"Couch hits on an improbable, even fantastic premise, and then rigorously hews to the logic that it generates, keeping it afloat (at times literall...
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reviews
Nov 05, 2011
oriana
rated it: 
I was really excited to read this book, one of the newest offerings from Small Beer Press, the little publishing house run by amazing surreal-ish fantasy-ish author Kelly Link and her husband. And this is really just exactly the kind of book you'd expect them to be championing, a totally modern reality-based novel, which just also happens to have one or two overt – and many many subtle – details which couldn't strictly belong to our consensus-based reality.
Like a couch with kind of More...
Like a couch with kind of More...
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Sep 22, 2008
Stephanie
rated it: 
COUCH, by Benjamin Parzybok, starts out as an oddly compelling novel. Parzybok is involved with www.ideacog.net, which has lots of cool stuff you should check out. After you read this review.
The couch in question may or may not be somehow magical. Three roommates in Portland, Oregon (in my own neighborhood, no less!) need to dispose of the couch. In bizarro fashion, they end up carrying it down 23rd Avenue, and to points beyond. In fact, VERY beyond.
The writing is somewhat brilliant More...
The couch in question may or may not be somehow magical. Three roommates in Portland, Oregon (in my own neighborhood, no less!) need to dispose of the couch. In bizarro fashion, they end up carrying it down 23rd Avenue, and to points beyond. In fact, VERY beyond.
The writing is somewhat brilliant More...
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Dec 29, 2008
Sally
rated it: 
This hilarious and thought provoking book is one of my favorites of the year. Three guys are trying to move a couch but the couch has different ideas about where it wants to go. The story ends up traveling across the world. For fans of Quinn's Ishmael, you will love the message. I did.
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Nov 20, 2008
Erica
rated it:
This book is a lot like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, except instead of a ring you have a couch. And instead of hobbits you have a computer programmer who is allergic to wheat, a conman, and a wire bending psychic. And instead of the Shire, you have Portland. Also, not so much with the epic poetry. But other than that...
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Feb 27, 2009
Jessica
rated it:
This book is way more than you bargain for when you turn the first page. Like a treacherous but lovely lagoon, there are hidden depths and deceptive shallows and it is impossible to know how you will come out once you dive in. A surprisingly fresh myth crafted specially for our age, Couch will stretch your understanding of what a book can be.
Mr. Parzybok is very good at paralleling the readers emotions with that of his characters, drawing you into their befuddlement, their hope and t More...
Mr. Parzybok is very good at paralleling the readers emotions with that of his characters, drawing you into their befuddlement, their hope and t More...
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Feb 15, 2009
Jillian
rated it:
I was obsessed with the premise of this book since I read about it in the Times - three guys try to move a couch, and the couch will only allow itself to be taken in certain directions. The quest of the couch begins!
Of course, an idea this ridiculous and silly is right up my alley. The book isn't actually ridiculous though - the characters are like real people and respond in ways one would expect when confronted with a couch with a volition (incredulity, panic). But the lure of th More...
Of course, an idea this ridiculous and silly is right up my alley. The book isn't actually ridiculous though - the characters are like real people and respond in ways one would expect when confronted with a couch with a volition (incredulity, panic). But the lure of th More...
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Jan 15, 2009
Tonydowler
rated it:
I got Couch on a whim, and it turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying read. Parzybok is a pretty good writer, and he sticks to telling the story in simple straightforward terms. The occaisonal pop culture references and self-conscious turns of phrase don't do anything to help the book, but they don't do any major harm either. The story itself is unique and refreshing. It's a quick and pleasant read with a few surprises along the way.
Aug 08, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
It won me over. Couch starts off as a typically Northwestern tale of woe: three underemployed guys - a laid-off programmer, a fey pie-baking hippie boy, and a smooth-talking con artist - share a dismal Portland apartment, down on their luck and starting to feel desperation creeping in around the edges. When they are forced out of their den of lethargy by a flood, they discover that their perniciously comfortable couch may, in fact, be evil, and certainly possesses a mind of its own. As they try
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Feb 08, 2012
Kallen
rated it:
How to describe the book? Well, you open the front cover and see under the ISBN number:
1. Roommates- Oregon - Portland- Fiction. 2. Sofas- Fiction. 3. Voyages and travels- Fiction. 4. Self-actualization (Psychology)- Fiction.I.Title.
Honestly, that's as far as I can really explain it.
I was going to rate this a 3, but after thinking about it, I upgraded to a four. Just like Foreign films test my preconceptions of what a movie should be like, this book broke the boundarie More...
1. Roommates- Oregon - Portland- Fiction. 2. Sofas- Fiction. 3. Voyages and travels- Fiction. 4. Self-actualization (Psychology)- Fiction.I.Title.
Honestly, that's as far as I can really explain it.
I was going to rate this a 3, but after thinking about it, I upgraded to a four. Just like Foreign films test my preconceptions of what a movie should be like, this book broke the boundarie More...
Nov 08, 2011
Matt
rated it:
This is an entertaining if somewhat uneven first novel from Parzybok. The opening makes you think this will be a story of three slacker roommates who set out on a sort of quirky adventure together and develop a bond and friendship blah blah blah stop me if you've heard this before. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and based on the cover art and blurb on the back, it's sort of what I expected.
Where this book gets really interesting is in the middle section, which is bizarre More...
Where this book gets really interesting is in the middle section, which is bizarre More...
Apr 09, 2009
Mark
rated it:
Quirky, interesting read. I really enjoyed the style as well as the off-beat story. Interesting commentary on commercialism without sounding preachy or condescending. I somehow expected more from the finale, but upon further reflection felt that it was apt.
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Dec 13, 2008
reed
rated it:
I thought I would hate this book. The whole time I was reading it (laughing, racing to turn the page, refusing to put it down) I felt sure the end was going to be a disappointment. But it wasn't and I'm still not sure why it felt so satisfying. If you like books that are hard to describe, this book is for you.
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Aug 05, 2011
Larry
rated it:
This book had me from the cover. I love books that mix fiction with a little bit of magic (suggestion: read one of my favorite books of all time, Fool on the Hill by Matt Ruff) and "Couch" was a terrific read. What an improbable story: three unemployed and temporarily homeless roommates set off on an epic adventure, armed with a few possessions and what appears to be a magical couch. Don't let the description fool you: this is an entertaining, thought-provoking and sometimes heartbr
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May 21, 2009
Dina
rated it:
Three buddies on a quest float from Portland, Oregon to the cloud forests of Ecuador. The buddies include a Mystic, a Rebel and Everyman.
Everyman is an over-sized, unemployed computer genius whose girlfriend has dumped him. His name is Thom and he doubts himself.
The Rebel is an underdeveloped character who flanks Thom along with the Mystic.
The Mystic, named Tree, is a skinny hippie with ESP.
If you can suspend disbelief for The Davinci Code you More...
Everyman is an over-sized, unemployed computer genius whose girlfriend has dumped him. His name is Thom and he doubts himself.
The Rebel is an underdeveloped character who flanks Thom along with the Mystic.
The Mystic, named Tree, is a skinny hippie with ESP.
If you can suspend disbelief for The Davinci Code you More...
Dec 29, 2009
Jeremy
rated it:
Some books seem to beckon to me. They sit there on the shelves and yell "read me" in a voice that only I can hear. Couch is one such book. I'd never hear of it or the author (nor has anybody else that I know) but this seemingly unknown book captivated me. The book made me wonder what the couch could represent. Could it be that it symbolizes the power our sedentary lifestyle has over us? Is this book really about our own inner desire to break away from it all and explore. I think More...
Jul 01, 2009
Laura
rated it:
One thing stopped me, and one thing only, from assigning a five-star rating to this book: Author Benjamin Parzybok seemed to run out of steam at the very end and wrapped up the story quite abruptly.
That said, I almost didn't care, because the rest of the story was such a fabulously funny, wild and delicious romp through fantasy or magical realism (or whatever you want to call it) that almost anything else could be forgiven.
I mean, picture it: Three unemployed young guys, More...
That said, I almost didn't care, because the rest of the story was such a fabulously funny, wild and delicious romp through fantasy or magical realism (or whatever you want to call it) that almost anything else could be forgiven.
I mean, picture it: Three unemployed young guys, More...
Jan 30, 2012
Lori
rated it:
Donwloaded audio by Iambik for review
Listened 1/9/12 - 1/27/12
3.5 Stars - Strongly Recommended to readers who like a little bizarro mixed into their fiction
Audio download (approx 11hrs)
Publisher: Iambik Audio / Small Beer Press
This was a book that had been sitting on my goodreads to-buy shelf for over a year, so I was thrilled to see it on Iambik Audio's website. I immediately downloaded a review copy on my Droid, and started listening on my commute to and from More...
Listened 1/9/12 - 1/27/12
3.5 Stars - Strongly Recommended to readers who like a little bizarro mixed into their fiction
Audio download (approx 11hrs)
Publisher: Iambik Audio / Small Beer Press
This was a book that had been sitting on my goodreads to-buy shelf for over a year, so I was thrilled to see it on Iambik Audio's website. I immediately downloaded a review copy on my Droid, and started listening on my commute to and from More...
Sep 10, 2010
Marigold
rated it: 
Have heard this book described as unique – which it is, though also quite a bit like The Lord of the Rings, only with “real” people and places. And, uh, shorter!! Have heard it described as funny, hilarious, even “rollicking”, and “gentle”. Which it isn’t! Overall this is an uneven book. It starts off funny and gentle, with our three slacker heroes from Portland (plus points for this!) going on an unintended journey with an orange couch. Then it becomes annoyingly incomprehensible, then scary, t
More...
Jun 14, 2009
C.E.
rated it:
I'd go 3.5 stars if they'd let me. Entertaining read whose promising start gets bogged down in the weight of its big ideas in the last 100 pages or so. Still, any book about three guys hauling a magic couch from Portland to somewhere in the Andes has its charms. The quest sort of becomes a semi-amusing take on the Lord of the Rings--if it had been written by a less humorous combination of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore. Not great, but an amusing beach read and a decent way to kick off a s
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Dec 14, 2009
Veronica
rated it:
Weird! Interesting! Once you get sucked in far enough you want to finish it just to see if they really complete this wild and twisted journey. It's kind of sad and depressing at parts, I wonder how Parzybok created these lonely characters who all ended up needing each other in the end. He does talk a lot about the world we live in and how we as humans corrupt it. All the pollution and waste and technology. A bizarre book so make sure you imagination is up to snuff before you partake in this read
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Feb 02, 2009
Susan
rated it:
This is the story of a quest undertaken by three friends who are entrusted by . . . (cue otherworldly music) the powers of the Universe to return a large indestructible orange couch to (more otherworldly music) a holy place in Ecuador that cannot be found on any map. Yeah, another "what-to-do-with-the-couch" story. Trite, right? No, this is an adventure story with a possible message to us couch potatoes. I can't think of anything to compare it with, so how about UNIQUE? Maybe Ishm
Apr 22, 2011
Kel
rated it:
This is the book that Benjamin Parzybok was meant to write. Not that I knew of Benjamin Parzybok before I read it; I'm glad I do now. This novel is an original take on the classic journey/quest story, presenting surreal situations with such homely detail that they come across as almost uncomfortably real at times, so that the reader accompanies the character, with an almost palapable pebble in the shoe. The publishing house from whence this book came, and Benjamin's web presence will provide
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Mar 18, 2009
Tess
rated it:
On page 89 the book started to capture my interest. I had to speed read to get there though.
Unevenly written overall, and at times I was tempted to put the book down and give up from boredom. Overall, I didn't think it was worth the journey. I didn't find it funny, but it did touch on some of the things I'm interested in, namely places in the world where so called civilization hasn't blotted out ancient beliefs and knowledge that has been lost to us.
This is nothing like More...
Unevenly written overall, and at times I was tempted to put the book down and give up from boredom. Overall, I didn't think it was worth the journey. I didn't find it funny, but it did touch on some of the things I'm interested in, namely places in the world where so called civilization hasn't blotted out ancient beliefs and knowledge that has been lost to us.
This is nothing like More...
Sep 11, 2009
Alarra
rated it:
I really liked the premise at the start of this book - three mid-twenties slacker roommates are kicked out of their apartment with nothing but an orange couch that seems to have magical properties that start influencing their lives in a big way. It gets a bit shambolic as it progresses, and there were sections I read and reread and still had no idea what was going on. But the book has such an imagination that I still came away charmed by it.
Jun 20, 2010
Debbie
rated it:
Awesome, awesome, awesome! Do you like Vonnegut? "What Dreams May Come"? Life of Pi? Add a touch of Indiana Jones and we have ourselves a rollicking good time! Three yahoos [aka losers:] on a quest with a big orange couch! Fascinating puzzle to solve - is it just a stupid idea, an omen, a holy relic? Why a couch?? Plenty of time to ponder that while listening to the "hero" and his smartass subconscious. Enjoy!
May 30, 2009
Annie
rated it:
This is a rollicking good time. Totally unbelievable but within a few pages it I couldn’t help but go along with the characters. A hacker, a runaway, and a wire-sculptor sail away on a magical couch and save the world from inaction. It’s got angst, philosophy, ennui and you can’t have realer characters than Thom, Tree, and Erik. From Portland to South America, their trippy trip will entertain all the way to the end.
May 13, 2009
Marley
rated it:
uncorrected proofs I picked up from outside my fav bookstore. A little clunky but an interesting story so far. First book Small Beer published from the slushpile...you wonder how much editing/guidance the author got. A strange mix of the epic sort of mythological story, and email and technology and general strangeness. A shaggy dog tale--the journey is interesting but the ending had no pay off. Could have been great if the author had more guidance from an agent/editor. Some really interest
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May 29, 2009
Marta
rated it:
This book was so fun! I love that throughout the book, the characters don't know what's going on anymore than we do. Its a fun story about three boys who end up carrying a couch from Oregon to Ecuador on a quest that they don't understand. Yet another book of pure ridiculousness, there's something super interesting about it as well. I definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a book that will suck them in.
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May 19, 2009
It's not that this isn't a charming little tale with interesting, quirky characters, love, and magic. After all, what's not to like about a quest involving a couch (lead role, here), a computer geek who avoids human interaction, a fairly incompetent con man, and a third young man whose dreams may or may not foretell the future? It's just that I'm not in the mood and it's a library book. They'll want it back.
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Jul 09, 2009
Wightknyte11
rated it:
This is a highly enjoyable book. It is definitely a little unusual, but that works out to be a good thing. Creative and original, the book had my interest from the first page. The weird (definitely weird) is well handled. In general, it drove the story forward and fascinated me without drawing attention to itself. A unique book, well worth the read.
