Books | Guy Portman's Blog

6 Humorous Reading Recommendations

Aug 23 2019

This week I have six humorous reading recommendations for you – five of which I’ve read and one that I have written. Click on the links to read my reviews.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Set in the 1990s, High Fidelity is a wryly humorous, music-themed novel that analyses man’s fixations and foibles.

My Review: Rob is a record shop owner from North London. The thirty-something has just split up with his girlfriend Laura and is now single. He had been …(more)

The Squirrel that Dreamt of Madness by Craig Stone

The Squirrel that Dreamt of Madness is a bizarre and humorous novel about the author’s time spent living homeless in a park.

My Review: The author Craig Stone is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the predictability and banality of his everyday existence. Deciding that it is better to live dreaming than …(more)

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Rant challenges our own traditions by demonstrating how we contort our recollection of events in accordance with our desires, motives and beliefs.

My Review: Rant is the oral history of Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, recounted by an array of people including his relations, friends, enemies and lovers. Rant’s childhood companions from the …(more)

Candide by Voltaire

Candide is an eighteenth-century satirical classic that evaluates optimism; the prevailing philosophical ideology of The Enlightenment.

My Review: Brought up in the household of a German baron, cheerful protagonist Candide has been instilled with the philosophy of Leibniz, notably – That all is for the best in this …(more)

Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock

Knockemstiff is a transgressive compilation of short stories. Topics include drugs, drinking, disease and sexual degeneracy.

My Review: These interlinked short stories are set in ‘The Holler’; an impoverished part of Knockemstiff, a real-life Ohioan backwater. ‘The Holler’s’ air is permanently imbued with …(more)

Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales by Guy Portman

This quick read’s subjects encompass manic capitalism, extreme celebrity worship, virtual reality and a grotesquely ageing population. (Free at all retailers – you can also download it through this link)

Daily Squib Review: There’s something about the future that scares the shit out of people a lot, maybe it’s simply the thought of the unknown that affects us with such fear. What possible delights await …(more)

A Summer Freebie & A Big Announcement

Aug 09 2019

In today’s post, I will be reiterating what I told my newsletter subscribers on Wednesday. First up, it’s the big announcement. My forthcoming black comedy, Golgotha, will be released in the late autumn now, and not this summer as originally planned. This is because I have had a lot on my plate of late. The good news is that Dyson’s return will be well worth the wait. Golgotha is the final instalment in my darkly humorous Necropolis Trilogy. I look forward to showing you the front cover, blurb and more very soon.

And the good news doesn’t end there. I have a FREE book for you. It’s Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future. Click on the link below to download your FREE copy of my satirical book of vignettes (Mobi/ePub/PDF).

Click here to claim your FREE copy of Tomorrow’s World

Tomorrow’s World will soon be available for free on retailer sites, but this is your chance to get it before the rush. Have a good weekend. Happy reading.

7 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

Jul 12 2019

It’s been a while since I wrote a Transgressive Fiction related post. Here are seven works of Transgressive Fiction that I have read. Click on the links to read the reviews.

Definition: Transgressive Fiction is a genre that focuses on characters who feel confined by the norms and expectations of society and who break free of those confines in unusual and/or illicit ways.

In Wolves’ Clothing by Greg Levin

This first-person transgressive work features a troubled member of an anti child trafficking organisation.

My Review: Zero Slade is a member of an anti-child sex trafficking organisation. The role entails infiltrating the industry by masquerading as
high-rolling sex …(more)

Marabou Stork Nightmares by Irvine Welsh

This is an inventive book, boasting parallel stories and different levels of awareness.

My Review: Roy Strang narrates this story from the hospital in which he is lying in a coma. It begins in South Africa, where he and his friend Sandy Jamieson are hunting the …(more)

Between the Shadow and Lo by Lauren Sapala

This first-person work of Transgressive Fiction is written by a female author, and it boasts an alcoholic female protagonist.

Review: Twenty-something Seattleite Leah is an emotionally damaged alcoholic with a penchant for drugs, sleeping around and books. She has an alter ego, a dark …(more)

Women by Charles Bukowski

The story follows the exploits of ageing lowlife and Bukowski alter ego, Henry Chinaski.

My Review: Fat, ugly fifty-something Henry Chinaski is a degenerate drinker, gambler and womaniser residing in downtrodden East Hollywood.
After a lifetime spent toiling in …(more)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Based on Heller’s own experiences as a bombardier in WWII, this satirical anti-war novel is brimming with absurdist humour.

My Review: Set on the Mediterranean island of Pianosa during WWII, Catch-22 is about the exploits of the fictitious 256th Squadron. We follow protagonist Yossarian and his comrades’ farcical attempts to …(more)

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

Child of God is a tautly written and concise work of ‘country noir’. Themes include loneliness and necrophilia.

My Review: Having been dispossessed of his land, Lester Ballard is now homeless and eking out an existence in the backwoods of Sevier County, East Tennessee. For food, he steals and forages. For …(more)

The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh

The complex and manipulative protagonist, sordid characters and squalid descriptions will appeal to fans of the Transgressive genre.

My Review: Reformed Scottish ex-con Jim Francis (formerly Franco Begbie) is now a successful sculptor living the dream in sunny California with his former prison art therapist now trophy wife …(more)

The 10 Books I’ve Read In 2019

Jun 28 2019

As is my custom at the halfway point of the year, I am devoting this post to the books that I have read so far in 2019. You will notice a preponderance of dark and Transgressive Fiction. This is because they are my favourite genres.

I hope you find something that is of interest to you. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Spencer’s Risk by Andy Greenhalgh

Genre: Black Comedy

Spencer’s Risk is a third person, thespian-themed work that offers an authentic insight into the mind of a compulsive gambler.

My Review: Spencer Leyton’s life is spiralling downhill. He has split from his wife, is virtually estranged from his kids, his career is in tatters, and he has a serious gambling problem …(more)

My Opinion: Humorous but turgid

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Genre: Transgressive Fiction

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations.

My Review: Tender Branson, the last survivor of the Creedish Church cult, has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. His objective: to dictate his life story onto …(more)

My Opinion: A satirical extravaganza

Neon Empire by Drew Minh

Genre: Dystopian/Sci-Fi

The author may well have created an accurate reflection of where we are invariably heading as a society, but it comes at a heavy price.

My Review: Set in the near future, Neon Empire is a dystopian sci-fi novel based in a high-tech city called Eutopia. The place is a latter-day combination of …(more)

My Opinion: Convoluted and confusing

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

Genre: Southern Gothic

Child of God is a tautly written and concise work of ‘country noir’. Themes include loneliness and necrophilia.

My Opinion: Excellent

Job by Joseph Roth

Genre: European Literature

This fableesque story with its obvious parallels to the Biblical character by the same name will appeal to fans of the Austro-Hungarian author.

My Review: Biblical teacher Mendel and his family are Jews residing in the town of Zuchnow, in Tsarist Russia. Mendel has a wife called Deborah, three sons and …(more)

My Opinion: Okay

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami

Genre: Short Stories

This curious and comical Kafkaesque hotchpotch of a collection encompasses a variety of themes including relationships and loneliness.

My Review: This compilation of seventeen first-person short stories are set for the most part in Japan during the economic boom of the eighties. These tales, which blend banal …(more)

My Opinion: Bizarre and amusing

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Genre: Historical Fiction

This tome is in essence an elegy to the death of The American Dream. Much of it is devoted to detailed character exploration.

My Review: ‘The Swede’ Seymour Levov is a towering, athletic blond-haired Jew with striking good looks. The affable high school baseball phenom seems destined for …(more)

My Opinion: Arduous but rewarding

Women by Charles Bukowski

Genre: Dirty Realism/Transgressive Fiction

The story follows the exploits of ageing lowlife and Bukowski alter ego, Henry Chinaski.

My Review: Fat, ugly fifty-something Henry Chinaski is a degenerate drinker, gambler and womaniser residing in downtrodden East Hollywood.
After a lifetime spent toiling in …(more)

My Opinion: Good

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Genre: Post Apocalyptic/Dark Fiction

The Road is a near unrelentingly bleak novel about a father and his young son travelling south in search of something better.

My Review: A cataclysmic event has left the world in ruins, and almost everything and everyone is dead. In the absence of food, the remaining humans are reduced to…(more)

My Opinion: Depressing but good

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

Genre: Biography

This five hundred plus page tome is teeming with escapades that entail stock manipulation, brushes with the law, prostitutes and more besides.

My Review: In 1989 Jordan Belfort and two of his friends founded a brokerage house on Long Island by the name of Stratton Oakmont. The company was in essence a ‘boiler room’ …(more)

My Opinion: Entertaining for the most part

12 Hilarious One Star Book Reviews

Jun 14 2019

Few things make me laugh more than hilarious one star books reviews.

Most books worth their salt have garnered at least a few godawful reviews. Often it is a case of the reviewer being opposed to the general consensus. In many instances bad reviews reveal more about the reviewer than the book.

Here is the latest instalment in my ‘One Star Book Review’ series.

1984 by George Orwell – ‘He (Orwell) doesn’t know a thing about the 80s. Not ONCE did he mention Def Leppard or Karma Chameleon.’

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – ‘… my son cud not understand it. I also, cud not understand it.’

Lord of the Flies by William Golding – ‘answer me this- can you read a book where the author describes a twig for five pages???’

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – ‘DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK YOU WILL DIE FROM BOREDOM!!!’

1984 by George Orwell – ‘Go away book, go away.’

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – ‘… personally, I DO NOT agree with Harry Potter books.’

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – ‘Twee, grisly and fawning, the greatest turkey ever told.’

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – ‘…, if you see Anna for $5 at your neighbor’s garage sale, go ahead and buy it. Hollow it out, and stash a handgun in there … Beat your disobedient child with it. Put it in your fireplace … Just don’t read it!’

Sepultura by Guy Portman –‘I made it to page 17 and was done.’

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – ‘… for the love of God don’t read that ‘Brave New World’ book by Hoxley. It’s twice as bad as 1984.’

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – ‘Heyyyy I had to read this book for school and it was the worst thing I ever read.’

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – ‘Twentieth Century Masterpiece, NO; 2 days of incrediably wasteful reading I will never get back.’

English Summers, Black Comedy & A Reading Bender

Jun 07 2019

I woke up today to the wettest and most miserable June morning in living memory. To compound matters I was suffering from a wretched hangover. Having downed two Nurofen I headed out with my dog for our customary morning walk. No sooner had I exited my garden than I came across this deer with her two fawns.

When I got back I ate ‘The Breakfast of Kings’ otherwise known as a Bakewell Tart. It was the only readily eatable item in the house.

Now, partially recuperated I slumped down in front of my computer and commenced my working day. Meanwhile, Trigga took a morning nap.

My email was the bearer of good news. The last of my beta readers had got back to me. The feedback on Golgotha, the final instalment in The Necropolis Trilogy, is very promising. The black comedy series features sociopath and sometime public sector worker, Dyson Devereux. I will be releasing more information about Golgotha in due course.

While I was waiting for my beta readers to send me their reports, I indulged in a reading frenzy consisting of 7 books. They were good, bad and ugly. These were the good ones. Click on the links to read my reviews. The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, The Road by Cormac McCarthy & Women by Charles Bukowski.

I’m not sure if any of you are MMA fans. If you are then you might be interested in these short pieces I was commissioned to write in the build-up to the big UFC event in Chicago on Saturday.

Five Things You Might Not Know About Tony Ferguson, Jessica Eye and Tatiana Suarez.

Have a good weekend.

6 Dark Fiction Reading Recommendations

May 31 2019

As you may know I am an avid fan of dark fiction. Here are 5 dark fiction books that I have read and one that I have written.

Definition: Dark fiction is concerned with the sinister side of human nature. It is often distinguished from the mainstream horror genre in that it tends not to be fantasy-orientated. Dark fiction may contain elements of black or satirical humour.

Fire In The Hole

This is a compilation of nine short, authentic and atmospheric, American-based, crime-themed stories. The book is named after its longest title, Fire In The Hole. Click here to read my review.

Survivor

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour. It is without doubt one of the author’s best efforts. Click here to read my review.

Wasting Talent

Leone utilises innovative writing techniques and a frenetic prose style to weave this graphic tale about drug addiction. The story centres around young guitar virtuoso Damien Cantwell. Click here to read my review.

The Road

The Road is a near unrelentingly bleak, minimalist post-apocalyptic novel about a man and his young son travelling south, in the hope of finding something better. Click here to read my review.

In Wolves’ Clothing

This first-person transgressive work features a troubled member of an anti child trafficking organisation. The book successfully broaches a subject matter that is anathema to most people. Click here to read my review.

Necropolis (#1 Necropolis Trilogy)

Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a darkly humorous work featuring sociopath and public sector worker Dyson Devereux. It is the first instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy.

17 FREE Humour Books For You

May 17 2019

Once again, I have collaborated with my fellow humour authors to offer you a selection of FREE humour books. This time there are 17 to choose from. The deal includes my satirical book of vignettes, Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future (40,251 words/2.5 hours reading time).

17 FREE HUMOUR BOOKS OFFER LINK

If you like dark humour and you are looking for a quick read, Tomorrow’s World could be the book for you. To get your FREE copy of mine and/or any of the other offerings, just click on the link and then click on the book cover you want. All you have to do to claim your FREE book (Mobi/ePub/PDF) is sign up to the given author’s mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any point. If you are already on my mailing list, please sign up again. I will delete any duplicates. So hurry while stocks last. Actually, they are eBooks so stocks will last, but the deal ends on May 28th and time is ticking.

17 FREE HUMOUR BOOKS OFFER LINK

‘… in Tomorrow’s World, Guy has seen the writing on the wall. And it’s in emojis’ – Adam Riley (comedian)

‘This book will certainly have you turning the pages to see what happens next …’ – The Daily Squib

12 Hilarious One Star Book Reviews

Apr 26 2019

It has been a while since I devoted a blog post to hilarious one star book reviews. Here are 12 more one star book reviews that I find amusing and I hope you will too.

The Iliad by Homer – ‘You may have seen the movie Troy with Brad Pitt as Achilles, but it is quite different than the book.’

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – ‘Wuthering Heights is the worst! Everyone is mean and it has an awful ending …’

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – ‘Though I’ve read many bad books, none can compare with this trite, contrived piece of work.’

A Room With a View by E.M. Forster – ‘Please don’t waste your time on this book. Read something from Michael Crichton instead.’

The Bible – ‘If you can stomach the genocide, infanticide, rape and killings then the Bible is for you. I will be sticking to Game of Thrones.’

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – ‘This book reminds me of one of those really old stinky cheeses.’

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner – ‘Please, don’t insult my intelligence.’

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – ‘HORRID!!! This book was literally the worst thing that’s happened in my whole entire life.’

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – ‘If you like really long, detailed, poorly written soap operas you may like this book.’

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy –
‘How can anybody like this book? Whoever said this is the best classic ever written must be truly brain-dead. What could be enjoyable about a book that primarily consists of a guide on:
a) how to cut grass,
b) how to hunt bear, and
c) how to abandon your own kid for a gigolo.

If I wanted all that stuff I would have read Farmers Almanac.’

Moby Dick by Herman Melville – ‘Had Melville cut this book down to about 25 pages, that would be bearable.’

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo – ‘It’s just a black hole of time …’

20 Free Humour Books For You

Apr 05 2019

I have collaborated with my fellow humour authors to offer you a selection of 20 FREE humour books. The deal includes my black comedy, Necropolis. All you have to do is sign up to the given author’s mailing list to receive your free book. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Humour Book Giveaway Link

Necropolis is the first instalment in a proposed trilogy. The second part, Sepultura, was released last year. Part 3, Golgotha, will be unveiled later this year. This darkly humorous collection feature sociopathic protagonist Dyson Devereux. Necropolis has 105 reviews and ratings on Goodreads. Click here to view them.

Humour Book Giveaway Link

Have a good weekend.

Category - Books

6 Humorous Reading Recommendations

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A Summer Freebie & A Big Announcement

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7 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

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The 10 Books I’ve Read In 2019

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12 Hilarious One Star Book Reviews

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English Summers, Black Comedy & A Reading Bender

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6 Dark Fiction Reading Recommendations

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17 FREE Humour Books For You

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12 Hilarious One Star Book Reviews

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20 Free Humour Books For You

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Category - Books

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