What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadpan
Deadpan is a funny novel about an unfunny subject—hate speech and bigotry—that takes readers on an extraordinary ride of unlimited imagination, providing gobs of entertainment and delivering a comedic body blow to prejudice.
Deadpan follows the misadventures of a vaguely antisemitic West Virginia Buick dealer who wakes up one day transformed into the world’s most popular Jewish comedian. Steeped in magical realism, the narrative confronts the urgent issues of our day: Identity, intolerance, tribalism, and the transformative power of humor. The novel’s unfettered comical sensibility is a vivid testament to Mark Twain’s dictum “against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” Set during the world-wide oil crises of the 1970s, the narrative alternates between locations in West Virginia, Las Vegas, Washington, Tehran, and Sinai, featuring characters as diverse as Sarah Palin, Mel Brooks, and the Shah of Iran. Walter’s phantasmagorical tour-de-force is not only a satirical takedown of antisemitism (and bigotry in general) but also a dazzling celebration of human dignity, resilience, and humor.
Deadpan follows the misadventures of a vaguely antisemitic West Virginia Buick dealer who wakes up one day transformed into the world’s most popular Jewish comedian. Steeped in magical realism, the narrative confronts the urgent issues of our day: Identity, intolerance, tribalism, and the transformative power of humor. The novel’s unfettered comical sensibility is a vivid testament to Mark Twain’s dictum “against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” Set during the world-wide oil crises of the 1970s, the narrative alternates between locations in West Virginia, Las Vegas, Washington, Tehran, and Sinai, featuring characters as diverse as Sarah Palin, Mel Brooks, and the Shah of Iran. Walter’s phantasmagorical tour-de-force is not only a satirical takedown of antisemitism (and bigotry in general) but also a dazzling celebration of human dignity, resilience, and humor.
- GenresFiction
246 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2024
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 14, 2024
1.5 stars at best. I like books that make sense at least at some level. This book made truly no sense at all. Multiverses?!? Some kind of teleporting machine?!? I mean what kind of drugs was Richard Walter on when he wrote this book, and moreover, who at Hersey Publishing gave this manuscript a green light?
I thought that the synopsis on the back sounded interesting enough, but once I opened the book and began to read, I found myself to be throughly confused. I should have DNF’d this, but given that I have DNF’d a few books as of late, I wanted to see where this was going to go.
This is one of those books that I am actually mad that I wasted my time in reading. I did not care about the characters at all. I did not find myself engaged with the story. I truly doubt a higher ranking publisher would have even touched it. I wonder how many passed on this in the beginning of the selling process.
If you are so inclined to read this, do yourself a favor, put yourself in the same assumed headspace as the author and his characters, and smoke some good weed, or consider another psychedelic of your choice. It should get you through ok.
Final verdict…skip it! 📚
I thought that the synopsis on the back sounded interesting enough, but once I opened the book and began to read, I found myself to be throughly confused. I should have DNF’d this, but given that I have DNF’d a few books as of late, I wanted to see where this was going to go.
This is one of those books that I am actually mad that I wasted my time in reading. I did not care about the characters at all. I did not find myself engaged with the story. I truly doubt a higher ranking publisher would have even touched it. I wonder how many passed on this in the beginning of the selling process.
If you are so inclined to read this, do yourself a favor, put yourself in the same assumed headspace as the author and his characters, and smoke some good weed, or consider another psychedelic of your choice. It should get you through ok.
Final verdict…skip it! 📚
April 27, 2024
Magically transported to a world of fame and fortune, Dwight Bridges is living the dream. Except it is not really his. During the 1970s U.S. oil crisis, Dwight’s auto dealership is struggling, and he needs someone to blame. But when he is inexplicably transported to glamorous Las Vegas, he finds himself in the body of Richie Ritchie, the world's most worshiped comedian who also happens to be Jewish. As he takes the stage, Dwight is met with a roaring crowd, but he realizes he has no idea how to be Richie Ritchie. So, he announces, “My name is Bridges, Dwight Bridges. I’m an automobile dealer from Hoggzswallow Hollow, West Virginia.” This is met with ”a rising crescendo of laughter and a storm of beating palms.” As Richie, he begins to enjoy the notoriety. As Dwight, he must confront his prejudices while trying to find his way back home to Hoggzswallow Hollow, West Virginia; otherwise, his identity may be consumed by an alternate dimension.
Opinion:
Deadpan is a mind-bending journey through time and identity, filled with humor and meaningful lessons on acceptance and understanding. It can also be said that Richard Walter has created a unique satirical commentary on fear and stupidity, also known as bigotry. This book can be described as having a split personality: the story of Richie Ritchie and the story of Dwight Bridges. Richie is a world-famous comedian with a full head of hair and a Jewish background. Dwight is a struggling auto dealer with a bald head and a bigoted attitude. Aside from Richie and Dwight, the book also includes many famous personalities from the 1970s. Adding to the satirical nature of this novel, the famous are presented in ways that allow the reader to imagine what could have been, if only. Walters provides the reader with vivid descriptions and details, but because of the number of alternate realities, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the settings. Also, though unnecessary, Walter chose to restate identical descriptions of a tele-transporter several times throughout the book. Overall, Walter masterfully tackles intolerance in a theatrical way. Readers who enjoy adult humor and social commentary with a dose of time travel will not want to miss Deadpan.
Opinion:
Deadpan is a mind-bending journey through time and identity, filled with humor and meaningful lessons on acceptance and understanding. It can also be said that Richard Walter has created a unique satirical commentary on fear and stupidity, also known as bigotry. This book can be described as having a split personality: the story of Richie Ritchie and the story of Dwight Bridges. Richie is a world-famous comedian with a full head of hair and a Jewish background. Dwight is a struggling auto dealer with a bald head and a bigoted attitude. Aside from Richie and Dwight, the book also includes many famous personalities from the 1970s. Adding to the satirical nature of this novel, the famous are presented in ways that allow the reader to imagine what could have been, if only. Walters provides the reader with vivid descriptions and details, but because of the number of alternate realities, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the settings. Also, though unnecessary, Walter chose to restate identical descriptions of a tele-transporter several times throughout the book. Overall, Walter masterfully tackles intolerance in a theatrical way. Readers who enjoy adult humor and social commentary with a dose of time travel will not want to miss Deadpan.
February 9, 2024
Heresy Press provided an early galley for review.
I am always looking for new authors, so this independently published novel certainly hit that box. The description intrigued me enough to check it out.
The dictionary defines deadpan as "marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment; impassive or expressionless". The definition applies certainly to this story. It is also a term used to describe some comedy; comedy plays a part in this story as well.
This short novel took a little bit to get into. The opening is very disorienting, providing a feeling of confusion similar to that which the protagonist Bridges is experiencing. But, with each chapter, that swirling starts to fade as details begin to present themselves. It is like one of those toy slide-puzzles we had as kids in the 70's that took a bit of work to get the pieces to start to fall into their proper place.
Don't let the length fool you; for a shorter book it packs a lot in. It does not spend time on exposition or world-building; the reader is expected to connect some of the dots themselves. The story bounces around from three or so narrative viewpoints. Where it gets tricky is that some of these take place in different time periods and different parallel worlds. There is no indicators at the start of each chapter (some books will give a name or description beneath the chapter number to differentiate things). The reader just has to get into the flow and pay a lot of attention.
In the first half, there is a chapter I really enjoyed. Bridges finds himself on a panel with four famous figures from comedy. Walter manages to perfectly nail the dialogue in this scene; I could easily hear the comedians speaking these words in their classic, iconic voices. Clearly he is a comedy fan.
In the end, the story made more sense to me. Now that I got it, this might be a book that I'll have to revisit to see what additional details a second read might illuminate.
I am always looking for new authors, so this independently published novel certainly hit that box. The description intrigued me enough to check it out.
The dictionary defines deadpan as "marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment; impassive or expressionless". The definition applies certainly to this story. It is also a term used to describe some comedy; comedy plays a part in this story as well.
This short novel took a little bit to get into. The opening is very disorienting, providing a feeling of confusion similar to that which the protagonist Bridges is experiencing. But, with each chapter, that swirling starts to fade as details begin to present themselves. It is like one of those toy slide-puzzles we had as kids in the 70's that took a bit of work to get the pieces to start to fall into their proper place.
Don't let the length fool you; for a shorter book it packs a lot in. It does not spend time on exposition or world-building; the reader is expected to connect some of the dots themselves. The story bounces around from three or so narrative viewpoints. Where it gets tricky is that some of these take place in different time periods and different parallel worlds. There is no indicators at the start of each chapter (some books will give a name or description beneath the chapter number to differentiate things). The reader just has to get into the flow and pay a lot of attention.
In the first half, there is a chapter I really enjoyed. Bridges finds himself on a panel with four famous figures from comedy. Walter manages to perfectly nail the dialogue in this scene; I could easily hear the comedians speaking these words in their classic, iconic voices. Clearly he is a comedy fan.
In the end, the story made more sense to me. Now that I got it, this might be a book that I'll have to revisit to see what additional details a second read might illuminate.
April 26, 2024
Set in the 1970s, Richard Walter's novel Deadpan introduces us to Dwight Bridges, a Buick salesman living in West Virginia. His life is unremarkable, marked by a casual antisemitism reflective of his environment. However, Walter swiftly upends Dwight's world with a surreal twist: Dwight inexplicably finds himself transformed into a famous Jewish comedian. This startling metamorphosis propels the narrative, leaving readers and Dwight alike grappling with a bewildering new reality.
Walter's storytelling echoes the bizarre identity swaps seen in Being John Malkovich, and shares Kafka's knack for the absurd, particularly reminiscent of The Metamorphosis. As Dwight navigates his unexpected new life, he confronts his prejudices head-on, offering a candid exploration of bigotry and its personal impacts. The narrative journeys through a tapestry of settings, from Tehran to Las Vegas to Sinai, weaving a complex web where each location contributes to the overarching enigma. Walter masterfully maintains a delicate balance between confusion and coherence, ensuring that the underlying purpose of Dwight's transformation, as cryptic as it is, gradually comes into focus.
Richard Walter's Deadpan stands out for its unique exploration of identity and prejudice, couched within an offbeat yet compelling narrative. The novel invites readers to delve into the author's imaginative and unconventional world, which may not resonate with everyone but is sure to captivate those with a penchant for the peculiar. In its exploration of human tribalism and the personal impact of bigotry, Deadpan offers a distinctive reading experience marked by its audacity and creative vision.
Walter's storytelling echoes the bizarre identity swaps seen in Being John Malkovich, and shares Kafka's knack for the absurd, particularly reminiscent of The Metamorphosis. As Dwight navigates his unexpected new life, he confronts his prejudices head-on, offering a candid exploration of bigotry and its personal impacts. The narrative journeys through a tapestry of settings, from Tehran to Las Vegas to Sinai, weaving a complex web where each location contributes to the overarching enigma. Walter masterfully maintains a delicate balance between confusion and coherence, ensuring that the underlying purpose of Dwight's transformation, as cryptic as it is, gradually comes into focus.
Richard Walter's Deadpan stands out for its unique exploration of identity and prejudice, couched within an offbeat yet compelling narrative. The novel invites readers to delve into the author's imaginative and unconventional world, which may not resonate with everyone but is sure to captivate those with a penchant for the peculiar. In its exploration of human tribalism and the personal impact of bigotry, Deadpan offers a distinctive reading experience marked by its audacity and creative vision.
April 29, 2024
Deadpan took me on a captivating trip around the world, through time, and into the life of Dwight Bridges, a colorless, bigoted West Virginia Buick dealer transformed into the world's most idolized comedian, Richie Ritchie.
This is a book about intolerance. However, there's also much to laugh about in its pages. There are cameo appearances by the Shah of Iran, baseball stars, completely crass famous comedians, and Sarah Palin. Mr. Bridges' bigotry might appear casual but it isn't. It's antisemitism and more and eventually is shown to go much deeper in him than it first appears. The story also spoke to me of the shallowness and ridiculousness of fame and hero worship. As the Las Vegas comedian Ritchie, car dealer Bridges has no act, no talent whatsoever, and yet is lionized by the public and treated like royalty. The public has no idea who this man really is and that he deserves no admiration from anyone.
Deadpan was a page-turner for me. The writing is excellent. Throughout I wondered how the author would wrap this all up. At the end, it got wrapped up in a package that I liked a lot.
This is a book about intolerance. However, there's also much to laugh about in its pages. There are cameo appearances by the Shah of Iran, baseball stars, completely crass famous comedians, and Sarah Palin. Mr. Bridges' bigotry might appear casual but it isn't. It's antisemitism and more and eventually is shown to go much deeper in him than it first appears. The story also spoke to me of the shallowness and ridiculousness of fame and hero worship. As the Las Vegas comedian Ritchie, car dealer Bridges has no act, no talent whatsoever, and yet is lionized by the public and treated like royalty. The public has no idea who this man really is and that he deserves no admiration from anyone.
Deadpan was a page-turner for me. The writing is excellent. Throughout I wondered how the author would wrap this all up. At the end, it got wrapped up in a package that I liked a lot.
February 28, 2024
I've never read a novel like this before. It moves quickly, but to me it can be sometimes confusing, as it bends time and space. Set it in the 1970s amidst the Arab embargo energy crisis, it is rich with detail and descriptive language. The main character, Dwight Bridges, is a Buick dealer from rural West Virginia who gets caught up in a sci-fi incident.
There are some very memorable characters in it, including Sarah Palin and the Shah of Iran. It also has some rather vivid, creative sex scenes, including one in Las Vegas and another one in New York. The escapade in Las Vegas in particular made me laugh out loud.
The overall topic of antisemitism is a serious topic, but this is kind of a wacky novel, so it's more just a fun romp through the 1970s than a deep treatment of this historic injustice. The story does have a strong, thought-provoking ending that makes you really think about racial or religious prejudice.
There are some very memorable characters in it, including Sarah Palin and the Shah of Iran. It also has some rather vivid, creative sex scenes, including one in Las Vegas and another one in New York. The escapade in Las Vegas in particular made me laugh out loud.
The overall topic of antisemitism is a serious topic, but this is kind of a wacky novel, so it's more just a fun romp through the 1970s than a deep treatment of this historic injustice. The story does have a strong, thought-provoking ending that makes you really think about racial or religious prejudice.
April 24, 2024
This one just wasn't for me. I was drawn to the idea of a dark comedy with magical realism, but I didn't feel like there were a lot of the promised laughs. It was kind of like Being John Malkovich without the humor. I appreciated the author's clear desire to dismantle antisemitism by exposing a small town bigot to the Jewish experience, but it made both characters (the same character?) hard to connect with and tough to understand. All surrounding characters felt more like comedic props that fell flat.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy for free and I'm leaving my honest review voluntarily.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy for free and I'm leaving my honest review voluntarily.
May 30, 2024
I´m giving this book five stars because it's a masterpiece of fictional craft. Pristine sentences, perfectly-formed chapters, bang-on comic timing. At times I thought it was a bit too carefully written, but clearly that's a minor complaint. I review the book in full, along with the other three novels that Heresy Press is launching here: https://youtu.be/dg2ioasAIZk
The Deadpan review starts at 3:28.
The Deadpan review starts at 3:28.
February 23, 2024
Walter's words free fall and land with a boom! He's a maestro of words, a fabulous fable teller, and in Deadpan he puts you RIGHT THERE with the protagonist amongst a mass of wit, charm, and satirical sensationalism! Walter is truly a tour de force in the realm of writing. You won't want to put Deadpan down! A lively, thoughtful, richly woven story.
Zelda Watkins - screenwriter.
Zelda Watkins - screenwriter.
Read
March 26, 2024Steeped in #MagicalRealism, DEADPAN by Richard Walter is a #humorous #literary #novel that fights against #racism and hate.
Read the full review on BookTrib.com
Read the full review on BookTrib.com
January 16, 2025
Did not finish. I read about 40% but it’s really hard to follow. It’s also not funny. I could not finish as I just did not enjoy it at all.
March 16, 2024
I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
How does a small town West Virginia Buick salesman become a world famous comedian, literally, overnight? Dwight Bridges begins a funny and surreal journey after a disingenuous act of antisemitic vandalism. With witty writing and surprising cameo appearances by some of history's somewhat interesting characters, the story takes us across the country and into the 1970's energy crisis. This is a satire that examines bigotry, humor, and dignity. This book delivers a unique reading experience that will stick with the reader.
4.5 stars
How does a small town West Virginia Buick salesman become a world famous comedian, literally, overnight? Dwight Bridges begins a funny and surreal journey after a disingenuous act of antisemitic vandalism. With witty writing and surprising cameo appearances by some of history's somewhat interesting characters, the story takes us across the country and into the 1970's energy crisis. This is a satire that examines bigotry, humor, and dignity. This book delivers a unique reading experience that will stick with the reader.
4.5 stars
May 28, 2024
I would give this book an 8 out of 10. Good if you like to suspend a lot of belief , and have a very active imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Walter's sharp wit and very in- the-now sense of humor.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews