The Gun Seller (1996 original; edició 1998)

I stopped this 80 pages in when the real plot was revealed and I will likely will never continue. I'll leave my rating blank, but it probably deserves a solid 2.5/5 or 5/10. I couldn't help but read the whole thing in Hugh Laurie's voice as Wooster (yes, every knows House, but Jeeves & Wooster or Fry & Laurie are much better examples of his outstanding comedic chops). It's very British in the best sort of way, but Laurie added a little too much self-awareness to the already self-conscious British wit. It's one thing to break the fourth wall with superfluous silliness, it's another thing to add an extra line winking at the reader about the silliness. Seems like a very comic-actor-ey thing to do. The plot and characters are entirely forgettable. It deserves a higher rating if you're looking for a light beach read. I guess I didn't open it with the right frame of mind. If you don't have any Wodehouse to scratch your itch for English frivolity and you've already done plenty of Chandler, and for some reason you need to do both of them in one go, then maybe this is for you.

I stopped this 80 pages in when the real plot was revealed and I will likely will never continue. I'll leave my rating blank, but it probably deserves a solid 2.5/5 or 5/10. I couldn't help but read the whole thing in Hugh Laurie's voice as Wooster (yes, every knows House, but Jeeves & Wooster or Fry & Laurie are much better examples of his outstanding comedic chops). It's very British in the best sort of way, but Laurie added a little too much self-awareness to the already self-conscious British wit. It's one thing to break the fourth wall with superfluous silliness, it's another thing to add an extra line winking at the reader about the silliness. Seems like a very comic-actor-ey thing to do. The plot and characters are entirely forgettable. It deserves a higher rating if you're looking for a light beach read. I guess I didn't open it with the right frame of mind. If you don't have any Wodehouse to scratch your itch for English frivolity and you've already done plenty of Chandler, and for some reason you need to do both of them in one go, then maybe this is for you.

It's like a modern, unedited Raymond Chandler novel and Bartimaeus novel combined...

And that's why I didn't finish it. The language/nasty stuff wasn't necessary. Sad. :( ( )

Not quite "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," more like "Author, Joker, Actor, Biker" to describe Hugh Laurie. This talented and versatile Brit wrote a funny thriller before becoming widely known in the U.S. for his performances as Dr. House. In his novel, he portrays Thomas Lang, who is drawn into a wicked plot to stage a disaster in order for a U.S. company to see its attack helicopter. Very funny at times and violent at others, this book centers on Lang's moral compass -- to be a good man. I liked it. ( )

Die Handlung ist gut konstruiert und hätte alles für einen spannenden Thriller; das verhindert aber der humorige Schreibstil. Da der Protagonist/Autor die Handlung nicht ernst nimmt, gelingt mir das als Leser auch nicht und so kommt nicht wirklich Spannung auf. Aber sprachlich witzig, mit lässigen Sprüchen ist es doch ein witziges Büchlein für zwischendurch.
(2008) ( )