Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody

Rating:
Summary: If you Love or Hate Harry Potter, this is the book for you!
Review: When I first heard there was a Harry Potter parody book, I searched every bookstore near and far to find it! But alas, my simple town did not carry such a joy! But when I ventured into the larger towns nearby, I was rewarded with a book so funny, so offensive to HP fans, and so satisfying to a funny bone, that is was worth the effort! HP fans alone will get the jokes taken from the books themselves (Travelling Snuff, the Buggering Bush), but any one with a sense of humor will laugh aloud at the fantasically put together wit of the authors (The spell aptly titled "ANOREXIANERVOSA" had me rolling on the floor!) The thought of the movie studios having poor J.G Rollins locked away in the maximum security ward of their building was ideal and, frankly, realistic nowadays! :-) This book will have you gasping in shame and laughing at your modesty! Read it for a good time and then read it again! Marvelous!

Rating:
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...

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: There's a good reason Mad magazine and similar publicatons have pictures: Because pure narrative can only carry such base humor for so long. "Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody" is undebatable proof of that.

An attempted parody of J.K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter series, "Barry Trotter" is at best a poor attempt at humor. Filled with 174 pages of fingers being randomly shoved up noses and endless bathroom jokes, it is entirely devoid of cleverness, a key element -- strike that: THE key element -- of good parody.

(The word sophomoric comes to mind, but then that seems to be a little generous. Perhaps "excretory" is more fitting. It certainly is in keeping with the theme of the book.)

If you're tempted to pick up this book for your children out of a misguided attempt at coaxing them to read, resist. Instead, have them look up dirty words in the dictionary. That way, they might actually learn something worthwhile.

Rating:
Summary: Very exciting
Review: It's always exciting when an artist comes along and resurrects a forgotten form in a new and wonderful way. Think of what Ira Glass did for radio with This American Life; what Dave Eggers did for lit-mags with McSweeney's; what the White Stripes did for garage rock with White Blood Cells; what Sammy Sosa did for under-the-table steroid use with 4 60+ home-run seasons.

Gerber's form is the parody book (long since defunct from it's "Bored of the Rings" glory days), and he re-invents it masterfully. His Barry Trotter is an obnoxious, snot-nosed brat, made famous and rich by books and movies about his magical life. Gerber's satire is especially sharp: by creating a grown-up Trotter, he suggests that a character of the imagination is not only real, but can be changed and shaped by the crass marketing forces around it. Barry Trotter and Harry Potter are no longer so different. That's a scary thought and it's what makes the book so successful.

Plus, the book is real funny. There's sharp satire and poo-poo humor and everything in between. Any students of comedy, fans of Harry Potter, or just people who want to have a good, non-meanspirited laugh should check this book out. I personally cannot wait to see what Michael Gerber does next.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but not good
Review: First of all, I adore the "Harry Potter" series. I have read all four books several times, seen the movie, and definitely consider myself a Potter-phile. I have been going through a sort of withdrawal while waiting for the fifth book to come out. The movie filled that void for a bit and so did the two school books, but it didn't make it go away. So, I've been reading books that have been compared to the series and books that are somehow related to them. This is one of those books.

I have read several parodies and humor books in the past and this is actually one of the funnier ones I have read. It is funny because it does not take itself seriously at all. It pokes fun at itself constantly. Almost as often as it pokes fun at everything relating to "Harry Potter."

Really, this book isn't surprising. "Harry Potter" has become so big that I'm surprised there aren't more books like this one. It isn't exactly insulting, as I feared it would be, because of the fact that it's obvious it's meant as humor. It takes some of the very basic concepts behind the series and twists them to the point where you'd have to be a phile to recognize the original idea. In that way, this book is aimed at fans.

There is a lot of "potty humor" in this book, as well as a lot having to do with sex. The writing style is not good by any definition- even the author admits this. Though, I think that might have been the point. It reads more like a piece of (poorly written) fan fiction than a novel.

It can be crude at some points, but it is entertaining nonetheless. I actually found myself getting really into it toward the end and was almost sad when it was over. Maybe that's just my withdrawal speaking, but I guess it means something.

Rating:
Summary: Worth a look
Review: I have read all 5 Harry Potter Books, and although I did find them entertaining, I was soreley diassapointed with the hype and comparrison to Lord of the Rings (Excellent piece of liturature). This book was a surprisingly good read. Some of the humor was "killed", but overall its references to corporate propaganda and the like were refreshing. I realise that this book is inappropriate for younger (9 & younger) Harry Potter fans, but none the less it should be enjoyed by most. A word to remeber read all the fine print ect. to get the most out of this book, and don't take it two seriously, it doesn't!

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: There's a good reason Mad magazine and similar publicatons have pictures: Because pure narrative can only carry such base humor for so long. "Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody" is undebatable proof of that.

An attempted parody of J.K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter series, "Barry Trotter" is at best a poor attempt at humor. Filled with 174 pages of fingers being randomly shoved up noses and endless bathroom jokes, it is entirely devoid of cleverness, a key element -- strike that: THE key element -- of good parody.

(The word sophomoric comes to mind, but then that seems to be a little generous. Perhaps "excretory" is more fitting. It certainly is in keeping with the theme of the book.)

If you're tempted to pick up this book for your children out of a misguided attempt at coaxing them to read, resist. Instead, have them look up dirty words in the dictionary. That way, they might actually learn something worthwhile.

Rating:
Summary: Not as funny as you might think
Review: I've read quite a few paradoy books over the last few years, and I hate to tell you, but this book isnt even half as good as you might expect.
The first chapter shows promise, but from there onwards it just goes downhill. While some of the jokes are quite funny, most just fall flat -proving that there really is no joke funny enough to last more than 20 pages.
If you're bored and looking for a book to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter to come out, or you're looking for a bit of "toliet humour" get this book. But get it from your local library, because this book just isnt worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: Funny. Didn't see it coming.
Review: I was sceptical when I first heard of it but I loved the first chapter that I read online so I had to get it and I don't regret it! I found all the gags with Ferd and jorge's sweets very amusing.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, Funny Stuff!
Review: This is a great book if you love Harry Potter or hate Harry Potter; if you've read the books, if you've only seen the movies, or even if you've never heard of Harry Potter. This is a great parody, no matter how you look at it. Any way you slice it, you still get a pile of shredded paper... which can be good for art projects. (...)