Hugh Laurie concocts an uproarious cocktail of comic zingers and over-the-top action in this "ripping spoof of the spy genre" "(Vanity Fair)" -- th...
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Jun 06, 2010
Becky
rated it: 
I wish I could give this book 6 stars.
I love Hugh Laurie. I love his dry, sarcastic wit. I love his accent. I want to hump his leg for writing this book.
Yes. I really just said that.
I picked up this book BECAUSE I love Hugh Laurie, but I didn't really have high expectations. I thought it would be humorous, but not a book to really be taken seriously. I thought it would be a little bit like a parody of the espionage genre, like Johnny English or Spy Hard, et More...
I love Hugh Laurie. I love his dry, sarcastic wit. I love his accent. I want to hump his leg for writing this book.
Yes. I really just said that.
I picked up this book BECAUSE I love Hugh Laurie, but I didn't really have high expectations. I thought it would be humorous, but not a book to really be taken seriously. I thought it would be a little bit like a parody of the espionage genre, like Johnny English or Spy Hard, et More...
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Dec 16, 2009
Jessica
rated it: 
“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 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 s More...
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Aug 14, 2009
Robert
rated it:
The Gun Seller is a strange book, in a way. The first few chapters are sort of random and whimsical, with at least one laugh-out-loud line on every page. About a quarter of the way in though, it seems like it occurs to Laurie that he actually has some storytelling to do, and sets about doing it. The book grows gradually more serious from that point, until it is close to being a Robert Ludlum-style spy thriller. It also gets rather confusing. I had a hard time figuring out the motivations of some
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Dec 16, 2009
Platoeatssouls
rated it:
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 actors, but a sex symbol to boot.
It was on the stre More...
It was on the stre More...
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Feb 05, 2012
Amanda
rated it: 
The only reason I read this book? You guessed it, Hugh Laurie. Anything to which his name is attached is worth a looksee. I'm not typically a fan of spy novels, so I must admit that some of the spoofing was probably lost on me. However, Laurie obviously enjoys the English language and bends and twists it to wit-laced results. As a narrator, Thomas Lang is sarcastic and self-deprecating, but also a genuinely nice guy. He's likable, someone you'd like to go have a drink with just to hear his
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Jul 24, 2008
Maryscott
rated it:
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 and I 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 and I More...
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Apr 04, 2010
Brad
rated it:
Fantastic. Fantastically funny. Fantastically savvy. Fantastically clever. Fantastically political. Fantastically cinematic. Fantastically entertaining. Fantastic.
Hugh Laurie has only written one novel, but I hope there are more to come after his near perfect debut, The Gun Seller.
Laurie takes a fairly standard "dirty CIA" story (ala Jason Bourne), tosses in some Wodehousian humour, takes the p*ss out of modern politics and democracy, builds suspense with some More...
Hugh Laurie has only written one novel, but I hope there are more to come after his near perfect debut, The Gun Seller.
Laurie takes a fairly standard "dirty CIA" story (ala Jason Bourne), tosses in some Wodehousian humour, takes the p*ss out of modern politics and democracy, builds suspense with some More...
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Sep 03, 2008
Samantha
rated it: 
Perhaps it's unfair to review this book seeing as I haven't finished reading it yet, but I'll do it anyway! I think, perhaps, I picked up this book for the wrong reason. I wasn't particularly interested in the story, though it did intrigue me. In all honesty, I picked it up because Hugh Laurie wrote it and I love him. (More specifically, I love Robert Sean Leonard who stars with Hugh Laurie on 'House', but has not actually written a book so this was the best I could do...) This, I have discovere
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Sep 18, 2008
selena
rated it:
I didn't just buy this book because it is written by Hugh Laurie of House MD fame. Really. I also definitely do not adore him and dream of whacking his wife so that I can steal him. Definitely not.
As soon as I heard that Hugh Laurie had written and published a book, I knew that I had to own it and read it at least once. I’m a little bit of a Laurie devotee - for the record, I wouldn’t necessarily call it an obsession.
This celebrity writing thing is dangerous and tough gro More...
As soon as I heard that Hugh Laurie had written and published a book, I knew that I had to own it and read it at least once. I’m a little bit of a Laurie devotee - for the record, I wouldn’t necessarily call it an obsession.
This celebrity writing thing is dangerous and tough gro More...
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Feb 28, 2010
Radu
rated it:
I didn't expect much from this book, since I saw it being republished as a means to make some money off of Laurie's popularity in the "House MD" series. (In any case, it worked, as I bought it despite thinking this...)
Boy, was I wrong! It's one of the funniest books I've read in a long time, combining a spy story with romance and humor, the latter inevitably coming off in my head as said by "House". This doesn't detract from its quality, indeed it makes it even be More...
Boy, was I wrong! It's one of the funniest books I've read in a long time, combining a spy story with romance and humor, the latter inevitably coming off in my head as said by "House". This doesn't detract from its quality, indeed it makes it even be More...
May 26, 2008
Dani
rated it:
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.
More...
It's pretty hysterical. He's got a very interesting, witty, sarcastic way with language and description.
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Aug 10, 2011
It's written by Hugh Laurie, so you'd expect this to be funny. Well guess what. It is. Very much so, in fact. Not the sort of humour that will have you rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter, but it should provoke wry chuckles, and a knowing grin throughout. The basic writing is also good, with all the linguistic ability you might expect from watching Laurie in action.
However, the plot (a parody of spy/action films), while interesting at first, becomes incredibly convoluted by the end, to More...
However, the plot (a parody of spy/action films), while interesting at first, becomes incredibly convoluted by the end, to More...
Mar 08, 2009
Alaina
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 07, 2009
Katharyn
rated it:
Assassins, terrorists, rouge CIA agents, conspiracy theories, sex and money - oh my! Thomas Lang is a British ex-military man, in a complicated P.I. line of work. Master Boyd looper (second only to THE Doctor) Mr. Lang struggles his way through a situation filled with layers of complications, questioning himself and the world along the way.
I found the character names hard to follow (but hey, I’m dyslexic, that happens); so I’m going to have to re-read The Gun Seller before I’ll feel More...
I found the character names hard to follow (but hey, I’m dyslexic, that happens); so I’m going to have to re-read The Gun Seller before I’ll feel More...
Jan 29, 2012
Jim
rated it:
Thanks to Chris for turning me on to this fun romp. Every now & then I'd just bust out laughing & it kept me up past my bed time to finish it. Random, odd, & meandering as it seems at times, the humor was a constant thread & I found that everything really was spot on. If the story occasionally took the long way around the barn, it was only so we'd sneak up on something unexpected.
It's at least a 3 star thriller & is written so perfectly in Laurie's voice that I could hear & see hi More...
It's at least a 3 star thriller & is written so perfectly in Laurie's voice that I could hear & see hi More...
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Oct 07, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
I have a piece of advice for you if you decide to read this book (which you should):
Do not read it in an elevator, on a bus, in a hotel lobby, in a hospital waiting room, in the car when you're a passenger (or when you're the driver, for a more obvious reason), while standing in line at the bank/grocery store/customer service desk, while standing round waiting for the mechanics to finish with your oil change, at school, at work, or any other public arena where people can observe you.
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Do not read it in an elevator, on a bus, in a hotel lobby, in a hospital waiting room, in the car when you're a passenger (or when you're the driver, for a more obvious reason), while standing in line at the bank/grocery store/customer service desk, while standing round waiting for the mechanics to finish with your oil change, at school, at work, or any other public arena where people can observe you.
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Aug 25, 2011
Liza
rated it:
I have loved Hugh Laurie in many of his forms - Bertie Wooster, his roles in Black Adder, Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (obviously), House, and, of course, his fabulous and wordless role in Annie Lennox's video for "Walking on Broken Glass." As much as I have loved him on screen, I loved him just as much, or possibly even more, as an author of satirical fiction.
The first few pages of any book, fiction or non-fiction, are essential to the readers' probability of continu More...
The first few pages of any book, fiction or non-fiction, are essential to the readers' probability of continu More...
Aug 11, 2011
Elaine
rated it:
Автор рецензии: Дедюхина Елена
Дата публикации: 25 апреля 2005 г.
Как объяснить суть феномена английского юмора людям, далеким от британской культуры, привыкшим к лобовым атакам российских юмористов? Как убедить их, что, зачастую, знаменитый юмор британцев - это всего лишь какие-то завуалированные, тонкие намеки на негативные стороны жизни?
Однако с недавних пор задача значительно упростилась: по-русски издан роман Хью Лори "Торговец пушками". Найден эт More...
Дата публикации: 25 апреля 2005 г.
Как объяснить суть феномена английского юмора людям, далеким от британской культуры, привыкшим к лобовым атакам российских юмористов? Как убедить их, что, зачастую, знаменитый юмор британцев - это всего лишь какие-то завуалированные, тонкие намеки на негативные стороны жизни?
Однако с недавних пор задача значительно упростилась: по-русски издан роман Хью Лори "Торговец пушками". Найден эт More...
Jul 24, 2011
Ensiform
rated it:
Cynical, wry freelance soldier of fortune Thomas Lang is hired to kill a man, but being a nice chap, refuses the money and goes to warn the intended victim. His discovery that the victim, an American industrialist, is also the man who hired him is only the beginning of a series of bizarre surprises and twists in store for Lang, as he is reluctantly involved in a plot to instigate a terrorist act so that a new attack helicopter can be tested out in actual combat. He falls for the industrialist’
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Mar 26, 2011
Robyn
rated it:
Hugh Laurie's novel was both surprising, and in places, a bit disappointing, but the surprising bits more than made up for the disappointing ones. The quality of the prose (especially in the first half) was wonderful, witty and very, very funny. The plot is something that keeps you on your toes, Laurie often merely hints at certain plot developments, and leaves you to puzzle it out your self. The main character is enticing with wry observations and certain turns of phrase that create a wonderful
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Jan 30, 2011
Rob
rated it:
The immediately striking thing about The Gun Seller is that our hero's interior monologue is really desperate for approval. Every other line is a joke, a stammered-spluttered gag with no regard for the rhythm of the story because it's time for another wry aside. I don't know if there are 50 pages to this book if you cut out the wry asides (which are hard to distinguish from the extended set-ups to wry asides).
And, credit to Laurie, most of them are somewhat humourous and many raised More...
And, credit to Laurie, most of them are somewhat humourous and many raised More...
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Nov 22, 2010
Bre
rated it:
It was a dust collector on my bookshelf for months. Finally, I was too guilt filled looking at my uninished bookstore splurge, of which I abandoned at roughly chapter 2. Sadly bookless, I picked this up two days ago and realized I'd missed a good read. I am guilty of the "flip througher" and "ending wrekcer" one of those people that like to teleport into the future and don't take it one page at a time. I couldn't get into this book at first. Then, I realized, I hadn't actuall
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Sep 24, 2010
Nauane Karoline
rated it:
Thomas Lang é um ex-militar britânico que não faz nada. Ou melhor, faz sim - muita coisa errada. O livro começa com Lang na casa de um empresário americano. Ele quase uma mata um homem e assusta a filha do empresário - tudo isso porque ele recebeu uma proposta para matar Wolf, o tal empresário americano, mas que ele recusou. O que ele faz na casa do Wolf então? Bom, ele foi avisar o Wolf que alguém queria matá-lo.
Lang é inglês e isso já resume praticamente toda a sua personalidade. E ele t More...
Lang é inglês e isso já resume praticamente toda a sua personalidade. E ele t More...
May 13, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (pp. 368)
There isn’t much that Hugh Laurie can’t do. Yes, that Hugh Laurie famously known as the title TV character, House. This novel is just another hyphenate added to his long list of Renaissance Man accomplishments. The Gun Seller is a spy thriller satire that is fun, full of descriptions that paint full panoramic views ready for the movie screen, and uses a vocabulary taken from many of the classic thriller writers and movies. There are elemen More...
There isn’t much that Hugh Laurie can’t do. Yes, that Hugh Laurie famously known as the title TV character, House. This novel is just another hyphenate added to his long list of Renaissance Man accomplishments. The Gun Seller is a spy thriller satire that is fun, full of descriptions that paint full panoramic views ready for the movie screen, and uses a vocabulary taken from many of the classic thriller writers and movies. There are elemen More...
May 09, 2010
Xirxe
rated it:
Thomas Lang, selbständiger Sicherheitsberater, Bodyguard - was auch immer - wird über mehrere Ecken in ein Drogen-, später dann Waffengeschäft verwickelt und findet sich plötzlich als Terrorist wieder. Grund hierfür ist sein gutes Herz und (natürlich) die Liebe zu einer Frau. Wie er sich aus dieser und vielen anderen gefährlichen Situationen wieder herauswindet, schildert Laurie durchaus witzig und originell. Seine Wortspielereien und Spitzfindigkeiten in Bezug auf Sprache sind überaus unterhalt
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Dec 30, 2009
Lenka
rated it:
Maybe it's unfair to write this because of the very real and true fact that i have not yet finished reading this book. Prehaps this is unfair because i love Hugh Laurie too much to even consider explaining any faults with anything which is even the slightest bit related to Hugh Laurie. There are a lot of thing which are unfair to do, or say, or even write down on a secret slip of paper which may or may not be found. It's unfair, but like all those other thing i should've prehaps not even taken a
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Oct 24, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 27, 2009
Karen
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 15, 2009
B
rated it:
I love Hugh Laurie's cool, intelligent personality, in this book as well as Dr. Gregory House (in the TV show), and this book shows off character so well that I didn't even care what the plot was. But for your information, it has something to do with terrorists (this was written in the 90s) and the protagonist comes to the rescue. As it turns out, the plot is decent and the ending titillating. Whatever-- I just enjoyed the sarcasm.
At the beginning of a story the hero is in a fight wi More...
At the beginning of a story the hero is in a fight wi More...
Apr 14, 2011
Samantha
rated it:
I really enjoyed the first part of this book, Laurie's writing style is smooth and often humorous. But after I reached part two of the book the story started to loose me until I ended up putting it down and going long periods without picking it back up again. Things got a little too bogged down with explanations of the terrorist aspects of the plot. I'm not a very big fan of espionage novels and even though I went into the story knowing that's what this was, the first half seemed more like a mys
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