Kirk's review

Kirk's review

Vernon God Little Vernon God Little
by DBC Pierre

667059 Kirk's review
rating: 1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars
bookshelves: stinks-like-a-hog

Another book read for my coming-of-age encyclopedia entry. It's pretty clear this book won the Booker Prize because the Brits felt like flipping the bird to America. It's as if they said, "This is what we think you're capable of, you warmongering sons of *&$#^." (Remember 2003: The Year We Went to War. The Year Everybody Across the Atlantic Started Hating Us).

There is really nothing here to recommend. Take something topical (school shootings), add an all-too-obvious critique of contemporary society (the media demeans us), add a plethora of cartoon characters (the attention whore of a love interest, who celebrates here boyfriend's imminent execution by posing for Penthouse---natch!), throw in a bunch of supposedly "hip" slang, mix with a motif involving dookie. What do you get?

Dookie.

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message 1: by Michael
12/19/2007 12:50PM

157924 I picked this up on a recommendation. got abuot 50 pages into it and took it to the used bookstore along with a stack of other books. Think i picked up some Issac Asimov with the credit from the books included the unfinished crap of Vernon. i came out the better of the deal.





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message 2: by Kirk
12/19/2007 01:37PM

667059 I agree completely. I couldn't stand the book. I actually had to re-read it for an essay I'm doing.

BTW, I saw you're in Petoskey---Hemingway country. I grew up in Midland.

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message 3: by Gus
05/08/2008 10:14AM

1047204 Amen. I read this, succumbing to the hype, and was throughly unimpressed. Blah.

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message 4: by Koeeoaddi
05/08/2008 10:25AM

321764 Novel assessment of why it won the Booker prize. I just thought the judges were baked.

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message 5: by Jessica
05/09/2008 01:15PM

777369 I remember when this won the Booker--it was a real shock (to me); I couldn't believe from what I'd heard and read about it that it'd be any good...you confirm all my worst thoughts...

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message 6: by Shelly
05/09/2008 01:52PM

803353 Hey! I've had a hard time with this one. Aside from it sucking, i hated the fact that the author spelled fuckin' "fucken"?! What the hell is that? You spell chicken with an 'en', not fuckin'!

Anway Kirk, since I value your opinion so much, I can now officially, and guilt free, put it down for good. Thanks!

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message 7: by Jessica
05/09/2008 02:01PM

777369 yeah, let's just listen to Cap'n Kirk from now on: Kirkster, you need to tell us what (& maybe more importantly, what not) to read.

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message 8: by Kirk
05/09/2008 02:02PM

667059 Whew! Not sure I'm ready for that responsibility :)

But I do appreciate the kind words. This really is a l-a-m-e book. Hopefully, Shelly, you didn't get as far as the feces defense of Vernon's trial. (Now you're hooked, I know!).


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message 9: by Jessica
05/09/2008 02:05PM

777369 j/k...I'm so picky & eclectic in my tastes anyway....but it's always reassuring to find out that a book you think sucks does in fact suck bigtime...

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message 10: by Shelly
05/09/2008 02:20PM

803353 exactly Chairy. except now, oh brother, feces defense? no, i don't wanna know. thanks for the heads up!

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message 11: by R.
05/09/2008 02:36PM

184928 You have to hand it to D.B.C. Pierre - he wrote the damned thing pretty quick to pay off some major gambling debts.

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message 12: by Jessica
05/09/2008 02:39PM

777369 oh yeah, I forgot that part...didn't he have a really funny history? I'd forgotten all about that...

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message 13: by R.
05/09/2008 02:42PM

184928 Yeah...and I think "D.B.C. Pierre" is a pseudonym, too. Can't be too careful when you have a tendency to say "Hit me!" with two Kings faceup on the blackjack table.


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message 14: by Kirk
05/09/2008 07:30PM

667059 I would have much rather he sold his body like the rest of us to pay his debts than write this book.

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