Darkly funny and gleefully mean-spirited, Sellevision explores greed, obsession and third tier celebrity, in the world of a fictional home ...
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Jul 09, 2008
Kent
rated it: 
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 w More...
They both seem to draw largely on personal experiences to weave humorous stories that people can relate to. How can that go w More...
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Jun 14, 2007
Punk
rated it: 
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. Sev
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May 27, 2008
Jennie
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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
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Oct 13, 2011
Milan/zzz
rated it: 
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 lawsu More...
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 lawsu More...
Aug 04, 2011
Benjamin
rated it: 
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...
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...
Jan 11, 2010
Clifon
rated it:
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May 31, 2009
Aaron
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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 th More...
It all starts with Max Andrews, who falls into controversy during a Toys for Tots segment on his Sunday morning brunch show. All th More...
May 11, 2011
Alice
rated it:
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 pers More...
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 pers More...
Nov 06, 2009
Teela
rated it: 
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 h More...
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 h More...
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Mar 11, 2010
Vincent
rated it:
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 com More...
Oct 05, 2010
John
rated it:
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 th More...
Sellevision was, by far, Burroughs weakest offering, and his only work of true fiction. Its plot lines are contrived and th More...
Jan 29, 2009
Samantha
rated it:
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
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Jan 26, 2009
Danielle
rated it:
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
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Aug 14, 2009
Logan
rated it:
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
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Aug 17, 2011
David
rated it:
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
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Dec 06, 2011
Mercedes
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Aug 08, 2011
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 More...
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 More...
Feb 21, 2011
Desiree
rated it:
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
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Feb 07, 2012
Garrett
rated it:
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, bu
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Feb 16, 2009
Janelle
rated it:
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, More...
Sellevision is a fun book, More...
Jan 03, 2011
aaron
rated it:
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 becom
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Jun 04, 2009
Shannon
rated it:
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.
"Sel More...
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.
"Sel More...
Oct 31, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
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 t More...
It's badly dated, of course, but that can't be helped. I wasn't t More...
Jul 27, 2009
Deneen
rated it:
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, how More...
Well, it was terrific. Funny, laugh out loud funny. The story is purely fictional, how More...
Feb 25, 2009
Amy
rated it:
This book was SO MUCH FUN! I could not put in down the moment I started it (I read it in one sitting). Scandal after scandal, distasters coming one after the other, it was hysterical. It was one of those books where I could tell what was coming thirty pages before it happened, but when I got there, I still couldn't believe the story went that direction! I liked it so much that I told my friend Kristen that if she would read this one, I would read one of her favorite books. This is saying so
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Aug 12, 2010
Brandon
rated it:
While nothing exceptional, "Sellevision" was a quick and easy book to read. I read it in about four hours, and it was pretty enjoyable. Not nearly as good as his books "Running with Scissors", "Dry", or "Wolf at the Table", this one is still work a read. It follows the lives of a number of tv personalities working at the shopping channel, Sellevision. Things go awry when one of the hosts, Max, exposes himself on tv. Some of the other stars rise, while othe
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Jun 12, 2009
Shae
rated it:
I really liked Sellevision and the idea of it. I'm always a fan of books that give a "behind the scenes" look at something that is rarely seen. I admit, I even watched a bit of the home shopping type networks just because I wanted to think up stories about the hosts. Most of the book I was alternating between shaking my head in disgust (to what situations the characters had gotten themselves into) and cheering on tiny triumphs or some characters getting what they deserved. In short, th
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Mar 19, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 28, 2009
Tira
rated it:
It is no secret that I am a huge Augusten Burroughs fan. I eat up everything that he writes and practically foam at the mouth when I learn that he is releasing a new book. With that said I have to say that I am glad that I read his other books before I read this one otherwise I do no think that my admiration for him would be there. I mean I like this book that's why I gave it 3 stars but I just like his other works better. This was so different because it is a novel and totally fiction where
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