| Title | : | How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1942712030 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781942712039 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 159 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2015 |
2. If you must respond to bad reviews, please do not kidnap the reviewer.
3. If you must kidnap the reviewer, do not kidnap him in a public area.
4. If there are witnesses, do not also kidnap them.
5. If you also kidnap the witnesses, consider quitting crystal meth.
6. If you find yourself surrounded by hostages, purchase extra duct tape.
7. Do not let the hostages take their own hostages.
8. Invest in better coffee.
9. Don’t forget: dildo crucifixes have more than one use.
10. And, most importantly: do not engage the severed heads in conversation.
How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers Reviews
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Harlan reviews books. He admits to being an asshole and his favorite books to tear apart are ones published by a small indy company called BILF (Books I'd like to F@ck). BILF is a bunch of assholes since they rejected to see the greatness of Harlan's own venture as an author.
Harlan likes to venture out to a local coffee house to do some of his reading. He takes his trusty e-reader than he has stocked full of illegally downloaded books and heads out.
Then he has the misfortune of running into one of the authors from BILF. The author of Attack of the Chlamydia Kamikazes named Billy. Who hung out with a bartender with a big stash of meth the night before. Billy sees Harlan and starts beating the crap out of him in front of the coffee shop. An "innocent" by stander stops his car to try and help and Billy ends up beating him and taking his car. Along with a few other surprises.
The gang from BILF tries to figure out how to clean up Billy's mess of accidental kidnapping. They could just keep Harlan and the innocent guy named Lewis. They could kill them. They could just pay them not to say anything. That asshole reviewer Harlan will never keep his mouth shut though.
That innocent guy? Lewis? Turns out he has more of a story than they thought.
This book is all kinds of crazy. I, of course, liked those parts. I learned some new things.
Like what to do with all those extra appliances that I have lying around the house.
Crucifix dildos have lots of uses.
Now I will warn everyone. This book will at some part/time/minute will offend someone. The most successful author in BILF had written The Cumming of Christ. It was a smash hit. You just haven't lived until you learn about religion porn.
So now I have mental images of lots of new ideas for BILF authors to write.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Not many people have braved this little book, and they should.
This review stood out for me and she liked it a bit more than I did. -
This was some bizarro, crazy, non PC, obscene, disgusting, bust out laughing while gaging, writing. I have never read anything like it. It is guaranteed to be banned by many religious organizations. Everything was just so wrong, I loved it.
The horrors include terrible writers, worse editors, half arsed publishers, drugs, knives, guns, vomit, sex, murder, severed heads, porn, wicked reviewers, violence and one cute Weiner dog.-Not for sensitive readers.
I had fun, sick twisted fun with this. I enjoyed not reading a PC book for a change. I felt like I not only got my hand in the naughty cookie jar but got away with it.. I will read more for this author. -
Max Booth III is a writer I've been meaning to read for some time now. Ever since the publication of Toxicity a couple of years ago.
The title of his newest novel, How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers, just reached out and grabbed me. When I read the book's description on it's Amazon page, it was decided. Here, take my money.
The description that made be spend my hard earned money...
1. Do not respond to bad reviews.
2. If you must respond to bad reviews, please do not kidnap the reviewer.
3. If you must kidnap the reviewer, do not kidnap him in a public area.
4. If there are witnesses, do not also kidnap them.
5. If you also kidnap the witnesses, consider quitting crystal meth.
6. If you find yourself surrounded by hostages, purchase extra duct tape.
7. Do not let the hostages take their own hostages.
8. Invest in better coffee.
9. Don’t forget: dildo crucifixes have more than one use.
10. And, most importantly: do not engage the severed heads in conversation.
The opening line is inspired. "All Harlan Anderson wanted was a doughnut." Every story has to start somewhere and from this simple beginning the reader is rocketed into a great adventure.
How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is a bit stream of consciousness, a touch of bizarro fiction, and somewhat convoluted, with lots of drugs, and a little sex. All-in-all, a crazy mixed-up tale that was fun to read from start to finish.
If you are offended by foul language, you might want to steer clear, but for me, I laughed, I was horrified...and I learned a thing or two. The most amazing part of How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is that despite the lunacy, it's all completely within the realm of possibility. At one point I thought this would make a very cool movie, especially if we could get Quentin Tarantino to direct.
Published by Bizarro Pulp Press, a JournalStone imprint, How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is available in both paperback and e-book formats.
Only for the most adventurous readers, but if that's you, you don't want to miss this book.
Max Booth III is the Editor-in Chief or Perpetual Motion machine Publishing, an editor for Dark Moon Digest, and a columnist for LitReactor.com. He is the author of Toxicity, The Mind is a Razorblade, and now How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers. Raised in Northern Indiana, Max currently works as a hotel night auditor in San Antonio. -
So this was my first foray into Bizarro Fiction - a genre I didn't even know existed. Apparently the literary genre was coined Bizarro Fiction in 2005. Wikipedia says, "Bizarro fiction is a contemporary literary genre, which often uses elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works."
Yeah...I'd say this fits the bill.
If you spend any amount of time on Goodreads, you are frequently bombarded with author/reviewer drama. There are so many examples of Authors Behaving Badly, but one wouldn't expect them to go at it in real life.
This idea of authors and reviewers satirically crossing these boundaries is what initially drew me to the book. I knew it would likely color a bit outside my normal book lines, but it was worth it. This is definitely not for the easily offended.
It is sacrilegious, violent, sexually irreverent, and absurd. You'll encounter cringe-worthy book titles, talking severed heads,
....and dildo crucifixes...
inappropriate gif in spoiler ahead
Excuse me while I delete my browsing history now....
In HTSKS, you'll get the POV of several key characters - authors, publishers, reviewers, a murderer, druggies, law enforcement, and more. The story quickly becomes Kafkaesque as their situation spirals more and more laughably out of control.
I laughed, I cringed, and kept imagining it as a movie. Is this a new favorite genre for me? Probably not. I did enjoy this one, but it was a bit darker than my typical read.
Thank you Netgalley and Bizarro Pulp Press for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. -
A zany dark crime caper full of severed heads, witty dialogue, and lamentations on the state of the indie-lit scene. This should be required reading for everyone who is writing in small press today. This book is about you! How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is pure entertainment.
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I get real nervous when reading about authors kidnapping book reviewers. This is not the first novel on this topic but, for reasons that will be disclosed, it is the best novel about kidnapping book reviewers. But I do know some book reviewers that should be kidnapped. If one is a reviewer, they should always write about the book and, even if the book sucks, they should not take the negative hyperbole to a personal level. Even if the author is a truly creepy creature who writes about disembodied heads from his own experiences, it should not be an issue in the review. Now mind you, I am not saying Max Booth III is a truly creepy creature who writes about disembodied heads from his own experiences. That would be a falsehood. I never actually met him and our few exchanges on Facebook have been quite pleasant. In fact, i think it was me who brought up the topic of disembodied heads...
I think I better stop there.
Fortunately, I do not have to worry about dissing the author in this review. How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers does not suck. In fact, it is pretty damn good. The premise starts with the sudden and as yet unexplained kidnapping of Harlan Anderson, a somewhat antisocial and vicious reviewer of books he hate. Currently his insults tend to be directed to the writers of a tiny independent book publisher, BILF Publishing. Think of MILF and you'll get the full name. Harlan's kidnapper, Billy, is one of the writers, a tweeted out loser who seems to be tolerated only because he is the brother of one of the close-knitted denizens of BILF. Billy also manages to kidnap one of the witnesses of his assault on Harlan and pretty soon the crimes are piling up like methed-out dominoes.
How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is a Keystone Kops version of a satire about the writers and readers in the independent publishing business. The characters are all weird, outcasted, maybe a bit repulsive, and instantly likeable. That even includes the serial killer. The action never stops but within it all we get a hilarious glimpse of the people who populate both the Bizarro publisher genre and its target population of readers. The conclusion appears to be that we are all sickos, but in a good way. if I had a issue with the book, it is that the author appears to be writing to a small audience who will get many of the in-jokes and understand the attractiveness of reading that which no one else in their right mind would read. But there is also a sense of slapstick humor in it that would appeal to those who like books with twisted humor or even movies like Scorcese's After Hours and the more mainstream The Hangover.
Max Booth III is writing about an environment he know, even if it doesn't usually involve disembodied heads. He is able to write about these characters that occupy a reality flirting with the underground and cultish, yet infuse them with enough real life and honest pathos that the uninitiated can even get it. There really are some other novels that have taken on the strange relationship between readers, reviewers and writers. Yet this one, while being one of the more outrageous, is the only one that seems to get all three . Humor is funny that way. it may be easy to make fun of something but it only really works if you love what you make fun of. -
So, this was interesting...I think? I liked it...I think?
After a night of extreme partying, 5 friends, who happen to co-run a small press, wake up and go on a somewhat unintentional crime spree. From robbery to kidnapping to murder, these guys do it all. There's crucifix dildos, fast food drug wars, and not to mention talking severed heads. But that's what happens when shitty reviewers write shitty reviews, right?
This book was equal parts laugh out loud hilarious and disgustingly cringe worthy. It was like a Tarantino film in my head. Kind of brilliant actually.
Venturing forth into this unknown territory that is bizarro fiction. Who knew, right?
Attempting this as 9. A book that is outside your comfort zone in my 2016 MacHalo Challenge.
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I've been wanting to read Max Booth III's work for a long time and had initially planned to read THE MIND IS A RAZORBLADE first. But then I read the premise of this one I'm going to talk about today and knew I had to read it stat. So THE MIND IS A RAZORBLADE will come another day but, over the course of this review, I'm going to tell you why you should read that one, this one, and anything else he's written or might write in the future.
Max Booth III is a diverse guy. He wears several different hats, some of which I talked about with him last week, including publisher, editor, columnist, and hotel night auditor. Oh, and author. And, as I understand it, his books are as diverse as he is. He's written hardcore crime-noir in TOXICITY, horror--also with a noir feel to it--in THE MIND IS A RAZORBLADE, and tongue in cheek bizarro in the flash fiction collection THEY MIGHT BE DEMONS. There's more but I'm going to stop there. You get the point and those aren't the books I want to talk about here. HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KIDNAP STRANGERS is another departure for Max and further proof that he doesn't give a rat's ass about genre.
I don't read a lot of humor, mostly because I have a somewhat offbeat sense of humor and it's hard to find material that doesn't seem trite or shallow to me. Nor am I a fan of some of the juvenile bathroom humor that a lot of authors resort to in their attempts to be funny. But there are some few that I find to be genuinely funny while at the same time being intelligent and telling a good story along with the humor. One author that fits into that niche admirably is Max Booth III. HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KIDNAP STRANGERS is a somewhat self deprecating tale in that it makes fun of people like Max: indie publishers, editors, authors, and others of that ilk. It also makes fun of people like me: online book reviewers. But it is by no means noninclusive or inaccessible. There's something in there for anyone who enjoys a great story.
And HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KIDNAP STRANGERS is a great story. As usual, I won't synopsize this too much. It's the story of a book reviewer--granted, an asshole book reviewer--who is kidnapped by a meth crazed bizarro author who attacks him and throws him in the trunk of a stranger's car, throwing the driver in behind him for good measure. From that point the story rapidly spirals into chaos, getting stranger and more uproariously brutal as the book progresses. That's it. Read the book to find out more. This is the point where I tell you what I think really makes this book work. First off is the point that I've already beaten almost to death: the humor. The book is packed with unapologetic, gut busting sarcasm throughout. Nary a sentence goes by without a laugh. Have you ever read about someone getting stabbed in the throat and nearly pissed yourself laughing? I have, and you will too when you read this book.
But it doesn't stop at just humor. Max Booth III has a voice that's all his own, and his exceptional storytelling prowess pulls this whole thing together and makes it work astonishingly well. The writing is polished, the pacing is perfect and the character development is solid, keeping you fully engaged in the story, in my case reading it in two extremely fast sessions, unable to drag myself out of the hyper-realistic settings that Booth has created. The book reads like one long action scene, beginning with the first paragraph and driving the story at a breakneck pace to the final uproarious paragraph, possibly, shockingly, the funniest passage in the entire book. Which is hard to fathom because the whole damn thing is hysterical.
Rife with dildo crucifixes, serial killers, tweakers, and--scariest of all--writers, HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KIDNAP STRANGERS is a masterful blend of satire, bizarro, and horror, and I'm not sure if there are words enough in the English language to tell you how much fun I had with this book. For a relatively short novel, weighing in around 170 pages, this is a huge read that I will return to again, quite possibly multiple times. If you haven't experienced the sheer entertainment that is Max Booth III, you should fix that. -
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KIDNAP STRANGERS was both uproarious and ridiculously brutal, just the way efficient satire should always be. It's going to piss a lot of people off though, as not everyone has a sense of humor about themselves. Online writing communities are this relatively new phenomenon that most people still take too seriously for their own sake. None takes themselves more seriously than BILF books though and that's a problem for bitter book reviewer Harlan Anderson.
Max Booth III's previous book were great, but they didn't have that extra kicker that make them stand out. This one has it. Not everybody will understand how absolutely scorching it is, but Booth's tremendous sense of humor carries the weight of the book for both the initiates and the blissfully ignorant. The internet is a place where you have the freedom to choose your own persona, be who you feel like being, like you're being the author of your own life. None of that holds up to the crushing weight of reality and HOW TO KIDNAP STRANGERS is the story of the gap between the two, told in a warped, paranoid and hilarious fashion. Brilliant book. -
Max was gracious enough to give me an advanced reading copy of his latest book in exchange for an honest review, but after reading it I'm not even sure I can be honest. What if I end up kidnapped and shoved in a trunk with a bag full of severed heads? I don't want to be kidnapped because I wrote a bad review. Actually that's the premise of the book and the kidnapping and everything else that happens in Booth's book is a direct result of a sheer panic and indecision. If you're actually using this as a a guide to kidnap people you have serious issues and the book isn't even a guide that you can use,
This is my fourth Booth book and I haven't read a bad novel yet. Max is a solid story teller that refuses to follow any genre and write whatever the hell he wants. That unpredictability is what fuels his novels. You never know what the hell you're in for and his characters are always interesting. You have elements of bizarro here and light touches of horror, but mixed in there are a variety of other genres. Strangers is an interesting and bizarre read that elevate Max's talents as a writer that can't be boxed in by genres or rules. These are characters who are just sort of thrust into this situation and only make things worse for themselves as the novel progresses. One bad decision just snowballs and you almost feel sorry this rag tag group of indie publishers.
Also there are great tips for writers which I refuse to disclose, but it's very solid advice and you can also see a bit of Booth's personality shine through as he talks about not only publishing, but the various genres that have seemingly popped up over night. As a writer I can relate to a lot of what he's saying and what it boils down to is just write. That is what makes Strangers so good. Booth isn't allowing himself to be boxed into one genre. When you try and categorize any of his books you just can't and that may piss off fans of any one genre. When he attacks these genres you may laugh and agree or get pissed off.
If there is a message here it's this. Don't be a dick or you may find yourself kidnapped. It's a glimpse at how some writers react to negative reviews and how we feel so self important that we seem to believe that we're bigger than Christ himself. We're supposed to write and after reading this I swear not to whore myself on Facebook or at the very least vow not to do it so much. Here's the deal. I'm a fan of Booth's and have been since They Might Be Demons, and with each book he continues to buck trends and write solid books. That's what a good writer does, and Strangers may be his best book yet, -
The world of small presses gets a dose of satire done right. Hilarious and candid, with memorable characters and a snowballing shitstorm of terrible events. The book picks up quickly doesn't let up. There was some worry initially that the author would not be able to keep up the level of humor without it seeming forced or overdone, but it was unnecessary. As with the other books I have read from Max Booth III, How To Successfully Kidnap Strangers is witty, smart and well done. It seemed I was grinning or laughing through all of it. Recommended!
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Read all my reviews on
http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I knew even before I started reading that it would be a hard job to write a review of it. It is a bizarre novel and seriously, at which point should you judge one?
The story takes place around a small publishing company specialized in publishing weird, bizarre novels (not unlike this one). When one of them, who also has a serious drug issue, sees a negative reviewer on the street, something breaks and the reviewer end up in the truck. From there on, it's only downhill.
And this, dear authors, is exactly why you should never respond to negative reviews. Before you know it, you'll end up a kidnapper.
I have some mixed feeling about the book though. I really enjoyed reading about the troubles of the small publishing company, and the (wrongful) awesomeness that they ascribed to themselves. However, at other times, when I was asking myself, 'Do I like reading this?' I honestly couldn't really say so. And that was way before the ending in the cabin which was even more weird than the rest of the story.
There certainly were moments when I was reading and thought WTF. I also believe this book is not for those who are easily offended. Enter on your own risk, but it might make for an interesting read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! -
Max Booth can kidnap me anytime he wants.
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Absolutely perfect in so many ways. Funny as all hell...a comedy of errors in the BEST way possible. Really, so good ya gotta read it to see how awesome it is!
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I give this 4 stars because I do not want to be beaten, kidnapped, bound and gagged, and thrown in a closet with a serial killer.. No seriously, the author gave me what I wanted in the story's ending. I was ticked off through most of this book. The characters are turds. I'm talking down right cruel. The cop was the most likable but his choice of reading material was questionable. I am guessing that Booth was lampooning the pretentiousness and depravity that can occur in a small press company filled with selfish and deluded lowlifes. Yes I am judging. I feel that this is the case because the characters got exactly what they deserved in the end. I had thought he was heading towards a conclusion that justified and made heroes of these characters, and was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.
"How to" kept me reading well into the night because I wanted to see what happened next, even if it was just to see a few of the characters suffer. So basically, the author kept me engaged emotionally, and mentally which is to be admired. It wasn't a laugh riot like I expected it to be, but very intense, and well written. The irony of the character Nick's "success" at the end was beautiful.
Some criticisms: 1. Billy wraps duct tape around and around Harlan's mouth, yet minutes later the guy is talking. Where'd the duct tape go? 2. If the author meant for Louise to be funny comic relief, that was a failure. She was a horrible you know what.
Major Spoiler below this! DON'T READ if you do not want part of the ending ruined for you!:
I loved the finale of the story with Billy the crazed, kidnapping, tweaker who is handcuffed, being thrown into the trunk of the escape vehicle of one of his victims. The former victim is smiling and thinking about his upcoming blog, driving off into the sunset. I could just imagine Billy tied and gagged and watching Harlan write his blog. Poetic justice. -
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KIDNAP STRANGERS is an irreverent, hilarious joyride into the bowels of small press hell. I’m not small press published but as someone who mostly self-publishes, I face many of the same problems including douche reviewers like Harlan Anderson (a once rejected, scorned wanna-be author who writes scathing reviews for all of BILF Publishing’s titles).
Coincidentally, Harlan lands in the hands of the BILF Publishing crew when Billy—a not-so-talented drug-addicted writer—ends up kidnapping him due to a lapse in judgment. Unsure what to do next, Billy head’s to Nick’s (BILF’s editor-in-chief) apartment for help. Not only has Billy kidnapped Harlan, but also a man who ended up in the fray when Billy and Harlan were beating the crap out of each other before the abduction. Who is this guy? Lewis *spoiler alert*, the serial killer. What are the chances? The day goes from bad to worse as the small press people try to hatch an escape plan that includes their star author, Sergio, the brains behind The Cumming of Christ. Only in this world can religious porn seem like a thing.
If you’re sensitive about religion, easily offended, or have issues with vulgarity, you’re going to want to take a hard pass on this one. If you’re a fan of dark humor ala EULOGY and VERY BAD THINGS, you’re in for a treat. Max Booth does a great job handling the story from multiple points of view--eventually. I considered giving the book four stars because there are minor timeline shifts, a big cast that is initially tough to keep track of, and a few editorial grammatical misses but really, I loved this book and I don’t want to end up in anyone’s trunk thank you very much. I’m not sure that anyone who isn’t on the inside, in writing or publishing, will quite get how hilarious this book is, but fellow authors are sure to find at least something in here that ring too true. The chapter titles alone are worth the cost of the book. What did I learn? Well, if times get tough and book sales are down (and let’s face it, they’re always down), I could always lug a crate of books to the street corner and flash people. Thanks, Max, for writing such a fun book. -
Absolute madness. A tweaked shows up with a body in the trunk of a car and things go apeshit until the final sentence. I have had the privilege of reading a couple of Max Booth III's books and I can say he definitely one of the most unique voices in fiction. After reading this book, I do not want to "label" or "categorize" his stuff into a specific genre. Just be prepared to have your mind blown. I dug the story, but the main reason I like Max SOOOO much in because I have never read anyone quite like him. I look forward to more Max in the future. Do yourself, (and Max), a favor and take this one for a spin. It might just spin you.,,
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I feel very conflicted about this book. I don’t know if I hated it or enjoyed it.
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I think the authors intention was to write a bunch of awful, unlikable characters, with a ridiculous plot that spiraled out of control. Don’t get me wrong, it DID work, but for some reason I just feel sort of, meh towards it.
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I hated everyone. Everyone sucked and even the people who weren’t awful I still hated 😂 I cared about nobody in this book. But at the same time it was pretty fun. I pretty much read it in 2 sittings. The chapters are short and it’s only 161 pages so getting through this quickly wasn’t hard. Especially because it’s fast paced as well. I laughed, I rolled my eyes, I cringed. It wasn’t by any means an awful book but it wasn’t anything to write home about either.
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This book could be considered pretty offensive to some I think. It’s very vile and does not care about boundaries whatsoever. It’s a seriously ridiculous book, with a ridiculous plot and the more I say it’s ridiculous and (I kinda wanna say dumb) out of control the more I wanna say I liked it? I honestly don’t know 😂
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I didn’t like it and I liked it and I don’t care if that doesn’t make any sense. 💁🏻♀️
(If the publisher is reading this, please don’t kidnap me for calling this book dumb.) -
How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers
I bought this book. No one bribed me with a free copy. However, after reading it, I find my fingers shaking over the keyboard. This review could very well end up with me in the trunk of a car.
Screw it. I love a good fight.
In all fairness, How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers was one hell of a fun time. The author has a gift for creative plot and my lord does he layer on the tension with a sense of humor. The ties to the world of small press and wannabe writers—with plenty of nods to real individuals and at least one of my favorite publishers—supply a rich resource of detail delivered with equal amounts of wit and irony. Insane pacing and momentum make it hard to put down, and WTF moments hit at just the right points to keep the story alive.
On the down side, character development is a bit weak, and while I appreciate the lack of dialogue tags, there are points where I felt the dialogue could have used more action to help with character distinction/ differentiation. In addition, there are a few moments early on where the writer’s voice slows the story and takes over the characters’ jobs of telling it, but these iron out quickly, launching into a crazy mess of people doing the most insane things to each other and strangers. Over book reviews. Go figure.
I struggled between 3 and 4 stars with this guy, but the plot and humor sold me. Overall, I found How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers a fast, fun, and hilarious read, well worth the price and time. -
This darkly funny novel read like a twisted version of A Confederacy of Dunces, albeit with a lot more meth and severed heads involved. And of the Bizarro books I've read (admittedly, not a lot) this had a surprising amount of depth. I genuinely felt that Max had done his homework on the subject matter, especially with the many uses of duct tape described in this book. Of all the crimes committed by the characters in this book, none seemed as heinous as Harlan Anderson's piracy and horrible reviews of small press books, however, I'd be interested in reading his "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" book.
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Grotesque. Idiotic. Brutal. Yet, you absolutely have to read it.
Hilarious in its craziness.
*This book was kindly sent to me via NetGalley by JournalStone* -
Da che parte comincio? Allora, prima di tutto ho riso fino alle lacrime alle assurde avventure di questa banda di pazzi furiosi che hanno a che fare con una piccola casa editrice indipendente. Forse perché io faccio l'editor per una casa editrice indipendente. Anche per questo mi tocca sottoscrivere in pieno tutto quello che Eliza dice riguardo agli autori, alla formattazione e al desiderio di uccidere, oh sì, la tremenda sete di sangue che assale l'editor quando si trova davanti un testo malamente formattato: ma brutto coglione, se non rispetti tu il tuo lavoro, presentandolo al meglio, perché dovrei farlo io accettandolo, eh? Spiegamelo.
Diciamo che a parte l'uso di droghe, il team di cui faccio parte è la copia esatta di quello della BILF, e anche alcuni autori sono la copia di quelli che girano intorno alla BILF, anche se cerchiamo di tenere basso il numero dei psicopatici residenti, e abbiamo anche noi il nostro Sergio, e mai vorremmo che finisse decapitato. Harlan, abbiamo anche quello, anzi, più di uno, e trovo che l'autore abbia compiuto una tremenda ingiustizia lasciandolo andare libero per il mondo alla fine del romanzo. Cavolo, oltre tutto è gente che i libri non li compra, li scarica illegalmente, e ci sono Harlan che hanno un tariffario per le loro recensioni: tot per 5 stelle, tot altro per 4 e via così, e quando non li paghi ti danno 1 stella. Che peste li colga, o che qualcuno tagli loro la testa.
Detto questo, oltre che esilarante e oltre al fatto che mi ha toccato personalmente, è scritto benissimo, una lettura piacevolmente splatter.
Ringrazio Bizarro Pulp Press e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
Which way do I start? So, first of all I laughed to tears at the absurd adventures of this gang of madmen who have to deal with a small independent publishing house. Maybe because I am the editor of an independent publishing house. For this I have to subscribe in full all Eliza says about authors, formatting and a desire to kill, oh yes, the tremendous thirst for blood that assails the editor when faces a poorly formatted text: but ugly jerk, if you don't respect your job, presenting it at its best, why should I accept it, huh? Explain it to me.
Let's say that apart from the use of drugs, the team to which I belong is an exact copy of BILF's, as well as some authors are copying those revolving around BILF, although we try to keep down the number of residents psychopaths, and we too have our Sergio, and we would never end him up beheaded. Harlan, we have him too, in fact, more than one, and I find that the author has done a tremendous injustice when he lets him go off to the world at the end of the novel. Damn, over all these are people that don't buy books, they download them illegally, and there are Harlans who have a tariff for their reviews: tot for 5 star, another tot for 4 stars and so on, and when you don't pay them, they give you 1 star. That plague seize them, or someone cuts their heads off.
Said that, in addition to be hilarious and apart from the fact that touched me personally, the book is written very well, a pleasantly splatter reading.
Thank you Bizarro Pulp Press and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in Exchange for an honest review. -
Die Geschichte wirkt am Anfang recht wirr und ohne richtiges Konzept und die Figuren alle samt unsympathisch. Doch ab der Hälfte des Buchs nimmt die Story an Fahrt auf, bleibt dabei schmutzig und vulgär aber wird immer unterhaltsamer. Gut gefiel mir die zeitlich versetzen Kapitel, so das man schon einen Blick auf zukünftige Geschehnisse bekam. Auch der Ansatz aus verschiedenen Sichten zu schreiben tat der Geschichte gut. Das Ende war leider ein wenig abrupt.
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Made me nostalgic for bizarro small presses.
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This just awful and disgusting and it just gets worse from there, like a cocktail made from sewage water. Loved it.
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3,5 estrellas.
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A quick, fun, pulpy and highly inappropriate tale of small press publishing, kidnapping, sexually deviant literature and a host of other things. This is bizarro fiction at its finest, absurd but absurdly well written.
