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The Gutbucket Quest
Slim’s a Texas bluesman of a certain age, down on his luck and just about broke—but hey, that’s what the blues are all about. He loves his music: “Not the popular blues, homogenized, synthesized, and zombilized; but the real down-home gutbucket blues.” Then one day the music loves him back.
In a single hot burst of lightning that comes straight up out of the ground, Slim finds himself in Tejas. It’s a little bit magic and a whole lot different, but the blues are the same.
And the blues—manifest here in the form of a maple-necked, pearl-gray Fender Stratocaster with blue-chrome pickups, a.k.a. The Gutbucket—need him and need him bad. The Strat’s fallen into the hands of T-Bone Pickens and his Vipers, who want to suck up all its power and turn it to evil.
Slim’s off and running on the Gutbucket Quest, with the help of his new mentor, rhythm guitarist Progress T. Hornsby, and a purely unstoppable blues singer named Nadine.
In a single hot burst of lightning that comes straight up out of the ground, Slim finds himself in Tejas. It’s a little bit magic and a whole lot different, but the blues are the same.
And the blues—manifest here in the form of a maple-necked, pearl-gray Fender Stratocaster with blue-chrome pickups, a.k.a. The Gutbucket—need him and need him bad. The Strat’s fallen into the hands of T-Bone Pickens and his Vipers, who want to suck up all its power and turn it to evil.
Slim’s off and running on the Gutbucket Quest, with the help of his new mentor, rhythm guitarist Progress T. Hornsby, and a purely unstoppable blues singer named Nadine.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Piers Anthony
487 books4,291 followersThough he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 7, 2017
Not for me but a music lover might like this better. Solid read anyhow. =)
November 10, 2018
A collaboration between Anthony and Ron Leming, Gutbucket is an interesting adventure story of an out-of-place blues player in search of both purpose and the perfect guitar. Though his new world is different for Slim and takes some getting used to, his newfound friends all care for him and help him find his purpose, and truly, himself. But along the way, Slim and his band must contend with their antagonist, a man that tries his darnedest to control the blues for himself.
Written mostly by Leming, as I believe his first novel, the writing is a bit rough, but the setting and characters are good, and the dialog is quite authentic and fun. The story is a quick read, and a nice take in the fish-out-of-water story.
Written mostly by Leming, as I believe his first novel, the writing is a bit rough, but the setting and characters are good, and the dialog is quite authentic and fun. The story is a quick read, and a nice take in the fish-out-of-water story.
November 1, 2019
3.5 stars
There are several great things about this book: the fact that it centers around music, that commercialization can kill it, etc, for example.
However, I felt that the plot could have been better developed as well. The 2 main characters fall in love rather immediately, & since so much of the book is about their relationship, I felt that since we didn’t get to see very much of them getting to that point, it made me less invested in that aspect of the book. There is also an instance of one of them being kidnapped and rescued, & we get no explanation for why they kidnapped her at all. We also don’t see the villain at all until the end, & that made for a poorly developed villain, as we’re just told how bad he is without seeing it at all.
There are several great things about this book: the fact that it centers around music, that commercialization can kill it, etc, for example.
However, I felt that the plot could have been better developed as well. The 2 main characters fall in love rather immediately, & since so much of the book is about their relationship, I felt that since we didn’t get to see very much of them getting to that point, it made me less invested in that aspect of the book. There is also an instance of one of them being kidnapped and rescued, & we get no explanation for why they kidnapped her at all. We also don’t see the villain at all until the end, & that made for a poorly developed villain, as we’re just told how bad he is without seeing it at all.
March 18, 2024
Excellent Story
The Gutbucket Quest is an excellent story. It is about a Blues singer from the sixties and wants to rediscover himself and the Blues while homesteading in Texas. He is suddenly struck by lightning and ends up in a similar world but in Tajas. Here, the Blues are really powerful. The story is about the history of the Blues and the saving of the Blues. It is advisable that the reader is at least 18 due to the graphic nature of the story and adult language. However, it is still very worthwhile reading.
The Gutbucket Quest is an excellent story. It is about a Blues singer from the sixties and wants to rediscover himself and the Blues while homesteading in Texas. He is suddenly struck by lightning and ends up in a similar world but in Tajas. Here, the Blues are really powerful. The story is about the history of the Blues and the saving of the Blues. It is advisable that the reader is at least 18 due to the graphic nature of the story and adult language. However, it is still very worthwhile reading.
October 8, 2018
Based on the description it had some promise. It was all right but just....
As a Blues fanatic I expected more but realized part way through that it wasn't the fault of the book but my expectation. The ending notes from Piers Anthony and Ron Leming explained a lot. I'll let those reading it figure it out for themselves.
As a Blues fanatic I expected more but realized part way through that it wasn't the fault of the book but my expectation. The ending notes from Piers Anthony and Ron Leming explained a lot. I'll let those reading it figure it out for themselves.
March 1, 2019
A mixture of blues, magic, other worldness and romance.
April 21, 2021
Awesome quotes on music and the blues. I guess I wish I could get stuck in a parallel world and become a guitar god.
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August 5, 2011No stars!
I feel sorry for the tree that gave up its bark for this attempt at story telling. Just horrible.
I only bought this because: 1> It was on sale and 2> It claimed Piers Anthony was the co-author.
How bad could a book be if Piers Anthony is the co-author? Pretty bad! Because Piers isn't the author. He only loaned his name to a down and out author he had befriended to help him out.
The plot: Basically just some dudes looking around for a funky guitar.
I feel sorry for the tree that gave up its bark for this attempt at story telling. Just horrible.
I only bought this because: 1> It was on sale and 2> It claimed Piers Anthony was the co-author.
How bad could a book be if Piers Anthony is the co-author? Pretty bad! Because Piers isn't the author. He only loaned his name to a down and out author he had befriended to help him out.
The plot: Basically just some dudes looking around for a funky guitar.
February 14, 2012
I give it credit for an intriguing idea ... the blues as magic power ... but at some point this book decided it was going to leave the fantasy genre and become Cinemax softcore. After a while chapter after chapter of Slim and Nadine doing nothing but talking and having crazy sex tends to get tiresome, especially when there's a big battle upcoming!
It's okay urban fantasy just for its concept, but the execution leaves a little to be desired.
It's okay urban fantasy just for its concept, but the execution leaves a little to be desired.
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December 25, 2014The writing was perfect; the collab between these two worked out very, very well.
I'd really love to see this on television as an ongoing series with Jack Black. Gutbucket presents a wonderful universe (and not just because no one here has heard of Christians).
While Slim was deep; he wasn't too complex and the personal issues got solved fairly quickly (a little reversal here and there might have added to the stakes), but he was a soft-hearted man.
I'd really love to see this on television as an ongoing series with Jack Black. Gutbucket presents a wonderful universe (and not just because no one here has heard of Christians).
While Slim was deep; he wasn't too complex and the personal issues got solved fairly quickly (a little reversal here and there might have added to the stakes), but he was a soft-hearted man.
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October 5, 2007While I was reading this I couldn't help but think that Piers Anthony must have had Jack Black in mind for the lead character. Same body shape, same scruffiness, same passion for power riffs. Is it possible he was thinking of turning this into a movie?
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May 15, 2012Unreadable. I tried so hard to finish this book considering the story of how it came about, and the fact that i love Piers Anthony. I just couldnt do it. It was extremely boring and very long winded on the feeling of Blues. Disappointing at best.
May 26, 2007
It is a nice book to read,it's about black magic and the blues,lovely;-)
July 18, 2009
Ron Leming is a great guy - I need to get back in touch with him!
December 13, 2010
I don't remember what this one is about. I must find it and read it again!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews