It's 1924 and the Boundary Commission is deciding on the new line between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. With much pushing and shoving, t...
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reviews
Apr 12, 2008
Tosh
rated it: 
If you are going to get one Spike Milligan novel, this is it. For those who don't know (or who are American), Milligan is probably one of the great comic writers in the British language. Lots of word-playing, and very funny. He is also part of the Goons along with the always fantastic Peter Sellers. They did a series of radio shows - and one can purchase the CD's, they're not hard to find. But beyond that Milligan was a fantastic writer, and well worth it to search out this particular nove
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Jul 05, 2011
Garrett
rated it: 
Almost got two stars thanks to the following, the best description of Belfast I've ever read. Almost but not quite.
-- “Belfast is a big city. At one time it was quite small, even worse, there had been an occasion when there was no Belfast City at all. Thank heaven, those days are gone and there is now plentiful supply of Belfast. Ugly and grey it spreads out, drab, dull, lack-lustre streets, crammed with the same repetitive, faceless, uninspired, profit-taking, soul-breaking buildings More...
-- “Belfast is a big city. At one time it was quite small, even worse, there had been an occasion when there was no Belfast City at all. Thank heaven, those days are gone and there is now plentiful supply of Belfast. Ugly and grey it spreads out, drab, dull, lack-lustre streets, crammed with the same repetitive, faceless, uninspired, profit-taking, soul-breaking buildings More...
Mar 22, 2011
russell
rated it: 
I imagine had I reviewed this in my Goon-loving, Milligan-adoring mid-teens heyday it would've got five stars, no problems. The thing is twenty years have passed since I was 16, and the times have a-changed.
Clearly I've got older, and I suppose we all grow out of certain phases of likes and dislikes. I'm not saying I've become more discerning or refined, more my tastes and horizons have expanded, all of which now make Puckoon markedly less "the funniest thing ever", which I More...
Clearly I've got older, and I suppose we all grow out of certain phases of likes and dislikes. I'm not saying I've become more discerning or refined, more my tastes and horizons have expanded, all of which now make Puckoon markedly less "the funniest thing ever", which I More...
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Nov 19, 2011
Genean
rated it:
It's been quite some time since I lined up at the bookstore counter to meet Mr Milligan and have my copy of Puckoon signed. This book will forever hold a tender to my heart. It made me laugh out loud, miss my bus stop when travelling home and saw me buy copies for my friends. It took Milligan 2 years to write this, no doubt while he was in the thrrawl of th Q Series. As one of the greatest comedic talents of the last century it is clear that he had lots of fun writing this one down. He has writ
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Apr 07, 2011
MJ
rated it: 
Umm. Well. It's well-known Spike Milligan had a depressive disorder, making it impossible for him to concentrate on one thing for a long time. Hence his role in the Goons and other digressional comedies. But random doesn't lend itself to novels. You can throw in Romans, Chinamen, IRA officers and the kitchen sink, but you still have to structure the thing.
Puckoon is a dated book, probably quite sexist and racist to modern eyes, and the freewheeling absurdity simply doesn't shine on t More...
Puckoon is a dated book, probably quite sexist and racist to modern eyes, and the freewheeling absurdity simply doesn't shine on t More...
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Apr 28, 2009
Craig
rated it: 
Milligan is utterly mad, and I loved every second of this book, even when the plot became so wholly twisted up in itself under the sheer weight of characters. Sure, some of the gags are puerile and obvious, but as anyone who knows me is aware, puerile and obvious are my stock in trade.
Oct 16, 2011
Huw
rated it:
This is one of the funniest books I read as a teenager and it still stands up to many current. Not only does it have Spike Milligans humour but a moralistic subtext. If you artificially divide a country then you create mayhem. Curiously, when I was reading more about the absurdity of Imperial African history I thought back to this book aqnd had to read it again.
Aug 01, 2011
Francophile25
rated it:
It's been a while since I read Puckoon but the brilliant Spike rarely disappoints. His humour is wonderful and there are many laugh-out-loud moments. Don't read it on the train or you'll embarass yourself.
Oct 15, 2009
Frank
rated it:
The funniest book I have ever read. It causes hysterical laughter which no other book has ever done. A bit disjointed, yes, but the comic gems liberally contained totally override this.
Jul 13, 2009
Alan
rated it:
another review reminded me of this one. Completely daft and best read when you're a teenager. That's when I read it. I've categorised it as a novel but it's Milligan arsing about really.
Aug 13, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
A hilarious riot of Oirish madness which culminates in an epic of surreal farce. This is one of those books that you have to laugh out loud at whether its descriptions of madcap characters, farcical situations or complete notions of madness. Its almost up there with Myles / Flann..... but not quite. Still a great book to brighten up your life .
Jul 04, 2011
Bill
rated it:
Brilliant, bonkers, and mad - typically Spike Milligan. A book that I'll have to re-read in another year or so, because it has already faded a bit from my memory.
Dec 04, 2010
David
rated it:
I cme acros his book in the early 70s and I still have a copy. It's Milligan at his absurd best. My favourite character is the crow.
Mar 07, 2011
Rhys
rated it:
A comic novel that demonstrates high invention and a superb appreciation of the finer points of surrealism and absurdism. There are some beautiful metafictional touches in this work. Had Milligan remained a novelist he might have rivalled the genius of Flann O'Brien. Certainly they are in the same alternate dimension. As it happens, this was the only proper novel Milligan ever wrote. Shame. Having said that, I do love his sketches, memoirs and poems...
Jul 29, 2011
Steve
rated it:
As silly as you would expect from the creator of the Goons but misses as many times as it hits the mark with a serious laugh.
Apr 09, 2011
Graeme
rated it:
Rather a nice and short novel packed full of brilliant Milligan style characters.
Nov 28, 2010
Jim
rated it:
There are geniuses and there are geniuses. He wrote other novels but none betters this. It took him four years and he swore he'd never write another.
Humour has moved on and it's easy to look back on Milligan and not realise what he did to humour.
Since I wrote this review I've since reread the book and posted a full review on my blog here. I've also reduced the star rating from 5 to 4 - it works better when remembered than when read. More...
Humour has moved on and it's easy to look back on Milligan and not realise what he did to humour.
Since I wrote this review I've since reread the book and posted a full review on my blog here. I've also reduced the star rating from 5 to 4 - it works better when remembered than when read. More...
Sep 23, 2008
Martin
rated it:
I first read this as a schoolboy in the 1960s, sitting in the school library with a hanky stuffed in my mouth and the tears rolling down my face. Don't bother with the film - it is a very pale and not particularly funny shadow of the book.
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Aug 11, 2007
Greg
rated it:
Ah, Spike. Beckett with a different personality disorder. Why doesn't our continent acknowledge his comic genius? We were ready for the Beatles and the Pythons, and he beat them both. Plus, he euthanized Catchphrase Comedy once and for all.
Sep 09, 2008
Brian
rated it:
One of the funniest books ever. I almost got thrown off a Glasgow city bus once. I was reading this and couldn't stop laughing. Everyone thought I was mad or something!
Jul 28, 2008
Gaurav
rated it:
Such a joyful book, full of the trademark Milligan humour. The energy picks you up towards the end of chapter two, and doesn't let you down until the finale.
May 08, 2008
Jane
rated it:
Hilarious! LOL and be awed at the same time by the talent of this extraordinary author. Can't wait to read the rest of his foolishness.
