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Sellevision

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 9,599 ratings · 682 reviews

Darkly funny and gleefully mean-spirited, Sellevision explores greed, obsession and third tier celebrity, in the world of a fictional home shopping network.

Welcome to the troubled world of Sellevision, America's premier retail broadcasting network. When Max Andrews, the much-loved and handsome (lonely and gay) host of "Slumber Sunday Sundown" accidentally exposes himself i...more

Paperback, 240 pages

Published June 1st 2003 by Picador (first published September 7th 2000)

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Jul 09, 2008 Kent rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, after reading several of Burroughs’ works, I can’t say I have an overly high opinion of his contributions. When I first asked a friend who this Burroughs person was and if I’d enjoy reading him, they told me that he was similar to David Sedaris and that if I liked Sedaris, I’d like Burroughs. Well, the truth is that I LOVE Sedaris, and tolerate Burroughs.

They both seem to draw largely on personal experiences to weave humorous stories that people can relate to. How can that go wrong, you mi...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2007 Punk rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: queer

Fiction, This book is exactly as shallow as the people in it. The story revolves around Sellevision, a home shopping network like QVC, and the people who work there, or, in the case of Max, no longer work there. It's a trashy, unengaging read, and the POV is staggeringly inconsistent. The first two lines give you a pretty good idea about how the rest of the novel works: "You exposed your penis on national television, Max. What am I supposed to do?" This book is filled with cliches. Several times...more

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May 27, 2008 Jennie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: popular-fiction

I was sorry I didn't care for this book since I adore Augusten Burroughs. It wasn't particularly terrible but it was just a cheap, trashy read that I didn't associate with the witty, biting and unflinchingly honest prose of Burroughs' memoirs. As other readers have mentioned this was a typical airplane read - rife with cliques, flat characters and plot lines that manage to be both absurd and predictable. Its zaniness reminded me a bit of a Carl Hiassen paperback. At any rate it appears fiction i...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Milan/zzz rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This was quite fast and amusing read. So trashy, superficial, actually terrifying how nothing is how it “looks”. World of shopaholic zombies with an absolute lack of empathy but in the same time religious fanatics then, gays, adulterers, porn stars…
What was quite striking is that I really don’t see the scenario in which guy’s penis accidentally pops up under bathrobe on national TV which provoked a tsunami of e-mail sent by angry mother’s in which they are threatening with child abuse lawsuit as...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Benjamin Siess rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book quite a bit, but it had two pretty big problems.

1. There are too many characters for so small a book. It was only towards about page 180 that I figured out that Trish and Leigh were two different people. I had somehow combined them into one super character in my head until that point. I'm sure that this specific problem didn't occur for many, but it is just an example of how confusing it can be to introduce six main characters within a span of 50 pages. The big characters were...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Clifon Lesueur-brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Cliffon LeSueur-Brown 5th Hour

SSR Book A-Month: Character

What month did you read this book for? December
Title: “Sellevision”
Author: Augusten Burroughs
Date started/ Date completed: 12/14/09-12/19/09
Total Pages: 230 pages
Rating of book (1-10): I’d rate this book as a nine.

The character who changed the most from the beginning of the book to the end was Peggy Jean. At first Peggy Jean was a top saleswoman on the television station Sellevision who worried only about the squeaky clean appearance of h...more

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May 31, 2009 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Augusten Burroughs started his writing career with his novel, which he based largely on his experiences in the advertising trade. All of the characters are tied together through their employment at Sellevision, a cable shopping network not unlike the Home Shopping Network or QVC. Each of its star hosts are about to be confronted with some personal issues.

It all starts with Max Andrews, who falls into controversy during a Toys for Tots segment on his Sunday morning brunch show. All the guests and...more Augusten Burroughs started his writing career with his novel, which he based largely on his experiences in the advertising trade. All of the characters are tied together through their employment at Sellevision, a cable shopping network not unlike the Home Shopping Network or QVC. Each of its star hosts are about to be confronted with some personal issues.

It all starts with Max Andrews, who falls into controversy during a Toys for Tots segment on his Sunday morning brunch show. All the guests and hosts wear comfortable bathrobes, but things go awry after a coworker spills a drink on his lap, forcing him to go on sans undies. Unfortunately, there is a slight wardrobe malfunction, and he unwillingly shows the audience how much of a man he really is. As you can guess, there are shocked calls from frantic parents across the country, and he is fired by the network. Max struggles to find another position until he finds a successful career in a field he had never considered, though, it probably seems like a good option considering how his previous position reached its sad ending.

Max is not the only one struggling with his fame. Peggy Jean Smythe finds herself with a fan willing to not only praise her, but one who is hoping to help her with some self improvement. Zoe, the fan, starts by highlighting Peggy Jean's hairy earlobes and continues to progress into other areas, forcing Peggy Jean to question both her self-image and her sanity. As things grow more and more intense, Peggy Jean finds her only comfort in small cocktails and her Valium. As things grow worse, her husband John finds an opportunity to woe the teen girl who lives next door.

There are a number of other characters that have their own stories including Trish Mission, the daughter of a millionaire, and Leigh Bushmore, the mistress of the station's executive producer.

The novel is hysterical and quite raunchy. It does lack a bit in some punch to the storylines. There really is no major them or plot. Instead, it is more of a "day in the life of" storyline as the characters deal with their various troubles. As a result, things come to a conclusion, but they lack a bit of oomph even if they are upbeat.

The novel excels in capturing the tone and feel of these shopping networks. I haven't watched many of them, but the scenes that showcase the actual shows definitely capture the "one-step-up-from-a-car-salesman" feel that I usually get from the real hosts. That in itself is humorous, nevermind the outrageous storylines that fill the lives of Burroughs' characters.(less)

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May 11, 2011 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, library, audio, humor, literary

I've been "reading" an awful lot of audio books I wouldn't have bothered to pick up, otherwise. It's a good way to spend all the driving time I have through work, for the most part. But sometimes, I have a book that's so puzzling I don't even know what to rate it.

I loved the satire in this book. I loved that it poked fun at consumerist culture, shallow Christianity, hypocrisy, and sensationalism. I liked the main character, Max, even though he didn't have much more personality than the other Sel...more I've been "reading" an awful lot of audio books I wouldn't have bothered to pick up, otherwise. It's a good way to spend all the driving time I have through work, for the most part. But sometimes, I have a book that's so puzzling I don't even know what to rate it.

I loved the satire in this book. I loved that it poked fun at consumerist culture, shallow Christianity, hypocrisy, and sensationalism. I liked the main character, Max, even though he didn't have much more personality than the other Sellevision hosts I wanted bad things to happen to. He, at least, didn't bring his troubles on himself. I liked that, in the end, almost everyone got what he or she deserved.

I didn't like how shallowly everyone was portrayed. I suppose in a satire novel, you need that surface-only reading, and characters who stand for aspects of the culture rather than fully-realized human beings. But I wanted desperately to be able to relate to SOMEONE in this book, and I never got it. They were all shallow, self-absorbed, self-destructive people, even Max, who I kind of liked. I didn't like how dated the book felt; it was published in 2000, and its constant peppering of culture and technology tidbits made it sound like thirtysomething parents pining for the good old days. I didn't like the romance plotline of the book, either; it was too cute, and I kept waiting for one or the other of them to realize they wouldn't last. All the cutesy romancing just made my heart sink, as I considered whether this was the straw that broke the potential mate's back. When the obstacle does arrive, it seems like it was just plunked in there, to justify that subplot.

I especially didn't like that the most explicit sex scenes in the book are between a man in his forties and a fifteen-year-old girl. That actually made my gorge rise, a couple of times. That entire relationship gave me the creeps, and the fact that it's still intact at the end of the book bothers me.

I think, overall, that listening to this book wasn't a total waste of time. But I also think I won't remember having read it in a couple of years, and I'll read this review like a soap opera character suffering from amnesia - "I don't remember doing this at all!"(less)

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Nov 06, 2009 Teela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Augusten Burroughs never fails to impress me.

This is the first piece of fiction I've read by Mr. Burroughs but I can see where he blends some of his own existence in with this world he's created in fiction. it's the story of the human condition. The good Christian church-going woman who finds in outlet in Valium and alcohol; her husband who is sleeping with the underage neighbor; the 40 something year old woman that looks to the internet to find true love; the trust fund baby who has never had...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 11, 2010 Vincent rated it 1 of 5 stars

I like to watch HSN. I find it soothing. The constant happy banter and steady flow of flattery relaxes me. Even the jewelry showcases; though what I really prefer is the gadgets and only the garish women’s wear. It’s like white noise for the soul. So when my friend Justin recommended Sellevision to me it was a no-brainer to pick up. Unfortunately the book was also a no-brainer.

I thought you couldn’t go wrong with the premise but you can and Borroughs did. I know it’s a comedy but did everything...more

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Oct 05, 2010 John rated it 2 of 5 stars

I became an Augusten Burroughs fan concurrently with David Sedaris so there has always been a bit of a friendly competition between the two authors in my mind. The parallels are quite obvious. Both Burroughs and Sedaris are auto-biographical and hilarious, but since this review is specifically about Sellevision, I will leave that comparison for another forum.

Sellevision was, by far, Burroughs weakest offering, and his only work of true fiction. Its plot lines are contrived and the mystery elemen...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Samantha by: Barnes and Noble Sale

What a refreshing change of pace! Sellevision was light and fluffy and funny and a super fast read. Just what I needed after a few heavy books in a row. An Augusten Burroghs jem, Sellevision explores the inside world of a fictious home-shopping network. My desire to read it was part because I love Augusten Burroughs and part homage to my grandmother who was Capidamonte-Diamonique-QVC addicted shopper until the day she died. Sellevision did not disappoint. From the golden-boy host Max Andrews tur...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Justyna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books

This book follows the lives of a handful of home shopping channel hosts, the title of the program being Sellevision. You have Trish, a daddy's girl with "popularity syndrome"; Peggy Jean, a Christian, perfectionist homemaker with control issues (and her pervy husband, John); Max, the scandalizes and ousted host who falls into a new, even more revealing career; Leigh, whose affair with the head of the network brings her nothing but stress and empty promises; Adele, whose foray into being Native A...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Danielle Harlow rated it 4 of 5 stars

this book is completely different than any other of burroughs' books-- seeing that it is fiction and all the other books are based on or taken directly from events in his life. With that said-- I loved it. Don't get me wrong, I would rather read his non-fiction, considering I almost always find a way to connect the things he has written to events in my own life-- past or current-- but this is a great book to read to just clear your head of all the cobwebs that daily life creates. I read the whol...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great satire of television, and of home shopping networks specifically. Much of the empty-headedness amorality and complete lack of irony about rampant consumerism would apply to other entertainment businesses, much of television and film, and marketing and advertising. The book opening is, well, um, memorable. Or maybe engaging is a better word. It's farcical, but funny too, and supports the satire as a whole. I enjoyed this book very much, probably because it was an effective satire--not somet...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Logan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone turned off by Burroughs' memoirs

Shelves: fiction, joyous_nihilism

I am not a fan of Augusten Burroughs. I think I can specifically remember the moment when I decided this. I was standing behind the counter at the Borders I was working for at the time reading Dry, Burroughs' retelling of his time as an Ad Exec and alcoholic, when I read a paragraph that struck me as especially odious and, quite literally, hurled the book onto the floor and stomped away. I don't know who it was that decided that people who have had moderately-fucked up lives were deserving of ha...more I am not a fan of Augusten Burroughs. I think I can specifically remember the moment when I decided this. I was standing behind the counter at the Borders I was working for at the time reading Dry, Burroughs' retelling of his time as an Ad Exec and alcoholic, when I read a paragraph that struck me as especially odious and, quite literally, hurled the book onto the floor and stomped away. I don't know who it was that decided that people who have had moderately-fucked up lives were deserving of having their tell-alls published, I'm going to blame reality TV with this one(because they haven't been my scapegoat for a few weeks), but it's a distinctly repugnant trend in writing right now.

Most people's lives (and I'm including Dave Eggers, Sean Wilsey, and all those others who know who they are in this rant) are just not that interesting by the time they're in their late twenties to warrant an autobiography. Truthfully, unless your mother was a truck stop whore who dressed you as a girl to turn tricks and got you hooked on smack when you were ten (and, sadly, JT LeRoy was a ruse), your life is not going to be that interesting. Instead you're going to sound like some sort of sniveling twit and I'm not going to be interested in your further works.

Sellevision is Augusten Burroughs' first book, a novel of the standard fictional variety. Set in a fictional home shopping network, Sellevision follows a few months in the lives of the network's lead hosts. Max has just inadvertantly exposed himself during a children's toys segment and is left looking for a new career. Peggy Jean is a tightly wound mother with a stalker fixated on her hairy ear lobes, a husband with eyes only for the nubile teen next door and a burgeoning valium/alcohol abuse problem. Bebe is a compulsive shopper (and the network's highest-rated star) who is dating a man who seems far too good to be true and Leigh is dating a man is who is definitely not good- Howard Toast, the head of programming for Sellevision.

In a fashion that reminds one of no one so much as Douglas Coupland, Burroughs builds the hilarity by slow degrees until the last thirty pages when everything comes together in a gut buster of a belly laugh. In fact, I don't think I've ever laughed harder at the last sentence of a book before; it was like the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae. Still amusing a decade after publication, Sellevision seems like a moment frozen in time. A moment where Augusten Burroughs stood atop a precipice and had to decide whether to keep up the arduous work of actually creating fictional characters or whether he should pillage his semi-interesting adolescence for uncomfortable anecdotes about psychologists finding signs in his morning bowel movements. Oh, what might have been! (less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Bethia rated it 1 of 5 stars

I kept waiting for this book to become amusing. Or, at least for one of the characters to become intriguing.

The best part of this book is the fact that the setting, a home shopping channel studio, would lend itself well to a sitcom. This sitcom could be very good or hopelessly crude and sexist, ala 2 1/2 Men, but at least it has not been done before.

I have kept Augusted Burroughs at arms' length ever since he related the Christmas tree incident in 'Running With Scissors'. It seems his drunken,...more

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Aug 17, 2011 David S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

You can really tell that Augusten Burroughs is finding his voice in this novel. It seemed kind of dated to me, but that's my own lackadaisical fault for not reading it when it came out in 2000. I thought this book was entertaining, even though I found it hard to give a shit about any of these characters except for maybe Max. Still, that could have been partially planned by Mr. Burroughs in a thematic sense because after all they are just television hosts that work on a shopping network. The idea...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Mercedes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again Augusten Burroughs's humorous point of view leaks through the page and fuels a fleet of ROFLCOPTERs.
This book shocked me with how easily it moved threw the characters and brought this back-stabbing world of Sellevision. I was honestly expecting to be left hanging and hastely brought back up to spead. Now I feel stupid for doubting Burroughs' abilty to write.
All the characters were relatable on some level, though some not as much as others. I personally was able to connect to Leigh...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Tony J added it

Shelves: fiction

This, the second of Burroughs' books that I've read, was an entertaining spin through the chaotic lives of the hosts on a home shopping television station, as they encounter one after another crazy situation.

Unlike his other books, which appear to be memoirs, this was a case of pure fiction. And, while I enjoyed it, for what it was, I think I prefer his autobiographical stories, a bit more. Each of the characters was interesting in their own way, but some seemed to blend in with others, and I w...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Desiree rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who appreciate absurdity.

Shelves: funny, absurd, clever

As I read other reviews of this books, specifically the reviews by those who rated it so poorly, I have to wonder if many people missed the point that Burroughs was undoubtedly trying to make. This book is full of absurdities. It's rare for someone to write so effortlessly about such utter reckless abandonment of priorities and the basics of our humanity. This book, from beginning to end, is absolutely ridiculous. The characters (showing how talented Burroughs truly is) are believable, their obs...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, just-for-fun

I have become a big fan of Burroughs' books, but I was disappointed with this one. I like his more autobiographical books much better. I have always related to those works with him sharing the pain of what he's been through and how he has used humor to deal with his life experiences. I have always felt empathy for Burroughs and the characters around him in his other works. In Sellevision, I didn't feel for any of them. It may be because in Burroughs' other writings, we often start with him as a...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Garrett Zecker rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am not sure why this book was so awful. I mean, I didn't hate it, the story moved along, and I was engaged for all of it, but it sincerely is nothing compared to the work he has done since. It is bad by his standards. It is bad by most standards. I cannot believe the book is still in print regardless of the fact that there are people like me, who love his writing to death, and then end up getting it as a gift from someone who knows I like him. I like the edginess of some of the topics, but sin...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, bookcrossing-com, fiction, humor

Well that was an wild ear-reading adventure. I'm not quite sure what to think. Funny but different. I will say that Burrough's humor is not for everyone as it is quite twisted. That said... This was a darkly humorous, weird, wacky story full of superficial people (most you love to hate) that had me laughing at times. I'd have to say the only character I did "like" was poor Max who, by total accident, exposes himself in front of a TV audience during a Toys for Tots segment of a popular TV shoppin...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Janelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs is a behind the scenes look into the lives of the quirky hosts at Sellevision, the premier home shopping network. Readers are introduced to Peggy Jean, the conservative Christian being stalked by a viewer; Max, fired for accidentally exposing himself on air; BeBe, the shining jewel in the network’s crown, Trish, a rising star on the network; and Leigh, a young host sleeping with the boss. If only QVC was more like this book.

Sellevision is a fun book, though near...more

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Jan 03, 2011 aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

this is a novel by burroughs and it is a total winner! it is a character driven comedic fare. it is pretty classic burroughs. there are multiple little stories that are all interconnected within the realm of the sellevision network. sellevision is a network that is the same as home shopping network and there are multiple hosts who become minor celebrities in their own right. max brooks is a character who accidentally shows his private parts on tv. peggy jean smythe is a character who becomes a d...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-in-library

Augusten Burroughs' first novel... I thought it kind of read like a first novel -- a little unsure of itself, sometimes weird transitions, strange ending -- but I did enjoy it.

I'd read "Running with Scissors" so I was interested to see what Burroughs would do with a novel. He created some very vivid characters (I swear I know a few Peggy Jeans), and totally committed to the whole "home shopping network" vibe of the novel/characters/settings.

"Sellevision" was an easy read, fun, naughty in parts...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Jeremy Preacher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

I would have liked this better had I read it on the plane, which was my intent - it's not quite the sort of thing I dig, but it was funny enough. It's wildly over-the-top, which is kind of its only charm - from the intro, where the only sympathetic character gets fired from his Home Shopping Network-type job for a wardrobe malfunction of the highest order, it doesn't let up on the broad caricatures or ridiculous action.

It's badly dated, of course, but that can't be helped. I wasn't totally a fan...more

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Jul 27, 2009 Deneen rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading all of Augusten Burroughs other books, which were memoirs, I had to read his novel (written after he wrote "Running with Scissors", his first book, I believe). Without spoilers, after I read his second book "Dry" and I realized he had written "Sellevision" while working as an ad executive and basically raging alcoholic-I wondered how good it would be.

Well, it was terrific. Funny, laugh out loud funny. The story is purely fictional, however based on home shopping network hosts and...more

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Jun 25, 2008 Trudy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is SO funny if you aren't offended by the obscenities and very adult subject matter. One of the funniest I've read in a long time.

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About Augusten Burroughs

Augusten Burroughs born Christopher Robison, son of poet and writer Margaret Robison and younger brother of John Elder Robison.

Burroughs has no formal education beyond elementary school. A very successful advertising copywriter for over seventeen years, he was also an alcoholic who nearly drank himself to death in 1999. But spurned by a compulsion he did not understand, Burroughs began to write a...more Augusten Burroughs born Christopher Robison, son of poet and writer Margaret Robison and younger brother of John Elder Robison.

Burroughs has no formal education beyond elementary school. A very successful advertising copywriter for over seventeen years, he was also an alcoholic who nearly drank himself to death in 1999. But spurned by a compulsion he did not understand, Burroughs began to write a novel. Never outlining or consciously structuring the book, Burroughs wrote, "as fast as I could type, to keep up." Seven days later, Augusten Burroughs had written his first book. He had also stopped drinking. The book was published one year later. Burroughs remains sober to this day. And Sellevision stands as Burroughs's only published novel. It is currently in development as a feature film.

Augusten's second book was a memoir. It was also a publishing phenomenon that helped to ignite a kind of memoir fever in America and abroad. Running with Scissors was released in 2001 to virtually unanimous critical acclaim. The memoir would ultimately remain on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years, eight months of which were spent in the #1 position. The film, starring Annette Benning, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jill Clayburgh and Alec Baldwin was released in 2005.

He has since published four additional autobiographical volumes (Dry, Possible Side Effects, Magical Thinking and A Wolf at the Table), all of them bestsellers. Currently published in over thirty countries, Augusten's book readings have become massively popular events on numerous continents. He has also headlined for the most prestigious literary festivals in the world, most recently the 2008 Melbourne writer's Festival, where he and Germaine Greer delivered the keynote addresses on opening night. In addition, Burroughs speaks regularly at colleges and universities on topics ranging from alcoholism and sexual abuse to the art of authoring one's own life and humor as serious medicine.

Twice honored by Entertainment Weekly as one of 25 funniest people in America, Burroughs shocked fans and the media alike with the release of A Wolf at the Table in early 2008. The brutal, terrifying and decidedly unfunny book instantly generated a storm of publicity and controversy. Critics were deeply divided, and the book received some of the worst -and best- reviews of the author's career. The book tour for A Wolf at the Table, spanned some six months and four countries, as Augusten performed for the largest crowds of his career. A Wolf at the Table is Augusten's bestselling hardcover to date.

While critics continue to challenge the veracity of Burroughs's books, questioning everything from his alcoholism and advertising career to his earliest childhood memories, the author remains nonplussed, even philosophical. "To be a journalist with a major American newspaper or magazine, you have to have an A-list college education. And to get into that A-list college, you had to do very well in the right high school. So the chances are, you were not being fucked up the ass at age twelve by a pedophile. The facts of my life are generally questioned by extremely privileged and well-educated people who, more likely than not, learned most of what they know about life's dangerous, shocking and sometimes unbelievable underbelly from books, television and the occasional Quentin Tarrantino film. The reason my books continue to sell, despite frequently being dismissed as "unbelievable," is because the people who read my books recognize the truth that is in them. They know the scent. They have smelled it. The very details the media view with such suspicion are the same details that prove to my reader, this guy was there. I remember that, too."

http://us.macmillan.com/author/august...(less)

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