Charlie Big Potatoes : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Funny as Hell
Review: This book is angry. It's funny but it's also angry. The lead character Charlie suffers a neverous breakdown form drink and drugs at his wedding to Sarah and gets to see his whole life is ripped apart - by himself and others. Sometimes when I was reading it I felt like Robinson was trying to rip men apart as well, I mean, you can hear (read) the anger here in the writer's voice. Real anger, but that's what makes it so funny. Charlie can be hard to like sometimes, he's a good tour guide through a breakdown and how it is you come out of the other side without being cynical. Almost being reborn out fo the ashes of your old life. Cool book. If the author is reading this I'd like the next one to be even darker please hahaha.

Rating:
Summary: Plodding, Boring, and Not Funny
Review: This tepid novel with a great title attempts to look under the hood of "new-laddism" to reveal what's really going on inside this group of prosperous, drugged-up, nattily dressed boymen. Charlie is another one of the boys, an alcoholic writer of dubious skills for a glossy men's mag (author Robinson was editor at Loaded) who harbors deep insecurities about himself and his blue-collar background. After his coked off his head bachelor weekend in New York, he has a nervous breakdown on the altar and blows off his wedding to a lovely, posh coworker. After retreating to the arms of his unhappy family, he eventually checks into a rehab facility and struggles to find himself. Unfortunately, this is not particularly funny, moving, or even interesting. Charlie's been acting awfully to everyone around him, and it's a chore to wade through the hundreds of pages it takes for him to realize this and get himself together. While it's kind of nice to see a writer present the insecurities lurking behind the braggadocio of laddism, the prose is far too labored and doesn't read very well. The plot includes such predictable elements as Charlie's obligatory attempt to win back his love, a stab in the back from one of his lad friends that the reader will see coming miles away, and the dogged loyalty of Charlie's oldest pal. There are some good one liners sprinkled throughout, but otherwise there's little humor (black or otherwise) to be found in this plodding story.

Rating:
Summary: Plodding, Boring, and Not Funny
Review: This tepid novel with a great title attempts to look under the hood of "new-laddism" to reveal what's really going on inside this group of prosperous, drugged-up, nattily dressed boymen. Charlie is another one of the boys, an alcoholic writer of dubious skills for a glossy men's mag (author Robinson was editor at Loaded) who harbors deep insecurities about himself and his blue-collar background. After his coked off his head bachelor weekend in New York, he has a nervous breakdown on the altar and blows off his wedding to a lovely, posh coworker. After retreating to the arms of his unhappy family, he eventually checks into a rehab facility and struggles to find himself. Unfortunately, this is not particularly funny, moving, or even interesting. Charlie's been acting awfully to everyone around him, and it's a chore to wade through the hundreds of pages it takes for him to realize this and get himself together. While it's kind of nice to see a writer present the insecurities lurking behind the braggadocio of laddism, the prose is far too labored and doesn't read very well. The plot includes such predictable elements as Charlie's obligatory attempt to win back his love, a stab in the back from one of his lad friends that the reader will see coming miles away, and the dogged loyalty of Charlie's oldest pal. There are some good one liners sprinkled throughout, but otherwise there's little humor (black or otherwise) to be found in this plodding story.