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Lord Vishnu's Love Handles: A Spy Novel
Travis Anderson has a psychic gift. Or so he thinks. So far he's used his premonitions only to acquire the external trappings of success -- pretty wife, big house, shiny Range Rover. But when ominous visions invade his consciousness, his yuppie contentment is threatened and his business faces an audit from the IRS.
Drowning in mounting financial problems and apparent mental illness, Travis clings to a raft of booze and pills. An intervention lands him in a rehab facility with outlandish ideas about healing mind and body. His sole counsel is no 12-stepper, but a Hindu holy man who claims to be the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu god who is the preserver of the universe.
Drowning in mounting financial problems and apparent mental illness, Travis clings to a raft of booze and pills. An intervention lands him in a rehab facility with outlandish ideas about healing mind and body. His sole counsel is no 12-stepper, but a Hindu holy man who claims to be the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu god who is the preserver of the universe.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2006
9 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Will Clarke
8 books51 followersWILL CLARKE grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. He is the author of several works of fiction including, Lord Vishnu's Love Handles: A Spy Novel (sort of) and The Worthy: A Ghost's Story. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
December 27, 2017
One of the most creative, funny, and thrilling books I've ever read. I was a bit concerned because there's a *lot* of set up through the first act—which felt like a lot of info dumping, but all of this information comes into play in the final act. It's so well done. I can't wait to read more of Will Clarke's writing.
January 16, 2014
Lord Vishnu's Love Handles is unexpectedly fleshy and overly brash. Its protagonist spends so much time shooting his mouth off that I think the author may have forgotten that, as readers, we're probably more apt to enjoy his work if we don't hate its main character. There's no redemption here. There's barely a coherent plot. What there is, in spades, is a lot of unnecessary bawdiness.
The premise is simple, and then convoluted. Yuppie man leads charmed existence, with a side of psychic abilities and a drinking problem. His life is turned upside down and he ends up making a deal with the devil (in this case a super-secret government ESP organization). Enter the bad guy and a dozen or so plot mishaps magically healed by convenient sixth-sense-iness. Sprinkle with lots of excessive aggression and pseudo-sexy undertones and viola!
Don't get me wrong. I love a good silly yet dirty romp as much as the next girl, but this one left me feeling unfulfilled. Like I'd somehow just read a big mac and then wiped the grease off my hands onto a second-hand negligee.
The premise is simple, and then convoluted. Yuppie man leads charmed existence, with a side of psychic abilities and a drinking problem. His life is turned upside down and he ends up making a deal with the devil (in this case a super-secret government ESP organization). Enter the bad guy and a dozen or so plot mishaps magically healed by convenient sixth-sense-iness. Sprinkle with lots of excessive aggression and pseudo-sexy undertones and viola!
Don't get me wrong. I love a good silly yet dirty romp as much as the next girl, but this one left me feeling unfulfilled. Like I'd somehow just read a big mac and then wiped the grease off my hands onto a second-hand negligee.
September 10, 2015
I did not see this one coming. In fact, I did not see this one coming until about 50 pages in when I was just about to abandon it. Maybe it was the first-person, overly informal, annoyingly unhinged style, which is a constant throughout the book, but which suddenly became more palatable once the story kicked into full-on crazy mode. Anyway, the full-on crazy premise of this very original book is that a man seemingly slipping into madness may actually be the James Bond of psychic espionage. Or maybe he is just a bat-shit crazy Mr. Bean. Either way, the story is a twisty mystery, wrapped up in Hindu mythology and sprinkled with a generous portion of X-Files silliness.
I loved this book and cannot reveal much more without spoiling everything. Just beware that you might not make it through the odd writing style. Too bad if you don’t, because this book ended up being lots of fun.
Recommended.
I loved this book and cannot reveal much more without spoiling everything. Just beware that you might not make it through the odd writing style. Too bad if you don’t, because this book ended up being lots of fun.
Recommended.
December 29, 2017
This novel is not for everyone, but it's perfect for me. I'm a sucker for the smartass protagonist thing, especially when you throw in some supernatural or sci-fi into the mix. I can see why the reviews of this book are so polarizing. One can tell the author struggled in keeping the literary and fun sides of his voice in balance. But I think Lord Vishnu's Love Handles is a resounding success. Worth reading, but only if you've got a dark sense of humor and can appreciate a protagonist you might actually hate in real life.
June 18, 2019
I made a horrible mistake by reading this book. I was under the impression that it was a comedy, but I don’t think it actually is. I didn’t laugh once. Hell, I didn’t even smile.
At present, there is no book description of it on Goodreads, just the words “AUCTION DESCRIPTION”, whatever the fuck that means, so I must have been suckered in by the title. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and that sure as shit includes the title. Just because the title’s good doesn’t mean the story is.
But even if I hadn’t been judging this book as a comedy for my Comedic Novel Review, like if I had been reading it for the Entertaining Book Review or the Kinda Worth Reading Book Review or even the Soup Bowl Full of Diarrhea Book Review, reading this book was a mistake of epic proportion.
It sucked.
Big time.
The story is narrated by the protagonist, Travis Anderson, a hard-drinking, vision-seeing yuppie living in Dallas, Texas who loves his wife and child to no end. He has a kind of psychic gift where he just knows things, like the fact that his wife is cheating on him. This ability gets him recruited by a private company that was an offshoot of a top secret CIA psychic spy program which now offers remote viewing to find missing people.
I really liked this premise as I really enjoy stories infused with a touch of the supernatural. Watching him develop and use his remote viewing ability, watching him read the metaphors and symbols of his dreams to hunt down an antagonist and bring him to justice would have been highly entertaining.
But instead, the story devolves into a tired series of chase-like scenes where Travis is racing around like a chicken with its head cut off, speeding down the highway and of course crashing, and culminating in what amounts to a knife fight. None of those hackneyed situations involve psychic ability.
When reviewing books in general, this is the point where I would mention some of the positive attributes, but unfortunately, there weren’t any. There is nothing about this book whatsoever that I liked.
While brimming with potential, the plot ultimately sucked. The story was confused, nonsensical, and pointless.
The characters also sucked. Not one of them were likeable or interesting.
The protagonist was especially awful. He was irritating, clueless, and rash. Despite supposedly being psychic, he had the rationale and foresight of a lemming on meth.
At first, I was shaking my head at him. Then I was shaking my fist at the cuck. Next, I was so fucking frustrated by him that I was spiting on my Kindle, which I ultimately had to replace because I broke it with my forehead. Asshole. He’s so unbearable that it’s embarrassing. I’m honestly embarrassed for Clarke for creating such a shitty character. And to make him the main character is unforgiveable. In fact, I demand satisfaction. I demand seppuku. Clarke, hurry the fuck up and make this right by disemboweling yourself right now!
To sum up, this book is a confused waste of time. 1 "star".
Incidentally, it’s clear that Clarke thinks he’s pretty cute by adding A Spy Novel (Sort Of) to the title, but what he’s churned out is nowhere near a spy novel. There is no spying whatsoever. It’s way more of a driving-fast-on-a-highway novel or a rushing-through-Disney-World-dressed-as-a-mascot-cause-you’re-an-idiot novel.
Bonus quote: (Well, not so much a quote, but the About the Author at the end of the book) Will Clarke doesn’t want you to know where he lives or what he’s doing next.
This was pretty much the only thing in the book that didn’t suck. And it’s a good thing he keeps his whereabouts a secret, because otherwise I’d be picketing in front of his house every day until he made up for his sin by offing himself.
For more reviews, check out The Comedic Novel Review at www.pearlsbeforeswine68.com which is also home to the Great White Host Blog.
At present, there is no book description of it on Goodreads, just the words “AUCTION DESCRIPTION”, whatever the fuck that means, so I must have been suckered in by the title. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and that sure as shit includes the title. Just because the title’s good doesn’t mean the story is.
But even if I hadn’t been judging this book as a comedy for my Comedic Novel Review, like if I had been reading it for the Entertaining Book Review or the Kinda Worth Reading Book Review or even the Soup Bowl Full of Diarrhea Book Review, reading this book was a mistake of epic proportion.
It sucked.
Big time.
The story is narrated by the protagonist, Travis Anderson, a hard-drinking, vision-seeing yuppie living in Dallas, Texas who loves his wife and child to no end. He has a kind of psychic gift where he just knows things, like the fact that his wife is cheating on him. This ability gets him recruited by a private company that was an offshoot of a top secret CIA psychic spy program which now offers remote viewing to find missing people.
I really liked this premise as I really enjoy stories infused with a touch of the supernatural. Watching him develop and use his remote viewing ability, watching him read the metaphors and symbols of his dreams to hunt down an antagonist and bring him to justice would have been highly entertaining.
But instead, the story devolves into a tired series of chase-like scenes where Travis is racing around like a chicken with its head cut off, speeding down the highway and of course crashing, and culminating in what amounts to a knife fight. None of those hackneyed situations involve psychic ability.
When reviewing books in general, this is the point where I would mention some of the positive attributes, but unfortunately, there weren’t any. There is nothing about this book whatsoever that I liked.
While brimming with potential, the plot ultimately sucked. The story was confused, nonsensical, and pointless.
The characters also sucked. Not one of them were likeable or interesting.
The protagonist was especially awful. He was irritating, clueless, and rash. Despite supposedly being psychic, he had the rationale and foresight of a lemming on meth.
At first, I was shaking my head at him. Then I was shaking my fist at the cuck. Next, I was so fucking frustrated by him that I was spiting on my Kindle, which I ultimately had to replace because I broke it with my forehead. Asshole. He’s so unbearable that it’s embarrassing. I’m honestly embarrassed for Clarke for creating such a shitty character. And to make him the main character is unforgiveable. In fact, I demand satisfaction. I demand seppuku. Clarke, hurry the fuck up and make this right by disemboweling yourself right now!
To sum up, this book is a confused waste of time. 1 "star".
Incidentally, it’s clear that Clarke thinks he’s pretty cute by adding A Spy Novel (Sort Of) to the title, but what he’s churned out is nowhere near a spy novel. There is no spying whatsoever. It’s way more of a driving-fast-on-a-highway novel or a rushing-through-Disney-World-dressed-as-a-mascot-cause-you’re-an-idiot novel.
Bonus quote: (Well, not so much a quote, but the About the Author at the end of the book) Will Clarke doesn’t want you to know where he lives or what he’s doing next.
This was pretty much the only thing in the book that didn’t suck. And it’s a good thing he keeps his whereabouts a secret, because otherwise I’d be picketing in front of his house every day until he made up for his sin by offing himself.
For more reviews, check out The Comedic Novel Review at www.pearlsbeforeswine68.com which is also home to the Great White Host Blog.
January 8, 2010
Let's set things straight: Will Clarke's LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES is a darn funny book--some of it literally laugh-out-loud funny. Clarke's here-it-is, straight-forward style is fun to read, and the author can set up a scene, antagonize his protagonist, then knock it out of the park with ingenuous comedic wit and ease. Clarke's goofy, ultra-fantastic story--about a yuppie psychic who goes to work for the government in exchange for forgiveness of his IRS debt, yet subsequently loses his family when they're kidnapped by his wacky cohorts--is fresh, innovative, funny. . .but just takes darn forever to wrap itself up.
To be sure, this is not your Aunt Sadie's light comedy; Clarke's story is quite dark, fueled by violence and death. While Travis Anderson, the protagonist, more or less keeps his wits about him as his life hopelessly unravels, I couldn't help but feel frustrated as the plot descended into catastrophic goofiness. And kept descending, page after page, chapter after chapter--until I was begging for the book to be over, and the insanity to end. (And then the author punctuates all of the nonsense with a final, four-page chapter that left me scratching my head in sheer bewilderment.) LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES is well-written and funny--but when you have to suspend disbelief to this degree, for a comedy, mind you, much of the positives this book brings vanish like the blue Vishnu gods the protagonist imagines he's seeing.
To be sure, this is not your Aunt Sadie's light comedy; Clarke's story is quite dark, fueled by violence and death. While Travis Anderson, the protagonist, more or less keeps his wits about him as his life hopelessly unravels, I couldn't help but feel frustrated as the plot descended into catastrophic goofiness. And kept descending, page after page, chapter after chapter--until I was begging for the book to be over, and the insanity to end. (And then the author punctuates all of the nonsense with a final, four-page chapter that left me scratching my head in sheer bewilderment.) LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES is well-written and funny--but when you have to suspend disbelief to this degree, for a comedy, mind you, much of the positives this book brings vanish like the blue Vishnu gods the protagonist imagines he's seeing.
January 30, 2019
Usually I dislike books with whiny, self-indulgent, and deluded alcoholic protagonists, but I could barely put Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles down. The protagonist, who tells the story in first person, is over-the-top brash and often obscene, but adds a black humor edge to his diatribes that is rather compelling and funny. He is psychic, and is often overwhelmed by his premonitory visions. And as for his paranoia—is it really psychological breakdown or is there some kind of trickery afoot to watch and control him?
The twists and turns of the plot and the oddly funny yet scary and in-your-face characters make this book quite a page-turner. The plot involves sex, drugs, relationships, psychology, and government, a heady combination. There’s violence, some of it rather graphic. Yet, the story is told with irony and humor—a very unusual book indeed.
I recommend this to readers who are looking for a unique thriller—as long as they can handle some rough language and blood. But really, what is a thriller without sex, violence, and serious grit?
The twists and turns of the plot and the oddly funny yet scary and in-your-face characters make this book quite a page-turner. The plot involves sex, drugs, relationships, psychology, and government, a heady combination. There’s violence, some of it rather graphic. Yet, the story is told with irony and humor—a very unusual book indeed.
I recommend this to readers who are looking for a unique thriller—as long as they can handle some rough language and blood. But really, what is a thriller without sex, violence, and serious grit?
June 4, 2010
Listened to this for an RA SIG. Funny in parts, though the language and sex might offend some. I'm usually pretty good at suspending my disbelief, but this book pushed the limits and, while I was mildly interested in where this might end up, by the time we got there I was bored. Man with mild psychic abilities is taken in to a government program in return for the forgiveness of a $5 million IRS debt. Who can be trusted? Is his wife sleeping with his partner? Is there an alligator in the swimmng pool? Is his mentor a reincarnation of Vishnu? In the end, I didn't much care.
June 25, 2011
This is a silly, mindless, sometimes annoying comedic romp through the head of a psychic yuppie desperate to please his wife and keep his Stepford family intact - often to the point of "why bother, dude?" It was a mindless read, slightly laughable, to the tune of Tom Robbins (but not nearly as wordsmithy), Christopher Moore, or Carl Hiaasen. Two-and-a-half stars; I'm halfway between it was ok and liked it, but it was a quick read.
June 26, 2011
I selected the rating, "really liked it," simply because I could not put the book down. But I don't know that I LIKE, LIKED it (to sound a like a teenage girl). The language is not for the faint of heart. And the whole tail is curious - much in the vein of a Tim Robbins book. There probably was some big metaphorical meaning hidden in among on the craziness, but since I was looking for escapism - not theology - I chose to simply read it for the very peculiar, action-adventure that it was....
February 15, 2008
This story of a yuppie with a psychic gift who suddenly finds himself mixed up with covert operatives and Hindu holy men was a mixed bag for me. I loved the premise and loved the title, and enjoyed much of the writing. But I was disappointed in the direction the author took the story and it fell apart for me at the end.
October 5, 2017
This book has to be the worst book I have had the misfortune to read in many years. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. Maybe guys like Hitler or Stalin. The language in the book is also bad, as well as the sexual episodes. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!
July 12, 2009
Tia really liked this, but I didn't care for it. Couldn't get into it and never found it anything about it interesting.
January 5, 2014
Really, really funny in a few parts. Was definitely not a style of writing I am used to. It certainly got a bit strange for me near the end.
Read
November 9, 2021Because you enjoy Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, I would recommend Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles: A Spy Novel (Sort Of) by Will Clarke. Fast-paced and funny, with an outrageous plot and characters.
April 29, 2018
A genuinely funny psychic novel that is loaded with cheeky humor, a terrific asshole of a main character who's a lot of fun, and a really weird snowball story concerning psychic powers and secret institutions and Disney World too.
It's a weird fun book, and I had fun reading it and I'd recommend it based on that; it's just good, solid fun.
My complaint, and why I don't love the book, is I actually don't quite see the "point" other than the story. I know that's odd, but there's just no impact or proximity with the novel once you finish. It really is just a fictitious story where you get to hear this strange tale of this guy--- but it doesn't mean anything? There's nothing really pensive or intimate about the story, not even in it's conclusion. You just finish it and think, "Huh. That was a book." And all you really take away is that it was fun to read--- but it doesn't really offer any feeling or larger thought, and there's absolutely no reason to ever reread this book again because of that.
I wish I could explain that better, but even kind of lousy books I always feel like, at least in the ending, have that "thing," that "it" that makes you look at your own life and maybe feel something about some silly thing like love or the soul or friendship or some shit like that. But that's really not here at all; it's just this character's story, which you read, and then it ends, and you go "Okay."
So it's funny, and I do recommend it. And I see all the criticism below targeting the main character as a turn-off; whatever, he's the part. An alcoholic yuppie who doesn't care about anything but his own life and that's really cool and nice and for fuck's sake there's nothing more refreshing than an author who doesn't go goddamn Marxist just because a character has some wealth, so I really love the main-character and is easily the highlight of the book for me.
So check it out!
It's a weird fun book, and I had fun reading it and I'd recommend it based on that; it's just good, solid fun.
My complaint, and why I don't love the book, is I actually don't quite see the "point" other than the story. I know that's odd, but there's just no impact or proximity with the novel once you finish. It really is just a fictitious story where you get to hear this strange tale of this guy--- but it doesn't mean anything? There's nothing really pensive or intimate about the story, not even in it's conclusion. You just finish it and think, "Huh. That was a book." And all you really take away is that it was fun to read--- but it doesn't really offer any feeling or larger thought, and there's absolutely no reason to ever reread this book again because of that.
I wish I could explain that better, but even kind of lousy books I always feel like, at least in the ending, have that "thing," that "it" that makes you look at your own life and maybe feel something about some silly thing like love or the soul or friendship or some shit like that. But that's really not here at all; it's just this character's story, which you read, and then it ends, and you go "Okay."
So it's funny, and I do recommend it. And I see all the criticism below targeting the main character as a turn-off; whatever, he's the part. An alcoholic yuppie who doesn't care about anything but his own life and that's really cool and nice and for fuck's sake there's nothing more refreshing than an author who doesn't go goddamn Marxist just because a character has some wealth, so I really love the main-character and is easily the highlight of the book for me.
So check it out!
April 13, 2018
This book was totally NOT what I expected. Only reason I grabbed it is because the cover caught my eye on the bookshelf at the library. Another reader described the writing "first-person, overly informal, annoyingly unhinged style", which is EXACTLY what it is, and I loved it.
This protagonist is a douchebag. After reading a books with strong female leads, it was quite the flip jumping into this mans mind. Though he is a douche, you cant put the book down as it leads in to what seems a mental breakdown, yoga, a sci-fi twist and "WTF is happening" feeling.
It was a very quick read, and something I would normally read on my kindle.
This protagonist is a douchebag. After reading a books with strong female leads, it was quite the flip jumping into this mans mind. Though he is a douche, you cant put the book down as it leads in to what seems a mental breakdown, yoga, a sci-fi twist and "WTF is happening" feeling.
It was a very quick read, and something I would normally read on my kindle.
October 3, 2017
Great read. Reminiscent of Christopher Moore who I have read in total. Will Clarke is my new favorite author. His most recent book "Madam Melancon" is a perfect 5. This earlier book, Lord Vishnu, is nearly as good. Being an SMU alum and long time Dallas resident, the local references are spot on and the internal/external dialogue of a young father in stress is simply hilarious. The story of hellish addictions are poignant and the supernatural elements create a wild ride. I can not wait for Will Clarke's next book.
September 18, 2018
This is one of my favorites. I found it in a second hand bookstore, read the first line, and couldn’t put it down. If you check it out, you’ll feel the same. It’s hilarious from the start. A real creative crack-up! I later noticed it was a signed copy, so that’s awesome.
August 8, 2019
A rollicking romp. Good fun.
September 14, 2019
A book whose characters and plot teeter on the edge of absurd insanity. But it works, in a weird way!
March 9, 2020
Definitely one of the strangest books I've ever read in my entire life.
March 12, 2020
Another definite must read if seeking excitement and some hectic confusion that's waded through to some conclusion all along the way with thrills and mystery thrown in just right!
February 18, 2017
This was an amazing book. I loved the clear writing style and sense of humour that prevailed throughout the entirety of the book that literally had me laughing out loud. Clarke took big and sometimes heavy ideas and with a good does of hilarious circumstances created a book with a sense of wacky adventure and a light hearted take on life.
May 23, 2011
I started reading Lord Vishnu's Love Handles by Will Clarke a while back. I picked up the book after catching an excerpt of it that sounded fascinating and instantly find it right up my reading alley. The writing was plain, and when I say plain, I mean each sentence was civil enough that all levels of comprehension should be able to read from one sentence to the next without feeling lost.
Amid quite a bit of sarcasm the man has a failing business, a wife he suspects of cheating, and a drinking problem. Clear enough. At the start I congratulated myself on what a great eye I had for selecting great books.
And then whomp! Out came the blue and purple faces and mystical stuff that said, ‘oh no,’ time to close the book. I did. I closed the book and moved on to other things, albeit, keeping the book near by. The opening was too great to put on my give-away pile.
Short story shorter, after being pushed into a sour mood I ended up rolling over reaching for the Love Handles to find that I love this book! Absolutely love it. Good Greek of Good Gods I couldn’t have found a better time to pick up Lord Vishnu. Cavorting around inside Vishnu’s head, crying laughing to tears, I find the man is ‘fighting insanity with his bare fist’, and he isn’t winning. Now, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be laughing this hard, but thanks to Lord Vishnu I’m feeling much better.
Great writing. I’ve been touched.
Amid quite a bit of sarcasm the man has a failing business, a wife he suspects of cheating, and a drinking problem. Clear enough. At the start I congratulated myself on what a great eye I had for selecting great books.
And then whomp! Out came the blue and purple faces and mystical stuff that said, ‘oh no,’ time to close the book. I did. I closed the book and moved on to other things, albeit, keeping the book near by. The opening was too great to put on my give-away pile.
Short story shorter, after being pushed into a sour mood I ended up rolling over reaching for the Love Handles to find that I love this book! Absolutely love it. Good Greek of Good Gods I couldn’t have found a better time to pick up Lord Vishnu. Cavorting around inside Vishnu’s head, crying laughing to tears, I find the man is ‘fighting insanity with his bare fist’, and he isn’t winning. Now, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be laughing this hard, but thanks to Lord Vishnu I’m feeling much better.
Great writing. I’ve been touched.
August 24, 2008
This book was way out of the box for me, and I really enjoyed it. I don't read spy novels, but it was sort of a spoof of them, new age stuff, and Disney world, among other things. I was laughing and also not wanting to put it down. As "out there" as the plot was, it also seemed plausible once you entered the head and life of Travis Anderson, the main character, and I think the first person narration helped in that--a lot! The ending was perfect, and the characters were just--so believable, even though they were way off the wall nutty! I really like this book! Another thing I really enjoyed was the author keeps you guessing, does Travis actually have psychic abilities or is he just crazy? Or both? That question kind of hovers over the book until towards the end. He kept me guessing!
September 3, 2008
Ah. . . this book was exactly what I was hoping it would be . . . an entertaining if somewhat slight beach read. The plot is bizarre. A Dallas yuppie scum does well enough on a psychic website that he's hired by government contractors and ends up in an all consuming battle of good vs. evil, the stakes being his family's welfare and the future of human kind (or at least Disney World). Clarke's voice isn't all that unique--I kept picking up hints of Bret Easton Ellis here, Tim Sandlin there and the rest of the usual subjects (Chris Moore, Tom Robbins. . .) pop up too. The story isn't that great and, other than the narrator, none of the characters are particularly endearing or well drawn. Yet, the book was pleasant enough and pretty darn funny in spots and, taken for what it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 20, 2008
This book is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets Shadow Run (sorry only humans) meets Unbreakable, but it has a soul all its own. It is set in Dallas....poor boring Dallas if only it's good, republican citizens knew what was going on under it's squeaky clean exterior. It is a fast and fun read. The main character has to wade through alcoholism and borderline-schizo apparitions of blue guys as he gets sober and takes on the IRS and secret government organizations and the freaks they employ. All this while saving his marriage and the world...or at least Disney World. Very, very good. two thumbs up!
July 30, 2018
Not bad for a first novel, I must say. Clarke's characters, while not exactly paragons of literary complexity, are certainly deeper and more detailed than one might expect. He also has a knack for jarring imagery, though a bit of it was a little too-obviously included for shock value. The plot, while not predictable, wasn't particularly inspired, but was still quite fun. I did really like the ending; everything gets wrapped up in a satisfyingly consistent way by having the main character show serious development without violating his established personality. I enjoyed Lord Vishnu's Love Handles and I would not be averse to reading more of Clarke's stuff in the future.
January 29, 2009
Seemed to shift pretty radically:
* Went from funny romp into somewhat unrealistic (I know, I know) territory, plot-wise, esp. with the masterplan
* Could've used more denouement (wife's reaction kind of unexplained)
* On the one hand, funny satire of Dallas rich people; but then the spy stuff was pretty flat (sci-fi aspects very vanilla)
* Many things seemed very perfunctory. Either needed to go more epic/sinister/top-secret, or be written more tightly with more humour.
SageRat and the chippy bureaucrat were most memorable, character-wise.
* Went from funny romp into somewhat unrealistic (I know, I know) territory, plot-wise, esp. with the masterplan
* Could've used more denouement (wife's reaction kind of unexplained)
* On the one hand, funny satire of Dallas rich people; but then the spy stuff was pretty flat (sci-fi aspects very vanilla)
* Many things seemed very perfunctory. Either needed to go more epic/sinister/top-secret, or be written more tightly with more humour.
SageRat and the chippy bureaucrat were most memorable, character-wise.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews