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The Last Buffoon
Book by Jordan, Leonard. Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress)
208 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 17, 2024
Here's a bit of meta fiction inspired by the experiences of trash paperback writer (and the novel's author) Len Levinson. Levinson wrote dozens of ultra violent and smutty novels in the paperback boom of the 70s and 80s, and here he creates an alternate version of himself, the beleaguered ar-teest writing junk for the masses.
Alexander Frapkin, our protagonist, is equally self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating. He floods his body with any number of controlled substances, lusts after every woman he sees, is a paranoid bigot, makes bad choices for the sake of a buck, and can't seem to get ahead. The whole novel is his life spiraling out of control as a result. Frapkin is incredibly flawed and disgusting, but you can't help but root for the guy.
In addition to loser Frapkin, the other main character is New York City. Levinson makes the seedy NYC of a generation ago really come alive, with its porn theaters, dive bars, greasy pizza joints, and rough edges.
Fun, breezy, smutty, drug-soaked, and vulgar.
Alexander Frapkin, our protagonist, is equally self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating. He floods his body with any number of controlled substances, lusts after every woman he sees, is a paranoid bigot, makes bad choices for the sake of a buck, and can't seem to get ahead. The whole novel is his life spiraling out of control as a result. Frapkin is incredibly flawed and disgusting, but you can't help but root for the guy.
In addition to loser Frapkin, the other main character is New York City. Levinson makes the seedy NYC of a generation ago really come alive, with its porn theaters, dive bars, greasy pizza joints, and rough edges.
Fun, breezy, smutty, drug-soaked, and vulgar.
December 23, 2024
My dad said he found this odd book in a K-Mart back in the 80s. He recommended it to me, as we both enjoy loveable losers like Joe Dirt, Napoleon Dynamite, and some Woody Allen characters. Several times I laughed while shaking my head at how pathetic this guy is, and being reminded of some of my favorite losers, both real and fictional.
April 18, 2012
A story about a writer of men's adventure and sex novels set in the seamy world of 1970' s New York City. The author portrays the main character as a loveable loser as he makes his way through peep shows, literary agents, criminals, and assorted New York denizens. It is actually written as humor and not bad. The last 30 pages actually drag down the story though. A very raunchy book so this is definitely not for children.
May 30, 2013
Hilarious spoof!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews