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175th out of 200 books
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The Time Machine Did It
Humor/mystery novel by the writer of 59 episodes of The Simpsons.
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
June 28th 2004
by Kennydale Books
(first published June 2004)
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Hilarious, unflaggingly hilarious from word one to the very last speck of ink! In no way is it a cerebral comedy, but it is a riot nevertheless. Swartzwelder is responsible for much of the off-beat humor featured in The Simpsons, and any sentence from this book will make that obvious.
I won't even talk about it. Excerpts should suffice.
"A sign out front of the hotel said 'Rooms With Heat: $2 A Night. Rooms Without Heat: $1. Rooms Without Anything: Ten Cents A Night...more
I won't even talk about it. Excerpts should suffice.
"A sign out front of the hotel said 'Rooms With Heat: $2 A Night. Rooms Without Heat: $1. Rooms Without Anything: Ten Cents A Night...more
John Swartzwelder is hilarious. He has a certain slant of wit and a unique outlook on life that makes even mundane cliches fresh and humorous. Comedy is in the details. The entire novel moves along at a break-neck pace. Every page and every paragraph advances the plot. I had a hard time reading about the detective and not thinking of Homer Simpson. I knew I would enjoy this story after laughing for a solid minute after reading the opening paragraph.
The opening paragraph of the novel:
...more
The opening paragraph of the novel:
...more
Erin
rated it
Recommends it for:
people who like funny things
Recommended to Erin by:
my mom who found it amongst my brother's books so... hmm
This gets 3 1/2 stars, actually, I changed my mind because I really needed this book and it made me very happy to read a book about how silly time travel is during this season of Lost. I don't remember laughing out loud as much and as long (fits of giggles, trying to stifle laughter while in front of people and failing repeatedly, etc) as I did while reading this, and I read a lot of funny books. It is a fast read, a fun read, a hilarious read. There are paragraphs that I would say everyone shou...more
This weird and funny noir was written by the legendary John Swartzwelder, a writer for some of the best episodes of the Simpsons. It took me a little while, but I REALLY liked it. When I first started, I thought it was just kind of weird, and not particularly funny. What tipped the scales for me was reading it out loud. You realize that this is a writer who is used to constructing dialog, even in his prose descriptions. Once I did that, I couldn't stop laughing.
The book is essen...more
The book is essen...more
This book is ridiculous.
There is nothing else really to say. It had me rolling with laughter.
Schwartzwelder is God.
There is nothing else really to say. It had me rolling with laughter.
Schwartzwelder is God.
Jeff
added it
The character is supremely dimwitted and apparently indestructible. He does his best to solve the case, mostly by doing things he would have done anyway and seeing if he sees anything suspicious, which is tricky because he's not particularly observant.
This book was absolutely hilarious. There was at least one good chuckle per page, and I had to put it away once or twice because I couldn't stop laughing. Swartzwelder is a mad genius, and I can't wait to read more of his books, including more F...more
This book was absolutely hilarious. There was at least one good chuckle per page, and I had to put it away once or twice because I couldn't stop laughing. Swartzwelder is a mad genius, and I can't wait to read more of his books, including more F...more
If you're a fan of The Simpsons — "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish," "Bart the Murderer,"Homer at the Bat," "You Only Move Twice" and "Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment" are some of the 59 episodes Swartzwelder wrote — or Chris Elliott or Max Shulman then this absurdist comic mystery will be well received.
I didn't pay $15.95, which seems a bit much for a relatively short book, but 50¢ at a library sale. Would I pay $...more
I didn't pay $15.95, which seems a bit much for a relatively short book, but 50¢ at a library sale. Would I pay $...more
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Aaahhh John Swartzwelder. Responsible for one sixth of the scripts written for the 'The Simpsons' by the time he left the show, which is an amazing amount of output. If you've read anything about Mr Swartzwelder, he's an odd reclusive but interesting character in his own right, which no doubt aided in his hilarious writing. 'The Time Machine Did It' follows along the same lines of the Simpsons with its absurdist well timed humour. Frank Burly is similar to Homer Simpson in many respects, except ...more
I decided to read this book because the author is a writer for the Simpsons and the people behind the scenes often talk about Swartzwelder and his novels. Swartzwelder refuses to be on the commentaries. I found that I often really enjoyed the episodes he wrote. So I decided to give his novels a try. This is the first one I've read.
It is funny, but it could be funnier if things were shown more than told. I could see how the comedy would work better if it were a TV show. You don't rea...more
It is funny, but it could be funnier if things were shown more than told. I could see how the comedy would work better if it were a TV show. You don't rea...more
The hero of The Time Machine Did It is a stupid overweight detective named Homer Simpson Frank Burly.
It’s easy to confuse Homer with Frank because author John Swartzwelder wrote over 50 episodes of The Simpsons. After he left the show, Swartzwelder, a notorious recluse, started writing absurd comic novels that he has self-published to avoid having to deal with demands of publishers. Apparently you can take the writer out of The Simpsons but you can’t take The Simpsons out of the wr...more
It’s easy to confuse Homer with Frank because author John Swartzwelder wrote over 50 episodes of The Simpsons. After he left the show, Swartzwelder, a notorious recluse, started writing absurd comic novels that he has self-published to avoid having to deal with demands of publishers. Apparently you can take the writer out of The Simpsons but you can’t take The Simpsons out of the wr...more
John Swartzwelder's truly unique sense of humor is the gem which shines through this somewhat rough novella. The jokes are all wholly original, as is the plot, which riffs on everyone's favorite hard-boiled detective fiction. Yet, a sense of vague familiarity precipitates the book. Perhaps its because Swartzwelder 55 Simpsons episodes, and was one of the most prominent figures in its writing room for the best seasons. Think of any off-kilter reference to late 19th century culture or strange mult...more
Joel
rated it
John Swartzwelder has written a zillion episodes of The Simpsons, and I'm guessing he's the guy who came up with the gag that Mr. Burns is always making ancient cultural references like "Idlewild Airport" and "Amalgamated Spats," because this entire book is in that vein: a bunch of little gags that are almost funny, but they probably aren't going to make you laugh.
Roughly every other sentence includes a pun or a zinger but I can't say I found any of them... funny....more
Roughly every other sentence includes a pun or a zinger but I can't say I found any of them... funny....more
Ryan
rated it
Recommends it for:
fans of the Simpsons and maybe Douglas Adams
Recommended to Ryan by:
Simpsons audio-commentaries
This was an entertaining and often hilarious book.
Plot-wise, some parts were a little thin, but I don't think Swartzwelder was setting out to write the next great American novel.
This is definitely worth a read if you like the Simpsons, but I'm not sure how re-readable it is. And it's pretty short, which is sort of a good thing and sort of a bad thing (after I finished, I wanted more, but adding anything to the story probably would have just added filler).
Plot-wise, some parts were a little thin, but I don't think Swartzwelder was setting out to write the next great American novel.
This is definitely worth a read if you like the Simpsons, but I'm not sure how re-readable it is. And it's pretty short, which is sort of a good thing and sort of a bad thing (after I finished, I wanted more, but adding anything to the story probably would have just added filler).
Written from the first-person perspective of a blundering idiot, this book quickly makes you wonder if the character is a fool, or if the author is. Based on the weak plot, the lame jokes, and the grade-school level of writing, I' m placing my bets on the latter. There were moments of interest, and even one or two that made me smile out loud, but not enough to recommend this or ever read anything by this author again.
Thoroughly entertaining gonzo science-fiction detective story from a guy who wrote 59 episodes of the Simpsons. Did it change my life? No, but it happily occupied a day's worth of reading and I'll gladly indulge in his other books when I'm in need of giddy escapism. (In case the preceding review wasn't enough and you want some kind of literary comparison, it's kind of like Mark Leyner minus the pretension.)
This guy is of course the author of a few dozen excellent episodes of the Simpsons, but reading this novel of his didn't do much for me; especially when compared to the absolutely bonkers Paul Collins rediscovery of the Riddle of the Traveling Skull. Skip this, read that.
Will probably try one more of Swartzwelder's books though. Mysteries/detective novels in general don't do much for me.
Oh yeah, and really all of Paul Collins' "library" of books are worth re...more
Will probably try one more of Swartzwelder's books though. Mysteries/detective novels in general don't do much for me.
Oh yeah, and really all of Paul Collins' "library" of books are worth re...more
This book was given to me on my last birthday - I know, it took me long enough to get to it - and was a quick and slightly bizarre read. I had not heard of it beforehand, and was happy for the opportunity to read something that I would not have chosen. It's so goofy, and since the author has written dozens of Simpsons episodes, I could not help but think of it as a cartoon in written form. No one else writes like this, so I found it refreshing.
This book has the occasional hilarious moment, but the plot was almost nonexistent. The humor came mostly from random situations. None of the characters were very memorable. There were several instances where I could see the resemblance to The Simpsons, but there were too many jokes that fell flat for me and the story wasn't nearly as interesting as I'd hoped.
Oh, but this was fun. A bit of a slow start, with scattershot gags that did little to prick the hard-boiled detective format in any place momentous or memorable. But one the time travel begins in earnest -- and even earlier, once Burly gets thrown in an asylum and the improvised prison in the bomb shelter -- the snorts, chortles, and full-on guffaws start erupting with due speed. It helps the funny a little bit if one actually thinks of Burly as voiced by or played by Homer Simpson. Perhaps ...more
I have to say that this was a better read than I had expected. It was like reading a simpsons like episode all throughout this book. Its no wonder this author is famous for all the "golden" episodes that made the simpsons great.
The story falls the train of thought of this one clumsy detective that borders on the same style that Homer would use to solve crimes. The unexpected thoughts and situations he finds himself in are hilarious and there were many times I laughed out lo...more
The story falls the train of thought of this one clumsy detective that borders on the same style that Homer would use to solve crimes. The unexpected thoughts and situations he finds himself in are hilarious and there were many times I laughed out lo...more
I wanted to like this book since it is from one of the writers of The Simpsons. It is silly humor for sure - think something mindless by Jim Carey in the 90's and that is what is at play here. It did have some laugh out loud moments, but the overall book wasn't what I expected.
Stories such as this one serve an important role in science fiction literature. They remind us what a tragedy Douglas Adams' untimely death was. Scwartzwelder's novella does have one good thing going for it though -- it's short.
This book gets at least one star for its awesome title. Written by 2nd favorite alumni from The Simpsons, this book was more clever than laugh out loud funny.
I think this was the first book that ever made me laugh out loud. I started laughing from the first sentence and I couldn't stop laughing or put it down. Great read.
The first in John Schwartzwelder's noir-parody series about an idiot detective. This book actually made me laugh out loud. Many times. For reals.
Great first book by the recluse John Swarzwelder. His voice is still in tact and as funny as ever. I don't think anyone will ever top the episodes of The Simpsons that he wrote.
Reminds me of these books my dad used to buy me as a kid called Incognito Mosquito. Same kind of humor.
A slight but at times hilarious book that became a little monotonous after a while.
This was a quick read and very goofy. I think it was trying to be more clever than it actually succeeded in being. However, I still enjoyed the story.
An absolutely hilarious novel. I laughed out loud numerous times. A very quick, joyful read.
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