It is Book Club time once again. We read The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. Yes, the guy who plays “House.” Keep in mind, as you read this review, this was the 6th anniversary of Book Club and, yes, we were drinking champagne. As Tricia said, “Book Club has lost the plot.”
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
Comments related to the semi-serious discussion about the book:
We wanted a happy book this month, so instead we had a book where tons of people are murdered.
–I pride myself on being a smart person with high reading comprehension and I had no f’ing idea what happened.
-But, do you care?
–No.
My husband bought this book for me on my 22d birthday-15 years ago.
It was probably important about espionage, but it got tiresome.
This is the second time I’ve read this book. The first time, meh. Reading it again, I had to go through the whole last decade to get it. I liked reading it again but I probably wouldn’t go for a third.
It was written like a script.
Before I read this book, I was in a really dark place. Honestly, this book, it sounds odd cause of the torture, but it was so healing for me. It caused me to laugh out loud. And I loved that I laughed out loud 93% of the time.
The characters were not fleshed out. I didn’t know who’s what.
And there was the good-dying-young.
It doesn’t matter what happened, it was just a good laugh.
It was really funny. I love his writing.
The political sarcasm was not quite bad enough. Written pre-9/11, the conspiracy seemed tame but I enjoyed it.
Fun read.
I don’t know if it would read the same if I didn’t know Hugh Laurie and his characters. I heard his voice. That made it highly entertaining.
I didn’t realize it was that old. It reads contemporary.
It was like a Russian novel. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters. But I enjoyed it, not great literature but a good read.
It’s been on my list for a long time. I love Hugh Laurie. I meant to read it on vacation but I forgot.
I felt like I could keep all the characters straight. I loved his description of the big, dumb American brute. It made me laugh out loud.
What got me slightly annoyed, I felt he was too clever by half. If he had parsed out the really witty British witticisms, I would have enjoyed it more.
I totally enjoyed reading it, picturing how he [Hugh Laurie] would say it.
Halfway through I couldn’t care less about the intrigue, but I didn’t care.
I was confused. It compelled me to read to the end, the very last page summed it up and I got it.
It was basically a farce.
As David Soloman, I pictured Ben Kingsley. It’s how I kept the characters straight, by picturing them.
I haven’t finished it. So far, it seems really funny.
Stop attacking me with clever language.
It could have been edited better.
I had very much the same vibe as One Day. This was much wittier, but the same careening, people being witty to be witty.
I don’t know that it was all that great.
Meh.
I don’t watch House, but I know of Hugh Laurie as a comic in Britain. And I did some research on the book. So, I thought, British comedian, spy farce . . . Mr. Bean. It was so not.
I just didn’t really . . .Even though I knew it was a farce. I’m not a big war, military person. It was an easy read. But, I had a hard time caring.
The last page was really funny, it was the best part of the whole book.
He was trying too hard. It wasn’t my favorite.
He totally telegraphed who was a good guy and who was a bad guy.
And, now some random not-so-much book related comments:
This one’s potty trained, too.
No, I need to clear a place for dessert.
I was wondering why you weren’t pissed off, it’s because you hadn’t read it.
All I wanted was my Kindle and my bikini.
Books are edited for America?
–You can walk into Macy’s and be like “put this on my husband’s account.” I feel so empowered.
-Yeah, that’s the opposite of empowered.
We’ve been in Book Club for 6 years and I’ve never offered you all coffee.
No, a sex scene with Mr. Bean.
I’m crushed, because I have personality envy.
Jules’ Review: I would give it a 3.5. I enjoyed it enough to give it a higher rating but I do realize that it is flawed.
Buy The Gun Seller
eyes and genitals.
Exactly.
I’m glad it was enjoyed at least by some. After I suggested it to Tricia as a fun read I had high anxiety that no one would like it and I’d have wasted everyone’s time.