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The Banjo String Snapped but the Band Played on
Ten men. One city. Lots of trouble.
The Pimp is out in Leeds on his stag party with nine of his best friends, including Jesus, Hitler, and Bungle from eighties children's television show Rainbow. They have enough drugs to kill several horses, and a mean intention to imbibe every single one of them.
Join The Incredible Hulk as he falls in love, Beetlejuice and his awful gambling luck, Superman's stinky top lip, and Al Capone's incredible habit of annoying people.
These boys are just out for a good time, and they don't care who knows it.
The Pimp is out in Leeds on his stag party with nine of his best friends, including Jesus, Hitler, and Bungle from eighties children's television show Rainbow. They have enough drugs to kill several horses, and a mean intention to imbibe every single one of them.
Join The Incredible Hulk as he falls in love, Beetlejuice and his awful gambling luck, Superman's stinky top lip, and Al Capone's incredible habit of annoying people.
These boys are just out for a good time, and they don't care who knows it.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2013
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Bracha
33 books36 followersRyan Bracha is the Amazon-bestselling author of eleven novels, a novella, and a collection of short stories. In his early twenties, he made a brief foray into independent filmmaking. At 24, he wrote and directed his debut feature Tales From Nowhere, a limited-release cult oddity he once described as “Pulp Fiction meets Kes.” Though the film’s lifespan was short, it ignited a passion for bold, unorthodox storytelling.
Ryan spent the next several years honing his voice as a novelist. His debut, Strangers Are Just Friends You Haven’t Killed Yet, took nearly four years to complete, and was followed by a relentless output of raw, genre-defying fiction. Over the course of his writing career, he’s self-published eleven novels, a novella, and a short story collection — each one taking risks and refusing to play it safe.
Though no longer writing fiction intensively, Ryan remains creatively active. He continues to write across other forms and channels his energy as frontman and lyricist for the electronic punk band Misery Prize, bringing the same edge and attitude to the stage as he did to the page. He lives and works in South Yorkshire, where the ideas never quite stop coming.
Visit www.miseryprizeband.co.uk to follow his musical endeavours.
Ryan spent the next several years honing his voice as a novelist. His debut, Strangers Are Just Friends You Haven’t Killed Yet, took nearly four years to complete, and was followed by a relentless output of raw, genre-defying fiction. Over the course of his writing career, he’s self-published eleven novels, a novella, and a short story collection — each one taking risks and refusing to play it safe.
Though no longer writing fiction intensively, Ryan remains creatively active. He continues to write across other forms and channels his energy as frontman and lyricist for the electronic punk band Misery Prize, bringing the same edge and attitude to the stage as he did to the page. He lives and works in South Yorkshire, where the ideas never quite stop coming.
Visit www.miseryprizeband.co.uk to follow his musical endeavours.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 23, 2013
This is a rude and lewd read, the story of a group of lads on a stag do in Leeds. Full of swearing, drugs, drinking and dodgy happenings this is a blast, thoroughly enjoyable but with a little more to it than just a drinking session. Seen from multiple viewpoints it unfolds in an interesting fashio. If you have any sensitivity at all to plenty of strong language and situations then this is not the book for you - & vice versa.
October 4, 2013
Ryan never fails to entertain and inspire.
I always look forward to new story from Ryan Bracha. Very few new and even fewer Indie-writers have the imagination Bracha possesses or the guts to tell a story uncompromisingly. Most new writers find a preferred writing style (narrative, viewpoint etc) and stick with it; Ryan has absolutely no fear and uses many engaging writng styles. John Niven is a standout at this as were Chris Brookmyre and Irvine Welsh early in their careers. Ryan has a very Scottish feel to his writing, in that the characters and situations he creates are invariably entertaining, challenging, complex often brutally exposed and often funny as hell.
Awaiting a Bracha publication is comparable to what Monday mornings (new release day, pre-downloads) were like for a long-term music fan. I don't get quite the same satisfaction `ripping open' a Bracha book as I did flicking through 45s and later CDs, but it's close enough to that excitement for now.
With The Banjo String Snapped But The Band Played On, Ryan continues his series of short-stories and his run of form. Whilst I preferred Bracha's previous book, Baron Catastrophe and The King of Jackals, I found plenty in this book to entertain and engage with.
Ryan's writing is experimental, he takes chances and is developing with each story, but I had trouble connecting with this particular tale. This is no fault of the author, his prose is as fresh and gripping as ever; but rather as the reader, I found the multiple changes of viewpoint difficult to follow, mainly because I'm a bit simple at times.
I'm docking Bracha a single rating star for one main reason.
I desperately wanted and perhaps expected the main characters to be the actual Jesus, Superman etc and was gutted that they were merely some mates on a Stag-do. I suspect this says more about me than it does about Ryan's book, but it's my review and I wanted the real Jesus, so four stars it is.
With the quality of Ryan's writing he only has himself to blame; he continuously readjusts the readers expectation of his books, each brings something different than the last, and I wanted more from this. Despite my own personal preferences, this is a very good read; smart, vapid and concise writing at its best, but next time give me more Messiah.
I always look forward to new story from Ryan Bracha. Very few new and even fewer Indie-writers have the imagination Bracha possesses or the guts to tell a story uncompromisingly. Most new writers find a preferred writing style (narrative, viewpoint etc) and stick with it; Ryan has absolutely no fear and uses many engaging writng styles. John Niven is a standout at this as were Chris Brookmyre and Irvine Welsh early in their careers. Ryan has a very Scottish feel to his writing, in that the characters and situations he creates are invariably entertaining, challenging, complex often brutally exposed and often funny as hell.
Awaiting a Bracha publication is comparable to what Monday mornings (new release day, pre-downloads) were like for a long-term music fan. I don't get quite the same satisfaction `ripping open' a Bracha book as I did flicking through 45s and later CDs, but it's close enough to that excitement for now.
With The Banjo String Snapped But The Band Played On, Ryan continues his series of short-stories and his run of form. Whilst I preferred Bracha's previous book, Baron Catastrophe and The King of Jackals, I found plenty in this book to entertain and engage with.
Ryan's writing is experimental, he takes chances and is developing with each story, but I had trouble connecting with this particular tale. This is no fault of the author, his prose is as fresh and gripping as ever; but rather as the reader, I found the multiple changes of viewpoint difficult to follow, mainly because I'm a bit simple at times.
I'm docking Bracha a single rating star for one main reason.
I desperately wanted and perhaps expected the main characters to be the actual Jesus, Superman etc and was gutted that they were merely some mates on a Stag-do. I suspect this says more about me than it does about Ryan's book, but it's my review and I wanted the real Jesus, so four stars it is.
With the quality of Ryan's writing he only has himself to blame; he continuously readjusts the readers expectation of his books, each brings something different than the last, and I wanted more from this. Despite my own personal preferences, this is a very good read; smart, vapid and concise writing at its best, but next time give me more Messiah.
April 1, 2014
The Banjo String Snapped but the Band Played on Ryan Bracha
A Great little read. A funny, sharp and very messy story about a group of young lads heading to Leeds for a chaotic fancy dress stag night.
Full of drinking, drug taking, fighting and shagging, Bracha made me chuckle all the way through this tale of debauchery in a manner that reminded me of my misspent youth. It has an extremely real and believable feel to it and the author pulls no punches whatsoever (unlike Jesus, Hitler, Then Hulk and co), as we get to know each character in turn s it heads to its excruciating climax.
I have to say that this was my first Ryan Bracha book, but it will be the first of many. Highly recommended...it would have got a five if it was a full scale book, but if the desire was to leave me wanting more, he has succeeded.
A Great little read. A funny, sharp and very messy story about a group of young lads heading to Leeds for a chaotic fancy dress stag night.
Full of drinking, drug taking, fighting and shagging, Bracha made me chuckle all the way through this tale of debauchery in a manner that reminded me of my misspent youth. It has an extremely real and believable feel to it and the author pulls no punches whatsoever (unlike Jesus, Hitler, Then Hulk and co), as we get to know each character in turn s it heads to its excruciating climax.
I have to say that this was my first Ryan Bracha book, but it will be the first of many. Highly recommended...it would have got a five if it was a full scale book, but if the desire was to leave me wanting more, he has succeeded.
November 28, 2013
This series of shorts takes us on a drug fueled, hormone laced evening of fun and debauchery. Once again, Bracha does not disappoint in his quest to shock and amuse me with his witty spin on the craft of writing. Where else can you spend a few hours with Jesus, Hitler and a handful of other fellas that anyone would be a fool not to want to party with.
The night starts as a last romp for the soon to be wed Pimp, but quickly evolves into a collective series of events that take the characters to the depths of the most hedonistic of adventures. Without revealing too much, I think that a few of the guys appear in Bracha's superb novel, Strangers are Just Friends You haven't Killed Yet.
The night starts as a last romp for the soon to be wed Pimp, but quickly evolves into a collective series of events that take the characters to the depths of the most hedonistic of adventures. Without revealing too much, I think that a few of the guys appear in Bracha's superb novel, Strangers are Just Friends You haven't Killed Yet.
November 19, 2014
An Englishman, Irishman, and Scotsman walk into a bar…Na feck that, Superman, Jesus, a pimp, the hulk……..I read this as part of the highly recommended "Bogies" collection of short stories. The tale of a stag night in Leeds, it doesn’t just take you along for the ride, but steamrollers over you in the process. Full of humour of the black and vulgar type (my own personal favourites) and things we think but Ryan writes down. If your heart is not feint, buy, read enjoy!
October 10, 2019
Ok so...
Esoteric is a word I would use to describe this book! It is a force of nature. Like a whirlwind of chaotic madness. There is a certain odd structure in places that requires thinking about in a literal sense, speaking of which the book certainly feels as though you are an observer through the looking glass...
Esoteric is a word I would use to describe this book! It is a force of nature. Like a whirlwind of chaotic madness. There is a certain odd structure in places that requires thinking about in a literal sense, speaking of which the book certainly feels as though you are an observer through the looking glass...
July 22, 2014
I have loved all of Bracha's novels. I liked this one but it was maybe too 'laddish' for me, in that it reminded me of all the lads I have grown up with and how they have been "getting away with it all their lives". The feminist inside me was somewhat irked. Or maybe somewhat jealous?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews