Ray Hamill
File Size: 674 KB
Print Length: 318 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00NB2BWHE
BOOK BLURB: "Poor God is having a tough week. The power in heaven has gone out and all the ice cream in his fridge has melted, and if that wasn’t bad enough he just found out he’s being sued by sports fans in Cleveland who are growing weary of always hearing from star athletes in other cities how he helps them win. He never helps the teams in Cleveland win.
"Then, just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, he discovers his magic wand – the source of his power – has gone missing, and for the life of him he simply cannot remember where it might be.
"Free The Leprechauns is a delightful tale of optimistic cynicism told in a shamelessly humorous narrative. The book follows the adventures of Stuart the proud Scottish sperm, as he sets out to help God discover the whereabouts of his magic wand, along with his new friends, Harold the wise old hamster; E.T. the Extra Testicle, an alien sex addict; and Seamus the kind-hearted smidget, a pint-sized mythical Irish creature."
You've got to admire the wit of a writer who names a lawyer Sleez E. Bastat and creates a character like Paddy Duffy who imparts such pearls of wisdom as, "If you ignore a problem long enough it might go away, and sure if it doesn't go away there's at least a chance it might not get any worse." Not to mention actually making a sperm a character.
You also can't help but like a book that pokes fun at Justin Bieber, Bono, Sarah Palin, and religious cults. At least I couldn't help but like it, even though this kind of humor isn't always my favorite. I've always been an Erma Bombeck fan, and I don't think she ever wrote about testicles or made fun of God. (smile)
Still, there were places where I laughed out loud. For instance, "The saints collectively liked God. He was a decent chap, they all agreed. Perhaps not the smartest god in the universe - he used to believe the antichrist was that crazy woman married to the uncle Christ - but for the most part he was far and hones, except maybe for the whole fire and pestilence threats."
The author's Catholic upbringing came through loud and clear, and I could relate to the jokes about school and guilt and all those wonderful ways of being Catholic. One of my favorites was the ongoing debate about whether the good sisters who taught in the school ever went to the bathroom. I remember marveling with my girlfriends that we never, never saw one of them go into the restroom.
I'm glad God has a sense of humor.
For the most part, the writing was excellent, with good comedic timing on the jokes, and all the odd characters were engaging. However, there were places where a bit of editing could have tightened some places that went on a little too long, and a more careful use of dialect would have made some of the dialogue more enjoyable.
On one level this is just a funny story with some funny characters and funny lines, but on another it is a good example of comedic satire, mocking injustice and social wrongs. While reading the book, I couldn't help but make a comparison to television programs like The Daily Show, that teach us about what is wrong in the world and makes the lesson go down easier with a chuckle.
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Ray Hamill was born in Dublin, Ireland, but have lived among the beautiful redwoods of Northern California for the past two decades working as a journalist. His first book was "Help me, I'm Irish - a book about the non-meaning of life." Ray will be my Wednesday's Guest this week, and I do hope you will stop by and welcome him. He is sharing the joy he has for writing. Sometimes we need to hear about the joys.
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There are just two more days left to get Doubletake, my police procedural mystery free for Kindle and Kindle apps. Hop on over to Amazon and snag a copy, and maybe tell all your friends about it. So far readers are liking the story.
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