Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
6th out of 1,754 books
—
1,560 voters
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse (Eddie Bear #1)
Toy Town—older, bigger, and certainly not wiser. The Old Rich, who have made their millions from the royalties on their world-famous nursery rhymes, are being murdered one by one. A psychopath is on the loose, and he must be stopped at any cost. It’s a job for Toy Town’s only detective—but he’s missing, leaving only Eddie Bear, and his bestest friend Jack, to track down th...more
Paperback, 342 pages
Published
August 1st 2003
by Gollancz
(first published September 5th 2002)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
The key thing that I have taken away from reading this book is that Titles cannot be trusted. Certainly the title of this book is brilliant; I even love the little chocolate bunnies on the cover, glaring at me as they plot. The concept presented on the back of the book is intriguing and will force those of you with unusual senses of humor to consider the purchase. This is the point that you need to stop yourself, because for all of the pretty packaging, this book does not deliver. I am a huge fa...more
Sep 09, 2007
Tracey
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of unusual premises with a sense of humour
How could you possibly resist a title like The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse? I was thrilled when the library finally got a copy & read thru it in about a day. [I've since bought my own copy]
Jack, a rather gangly young man, seeks his fortune. After a rather harrowing encounter with a farmer, he makes it to The City... not realizing it is Toy City, where the majority of the residents are living toys, while the humans are nursery rhyme characters, grown rich from their royalties....more
Jack, a rather gangly young man, seeks his fortune. After a rather harrowing encounter with a farmer, he makes it to The City... not realizing it is Toy City, where the majority of the residents are living toys, while the humans are nursery rhyme characters, grown rich from their royalties....more
Jun 09, 2008
Purple
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any adults with more than a little active inner-child
Recommended to Purple by:
3 people in one day
Oh, what fun!
A very smart, self aware book, that disguises itself well as a pulp detective novel.
Whilst clearly being a book for adults, it's the little bits that are written as if they are for kids that endear the reader most to the style of writing, and, ultimately, the book as a whole. For example, when we first meet Madame Goose, she is described thusly: "Madame Goose, who was a goose, and a very large goose was she." It's a style that not only fits perfectly with the characters and situati...more
A very smart, self aware book, that disguises itself well as a pulp detective novel.
Whilst clearly being a book for adults, it's the little bits that are written as if they are for kids that endear the reader most to the style of writing, and, ultimately, the book as a whole. For example, when we first meet Madame Goose, she is described thusly: "Madame Goose, who was a goose, and a very large goose was she." It's a style that not only fits perfectly with the characters and situati...more
9 likes · like · see review
view all 3 comments
Well, I tried, not once but twice. I found this book via the "if you like this author, you may like this author" type recommendation. Well, I love Terry Pratchett and I do not like Robert Rankin. It's interesting because the reviews of this book are so spilt. People either really like it or don't, and what's interesting is that the same people likely agree on other books. I think you either enjoy Rankin's verbose style or you don’t - it's that simple. For me, there is way too much dialogue in th...more
4 likes · like · see review
Robert Rankin is my favorite author who isn't distributed in the US.
While this may sound like faint praise, I really do enjoy his work. It's silly, surreal, and thoroughly British; riddled with in-jokes and ex parte asides to the reader. If someone dipped into my head and wrote books based on what I thought funny ought to be, the result might look like Hollow Chocolate Bunnies or Waiting for Godalming.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Big M, and always listen to your Holy Guardian Sprout.
While this may sound like faint praise, I really do enjoy his work. It's silly, surreal, and thoroughly British; riddled with in-jokes and ex parte asides to the reader. If someone dipped into my head and wrote books based on what I thought funny ought to be, the result might look like Hollow Chocolate Bunnies or Waiting for Godalming.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Big M, and always listen to your Holy Guardian Sprout.
3 likes · like · see review
This book just didn’t work for me. It’s one of the few that I put down without finishing it.
Personally I usually prefer intelligent satire over parody when it comes to humor, and in all cases I like a healthy dose of sarcasm. This particular story leans pretty far into parody territory, and it seems to just ride on that. The premise is that there is an entire town/city of anthropomorphic nursery rhymes and a complete rube of a character gets caught up in solving a murder mystery.
I found most o...more
Personally I usually prefer intelligent satire over parody when it comes to humor, and in all cases I like a healthy dose of sarcasm. This particular story leans pretty far into parody territory, and it seems to just ride on that. The premise is that there is an entire town/city of anthropomorphic nursery rhymes and a complete rube of a character gets caught up in solving a murder mystery.
I found most o...more
This is the third Rankin book that I have read, and I still don't know if I like him.
Rankin's ideas and titles are great, brillant, wonderful, yet there is something off about the books, something that doesn't quite fit, something that doesn't work. Perhaps it is the length, maybe if the book was shorter there wouldn't be a problem. Perhaps it because it feels as if Rankin is trying too hard to be funny and uses running gags that run too far.
This book makes good use of nursey rhymes and toys. At...more
Rankin's ideas and titles are great, brillant, wonderful, yet there is something off about the books, something that doesn't quite fit, something that doesn't work. Perhaps it is the length, maybe if the book was shorter there wouldn't be a problem. Perhaps it because it feels as if Rankin is trying too hard to be funny and uses running gags that run too far.
This book makes good use of nursey rhymes and toys. At...more
Following in the tradition of fine police procedurals and thrillers, “Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse” offered a great story with mystery and intrigue. The rich are being methodically murdered and two detectives are trying to solve the crimes before anyone else, or themselves, get killed.
It should probably be mentioned that the book takes place in Toy City. The two detectives are a teenager named Jack and Eddie, the Teddy Bear Private Investigator. The rich victims included Humpty Dum...more
It should probably be mentioned that the book takes place in Toy City. The two detectives are a teenager named Jack and Eddie, the Teddy Bear Private Investigator. The rich victims included Humpty Dum...more
You can't quite put your finger on what it is about this novel that is very entertaining, which I find often to be the mark of a great read. Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse is set in a pseudo fairy tale world where English nursery rhymes and their ilk are meshed together within a logical, sensible world. It is perfect mixture of fantasy, lunacy and the mundane worries of fairy tales. Consider the sidekick Eddie's main problem throughout the novel: Eddie is a stuffed bear with an analo...more
A young boy named Jack strikes off to find his fortune in the big city and in his wanderings comes upon Toy City where he is quickly mugged and left beaten in an alley behind a greasy spoon. Turns out that nursery rhyme characters--the upper crust of the city--are being murdered in quite horrible ways. Humpty Dumpty has been hard-boiled in his swimming pool, Little Boy Blue has had his shepherd's crook shoved up his, well, I don't even want to tell you where it was shoved, Jack Spratt is fried i...more
Okay, unlike a lot of the other reviewers of this book, I didn't pick this up because somebody suggested it might remind me of Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman. (In which case I might very well have been disappointed.) I got this book because I was perusing the stacks of my local library and the title caught my eye. I checked the book out without ever looking at the blurb or the inside cover and I had no earthly idea whatsoever what it was about until I opened it. Note that I do like Pratchett and...more
Nov 12, 2007
Stephanie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
the truly twisted
Shelves:
frivolous-mystery
From the witty and twisted mind of Robert Rankin, we revisit the nursery rhymes of our childhood in a most gruesome way. From the death by boiling of Humpty Dumpty to the brutal shepherd's-crook-in-unspeakable-places killing of Little Boy Blue, Eddy Bear and Jack must search Toy Town to find a serial killer. The book is a satire of war, celebrity, religion, and probably some things I missed, and the ending will truly surprise you.
Feb 12, 2008
Danger Kallisti
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Robert Rankin fans; anybody with a couple of hours to spare and the need for a fun book.
Shelves:
sci-fi
F*cking great. I guess some of the honeymoon feel of finding a new author is wearing off, because now I'm starting to see the formula in his books. This was still a hysterical read, though. I'm really not into murder mysteries as such, but the idea of a serial killer loose in Toy City, killing off fairy tale characters, was pretty fun. This was another totally gratuitous bit of mind candy, but I guess that's okay sometimes.
When I read this book I thought, in order;
'Hmmm, um, this could be interesting.'
'Oh, that was unexpected.'
'Really.'
'Oh, now really. This could be interesting.'
'Hah! That's awesome!...eeewww.'
'What's really...oh. But who?'
'What? But...okay that must come back later.'
'Oh no! Lookout! Ruunnn!'
'Whew! Oh...uh oh. Ruuun!'
'What's going on here! Who's doing this! When will this make sense!'
'Surely this will give a clue. No! What!'
'Who is she?'
'Ruuunnn.'
'Ohhh, I get it...oh no wait, no I don't'
'Ohhh, now...more
'Hmmm, um, this could be interesting.'
'Oh, that was unexpected.'
'Really.'
'Oh, now really. This could be interesting.'
'Hah! That's awesome!...eeewww.'
'What's really...oh. But who?'
'What? But...okay that must come back later.'
'Oh no! Lookout! Ruunnn!'
'Whew! Oh...uh oh. Ruuun!'
'What's going on here! Who's doing this! When will this make sense!'
'Surely this will give a clue. No! What!'
'Who is she?'
'Ruuunnn.'
'Ohhh, I get it...oh no wait, no I don't'
'Ohhh, now...more
How I loved the title. Too bad the book wasn't my cup of tea.
2 likes · like · see review
Many people ask me what is an ideal book to start reading to begin on the Rankin books. The simple answer is The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse.
The story involves Jack, a young lad from the country who goes to seek his fortune in the big city. In this case the city is Toy City, which used to be Toy Town but it grew and grew. Of course in Toy City most of the population are toys. There are humans too, a rich elite over class, and theyre all nursery rhyme characters.
Jack teams up with...more
The story involves Jack, a young lad from the country who goes to seek his fortune in the big city. In this case the city is Toy City, which used to be Toy Town but it grew and grew. Of course in Toy City most of the population are toys. There are humans too, a rich elite over class, and theyre all nursery rhyme characters.
Jack teams up with...more
A self-referential, self-conscious writing style that will either amuse, or irritate. Or both. I make no guarantees. I quite enjoyed the beginning of the book, and how things developed, but the way Rankin ended the plot felt like a cop-out. If approached as fluff, it was good fluff, though, and I was in the mood for fluff.
Mar 15, 2008
Gina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of dry English humor
Shelves:
fantasy,
too-funny-to-read-before-bed
Brilliant.
I read this book in a matter of hours. I couldn't put it down. It wasn't brain candy, (sweet, light, fun but if you read too much you run the risk of mental cavities), and this wasn't great literature, but it was fun, innovative & well written. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
I read this book in a matter of hours. I couldn't put it down. It wasn't brain candy, (sweet, light, fun but if you read too much you run the risk of mental cavities), and this wasn't great literature, but it was fun, innovative & well written. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
I think Robert Rankin is not really for me. I listened to the audio version of
Nostradamus Ate My Hamster
a year or two ago and it wasn't bad. Then I got this book for Christmas and it finally made it to the top of my reading pile a couple of weeks ago.
This book didn't really do it for me. It wasn't bad - I didn't hate it - but I didn't love it.
It feels like Rankin is trying to be Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams or Jasper Fforde (or, given that the book never really resolves into either fantas...more
This book didn't really do it for me. It wasn't bad - I didn't hate it - but I didn't love it.
It feels like Rankin is trying to be Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams or Jasper Fforde (or, given that the book never really resolves into either fantas...more
Picked it up based on the title, and actually enjoyed it! Clever twists on nursery rhymes and their characters, twisty mystery, and a great theological explication. Dry, dirty, British wit - a good read for those who enjoy irreverent humor, especially involving childhood familiarities.
what an interesting read. so far off the beaten track of books that I was amused afterwards to have even read it. definitely falls into the category of "Books I bought At The Bookstore By Random Selection". Darwin is rolling in his grave.
although ebooks kill such a task, I enjoy randomly choosing books I would not otherwise read due to modern methods of review and selection, i.e. googling, checking reviews, reading synopsis etc. Albeit that the rear and first few pages are read in the store, the...more
although ebooks kill such a task, I enjoy randomly choosing books I would not otherwise read due to modern methods of review and selection, i.e. googling, checking reviews, reading synopsis etc. Albeit that the rear and first few pages are read in the store, the...more
Because Easter is coming up, I thought that I would try one of the many "chocolate cozies" listed by other members. This one, The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse, reminded me of chocolate loving Erma Bombeck's confession from one of her books, that went something like this...
"My children were eighteen before they learned that chocolate Easter Bunnies had ears."
This book will be well liked, by those who like things well; and the use of simile is as artful as.
If these two assessments ma...more
"My children were eighteen before they learned that chocolate Easter Bunnies had ears."
This book will be well liked, by those who like things well; and the use of simile is as artful as.
If these two assessments ma...more
My first book of 2011 is Robert Rankin’s “The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse.” The book was definitely overflowing with creativity, but I didn’t really find it to be too compelling. I think it’s more that the book just wasn’t my cup of tea, rather than it being flat out bad.
It felt a bit too quirky, like Rankin was trying too hard. If it had not been recommended by both my boyfriend and his son, I don’t think I would have stuck with it. Good thing it was a very quick read! One bonus...more
It felt a bit too quirky, like Rankin was trying too hard. If it had not been recommended by both my boyfriend and his son, I don’t think I would have stuck with it. Good thing it was a very quick read! One bonus...more
There's a serial killer loose in Toy City, preying on rich old Pre-adolescent Poetic Personalities. It starts with Humpty Dumpty, poached in his swimming pool. Then Little Boy Blue is found with his shepherd's crook shoved from his goggle to his zatch (euphemisms courtesy of my Dad). It's up to little Jack and his teddy, Eddie, to track down the killer and prevent further Murders Most Foul.
I dunno. This book was an easy read and the plot was entertaining, but nowhere near as brilliant as Jasper...more
I dunno. This book was an easy read and the plot was entertaining, but nowhere near as brilliant as Jasper...more
I love any take on fairy tales. I like seeing how an author will change things around and make them more sinister or just have a book based on a fairy tale where some of the same things happen. This book focuses on nursery rhymes, and I enjoyed the humor given off.
I don't remember what drew me to this book other than the title which is pretty darn good. The description of the book left a lot to be desired.
Robert Rankin is a pretty awesome narrator as narrator's go. I enjoyed listening to read...more
I don't remember what drew me to this book other than the title which is pretty darn good. The description of the book left a lot to be desired.
Robert Rankin is a pretty awesome narrator as narrator's go. I enjoyed listening to read...more
Jul 26, 2011
Ron Arden
added it
I have never heard of Robert Rankin or his nutty books, but this one was a gem. The premise of this story is great and the telling was even better.
A young lad named Jack is on his way to the big city to seek his fortune. When he gets there, he encounters a city of Toys. The twist is that the toys are alive and talk. They get drunk in bars, they work, the generally live like the rest of us.
Jack meets up with Eddie, a teddy bear, who is Bill Winkie's assistant. Bill is a detective and his real na...more
A young lad named Jack is on his way to the big city to seek his fortune. When he gets there, he encounters a city of Toys. The twist is that the toys are alive and talk. They get drunk in bars, they work, the generally live like the rest of us.
Jack meets up with Eddie, a teddy bear, who is Bill Winkie's assistant. Bill is a detective and his real na...more
This book was moderately amusing at times, but for the most part was dry and not as inventive as it could have been. If you want to stay in the vein of british humor/literary spoofs, try Jasper Fforde's books.
1 like · like · see review
In reading some criticism of this book, I found someone who described this mystery (and its sequel)as having better prose than it does plot. I think this is a remarkably accurate way to describe the book. At times the plot can get pretty absurd (even for a book about talking toys and murdered nursery rhyme characters), and some of the twists are so out of left field that it's actually kind of frustrating. However, the language is really entertaining, and at times the way Rankin plays with words...more
What a clever, completely ridiculous book! I read it as a tangent from classic literature and picked it up at a book bag sale on a whim. I love silly and cheesy fiction when I am not reading classic literature and I was not let down by this novel. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised that the book had a deep philosophical bent to it about God and the universe.
This appears to be a novel that people either lover or hate, from the vastly divergent reviews I have read. It had everything I was lookin...more
This appears to be a novel that people either lover or hate, from the vastly divergent reviews I have read. It had everything I was lookin...more
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse has got to be one of my favorite book titles to ever exist. This being so, I automatically HAD to read the book and see if the story could deliver as much as the title. The verdict? Not quite, but still good.
Some parts get a little carried away and last a little longer than necessary but then you come across a horse named Anthrax and all is forgiven. It's childishly funny yet creatively witty. Although not all of my initial expectations were met, (...more
Some parts get a little carried away and last a little longer than necessary but then you come across a horse named Anthrax and all is forgiven. It's childishly funny yet creatively witty. Although not all of my initial expectations were met, (...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
"When Robert Rankin embarked upon his writing career in the late 1970s, his ambition was to create an entirely new literary genre, which he named Far-Fetched Fiction. He reasoned that by doing this he could avoid competing with any other living author in any known genre and would be given his own special section in WH Smith."
(from Web Site Story)
Robert Rankin describes himself as a teller of tall...more
More about Robert Rankin...
(from Web Site Story)
Robert Rankin describes himself as a teller of tall...more
Share This Book
4 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Jack, get a grip of yourself.'
I have a grip of myself.' Jack took a grip of himself. It was a most intimate grip; not the kind of grip that you usually take of yourself in public.”
—
22 people liked it
I have a grip of myself.' Jack took a grip of himself. It was a most intimate grip; not the kind of grip that you usually take of yourself in public.”
“Have you ever head this theory about drinking yourself sober?' Eddie asked. 'It's a very popular theory. Amongst drunks, anyway.”
—
13 people liked it
More quotes…
