Copping Free: A Novel

by Matthew Carnahan

When he wakes up naked by the side of the highway in the middle of the desert, 22-year-old Bailey Quinn is only sure of a few He's in a world of testicle pain. He's tripping out of his head on peyote. And someone seems to have made a half-assed attempt at slashing his throat. As Bailey hits the road to track down his "friends" and get his loot back, a black-edged, hilarious caper unfolds.

199 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2006

About the author

Matthew McNair Carnahan is an American producer, writer and director.

Carnahan studied at New York University as well as the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

He has a daughter with companion Helen Hunt, Måkena lei Gordon Carnahan (born 2004). He also has a son, Emmett.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book from Entertainment weekly, they gave it a pretty good review and they pretty much hate everything. plus the first title of the book was sex with serpent girl, which fits in with my whole carnival freaks interest. so i added it to my amazon list and bought it for myself about a month ago. it was an easy read, and i like the cover art. The story is strange, a sort of crazy mix of revenge, drug addicts, violence, carnival freaks and cute little drawings at the beginning of each chapter. I guess i liked it, but i am not itching to read it again and i wouldnt really recommend it unless you want to read a pretty short book that is kind of funny and violent.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those odd books that not everyone is going to like. It feels like it's more directed to people who enjoy reading violent, crazy stories. And I enjoyed it because of the main character's thoughts throughout the book more than the revenge plot that turns out to be directed at him.

And the beginning was funny when Bailey was initially trying to figure out what had happened to him. And the part where he was feeling oppressed by quotation marks. That was just funny.

It was a strange book that I found at a used bookstore and plucked off the shelf at random. It was a fast read and really weird but I enjoyed the madcap mayhem of it overall though not enough for a reread.

[James W. Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast, funny and short Tarantino-ish black humor tale. Weird sex, drug-fueled violence, sideshow freaks, maniacs, idiots, criminals, revenge.... it's just one mess after another as this crazy first-person tale told by a narrator a few bricks shy of a load just roars ahead from the first page to the last. Sleaze, noir, sideshows... hey, if that kinda stuff sounds like fun to you, check this out. One of the most entertaining books I read this year.

[andeeeeee · Rating 4 out of 5]

a slim novella, easy read, but a pretty intense and wildy violent tale of revenge, circus freaks, betrayal, lots of drugs and lots and lots of violence. oh and some sex too. darkly funny and pretty dang fun.