The Beard

by Andersen Prunty (Goodreads Author)

book data

20 ratings, 4.10 average rating, 10 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		50%
4		15%
3		30%
2		5%
1		0%

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published

September 27th 2009 by Atlatl Press (first published March 2009)

details

Paperback, 246 pages

isbn

0615326331 (isbn13: 9780615326337)

description

Seven-year-old David Glum watches as his grandfather is abducted by a legendary herd of elephants. Twenty years later, David returns to his parents’…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 69)

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Oct 04, 2009

Daniel Clausen rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in October, 2009

Warning: One or two spoilers in the mix.

So I traded this book for a copy of my own and I don't regret it.

An elephant wind. That’s what this book is. You probably don’t know what that means. If you try to picture it your mind, you might get some idea of what the book is. You’ll definitely know what that means after you read the book and then you can decide whether that statement is accurate or not—but for now, perhaps it’s sufficient to say that the book is an...more
Warning: One or two spoilers in the mix.

So I traded this book for a copy of my own and I don't regret it.

An elephant wind. That’s what this book is. You probably don’t know what that means. If you try to picture it your mind, you might get some idea of what the book is. You’ll definitely know what that means after you read the book and then you can decide whether that statement is accurate or not—but for now, perhaps it’s sufficient to say that the book is an elephant wind. I took up the book in the midst of doing some very difficult school research and came away with renewed optimism in life, the universe, and everything.

What’s the book about? It’s about growing up and growing old; it’s about writing a book and abandoning it; it’s about listening to records alone in your room at a time when you wish that everything would just fade into the background; it’s about randomness and large creatures that look like whales but have human butts so that when they come out of the water, they moon you. It’s about the comfort of having a beard, but also about tripped out firemen who are on something and so who jump into fires.

It’s “absurdist” fiction, or “bizzarro” fiction, certainly. But in another sense, I think this book is also slacker fiction. When I opened up the book, man oh man, I was in need of some slacker fiction in my life. Fiction that kind of wanders around, tries to befriend you, then falls asleep on your couch for a week. That may sound bad, and in some parts of the book, I admit it’s easy to get lost—but I thought it was comfortable to read; maybe I was just in the right mood. In other ways it’s like eating a creativity sandwich. I came up with like three ideas for stories while reading this book. At one point in the book, one of the characters says, if you chase something then it only gets further away. One of the virtues of this book is that it won’t try to hard to get you to like it—it just is what it is, and for me it’s fairly easy to befriend a piece of writing that comfortable with itself.
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Nov 20, 2009

F.R. rated it:

(review of other edition)

Such is the inflexibility of the Goodreads ranking system, I’ve been wondering whether to go for two or three stars, as really I’d give this book two and a half – but I’m feeling generous so I’ll go for three.

This is a quest tale which leans heavily into the absurdist/surrealist. For example there is a sandwich-maker/cobbler who sells hallucinogenic sandwiches. This kind of weirdness builds and builds until the reader is willing to accept virtually anything. However this qu...more

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Mar 15, 2009

Andersen Prunty rated it:

(review of other edition)

This is now available as a free .pdf or ePub download to Goodreads users (find the button on the right under the ads and stuff). Reviews appreciated. It's also available as a trade paperback and Kindle download on Amazon.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

5 comments

May 02, 2009

Tortla rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in May, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Interesting and at times quite amusing, but it reads like he was making it up as he went along. Or maybe transcribing a random (and long) dream. So I guess it's amusing if that's what he was doing. Good even, for the way that he ties the random diversions together and makes them a part of the story. But otherwise, it's kind of inexcusable. Like Palahniuk but without the social commentary tying it together.

Here's the plot:
Protagonist (David Glum, I think) is sitting around with ...more Interesting and at times quite amusing, but it reads like he was making it up as he went along. Or maybe transcribing a random (and long) dream. So I guess it's amusing if that's what he was doing. Good even, for the way that he ties the random diversions together and makes them a part of the story. But otherwise, it's kind of inexcusable. Like Palahniuk but without the social commentary tying it together.

Here's the plot:
Protagonist (David Glum, I think) is sitting around with his grandfather when he's a young'un, and being told a story about "elephant winds" which come and take people away. Suddenly, an elephant wind comes and takes his grandfather away. Much later, this Glum guy is trying to publish a book. He encounters strange people, including someone who seems to be impersonating him. Nobody wants his book. He eats a hallucinogenic sandwich and more weird things happen. He goes home and decides that the new purpose for his life (now that he has given up writing) will be to grow a beard. His mother dies. He sees his sister at the funeral. She, like most of the other characters, is obnoxious. He finds out the man he thought was his dad was wearing a dad-costume. They go on a road trip to recover his grandfather, who was kidnapped because he stole a fire from a weird alternate reality universe. There is mention of anthropology and solipsism. Weird things continue to happen. They go to the weird alternate reality land and find the grandfather and the mother (who never really died, that was *her* impostor, of course) and the protagonist's beard gets burned when he returns the magical flame ("brilliance"). He decides to stay in magical-land and make up dreams for people, which he likens to storytelling. He marries some random dream-maker lady. There are some heavy handed statements near the end about the value of storytelling and the nature of dreams. The end.

I guess it's an amusing story, but I can't help feeling cheated by its shallowness. It's like it's trying too hard to say absolutely nothing, but still have cute quote-able moments a la Kurt Vonnegut.

And I don't like the picture (cover?) that shows up at the top of every chapter. It's annoying.(less)

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Apr 17, 2009

Jasmine rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: 2009

Read in April, 2009

I read this book backwards, or at least semi backwards. I read it from the top of the blog down, so I read the chapters frontwards in the backwards order. Why would I do this? I felt like it. Perhaps someday I will reread it in the frontwards order. I think chapter 18 is the best chapter and that it has a fun feel where the story seems to be attempting to be about a beard regardless of all the other silly things going on, though perhaps I am title bias. Regardless it isn't particularly long and ...more

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Dec 29, 2009

Kate rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: bizarro, e-books

Owns a copy — Read in February, 2010

recommends it for: surrealists

If you like Salvador Dali, you'll enjoy this book.

David Glum was first a writer. Then a napper. Then a beard grower. After that he became an unemployed philosopher. Then an adventurer, until finally he found his calling as a dreamer.

Come along, if you dare, on this surreal journey with David and his father. It will be full of trippy bus rides, imposters, hallucinogenic sandwiches, Nefarions from the Malific ocean, elephant winds, lawn mowing maniacs, and last but cert...more

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Mar 03, 2010

Kipp Poe rated it:

(review of other edition)

Another great read from Andersen Prunty taking you on a journey of what dreams are made of

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Oct 02, 2009

Chris Bowsman rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in January, 2010

After reading Andersen Prunty's The Beard, I doubt if I'll ever have the courage to shave again.

Not really. Actually, I finished it last night, and shaved today. There's nothing scary in this book about beards (or shaving). It it not horror, but it is an immensely enjoyable read. This book would make an excellent introduction to the world of Bizarro fiction. Lots of strange characters and settings, but no weird-for-the-sake-of-weird. Heavy on the fun and subtle humo...more

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Mar 16, 2009

Grant rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in April, 2009

Great novel. Prunty tells the tale of David Glum who grows a beard while embarking on a surreal journey. He attempts to find himself and his purpose in life.Full of mythology and adventure,The Beard questions identity and is sure to please any fan of weird fiction.Plus,it's free.

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Dec 31, 2009

Nathaniel Lambert rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in February, 2010

Loved it. If Holden Caulfield rented a timeshare in Vegas, only to find out he double booked with Hunter Thompson, and then they both sat down over a buffett of mind-altering drugs and wrote a book, I THINK it might be something like THE BEARD.

BEHOLD THE POWER OF FACIAL HAIR.

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