Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Riotously funny black humour |
| Disadvantages: |
soon comes to an end |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
I came across Tom Sharpe some years ago when I was browsing in a bookshop. The cover looked a bit different and the cover blurb intrigued me so much that I bought it. I was in London and caught the train home in the evening.
I opened the book as the train pulled out of Paddington and was totally immersed in it when the train pulled into Reading. had it not been for my long suffering companion I would have ended up in Penzance, so absorbing was the story.
Embarrassingly, I was heard to laugh out loud on the train.
It concerns an old family living in the Cumbrian fells who have not quite made it into the 20th century. Without giving too much away the story involves plagiarism, taxidermy, robotics, special effects and wartime munitions.
What makes it so good is that, outrageous as it is, everything in it is could actually happen.
Tom Sharpe is possibly Britain's greatest comedy writer.
On the strength of reading this one book I went out and bought all his other
books.
They cover such diverse comedy topics as Apartheid South Africa, the British Aristocracy, Further Education colleges, The social effects of the cold war and the old traditions of British universities.
If you haven't read a book by Tom Sharpe start with this one, if it doesn't make you laugh see a doctor.
If you like your comedy dark and outrageous give it a go.
