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60th out of 93 books
—
267 voters
The Mysterious Secret of the Valuable Treasure
Laugh-out-loud funny and dripping with style, this debut collection of stories holds a fun house mirror to the everyday lives of characters as empathetic as they are absurd. From the self-appointed historian of the title piece to the wage slaves of ?Our Spring Catalog? and ?The Pipe, ? these are characters you?ve met before. They?re quirky visionaries and misguided dreamer...more
Paperback, 187 pages
Published
January 1st 2007
by MacAdam/Cage Publishing
(first published 2005)
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Laughed my ass off from the very first page. I don't yet know his other books, but from this one I'd guess that Pendarvis, like George Saunders, is a pony to be judged by the quality of his tricks rather than the quantity. He mostly writes about loserish guys stuck on their unlikely dreams, and he has a perfect grasp of a certain voice that strives toward eloquence but isn't quite there yet. There are some great micro-pieces in here, but the two big stories that bookend it -- "The Pipe" and the...more
Finally revisited this and finished it this morning. I need a clean slate to begin the semester. I can't have all these half-finished book laying about!
In early December, I read all but the title story, which is longer, maybe half the book. Getting through all the other stories had been too exhausting, and I just didn't have the wherewithal to finish at the time. This is the first book in a long time that I was truly disappointed by. I had high hopes because it had come up in conversation during...more
In early December, I read all but the title story, which is longer, maybe half the book. Getting through all the other stories had been too exhausting, and I just didn't have the wherewithal to finish at the time. This is the first book in a long time that I was truly disappointed by. I had high hopes because it had come up in conversation during...more
If I were going to have another favorite book--assuming that A Confederacy of Dunces ever steps down--then this is currently the prime candidate. Pendarvis has my favorite sort of wit: Mine. Except that he's able to convey it, whereas mine just rattles around my head wondering why I've never developed the tools to use it.
pretty funny schtuff... So the first half of this book is incredible entertaining, with pendarvis pulling jokes and funny prose out of his sleeves like magic. Everyday magic, with a bit of a highbrow slant. His introductory faux book reviews and faux contributors biographies are hilarious. He seems to be at his best in the 5-10 pg length feature - enough to get to the pithy point and infuse it with some sarcastic, self-effacing humor. Shorter pieces are enough to birth a smile; the longer eponym...more
Absolutely the wittiest, freshest and funniest collection since I discovered George Saunders. Some are brilliant, but all satisfy. Not David Sedaris-funny, more like Woody Allen, but with a lot more dialogue. For those looking for smart humor.
Aug 04, 2011
Tom Fuchs
added it
Some really amazing short stories sandwiched in between some slighter bits, but the titular story is one of the best I've read in a long time. Excited to read his other work now.
Imagination is a cuddly kitten with alligator teeth. Cultivate a spirit of adventure and general willingness in it and it will do your bidding most foul. Jack Pendarvis clearly knows this.
Strange, winding stories that intrigue and sharpen the mind. Not overly satisfying, complicated or restful...
Just ok.
Clever and brilliantly constructed. This is a collection of short stories-- most of them are intentionally written from the point of view of narrators who can't really write, an idea which sounds terrible in theory but which is incredibly hilarious in execution. I wanted his new novel, "Awesome," but they only had this-- which I enjoyed quite a bit.
Jun 23, 2009
David
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
someone who can't look away from a pileup on the freeway.
These stories of clueless, unlovable losers work best either when they are very short--the astonishing lead-off story "Sex Devil"--or when expanded to the novella-length title piece, itself assembled from 25 2- to 3-page "chapters."
I wrote about this during my week of blogging book reviews on the Wake County book blog. http://wakebookaday.wordpress.com/201...
Funny stuff! If you enjoyed Woody Allen's "Without Feathers" and "Side Effects" (or "Getting Even") you'd like this book.
hahahahaha. What fun reading. It's like being tickled and told silly jokes by someone you really, really like.
Aug 20, 2008
Jimmy
added it
I laughed my ass off. Not much like this roaming around out there.
Hit or miss really. 'The Pipe' is my personal fave out of the set.
Gut-wrenchingly funny--a new favorite!
One of the funniest books I've ever read.
Jul 05, 2008
Michael
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people prospecting a hyperrealist boom
promising
May 05, 2013
Anthony Mack
marked it as to-read
Mar 23, 2013
Therese
marked it as to-read
Mar 03, 2013
Gaye
marked it as to-read
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Feb 15, 2012 02:53am
Feb 15, 2012 08:25am