his world and life were amusing enough, but I never felt any of the events really mattered or built to anything, and it's hard to care about even the funniest characte...more
May 31, 2012
Kristen
is currently reading it
It is amazing so far
Delightfully weird.
Douglas Adams channels Herman Melville. Odd, but fun.
I really wanted to like this book more. And after the first third I thought it was going to be great. The middle third was rather ho-hum and the final third was an absolute stinker. I felt very disappointed after the blazingly fantastic start - hence the two lonely stars.
This is Ericson's first novel and I think he has a very bright future; I'm very much looking forward to his next work. I just hope it's much tighter and he has a better editor.
This is Ericson's first novel and I think he has a very bright future; I'm very much looking forward to his next work. I just hope it's much tighter and he has a better editor.
A swell little adventure (see what I did there?) about an island slacker named Orange who gets caught up in a controversial WhaleNet phone network, in which whales are fitted with mobile phone antennae. Orange remined me a lot of Fry from Futurama. Not AS ridiculous of course but definitely similar. All in all it was a very quick and enjoyable read. Lots of funny stuff to chuckle over.
P.S. this book has fantastic artwork and design.
P.S. this book has fantastic artwork and design.
Parts brilliant, tedious, hilarious, over the top.
This started off strong for me & then foundered a bit. I'd like to revisit it at some point - it definitely wasn't helped by the fact that I put it down to read another book so there was a two-week gap between reading the first third of it & reading the rest.
4.5 a near perfect romp--reminded me a bit of Confederacy of Dunces--a little. Smart, funny, pathetic and just a pleasure to read. The language was near pitch perfect--some reviewers classify this as young adult. I say sure but that young adult should carry a dictionary. Delightful read. It's not a 5 simply because at times I had to suspend a little bit of belief but really that's no reason to not read this book.
This is a good looking book, obviously painstakingly crafted. Sometimes, it is awesome and really funny and well done. Sometimes, I think it is too much. I don't like the main character's name (it keeps throwing me: Orange Whippey??), and the plot IS pretty aimless (albeit VERY creative), but the playful language is a sight to behold, even if this book is sort of insane.
I'm not sure how far into this book I got before I gave up looking for a plot. I'm all about character development, world creation, and historical context, but only if it accompanies an actual storyline. I don't know if maybe later on the author actually gets to the story, but I'm not sure I want to wade through any more to find out.
I think I'm paraphrasing a couple other reviews here, but take Douglas Adams, substitute New England for English humor and you've kind of got the feel for this book. A real page turner (despite how long it took me to finish... I've been busy) I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Orange next.
A very good and hilarious book especially if you like sarcasm, and metaphors.
This book is what Moby-Dick would be if Ishmael were the Big Lebowski. Ahab is two characters here: a laid-back Finlindian (with an "i") whale herder who was married to a bear, and the terrifying and maybe-mythical Yankee Circumciser. I adored this.
I haven't had so much fun reading a book in awhile. The characters are great, the language is playful, and the story is engaging.
I definitely recommend this.
I definitely recommend this.
I thought this book had potential, but just never held my interest. I may force myself to finish reading it later at some point.
May 22, 2013
Jon
is currently reading it
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“It's my mother's job to answer the question of how I got here; it's my own job to say where I'm going, and all I can really say is that now that I'm in my late thirties, unmarried, and irregularly employed, I have come to realize that merely remaining alive is more of an achievement than I expected.”
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Feb 06, 2013 10:14am