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Summary: Barry Trotter
Review: "Barry Trotter" was awful. It was a meanspirited book with dumb jokes (dirty and otherwise). I liked the Harry Potter books, but even if I hadn't, this is an immature and lame book. It is poorly written and includes "potty jokes" that are so common among six year olds. If you're looking for a good laugh, try Bored of the Rings by the Harvard Lampoon.
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Summary: Muggles Delight: a very funny parody!
Review: A parody of Harry Potter. It places him (and Hogwart's) in the real world: with dirt, subways, groupies, and venal, lawsuit-happy corporations. Hewing fairly closely to the original Harry Potter plot structure, the author recolors every story element in a hilariously twisted way and pokes fun at some of the unspoken assumptions behind children's literature."Barry Trotter"'s seemingly encyclopediac knowledge of the Potterian world will delight Harry's fans (at least those whose skins aren't TOO thin.) At the same time, there is a great deal here for the uninitiated. The corruption in Barry's world is all too familiar to us ordinary muggles. This is a treat for all. Besides, that brat NEEDS a good swirlie. Funny and a pleasure for anyone who likes to read English.
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Summary: Too young for this book? Not!
Review: After looking for some reading material waiting for the fifth Harry Potter book I came across this book. I read the first chapter online and I automatically thought this was too old for but I checked it out anyway. I read the next chapter at Borders and I had to buy it. Barry Trotter is the funniest parody I've ever read. Only a true Harry Potter fan would get all the corny jokes. Though on the back it clearly says "If you think this book is too old for you it probably is" I think most kids with a good grasp of what is whay would love it!
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Summary: Clever, But Only At First
Review: Any major phenomenon, nay any institution, makes excellent fodder for parody. In fact, it's kind of a way to know that your work is successful - as one artist put it, he knew he had "made it" when Weird Al did a parody of his song. As a lumbering juggernaut of publishing power and kid-friendly fun, "Harry Potter" was ripe for the picking, and Michael Gerber takes the first stab with "Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody." Unfortunately, it's a book so in love with itself and its premise that it becomes so mired in nonsense that the humor is lost in the first few pages. Barry Trotter, world famous slayer of the evil wizard Value-mart, has established an agreement to keep himself at Hogwash School in order to boost attendance and enrollment, and to keep the trustees happy. When a movie studio plans to do a film about Barry's life, fans overrun Hogwash, turning it into a mud-slicked New Age-ish Woodstock. Headmaster Bumplemore, furious at the intrusion and the stupidity of these fans, tells the 22-year-old Barry and his buddy Lon (whose brain was replaced with that of a Golden Retriever after a Quidditch - I can't recall the parody word for it - accident), to put a stop to it. On the way, Gerber finds ways to parody many situations from the Potter books. There are some genuinely funny moments, but most of them involve the all-too-fleeting descriptions of characters (McGonagal roaming the halls, driven insane by Harry's constant troublemaking, is priceless). The key to good parody is not to wear out your welcome - that's why movies like "Blazing Saddles" and "Spaceballs" are so short, and why other classic parody books like "Bored of the Rings" and "Star Wreck" rarely run over 150 pages. Of course, "Barry Trotter" is still a good deal shorter than "Goblet of Fire," but it grows very old very fast as the same jokes are recycled through again and again. If you're a fan of Harry, "Barry" makes an interesting read, although adults will probably find it more humorous than kids (when it actually IS humorous). Otherwise, it doesn't really measure up to some of the tried-and-true parody books. Hopefully, someone will do a better send-up of the boy wizard, because he certainly needs one. Final Grade: C-
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Summary: Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody by Michael Gerber
Review: Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody
By Michael Gerber
Reviewed by:
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Berry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody is one of the funniest humor books I have ever read. This book starts out at the hogwash school. Barry has just started his 11th year. He was held back for five years. He has a friend at school named Lon. He is taking special ED, because during a Quiddit match, a brainer lodged itself into his head and went through his head. Hogwash is suffering the worst event that Hogwash has ever been thought. Recently a Berry Trotter Movie has been released (not in real life, but in the book) and someone has published Hogwash's location and many Berry Trotter fans are arriving at the school every day and won't leave. Alpo Bumblemore, head master of the school, sent Barry and Lon to stop the next Barry Trotter movie. On there way to J.G. Rowlins estate they stopped at Hogsbleed to see if Ermine Cranger join them on their trip to J.G.'s estate. When they got to J.G.'s, there she wasn't their. Instead, there was her friend. He told them that J.G. was in New York City. So they went to New York. There they Meet Fred and Jorge, who has been expelled from school, you have to read the book to fine the reasons. They help them find the location of J.G. She was told to be the building of Fantastic. I will stop here, because I don't want to give away the whole book, but it gets interesting near the end. My conclusion to this book is that it is a good made fun of version of Harry Potter. Most of the character's personality is almost the opposite from the characters on Harry Potter. To those people who doesn't get what I just said, to make it short this is a really good book. I read this book seven times and I'm still not bored with it, but I would recommend that people at ages 12+ should read this book due to inappropriate parts of the book that would be bad to kids under 12. Do not contact me, because my email is a false one....For now.
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Summary: Not hilarious, but still quite funny
Review: Barry Trotter is 22. Hogwash School for Wizards is a safe haven for its most famous student, because no one dares to tell Barry to bugger off just because that would mean that the unstoppable flow of new student will be cut off. Yes, Barry Trotter is the reason why twenty candidates applied for every open spot at Hogwash School. In the meantime Barry is constantly busy not following his courses and not studying for the exams. Why should he? The arrangement he has with Alpo Bumblemore simply made studying unnecessary. But then something wicked disturbs the relaxing contemplation Barry was in: finally the first Barry Trotter movie, based upon the bestsellers of J.G. Rollins, goes into production. This would mean the end of Hogwash School for Wizards, because only a movie has the strength to appeal to the brainless part of the Muddles. And everyone knows what happens once that part of society gets its teeth into something: death by overexposure.
Only Barry, Ermine Cringer and Lon Measly can save the day... or make it just that little bit worse... Is it allowed to be brazenly exploitative if you admit to it on the cover of your book? Is it allowed to fill your book with fart-jokes if in that same book you admit that it is a cheap trick at trying to be funny? Well, I guess opinions will differ on this. But let's admit it: sometimes being a little bit simple can be a lot of fun! That's exactly what Barry Trotter is all about. So, do not expect any mind bogglingly funny jeux-the-mots, but be satisfied with "Lon Measly" instead of "Ron Weasly". Don't expect Barry to safe himself and friends from an awkward situation by using a hilarious spell, but be satisfied with Measly who saves everyone by letting his body gasses flow freely.
Nevertheless do expect some critical messages concerning the whole Harry Potter hoopla. Do expect some shooting at modern publishing and merchandising. And that's ok, because it is exactly what a good parody should do. In the end I am not so sure if true Harry Potter fans will like Michael Gerber's novel, because in fact it will show them that at least part of their behavior fits in a marketing strategy devised by the evil Lord Valumart. Not something you can be proud of, not? If you like a good book, read Harry Potter. If you want to read some silly stuff, read Barry Trotter. If you like to be taken advantage of, buy some Harry Potter merchandise...
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Summary: While you're waiting for Book 5...
Review: Barry Trotter is a 22-year-old slacker wizard who still lives at Hogwash Academy with his half-canine-brained friend Lon Measley. The future of Hogwash is in peril because of the glut of fans that are camping out there, thanks to the fact that Barry sold a map to the place (now, if Hogwash is enchanted, it's never quite explained how a map would help the "Muddles" find the place, but, never mind). They are sent on a mission to the United States (of course, engaging the help of the third member of this triumverate, Ermine Cringer) to stop the production of the Barry Trotter movie. Along the way, they attempt to find author J.G. Rollins, and finally Barry confronts his mortal enemy, Lord Valumart. This book has enough bodily function gags to make the Farrelly brothers proud (turns out, this is not by accident), plus some wicked parody and an underlying anti-commercialism theme (although whether the author is serious about this or it is just a comedic device, who knows?) There are places where the book drags a little, and not all the jokes work, but it is clever to the end, where a couple of twists make you wonder what you are reading after all. This may not be a book that 12-year-old Harry Potter devotees might appreciate, but for older fans and even non-fans of the series, it's an entertaining diversion while waiting for the fifth Potter book to hit the stores.
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Summary: Side Splitting, terrific and thouroughly enjoyable>
Review: Barry Trotter is the newest hero of the old DINKY,(Double Income No Kids Yet) generation. He is everything we aspire to be but fall terribly short of achieving. A terrifically funny book, the parodies with JKR "original" will have you laughing out loud, a lot. This is okay if you read at home but on the train, to work, in the mornings, people may look at you like an escaped mad-man from the local asylum!! Wish I had some of Barry's magic skills, I could become a world class Gigalo or indeed a world class comedy writer like Mr Gerber clearly is. So what you all waiting for, grab a copy before JKR has them all bought up and burnt!!
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Book. Worth the few quaters to purchase.
Review: Barry Trotter not only pokes fun at the Harry Potter storyline. It also is a social satire for everyone. It angles much of its humor toward a capitalistic society that has to market every aspect of a great idea (like Harry Potter or Barry Trotter). The purpose of Lord Valumart is to make money wherever possible, and he does a great job of it too. Also, the inflection and notes from the author throughout the book are hysterical. I especially loved the last note of the book that pokes fun of post modernism. Oh, and if the reader hates the book, that is fine too. The author was nice enough to have a generic letter of offense at the back that can be photocopied and sent to the publisher that allows the readers to check off why they hate the author. The book receives four stars instead of five because some of the jokes are just beat to death in this book. Perhaps the book should have been shorter. But, then again, the book would then turn into a short story. The book is already only 174 pages long.
Rating:
Summary: Moderately humorous satire of the Harry Potter books
Review: Barry Trotter, at 22, has become an eternal student at Hogwash School, as parents are willing to spend any amount of money to have their kids go to school with him. He earns the odd bit of cash by selling the location of Hogwash to the Stun newspaper and other such schemes. But the Stun scheme has backfired--Muddles are gathering in increasing numbers outside the gates, and Headmaster Alpo Bumblemore sees only one way out of being overwhelmed--Barry and his pals must stop the next Barry Trotter movie--or else! I would describe this book as mixed--the first chapters, at Hogwash, are inspired, so is the ultimate confrontation with Lord Valumart. Inbetween, unfortunately, the book has a tendency to bog down Still, I'd say it is a good read for the Harry Potter fan or enemy. Both should enjoy it.
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