The Gun Seller
by Hugh Laurie
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
people who like PG Wodehouse or spy novels
Hugh Laurie is...I suppose I should begin by saying I have something of a crush on him. In the beginning he was fantastic in "Blackadder" as the various Georges, then he was extremely fabulous opposite Stephen Fry in "Jeeves and Wooster", and then, having proved himself one of the best comic actors of his generation, he came to America to star in "House", and became not just one of the most versatile ...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
Hugh Laurie lovers, spy novel fans, and whomever needs a good laugh
Any one who has spoken to me in the last month probably knows I have a slight obsession with Hugh Laurie. Unfortunately or fortunately, I'm blessed with dreams of this man (usually appearing as House, of course) that always leave me wanting to watch an episode of House, catch him on Leno, or maybe rent Blackadder. What a lovely surprise it was then when I found out he had written a book. And, a book that had an a average 4.5 stars on Amazon. Well, I drove my butt right over Borders in Brentwood ...more
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Read in January, 2007
“Death and disaster are at our shoulders every second of our lives, trying to get at us.”
I will try to prevent my adoration of the brilliant Hugh Laurie affect my review of his first (and, to date, only) published novel, but I will admit that it was the only reason I was initially interested in reading The Gun Seller. While the book itself might not be expressly profound or lasting, it’s great for some light reading (or airplane reading, as it was for me).
Overall, this spy-genre s...more
I will try to prevent my adoration of the brilliant Hugh Laurie affect my review of his first (and, to date, only) published novel, but I will admit that it was the only reason I was initially interested in reading The Gun Seller. While the book itself might not be expressly profound or lasting, it’s great for some light reading (or airplane reading, as it was for me).
Overall, this spy-genre s...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
diehard fans of goofy British humor and spy spoofs
This book took me FOREVER to read. I had to give it second & third tries, after I initially picked it up. I was so excited to read it, but it turned out to be hard going. His humor is not smoothly incorporated into the narrative, nor are the unnecessarily graphic fight descriptions. I love him on House, and I hear he was funny on his other shows. This book improved as I went further on. It just was not anywhere near as good as I thought it would be. I won't reread the book--thank God I didn...more
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Read in January, 2008
Seeing Hugh Laurie in various film and television roles, from "A Bit of Fry & Laurie" up to good ol' Dr. House, I was intrigued to see how he would transition into the world of literature.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I'm not a fan of mystery plotlines and the like, but this book grabbed me. The humor is extremely British (well...obviously), but the way Laurie crafted some of his sentences actually made me laugh out loud at various parts of the book. I enjoyed the...more
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I'm not a fan of mystery plotlines and the like, but this book grabbed me. The humor is extremely British (well...obviously), but the way Laurie crafted some of his sentences actually made me laugh out loud at various parts of the book. I enjoyed the...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Hugh Laurie fans, people with a sense of humor
I have to admit that initially, it was difficult for me to get into this book. In fact I almost put it down shortly after I began reading it. I suppose the writing style took a little getting used to..felt like the author was trying too hard to be funny at the expense of clarity and plot. However, I had heard good things about the book and have to admit that I love Hugh Lorie on House, so I pressed on.
I'm glad I finished the book as it turned out to be a very entertaining read. There wer...more
I'm glad I finished the book as it turned out to be a very entertaining read. There wer...more
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Fun and clever. I vacillated between giving it 3 and 4 stars, and eventually landed on 4 because I enjoyed reading it even if I didn't feel everything paid off as I hoped. (This said, I have to be honest that I might have had unreasonable expectations, giving my predisposition toward the author.)
The book showcases Laurie's comic genius--namely, his ability to turn a phrase and understate it--the characters are likable enough and it's well enough conceived plotwise. (Indeed, the idea of Ame...more
The book showcases Laurie's comic genius--namely, his ability to turn a phrase and understate it--the characters are likable enough and it's well enough conceived plotwise. (Indeed, the idea of Ame...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Everyone I know.
I had to stop reading The Gun Seller around 1am, halfway through it, and believe me, the ONLY thing stopping me from reading to the end was an unfortunate dearth of eyelids propper-uppers, a la A Clockwork Orange.
It is LITERALLY laugh-out-loud funny. Adam (spousal unit)couldn't concentrate on his computer war game, so often did I punctuate the living room's ual silence with raucous laughter and stifled snorts.
But it is ALSO one helluva spy tale. He wrote it in 1996 ...more
It is LITERALLY laugh-out-loud funny. Adam (spousal unit)couldn't concentrate on his computer war game, so often did I punctuate the living room's ual silence with raucous laughter and stifled snorts.
But it is ALSO one helluva spy tale. He wrote it in 1996 ...more
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Certainly I was expecting some erudite, humorous writing from Hugh Laurie, but I wasn't expecting a meticulously researched, taut spy thriller.
Surprise.
Thomas Lang is an ex-army freelance bodyguard who lives from job to job. When he's offered an obscene amount of money to do in an American defense contractor, he decides to warn the victim instead, which leads to more trouble than he intended. Lang rather reluctantly finds himself dee...more
Surprise.
Thomas Lang is an ex-army freelance bodyguard who lives from job to job. When he's offered an obscene amount of money to do in an American defense contractor, he decides to warn the victim instead, which leads to more trouble than he intended. Lang rather reluctantly finds himself dee...more
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A short novel, I read it in about a day. For those who doubt Hugh Laurie is English, read this and all doubt is removed. It is full of English humor, very P.G. Wodehouse in style.
As to the novel, obviously it is an amusing read, which distracts from the overly contrived plot, but that being said, the fact it is contrived is a great quality if you take the book for it is. It is a parody of the spy/thriller type of books. The hero is something of a loser who goes through his adventure and ...more
As to the novel, obviously it is an amusing read, which distracts from the overly contrived plot, but that being said, the fact it is contrived is a great quality if you take the book for it is. It is a parody of the spy/thriller type of books. The hero is something of a loser who goes through his adventure and ...more
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recommends it for:
if you like witty language and spy novel afficionados
Ok yes I love Hugh as an actor...and I love him just to look at...That is not why I'm giving him a good review...that might play into me giving him a 5 instead of a 4 but it's not why I'd recommend this book to both those who like a smart read and those who like spy novels.
The story itself is a pretty classic spy / action book. You could see Bruce Willis doing a lot of these things, but you could see Hugh Laurie playing the role because of the dialogue.
Really, the best part about thi...more
Ok yes I love Hugh as an actor...and I love him just to look at...That is not why I'm giving him a good review...that might play into me giving him a 5 instead of a 4 but it's not why I'd recommend this book to both those who like a smart read and those who like spy novels.
The story itself is a pretty classic spy / action book. You could see Bruce Willis doing a lot of these things, but you could see Hugh Laurie playing the role because of the dialogue.
Really, the best part about thi...more
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Read in December, 2007
I purchased this novel because of the author, Hugh Laurie, who I knew as not an author but as the cynical, genius doctor start of the Fox tv series, "House." The joking, cynical, condescending "House" character is transformed in this novel as a similar protagonist but in a different genre. Thomas Lang is a former military man turned hired assassin. His conscience overpowers his recent acceptance of the assassination of a wealthy American industrialist...which subsequently ...more
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Read in May, 2008
Because I love Hugh Laurie I decided to read his book. In my opinion, it's a good thing he's an actor first. His writing style is good--though I kept picturing his House character saying the acerbic and sarcastic dialog. And his word choice and phrasing is intelligent and often funny. But his plot choice just dragged. I never quite followed it all, had something to do with international arms dealings and terrorist cells, then threw in a romantic subplot, which certainly didn't draw me in. Have t...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in May, 2008
It's a crime-drama centered around the American CIA getting mixed up in arms dealing. Tons of fun.... Written by Hugh Laurie (House), so I constantly heard it in my head as that character's voice... which worked perfectly considering it was writting in 1996, long before House, and that Hugh is probably much better known for his numerous roles in classic British comedies.
It's pretty hysterical. He's got a very interesting, witty, sarcastic way with language and description.
I got this bo...more
It's pretty hysterical. He's got a very interesting, witty, sarcastic way with language and description.
I got this bo...more
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Read in June, 2008
I first saw Hugh Laurie in "Stuard Little," and thought he was pretty good. I then found out dude's been around quite a while across the pond, and the next thing I know, there he is on "House," which has become one of my favorite TV shows. I THEN found out, he wrote a book -- last decade -- when Melis got it for me. I wonder what else I'm going to find out about him...
The book gets your attention right from the start, going through the medical, physical, emotional, and...more
The book gets your attention right from the start, going through the medical, physical, emotional, and...more
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[Update: Sumbitch can write. Not fair, not fair atall.]
The other night I was looking at my dvd's and couldn't decide between Blackadder, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, or Jeeves and Wooster. Then I realized there was a rerun of House on Fox. What to do? So I ordered his novel instead. The size of the man crush I have on Hugh Laurie would be alarming if we didn't live in an enlightened age. That said I sort of hope the book sucks. He crewed for Cambridge, dated Emma Thompson, plays a variet...more
The other night I was looking at my dvd's and couldn't decide between Blackadder, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, or Jeeves and Wooster. Then I realized there was a rerun of House on Fox. What to do? So I ordered his novel instead. The size of the man crush I have on Hugh Laurie would be alarming if we didn't live in an enlightened age. That said I sort of hope the book sucks. He crewed for Cambridge, dated Emma Thompson, plays a variet...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Hugh Laurie fans, spy-spoof fans
There are a number of reviews of this novel already, so there's little I can say without repeating what others have said.
I'll throw my lot in with the camp that found The Gun Seller difficult to read. Hugh Laurie has a wonderful sense of humor, and his jokes in this novel are very funny indeed, but they don't always fit in with the narrative so well. In fact, most of the time, they're clearly forced. The baffling plot also leaves s...more
I'll throw my lot in with the camp that found The Gun Seller difficult to read. Hugh Laurie has a wonderful sense of humor, and his jokes in this novel are very funny indeed, but they don't always fit in with the narrative so well. In fact, most of the time, they're clearly forced. The baffling plot also leaves s...more
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Alas, although this book is extremely funny and comes across as Wodehouse writing a pulpy airport spy novel, I have never read anything from the latter genre and honestly have no inclination too. This would have been a lot more successful if Hugh Laurie had gone more in the Dirk Gently absurdist direction rather than trying to stick to formula.
The book is actually a 3.5 moving down towards three, but I bumped it up to 4 simply because A Bit of Fry and Laurie is one of the funniest thi...more
The book is actually a 3.5 moving down towards three, but I bumped it up to 4 simply because A Bit of Fry and Laurie is one of the funniest thi...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2008
Was walking through a borders, armed with a brand new gift card I had received as a gift, and what do I see on the shelf beside me? House M.D. wrote a novel! Yeah, yeah, Hughe Laure wrote The Gun Seller many years before he became America's favoret ass hole. Anyway, seeing as how it was someone else's money how could I resist? Anyway once I started reading this book I just couldn't put it down. It is extreamly witty and a very entertaining read. If you need something silly to read, with am...more
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Read in April, 2007
Hugh Laurie, baby, I love you, but this one took me a few months to get though.
It just never snagged me. The writing style is brilliant. Hugh has a great wit about him and uses some of the strangest metaphors / smilies I've ever read.
Nonetheless, the plot itself was long, drawn out, and complex. I also kept getting characters and sides confused (possibly in part because of how long it took me to get though) which only made it tougher.
I admittedly liked the ending though, and ...more
It just never snagged me. The writing style is brilliant. Hugh has a great wit about him and uses some of the strangest metaphors / smilies I've ever read.
Nonetheless, the plot itself was long, drawn out, and complex. I also kept getting characters and sides confused (possibly in part because of how long it took me to get though) which only made it tougher.
I admittedly liked the ending though, and ...more
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.81 (671 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.83 (594 ratings) number of reviews: 171popular shelves
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"In books, day breaks, and night falls. In life, night rises from the ground. The day hangs on for as long as it can, bright and eager, absolutely and positively the last guest to leave the party, while the ground darkens, oozing night around your ankles, swallowing for ever that dropped contact lens, making you miss that low catch in the gully on the last ball of the last over."
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