false 724436 0345394402 9780345394408 166 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177653536m/724436.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/724436.Homes_and_Other_Black_Holes 6245 Dave Barry 22911 3427 1 0 false Mon May 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 25 20:41:28 -0700 2009 Mon May 25 21:03:41 -0700 2009
Finally got around to Dave Barry this weekend, and I gotta say: this guy gets PAID to write this shit? Like, he's famous for doing this? He's a best selling author? He's though of as a HUMORIST? REALLY?!?!?!?

I wouldn't even describe his 'observations' as low-hanging fruit; these jokes were picked up off the ground. Bill Hicks knocked some of these jokes down 20 years ago while climbing the comedy tree, reaching for a much better joke that he still deemed not good enough for his act. That last sentence was funnier than anything in the book. This book is devoid of anything approaching cleverness.

I mean:
"There are many different types of gardens to choose from, such as the flower garden which consists of flowers, the vegetable garden, which consists of vegetables, and the Japanese garden, which consists of Japanese."
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Really, you can FEEL Barry's elbow poking you in the ribs: Isn't that FUNNY? Aren't I FUNNY????

No, not really.

The best thing that can be said about this book is that it didn't take more than an hour of my time, including this rant.

So; Dave Barry. No, thanks. Clearly he has plenty of fans for whatever reason and I don't need to be one of them.]]>