Rating:  Summary: Just about perfect... Review: ...a swell book that tells a straight spy story with some great jokes thrown in. The ending is absolutely perfect.
Rating:  Summary: "Permission to shout BRAVO in an annoyingly loud voice?" Review: I absolutely loved it. It was funny and exciting. I couldn't put it down. I recommend it to everyone who wants to laugh their heads off. I love you, Hugh!!
Rating:  Summary: Well recommended Review: The cliched red herrrings and plot devices of this novel are outweighed by quality, humorous writing. Fans of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" will recognise his style immediately...the quirkiness is here.
Rating:  Summary: I feel extremely guilty. Review: I simply don't believe I've paid enough for this book. I think of the amount of legal pleasure the average twenty-odd dollars would buy me -- a couple of movie tickets and Zagnut, one CD plus a few limp dance tracks -- and I just think Mr. Laurie has given me a super bargain. "The Gun Seller" is like a tickle fight in a dark maze -- I was alternately excited, frightened, baffled, amazed, and panting from laughter. If Mr. Laurie or any of his representatives read this, please let me know where to send the other thirty-five dollars of my money I believe he deserves.
Rating:  Summary: The needle novel in the publishing haystack. Review: For all of you out there who are faced with the oximoronic dilemma of wanting to come off of "heavy" reading...because maybe the sun is out or something...but cringe at the thought of having to resort to absolute brainless fluff, Mr. Laurie has graced us with an immensly hilarious, intelligent, and only as "light" as you want it to be adventure of the most outlandishly wonderful sort.
Rating:  Summary: There are better books in this genre for the money. Review: Entertaining enough but with a dry British humor that has only occasional and widely spaced chuckles. As far as comic caper/mysteries go this pales in comparison to the works of Donald Westlake, Carl Hiaasen and Laurence Shames. If someone hands you a copy, read it, but if you're spending your own money you can certainly do better.
Rating:  Summary: From commedian to craftsman- Laurie delivers Review: Many comedians make the transition from entertainment to literature, with varied success. Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie's friend and collegue, made the transition with such bestsellers as "The Liar", delivering a wit that only a comedic wordsmith can. Laurie's debut offering "The Gun Seller" makes its mark with no less quality.Based in the genre of the hapless spy, ushered by the powers that be, Laurie acheives a new depth of with and perception, through characters and complexity of plot, that make this novel more than just an entertaining read. The story is addictive, the protagonist a delightful anti-hero, and the language worthy of Hope and Campbell. Its the type of novel that has you dog-earing pages so you can return and ponder the mastery of Laurie's expression and wit. If you like a good laugh, love a great book, and are a sycophant for prose of the post-modern, then "The Gun Seller" is for you.
Rating:  Summary: Wooster the Spy -- Profundity Comes in Small Packages Review: Mr. Laurie has done little to discourage us from imagining his stage persona Wooster as we picture the protagonist of "The Gun Seller," Thomas Lang. In fact, the image fits perfectly -- one to one. And that's all right. But unfortunately it has the effect of minimizing another aspect of the novel that is ultimately far more rewarding: Lang's brilliant ruminations on the subject of... just about everything he encounters. Again and again (like five times per page), the story comes to a grinding halt while Lang comments on the absurdity of the moment. These comments are not only laugh-out-loud hilarious, but they can also survive the kind of critical scrutiny usually lavished on Louis Carroll's conundrums and brain teasers. You'll do yourself a disservice if you make this book a "quick read." Throw each of these comments about from one brain cell to another (like the way you slosh wine around your mouth during those wine tastings you abhor but seem to attend anyway) and see if you don't agree they're worth the attention. The plot isn't too bad, but it is definitely merely a vehicle for Lang's observations of his peculiar world. A better plot would have forced me to award a 10 to this otherwise quite perfect specimen of a book.
Rating:  Summary: Almost Perfect Review: All the raves of this book are deserved. The highlight is the way dry humor is weaved into plot and character descriptions. It is really hard to put down. The narrator is like a 'Lucky Jim' for the 90's... My only negative comment concerned the ending. The last 30 pages sound contrived and predictable. The whole book to that point is unique but the conclusion was like every spy/action novel you've ever read. The good points of the book far outweigh that one minor flaw, however. This is one of the most entertaing novels I've read in some time. I would recommend it highly.
Rating:  Summary: Just So He Doesn't get a Big Head or Anything Review: Actually, I greatly enjoyed this book--witty and engaging all the way through. A superb piece of light fiction. I just wanted to make sure, if Mr. Laurie or his publisher see this site, that they do not think "Well, how can we top this? Better not try . . ." I'm waiting for the next one. Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie may even become great and bitter literary rivals, trading barbs in the Times of London--what fun!
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