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The Angry Buddhist
From the author of I Regret Everything comes this “great novel. It’s satirical, it’s political, it’s sexual. All the things that I love dearly” (Larry David, creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld ).
Seth Greenland’s timely novel is a smart and darkly amusing dissection of the American political establishment in all its sordid glory. Set in the hardscrabble California desert community of Desert Hot Springs and the manicured enclave of Palm Springs, the novel lives at the intersection of the political disarray of today.
In this sun-blasted territory, with its equally arid culture, a fiercely contested congressional election is in progress. The wily incumbent, Randall Duke, is unburdened by ethical considerations and his opponent, Mary Swain, is a sexy and well-financed newcomer who does not have a firm grip on American history or elemental economics.
As election day nears, the exploitable backgrounds of these two candidates are teased out by the desire to one-up each other. The campaign gets carried away when the personal escapades of friends and family spill over into the election, including lesbian love triangles, and sudden spiritual enlightenment.
“A wild entertainment as well as a novel about the way we live now that dares to dance with the profound.”― Los Angeles Times
“ The Angry Buddhist approaches all its characters with reliable misanthropy (not for nothing does Larry David provide this book’s most visible blurb). And its story unfolds with dexterous ease . . . A fine, high-end beach read for this election season.”― The New York Times Book Review
“A novel about three brothers, The Angry Buddhist is a steamy mix of murder, matching manga kitten tattoos, and a fierce congressional election.”― Lion’s Roar
Seth Greenland’s timely novel is a smart and darkly amusing dissection of the American political establishment in all its sordid glory. Set in the hardscrabble California desert community of Desert Hot Springs and the manicured enclave of Palm Springs, the novel lives at the intersection of the political disarray of today.
In this sun-blasted territory, with its equally arid culture, a fiercely contested congressional election is in progress. The wily incumbent, Randall Duke, is unburdened by ethical considerations and his opponent, Mary Swain, is a sexy and well-financed newcomer who does not have a firm grip on American history or elemental economics.
As election day nears, the exploitable backgrounds of these two candidates are teased out by the desire to one-up each other. The campaign gets carried away when the personal escapades of friends and family spill over into the election, including lesbian love triangles, and sudden spiritual enlightenment.
“A wild entertainment as well as a novel about the way we live now that dares to dance with the profound.”― Los Angeles Times
“ The Angry Buddhist approaches all its characters with reliable misanthropy (not for nothing does Larry David provide this book’s most visible blurb). And its story unfolds with dexterous ease . . . A fine, high-end beach read for this election season.”― The New York Times Book Review
“A novel about three brothers, The Angry Buddhist is a steamy mix of murder, matching manga kitten tattoos, and a fierce congressional election.”― Lion’s Roar
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2012
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470 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 12, 2012
I loved Seth Greenland's first two novels and this one is his best.
"The Angry Buddhist" weaves story lines involving politics, sex, police work, and--of course--Buddhism, into a novel that grabbed me from the first page.
Plus there are good dogs and dog-loving cops alongside the corrupt politicians, regular crooks, and sex-confused citizens of Palm Springs and the shores of the Salton Sea.
Read this book! I guarantee it.
"The Angry Buddhist" weaves story lines involving politics, sex, police work, and--of course--Buddhism, into a novel that grabbed me from the first page.
Plus there are good dogs and dog-loving cops alongside the corrupt politicians, regular crooks, and sex-confused citizens of Palm Springs and the shores of the Salton Sea.
Read this book! I guarantee it.
August 28, 2012
Structurally sound but relentlessly stock in characters and predictable in plot. Biggest problem is the bland dialogue that reads like it's from a screenplay - that is, it's dialogue that only gives readers the broad outlines of a communication / motivation, from which the actors, with the help of the director, will realize / color in etc. So, TAB is a useful book for writers to see the difference between the role of dialogue in the two forms.
August 11, 2012
There's hard-boiled, and then there's overcooked.
June 1, 2017
Decent enjoyable novel. Greenland is a good writer, enjoyable to read.
November 25, 2012
I might have liked this one better if it hadn't been such a hot mess in terms of editing/proofing. When you misuse "its/it's" multiple times--in the same sentence, even--it's time to bring in the copyeditor.
April 23, 2015
I hope no one ever finds out I read this stupid book.
July 19, 2025
Well, this is a review of a book that I did not read all the way through. I picked this up outside a Buddhist temple in a free library . Thinking that it had anything to do with the Buddhist beliefs or understanding was a misnomer.
This is a book that actually I would put in the trash. That is harsh I know. However, the dialogue was terrible. The story had nothing to do with Buddha or beliefs and as one person wrote - it was like a screenplay ;good luck making it into a movie that I wouldn’t watch certainly.👎🏼
This is a book that actually I would put in the trash. That is harsh I know. However, the dialogue was terrible. The story had nothing to do with Buddha or beliefs and as one person wrote - it was like a screenplay ;good luck making it into a movie that I wouldn’t watch certainly.👎🏼
March 24, 2019
Great characters in a novel that sneaks up on you. The oddballs are loosely linked initially, but then are drawn tight by events. The author has a good sense of humor as well. Much like an Elmore Leonard story. Engaging. This book was picked up in a Manzanillo seaside condo. Hey, read my crime books, too.
September 10, 2019
It was enjoyable, though not as funny as the Larry David blurb on the cover claimed it would be. The Buddhism is accurate, and there's not too much of it. I expected more of a resolution in the ending, but you can't have everything. Satisfying.
September 22, 2021
Really like this author. Wanted to give it 5 stars, but the ending needed a bit more clarity and closure. Given the current political atmosphere, the content was timely.
December 5, 2024
Very few happy characters in this one, or characters with the author sympathizes. Strong sense of place, though.
October 27, 2012
Greenland is a terrific writer, and I enjoyed this book very much, although maybe not quite as much as his previous novel, The Shining City. Here he tells the story of political shenanigans on the run up to an election for Congress. The story focuses on the Duke brothers -- Randall, the Congressman, Jimmy, an ex-cop who got kicked off the force and is now working for the DA's office, and Dale, the youngest brother an ex-con just out of jail whose career as a criminal got its start when he took the rap a crime his oldest brother committed so that Randall's promising career wouldn't be derailed. Added to that mix are Randall's wife, Kendra, who had a weekend affair with a young woman, and Hard Marvin, the chief of police who fired Jimmy, and who strikes up an extra-marital affair with the young woman who had the brief fling with Kendra.
Greenland does satire with just the right mix of humanity and humor. He gets to skewer American politicals by showing the cynical, and often criminal maneuverings Randall and his chief aide committ in order to hold on to power. And he makes the political shenanigans going on in this southern Californian races see very topical because Jimmy's opponent is a Sarah Palin-character, a demagogue whose chief drawing card is her beauty.
Jimmy is the moral compass here, and everyone around him is rather despicable.
Things take a very violent turn in the middle of the novel, as Nadine, the lover of Kendra and Hard Marvin tries to blackmail them both and then pays a heavy price for it.
Watching how the characters deal with it, is enough to make you depressed about how rotten American politics is.
Throughout the novel, we get updates from an anonymous blogger who skewers all the parties, revealing how shallow and manipulative they are. It's nice to see that for all their hypocrisy, one party is pulling the curtain aside to show the public just how tainted the entire process is.
It's not a novel that wraps everything in a neat bow, but it's a brutally honest look at how corrupt our political system has become.
Greenland does satire with just the right mix of humanity and humor. He gets to skewer American politicals by showing the cynical, and often criminal maneuverings Randall and his chief aide committ in order to hold on to power. And he makes the political shenanigans going on in this southern Californian races see very topical because Jimmy's opponent is a Sarah Palin-character, a demagogue whose chief drawing card is her beauty.
Jimmy is the moral compass here, and everyone around him is rather despicable.
Things take a very violent turn in the middle of the novel, as Nadine, the lover of Kendra and Hard Marvin tries to blackmail them both and then pays a heavy price for it.
Watching how the characters deal with it, is enough to make you depressed about how rotten American politics is.
Throughout the novel, we get updates from an anonymous blogger who skewers all the parties, revealing how shallow and manipulative they are. It's nice to see that for all their hypocrisy, one party is pulling the curtain aside to show the public just how tainted the entire process is.
It's not a novel that wraps everything in a neat bow, but it's a brutally honest look at how corrupt our political system has become.
November 11, 2012
I gave this book 3.25/5 stars on InsatiableBooksluts.com.
Review excerpt:
"Real live politics clearly influenced The Angry Buddhist. Swain is a stand-in for Sarah Palin in many ways, campaigning with loads of good looks and a “folksy” demeanor, but without much professional experience to back herself up. Randall’s campaign manager, Maxon, seems to be a smaller-time Karl Rove-type character, a man who will do anything to win even if it’s not legal or moral. The book delves into the messier side of politics, cranking up the intrigue and scandal factor considerably higher than we see on the news. It read a bit like a caricature for me, though–or maybe I was just sick of dirty politics in general, I don’t know.
I also had a really hard time giving a damn about most of the characters, to be honest. A lot of the book hinges on Randall’s campaign. I didn’t like Randall or his wife, so I didn’t really care if they crashed and burned or not. (I did like the daughter quite a bit.) The hero of the story is Randall’s brother Jimmy, who does his job perfectly well, but with whom I never really connect well enough to care about the stakes against him. The plot was intriguing and I read through it quickly to find out what happened, but it’s not a story that lingered or stuck with me. Political-mystery joyride with flashes of literary writing here and there."
You can read the full review here.
Review excerpt:
"Real live politics clearly influenced The Angry Buddhist. Swain is a stand-in for Sarah Palin in many ways, campaigning with loads of good looks and a “folksy” demeanor, but without much professional experience to back herself up. Randall’s campaign manager, Maxon, seems to be a smaller-time Karl Rove-type character, a man who will do anything to win even if it’s not legal or moral. The book delves into the messier side of politics, cranking up the intrigue and scandal factor considerably higher than we see on the news. It read a bit like a caricature for me, though–or maybe I was just sick of dirty politics in general, I don’t know.
I also had a really hard time giving a damn about most of the characters, to be honest. A lot of the book hinges on Randall’s campaign. I didn’t like Randall or his wife, so I didn’t really care if they crashed and burned or not. (I did like the daughter quite a bit.) The hero of the story is Randall’s brother Jimmy, who does his job perfectly well, but with whom I never really connect well enough to care about the stakes against him. The plot was intriguing and I read through it quickly to find out what happened, but it’s not a story that lingered or stuck with me. Political-mystery joyride with flashes of literary writing here and there."
You can read the full review here.
July 13, 2015
The narrator of this book has the Coen brothers' type of detached-but-not-aloof (if that makes sense) relationship to the characters and story. Sordid events and very imperfect humans are regarded wryly but with empathy.
There are more characters than you might initially think the book can hold, even with its substantial length. Fortunately, the characters are drawn quickly and skillfully, each provided with a more or less nuanced backstory. Most can be quickly assigned an archetypal label, but they are not clichéd or wooden. As these characters drive the story along with one poor decision after another, the detached narration helps prevent you from any "Don't go into the basement!" exhortations. From your poolside deck chair, you may occasionally lower your book and take a sip from your Mojito as you disapprove.
It's not that you don't care about the consequences you know the characters are bringing onto themselves -- it's just that you know these consequences are inevitable because the characters' poor choices are inevitable. The scorpion stung the frog who was ferrying it across the stream, dooming both to drown, because it was in the scorpion's nature to sting. Just as it is in Harding's nature to drive into the gated community. "Oh, Harding", you sigh, "whatever are you thinking? Mmm this is a tasty Mojito."
This attitude on the part of the reader is crucial to appreciating the story as more than just an ordinary tale of sordid politicos. It is achieved not only by the just-right level of detachedness, but by the insertion of occasional Buddhist thoughts (this is done in an hilarious way, with an unlikely character and an unlikely medium).
There are more characters than you might initially think the book can hold, even with its substantial length. Fortunately, the characters are drawn quickly and skillfully, each provided with a more or less nuanced backstory. Most can be quickly assigned an archetypal label, but they are not clichéd or wooden. As these characters drive the story along with one poor decision after another, the detached narration helps prevent you from any "Don't go into the basement!" exhortations. From your poolside deck chair, you may occasionally lower your book and take a sip from your Mojito as you disapprove.
It's not that you don't care about the consequences you know the characters are bringing onto themselves -- it's just that you know these consequences are inevitable because the characters' poor choices are inevitable. The scorpion stung the frog who was ferrying it across the stream, dooming both to drown, because it was in the scorpion's nature to sting. Just as it is in Harding's nature to drive into the gated community. "Oh, Harding", you sigh, "whatever are you thinking? Mmm this is a tasty Mojito."
This attitude on the part of the reader is crucial to appreciating the story as more than just an ordinary tale of sordid politicos. It is achieved not only by the just-right level of detachedness, but by the insertion of occasional Buddhist thoughts (this is done in an hilarious way, with an unlikely character and an unlikely medium).
May 24, 2012
I liked this read a lot. The characters are believable though most certainly crazed in one sense or another--much like real life people--and the action is interesting and well paced. The novel's main unanswered tenet is worthy: how do individuals relate to their own moral compasses--and does everyone even have one?
Greenland's artfulness comes into play as a weaving of this central issue of the individual's sense of morality around the curve balls that come from life in general. As characters in our own stories, do we get knocked off course by these curve balls or do we muddle through? Do our actions always take the high road or do we, for example, just go off and start spraying bullets into convenience stores, become an all-wise blogger and blabber of secrets, or try to play politics with our constituency of voters, family, and friends?
Occasionally one of us saves an innocent dog or two from needless destruction. Occasionally we save ourselves from similar fates as well. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Occasionally even would-be buddhists have a lot to be angry about.
Greenland's artfulness comes into play as a weaving of this central issue of the individual's sense of morality around the curve balls that come from life in general. As characters in our own stories, do we get knocked off course by these curve balls or do we muddle through? Do our actions always take the high road or do we, for example, just go off and start spraying bullets into convenience stores, become an all-wise blogger and blabber of secrets, or try to play politics with our constituency of voters, family, and friends?
Occasionally one of us saves an innocent dog or two from needless destruction. Occasionally we save ourselves from similar fates as well. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Occasionally even would-be buddhists have a lot to be angry about.
April 3, 2014
Here are the questions we discussed at the Reading the Western Landscape Book Club at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden.
• Were you able to have any sympathy for any of the characters? Why? Why not?
• What did you think when you were reading the physical descriptions of all the people in the book? Why?
• What did the ending mean to you?
• If there was one thing you would change about the book what would it be?
• What part of the book would you be sure not to change?
• Were you surprised when the author of the blog was revealed? How did that revelation shape your reading?
• Many of the characters in the book don’t appear “likeable.” How did this affect your reading experience?
• What were the author’s best descriptions of the landscape?
• What did you take in from the “dog book” and the Buddhism?
• Were you able to have any sympathy for any of the characters? Why? Why not?
• What did you think when you were reading the physical descriptions of all the people in the book? Why?
• What did the ending mean to you?
• If there was one thing you would change about the book what would it be?
• What part of the book would you be sure not to change?
• Were you surprised when the author of the blog was revealed? How did that revelation shape your reading?
• Many of the characters in the book don’t appear “likeable.” How did this affect your reading experience?
• What were the author’s best descriptions of the landscape?
• What did you take in from the “dog book” and the Buddhism?
September 15, 2012
There aren't enough stars. It#s not as bad as a two star rating would imply, but it's not as good as Johathen Franzen's Freedom, which wasn't good enough for four stars.
It's readable, characters are many and varied (none too deep, though), the pages were all printed the right way up and there weren't loads of crimes against grammar and cliche. (just some). The email exchanges between the eponymous character and his guru are faintly shoe-horned-in sixth-form psychology (maybe that's the point?) and slightly ridiculous, but not so that you tear pages out in frustration.
If someone gives it to you as a present, read it. If you're in a bookshop browsing for something page-turny and not desperately annoying, it'll do if it has a big "5 pounds off" sign on the front.
It's readable, characters are many and varied (none too deep, though), the pages were all printed the right way up and there weren't loads of crimes against grammar and cliche. (just some). The email exchanges between the eponymous character and his guru are faintly shoe-horned-in sixth-form psychology (maybe that's the point?) and slightly ridiculous, but not so that you tear pages out in frustration.
If someone gives it to you as a present, read it. If you're in a bookshop browsing for something page-turny and not desperately annoying, it'll do if it has a big "5 pounds off" sign on the front.
March 15, 2015
If you write a satire, you must go over the edge. Like Carl Hiaason with his Fla swamp people. Not far enough and you have a tragedy (no matter what Larry David's book blurb said). Greenland's CA desert characters might as well be chasing alligators (or vice versa). They don't even have dreams worth chasing--they just stumble around: some shoot at snakes, some at store clerks. Some run for office, some run after tanning salon clerks, all try to run from their marriages/relationships, but not their dogs. A Sarah Palin look-alike, a cold-eyed political op, and three canines play big supporting roles. And meditation 101 runs thru the chapters as on again-off again cop Jimmy works on his anger problem. A solid three-star book.
June 12, 2012
“The Angry Buddhist” is Seth Greenland’s third book. I have read the other two, 2005 “The Bones” and 2008 “Shining City”. I have enjoyed all of his books giving all of them a 4 star rating. Mr. Greenland has away with characters and plots, there is a hint of Carl Hassen in his books (high praise).
I will not go into the story-line, many other reviews have already done this so I will just rate the book on its elements (0 to 5 being highest):
Protagonist Development: 4
Antagonist Development: 4
Minor Character Development: 3
Storyline: 4
Setting: 3
Theme: 4
Writing Style: 4
Overall Rating: 4
I will not go into the story-line, many other reviews have already done this so I will just rate the book on its elements (0 to 5 being highest):
Protagonist Development: 4
Antagonist Development: 4
Minor Character Development: 3
Storyline: 4
Setting: 3
Theme: 4
Writing Style: 4
Overall Rating: 4
August 21, 2013
Sex, money and politics in SoCal- a series of soft targets for political satire. There are some funny moments as the three Duke brothers hurtle towards self-destruction in this screwball noir saga, and some pithy observations.
"Mary Swain's danger lies in her cheerful erotic charge. When fascism arrives it will not be in jackboots but, rather, wrapped in an American flag, carrying a cross and wearing fuck-me pumps."
I like the concept of the Angry Buddhist - Jimmy Ray Duke's occasionally successful approach to (court ordered) anger management - and I like the Desert Machiavelli blog comments on Randall Duke's disintegrating political campaign interspersed throughout the story.
"Mary Swain's danger lies in her cheerful erotic charge. When fascism arrives it will not be in jackboots but, rather, wrapped in an American flag, carrying a cross and wearing fuck-me pumps."
I like the concept of the Angry Buddhist - Jimmy Ray Duke's occasionally successful approach to (court ordered) anger management - and I like the Desert Machiavelli blog comments on Randall Duke's disintegrating political campaign interspersed throughout the story.
September 16, 2016
I really enjoyed this overall, and there were lots of un-put-downable moments. However, the part of the story that relates to the title seemed really contrived to me. As a political scandal erupts in a small desert town, a congressman's brother finds himself battling anger-management issues and attempts to re-set his life using Buddhist practices. Every 30 pages or so, there are email exchanges between him and his Buddhist mentor, but it felt very disconnected from the main story, as though the author included these for the sole purpose of calling the book "The Angry Buddhist."
I'd still recommend the book; very enjoyable overall.
I'd still recommend the book; very enjoyable overall.
December 30, 2012
Kind of a So Cal desert version of Carl Hiaasen, Greenland rips his way through Coachella Valley stereotypes with a chainsaw, applying his final blows with rapier wit. The Angry Buddhist is a social satire that skewers a broad range of desert types-- power-made politicians, corrupt cops, demented ex-cons, social-climbing prosties, and various other fuck-ups who converge in a kind of manic mashup of the police procedural and a Marx brothers movie. I had lots of fun with it, with a special shout-out for the insinuation of Buddhist meditation practice amid the melee.
March 12, 2013
I was seduced by the pretty Europa edition of this book and the lure of a dark comic novel about southern California. Instead, it read like the outline of a script for a movie or TV show. The book could work well as one of those in the right hands, but as a novel it disappointed. No interiority for any of the characters, and no character to root for. (Of course, one doesn't need a character to root for, but the writer needs to be much more skillful to pull that off. Greenland isn't.) I wish I had not wasted my time.
April 5, 2022
A satire that seemed like a cross between Quentin Tarantino film and a Carl Hiaasen novel. Reminiscent of the movie "Crash" only more lighthearted. The struggle I have is that the characters are so cynical about their marriages and their own character (or lack thereof) that there is hardly anyone for the reader to like and root for. The character for which the book is named, Jimmy Ray Duke, is quite sympathetic, but even he doesn't have the typical heroic victory at the end.
December 31, 2013
superb, I would buy the screen rights -- it's that good! The characters and events are skillfully interwoven, which is the one of the main points of Buddhism: the interconnectivity of all things. You will see the intersection between The House of Cards and Breaking Bad in your cinematic mind, and hear Kevin Spacey narrating from the blog posts. The humor is black, and the plot very twisted -- remember it's all maya.
July 24, 2012
Fun, fun, funny, satirical and well-written. Great characters, interesting desert setting, lots of good plotlines dextrously intertwined. Boy was the copy editing distracting, though. Next time, get a proofreader who knows the difference between its and it's, can spell, understands what commas are for.
April 16, 2013
HORRIBLE! One of the most poorly edited pieces I've ever read. The mistakes were distracting ... not sure who edited it, but there are multiple issues with "it's" and "its," use of noun as adjectives, it's truly pitiful. Couple that with the fact that this story is SLOW and totally uninteresting ... I have no idea who got paid off to write the reviews that it got.
May 9, 2014
This was a great read. I picked it partly because of the Larry David blurb on the front, and was not disappointed. A hilarious political satire and commentary on current American popular culture. Nicely paced with plenty of twists and turns (many of which were unexpected). Happy I picked this one up.
January 31, 2016
A fast paced 'caper' involving a political campaign, a lesbian love triangle, an outspoken blogger who's identity is shocking, and a story that wraps up all these ends nicely. A great group of characters and lots of dialogue make it a very decent page turner, above average for the genre. Worth it.
May 9, 2012
I really did not like any of the characters but I think that was the point. A hard read, but very good. The characters are very well developed and unfortunately probably very real. The story was compelling and made me want to finish quickly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews