Reviews / Quotes from Reviews of "Hideous Exuberance"

"A collection of 12 highly impressionistic, hyperenergetic, scatological, stream-of-consciousness short stories ... stories range from the frantic Harry Potter parody of 'Szczmawgwhore(ts): A Pornographick Bitch-Story' to the sardonic true-crime parody of 'Bobby Chushingura' ... fierce send-up of small-town Middle America ... also notable are the almost incoherent psychedelic ramblings of the linked stories 'Gothra Schvulkopf and the Daily Grind' and 'Gothra Schvulkopf and Her Pumpkin Trolls' which even at their most disconnected ... are saved by Bird’s skilled pacing and surprisingly lovely turns of phrase ... copious amounts of profanity ... the narrative swagger Bird brings to stories like 'The Travails of Ginger Bocey' gives them a welcome, raunchy life all their own ... fast-paced ... lewd ... extremely unconventional short stories ... may appeal to fans of Mark Danielewski and David Foster Wallace."

-- Kirkus Reviews

"Bird’s 'Hideous Exuberance' is a bird of a different color ... the universe of 'Hideous Exuberance' is one of demented imagination and verve ... lies somewhere between Harry Potter burlesque and Tolkien satire ... doses of hill-country buffoonery and pop-culture mockery ... a psychosexual storm of non sequitur ... decidedly adult ... unpredictable and varied ... frenetic looping language ... a fascinating trip through a crazed postmodern world ... countless alternative spellings ... puns within puns ... allusions ... tangents ... wordplay ... uses creative punctuation and multiple subclauses to enrich narratives ... plays fast and loose with point of view ... developed and polished to appeal to mature audiences with a taste for the peculiar."

-- Foreword Reviews

"... Picture "Winesburg, Ohio" as if it had been written by an inmate in a criminal insane asylum. The book is structured as a chain of bizarre character portraits of surreal specimens ... The opening sections read like revenge salvoes against a gallery of grotesques ... As the work progresses it gets at once erudite and increasingly less coherent, as though the author had consumed the works of Hieronymus Bosch, John Waters, Richard Wagner, Mark Leyner, Kurt Vonnegut, the Marquis de Sade, Rabelais, William S. Burroughs, Alfred Jarry, both Sedarises, and the Bards who sang "Beowulf" ... Scatology is an important quiver in Bird's arsenal ... And, as in the work of Mark Leyner, it [is by means of] the level of the phrase or the sentence that "Hideous Exuberance soars ... The work is rife with Joycean coinages all Bird's own -- and he sticks to them like the obsessive-compulsive that he obviously is ... The Feast of Fools meets Armageddon ... What emerges is a damning portrait of humanity in all it's hypocritical splendor: venal, weak and ingenious in its depravity. I therefore judge it as a highly moral work, a fiction of singular realism ..."

-- Trav SD, Goodreads
[from the blog "Travalanche"]

"... Mr. Bird creates grotesque caricatures of popular culture in order to highlight anti-intellectualism, egoism and other pitfalls of the modern human condition by exposing them in ways that utterly disgust the reader ... [Mr. Bird] manages to very subtly and thoughtfully scare you, make you laugh, and make you think ... There is a lot of valuable insight and wonderful sarcasm in this book ... My only wish is that Mr. Bird would spend a little less having fun pushing the envelope with his over the top vulgarity and more time sharing his (obviously very intelligent) insights about the flaws he sees in society ... Overall a very interesting and quick read, a worthwhile couple of hours and a wonderful piece of work from Mr. Bird. I will read it again (as I'm sure I missed a lot of the good parts) and look forward to reading anything else Mr. Bird may publish in the future. I would NOT, however, recommend this book to the easily offended ... I do hope that in his next effort he will dial back the absurdity just a hair. Writing inaccessible and challenging books is what pushes literature to new realms, but when you have such clearly valuable insights as are shared in this book, it's worth spending more words actually sharing them. Great satire, but next time I hope for a little less discomfort and a little more subtlety, as he's obviously very good at it."

-- Michael, Goodreads

"Wow!!! This book was quite the read. With character names Gregarious Egregious, Maya Hiyuh Powuh, and Botoxia Bubblebutt I knew at the very least this book would be fun. From the presentations of haute cuisine, to the Ignatius-esque rants, diatribes, and soapbox standing, to the sexual liberation among the characters in a post-post modern world. This book had no bounds ... One of the first satirical pieces of literature I ever read was Voltaire's Candide and while engrossed in the material I kept thinking to myself, why I am laughing at the tortures of so many? Then I realized that that was precisely the point. Events of a serious nature do not always have to be presented by the author or taken by the reader so seriously; unless it is categorized as "too soon" and then you have to wait until you're dead before you receive any acclaim. I am merely mentioning this due to both books' tragic comedy styles, as well as the destruction of derrieres, I am not comparing the two:) ... Personally I am not familiar with Harry Potter, but after saying Szczmawgwhore(ts) and Whoremoania a few times I started to realize the path where we were heading ... This book has a lot of moments both good and bad, but the most important thing to remember is that it had MoMeNtS. If you want or need a brief escape from the mundane this book may be for you I just hope you're not easily offended and enjoy various perspectives."

-- Trevor, Goodreads

"Firstly, I would have to warn those faint of heart this may not be the book for you. If you are looking for pg-13 I'd steer clear ... a collection of at times intersecting short stories, or continuations of previous short stories. There are times when you question the placement or just some things in general but no doubt this is intentional. Mr. Bird deserves credit for at many times making me laugh out loud. Much of his humor is very sudden with little to no lead up and with just the right amount of shock value. The New York counties and other geographical quips were very accurate. I also enjoyed the opening, a hilarious parody which had me shaking my head the entire time ... Some of the characters, as well as their situations (though dramatized), seem to have a scary real life quality about them. The only real downside to such a strange set of names was at times I had to re-read a section just to make sure I was following along properly. Overall, I enjoyed Hideous Exuberance and enough to make me curious about the "sequel prequel" Catastrophically Consequential. If you are looking for a new type of storytelling then I would suggest this book to you. Go in with an open mind, be ready for some crude text, but know you won't leave disappointed."

-- Justin, Goodreads

"Supremely satirical hilarity cleverly combining irony and dry wit, this uniquely eccentric and quite peculiar book is truly exceptional! ... colorful stories that are cleverly inspired and totally genius ... bizarre and individualistic characters add such vibrancy to the multi-linear plots and oddly, truth-drawing realism that is hidden within ... extraordinarily unusual in the extreme ... astonishingly incredible book which exceeded and surpassed all expectations by being totally brilliant! As outlandish as ‘the mad hatter’ and yet containing such truthful sincerity within as any great work of literature ... bewildering and inconceivable that I praise the author highly for producing something so ambitious. Controversial and bold, I would recommend this book to all philanthropists, whose perspective on life may be altered and bibliophiles who seek something ‘out of the ordinary’. Fresh and funny I enjoyed reading this immensely, and like any good book took pleasure from the chaotic confusion and total baffling frivolity. You may think that it is quite nonsensical but it also strikes a chord within, ringing true to life. "

-- Lucinda, Goodreads

".... This book is hilarious!! God bless Steve for taking the time to write it. He is an original artist and a craft[s]man in a sea of Facebook fanatics and texters, who should mostly, like me, be reading NOT writing ... he is a marvelous anachronism. 50 years ago bird would be famous ... don’t be thrown off by the presentation or language, delve in and take a ride with the genius that is Steve Bird. If nothing else you will learn wonderful little frazes ... I am envi[ou]s of [Bird's] ablity to turn a Fraze ... [such as] “Whoremoania soothed her barbecued buttocks in an aluminum washtub filled with chilled Vaseline” ... “a House known for it’s delinquent , yet effeminate, population” ... A vey fun, very well written satire ... mind blowingly refreshing. When you finally catch on to what cel[e]bs Bird is (relentlessly bashing) talking about; you really start to laugh. It is not [necessarily] easy reading ... [But] boy is it good ... This book deserves an audience."

-- Jeff, Goodreads

"... a confusing and exhilarating plunge into a funhouse/madhouse. Take Harry Potter, Finnegan's Wake, Thomas Pynchon, and Judy Blume, and run them through a Czech blender ... maybe also a pinch of Douglas Adams. And for you old-time loners, that wonderful experience when you discover you've dropped a coin in the wrong booth and are now in for some German shit-porn. Bird uses lots of deliberate misspellings to create character, mood, and the sense for his readers that he's taking you into a world outside of your wildest imagination. A couple seeming rules through much of the book: Never use a "c" when a "ck" will do. Never use an "sh" or "sch" when an "szcz" will do. America is "Amurycka Profunda", Earth is the "Blue Green Planet", God is "Maya-hiyuh-powuh". Bird seems to delight in the freedom that comes with the ability to create your own universe, in your own way, with just words. He fairly wallows in said freedom."

-- Jim, Goodreads

"Bird is a demiurgic lexicographer with a penchant for tying the reader into a Gordian knot and shocking him with his mind-twisting prose and dialectic pyrotechnics. He does it with a certain relish as he mixes the downright dirty with the thought-provoking, but the narrative does occasionally spiral off into a territory beyond the kingdom of the absurd; webbing storylines whose meanings depend entirely on the perspective from which they are viewed. At other times meaning is dispensed with altogether. Generally, however, “Hideous Exuberance” is frivolous and funny, without compromising its sub-textual rigor or the weighty point it makes about the universe and its inevitable unravelling ... Every element in the book serves as a prop to illustrate the folly of mankind and every element is executed expertly, making this impudent, sprightly, little novella a wicked, good read."

-- Dolly, Goodreads

"At times challenging to read, not particularly because of the content, but rather the manner in which is was presented. Cause and effect are divorced in this book, as is a progressive story line, character development is out to lunch, sense and sensibility is neither, up may be up; on the other hand it may be yellow. The author appears to have had a fun time developing his stories in the "blender" fashion. This is when you throw all the characters, the plot line, your sanity, the English language, and common sense into a blender and hit MAX on the dial. Whatever comes out, comes out. It is a delightful trip without having to leave the comfort of your own home. Recommended for a time when life just seems to be too regulated and ordered. This book will certainly shake that perspective up, or yellow; like I said earlier."

-- Fred, Goodreads

"If Wassily Kandinsky and Francis Bacon had written a book ... Bird has an anomalous approach as an author that requires more than a few mental double-takes and pauses for reflection. He's obviously in the possession of an artfulness and arsenal of more-or-less latent brilliance. This is often evident throughout ... My favorite analogy of all-time came early in the book: 'his inauthenticitie was comparable to that of a slumming New England aristocrat passing for the prep school gardener.' ... I think this book was firing on all cylinders and accomplished exactly what it wanted to."

-- Matt, Goodreads

"... honestly as soon as i saw the title i was like this is book is going to be interesting and man was i right, at the start i was like what the hell is this i had never read book with this kind of writing style before. It was a hilarious book and a real page turner. i just could not put it down. i loved the way it was all set out. all in all i found the book one of the best books i have read in a long time and i recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh. It was like nothing i have ever read before ... Mr [B]ird you have talent."

-- Gautirya, Goodreads

"This is a very very weird, beautiful book. Very difficult to put into a category or a genre. Psychedelic and flamboyant and experimental ... great work on the language, great beauty of images, references and situations. English is not my first language, so it was not easy at all at the beginning, to enter in this proto-slang written mingling Saramago, Pynchon, Leary and Middle America's Vernacular, but when you're in, is a real trip into sacred intelligent zaniness."

-- Alberto, Goodreads

"... at first I thought 'what the hell am I reading' then I found myself in hysterics, this is definitely a writing style I hadn't come across before. The wording threw me off sometimes but I soon got used to it. The only way I can describe it is writing graffiti. It is no holds barred and the author has done what he likes not what convention would prefer him to do. I really liked the first one, hopefully my opinion will stay the same throughout ... very enjoyable."

-- Laura, Goodreads

"Hideous Exuberance is a portal into the mind of Stephen C Bird. He possesses a fractious world view. His creations are filled with carnal cravings and self loathing for possessing them. He skewers the high and mighty and the beloved with equally withering, bellicose, lurid excreta that will send the genteel reader into shock. For those less genteel, Bird's wordplay and insights and acerbic humor will make the journey worthwhile."

-- Andrea, Goodreads

"... clearly inspired by and possibly similar to works from some authors I respect (Salmon Rushdie) or at least enjoy (Tom Robbins) ... I was chuckling aloud at some of the parodies of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings ... the absurdity of this book is, frankly, simply the absurdity of the culture it's parodying ... a crazy world with crazy people in it ... the author's goal was to unsettle the reader ... the goal was to entertain."

-- Eric, Goodreads

"Reading "Hideous Exuberance" is like getting really drunk and having the time of your life while remembering everything and having no headache the next day. There are many lucid moments throughout this wonder journey that leave you feeling like you just had a brain car wash. I can't help but feel like Mr. Bird's next book will be called, 'The Expressionist's Guide to Hilarious Depression'."

-- Patrick, Goodreads

"Warped ... A very awesome book cover, great font and writing style. 12 written short stories [satire] ... They weren’t very easy for me to read / follow from start / finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar / typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists / turns and a great set of unique characters to keep track of ... "

-- Tony, Goodreads

"A brilliantly clever read ... bright and very original with some great and not so great characters ... a very eclectic collection ... The dream sequences left me baffled on many an occasion ... inner monologues quite unsettling but for some reason the stories kept drawing me into them making giving up on the book an impossibility. All in all an extremely original and creative work ..."

-- Mick, Goodreads

"Truly no idea what I just read. There is no doubt this book was written with such effort and thought [...] as it is a satire of many other fantastical stories and pop culture ... The names were CRAZY long too but sometimes fun to say out loud and figure out who he in real life [the author] was relating to.... the vulgarity Bird adds ... sometimes just seemed so over the top."

-- Bianca, Goodreads

"This book was a very difficult read due to the style of writing, with misspelled words and crazy sentences, you definitely have to get a feel for it. This is without a doubt an imaginative, twisted, humourous read that will bend your mind. This book will certainly appeal to those who wish to deviate from the norm, but not recommended for the faint of heart."

-- Denise, Goodreads

"This book is quite different than anything I have read before in a really good way! A humorous yet sarcastic look at society with several intertwined stories. It can get a bit hard to follow because of poetic license so I do want to read it again to fully understand and make sure I didn't miss anything. Recommended for all those looking for new perspectives!"

-- Kattie, Goodreads

"... repulsive ... disgusting ... highly appalling short stories ... the incoherent ramblings of a demented mind ... numerous alternative spellings ... incomprehensible allusions to other fantasy books ... copious amounts of profanity ... lewd and extremely unconventional ... may appeal to fans of Alfred E. Neuman and MAD magazine ..."

-- Scott, Goodreads

"Though the collection of tales does not follow many conventions readers are comfortable with, the collection succeeds at creating a comedic, enjoyable, and satiric piece. The conventions followed alone polarize the opinions of the work, but truly contribute to the comedy that it features to such an extent."

-- Jake, Goodreads

"... Fantastical satire. The author himself has stated the plot is not linear ... the characters interact in some very strange ways ... intentionally preposterous ... [the author] is defaulting to the true meaning of satire and exaggeration to ridicule our modern society's thoughts on a variety of topics."

-- Melissa F. (Goodreads)

"Readers will either hate this book or they will love it. I must admit that Stephen is a genius writer -- almost reminds me of the "Alice in Wonderland" author. The world that Stephen created was ... so we say, 'trippy'."

-- Tien, Goodreads

"May I rehash: it is indeed a flamboyant portrait of hideous venal humanity, with love. And I have gratitude for its very existence."

-- Michellee, Goodreads

"I can't quite shelve this book or classify it in a particular genre, but I highly enjoyed it. Very witty, and very unique in style."

-- Amanda, Goodreads

"This was a Hell of a ride. I am going to have to re-read this to make sure that I actually got all the jokes."

-- Brian, Goodreads

"... Not for the faint hearted ... Luckily, I love a good twisted book! Great read ... I enjoyed it!"

-- Keirstin, Goodreads

"Were not all books this good, we justify."

-- Faux Maux, Goodreads

"Definitely different and quirky ..."

-- Christy, Goodreads