Barry White Is Still Absurd

by Rob Harris

Everyone's favorite rugby fan takes a crack at adulting in this darkly comic novel from the author of The Absurd Life of Barry White.
Life was easier when Barry White was just a rugby-playing, pint-drinking, responsibility-dodging manchild. But after accidentally becoming a millionaire, he lets the village think his late mother left them a fortune—including £100K for the church. Now the vicar's done a runner with the cash, the villagers want blood, and Barry's finding it impossible to drift through life under the bed covers.
Meanwhile, his best mate Romeo is living the high life, whilst Barry's own girlfriend Diana is sick of his bad influence on her teenage son.
Just when he thinks life can't get any more complicated, Barry discovers the vicar in hiding and, naturally, agrees to help him. What could possibly go wrong?
With the fugitive minister in his house, the police sniffing around, and his personal life in complete freefall, Barry's only hope is to start telling some truths. But has he left things too late to save his own skin and win Diana back? Because she's got a secret of her own—one that could change everything . . .
Packed with laughs, chaos, and Barry-sized disasters, this rollicking sequel to The Absurd Life of Barry White is a wild ride of scandals, scrapes, and second chances.

262 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2025

About the author

Rob Harris grew up in the Forest of Dean but now lives in Oxfordshire.

He's the author of The Absurd Life of Barry White & Barry White is Still Absurd (both Bloodhound Books) as well as Won't You Dance for Virat Kohli? (Pitch Publishing).

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely gentle tale once again, not quite as mad as the first in the series but such beautiful character development. Couple of laugh out loud bits too!

Recommended, especially if you have roots in South Wales. And even if you don’t!

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the mayhem of book one, this is a welcome return for kind hearted Barry White and his fellow villagers in Anghofiedig. After winning a million pounds and giving much of it away, telling everyone it came from his late Ma Pearl, he now finds himself in the reluctant role of pub landlord at The Dragon, (bought to give the villagers a community hub), a job he is singly unsuited to, whilst the vicar Reverend Jacob Hill has absconded with the £100k which the locals believe was for a foodbank and repairs. Added to this is his failing relationship with nurse Diana who has moved in with her teenage son Eddie, despite her reservations that Barry is actually a suitable role model for the lad. The man-boy that is Barry (actually Barry John after he discovered his true heritage) is not much better off than he was before all the changes happened in his life and would really rather everything return to how it was. His space cadet pal Romeo however is loved up with the wealthy American owner of Brecon Beacon Boy, the horse that made Barry’s fortune. With the villagers after the fugitive Reverend’s blood whilst Barry is shielding him, pub skittles punch ups and a bear called Napoleon on the loose who would not be out of place on Strictly, what else could possibly go wrong for our rugby playing hero? Read on…
After the phenomenal ending to book one, you would be forgiven in wondering if the second story could match it – well it does!! With almost a laugh a minute, it features loads of humour surrounding all the South Wales village’s inhabitants and their antics. There are many wonderful and loveable characters involved here but one of my absolute favourites is Romeo’s new pal amour, the feisty hard drinking Delores – she’s quite a gal!! This is another lovely story and I am looking forward to reading the third part of the trilogy!

[Amorina Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare that a book advertises itself so well right there in the title - but there is no better way to describe this read than absurd! And, I'd, like me you're up for the occasional bout of downright hilarious literary ridiculousbess, then you don't want to miss this series! And I can't wait for the third book to tie up a lose end or three from the first two books.

Barry White - the MC not to be confused with the crooner - starts the first book as a Manchild worthy of a Sabrina Carpenter cameo. He is living his best (worst?) life working from home until he accidentally, hilariously becomes a millionaire. The second book starts with him trying to be an adult.

And, man, he's not wrong. It's hard out here in this post-pandemic world trying to live life as an adult, being a good role model for young people, be a good family member and friend, and balance a social life. Who has the time or energy for all that?

I love the hero's journey good ol' Barry goes on, and I really appreciate the redemption arc he takes. I'll admit I wasn't sure how to feel about him halfway through this book, but by the end he won my heart back over. I especially loved how he was with his uncle, his best mate Romeo, and the young lad Eddie. His heart was so big, and he made up for in kindness what some might argue he lacked on other attributes.

If you love a weird comedy chock full of dark humor and drama, this is a must-read for you.

Content Warnings: Death of Parent, Infidelity, Religious Ideology, Corrupt Religious Figures, Pregnancy, Infertility, Parent Loss, Dementia, Health Issues, Violence, Serious Crime, Glutton, Potentially Disordered Eating, Smoking, Fire, And Possibly More.

[Alison Cairns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry White IS still absurd. Barry is living with Diana and her son Eddie following his mum's death. Still in his childhood home. After his mum died, Barry, Diana and Eddy went on an extended holiday which involved seeing the demise of his favourite you tube chimp, Chico. Back home Barry carries on playing rugby although the team is depleted and his heart isn't in it. The vicar has absconded with the money Barry gave him and the police are giving chase. Best friend Romeo has an older wealthy American girlfriend. Barry is in constant trouble with Diana for dragging 15 year old Eddie into scrapes. The police are suspicious of where the money came from that the missing vicar has absconded with. Barry spends a lot of time behind the bar of the Dragon, the village pub he bought for the people and all he wants is for things to go back to normal. The boring normal of before the money. Oh - and there is a dancing bear called Napoleon hiding in the woods. Funny with more than a touch of pathos. #bloodhoundbooks #barrywhiteisstillabsurd

[Sudeshna Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob Harris's 'Barry White is Still Absurd' provides a laugh-out-loud follow-up, continuing the hapless adventures of its endearing, eternally youthful protagonist. Following on from the previous 'The Absurd Life of Barry White,' this one finds Barry coming to terms with unforeseen riches and responsibility he tries his best to avoid.

When his inadvertent windfall has a village convinced his deceased mother left them a great deal of money, mayhem naturally follows. With a wayward vicar, demanding locals, and a spiraling personal life, Barry finds it more and more difficult to just pull the covers over his head. The writer skillfully interweaves farcical situations, caustic Welsh wit, and authentically heartwarming moments to make a story that is both side-splitting and unexpectedly poignant. Character comedians and relatable screw-ups will be fully entertained by Barry's hapless, well-meaning escapades.

[Carolyn Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Barry White is Still Absurd” by Rob Harris is the enchanting follow up to “The Absurd Life of Barry White.” With his trademark humor and keen eye for the pitfalls of human existence, Harris takes us on a rollicking adventure - or as rollicking as Barry White’s constrained adventures are. In this next installment, we find Barry trying to find his way after the death of his mum, a woman who doted on Barry and tended to his every need. Now he’s untethered and trying to create a new normal all while surrounded by his high maintenance chums and a new cast of quirky friends. This is the perfect book companion, chock full of hilarious deeds, twisted conundrums, and big hearts. This book is a smile maker!

[Nicola Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. I enjoyed the story. It was great seeing Barry back and it was a great continuation of the trilogy.

I really liked the cover. It's a beer keg with the title across it. I liked the simplicity of it. The colours were good and they popped!

The book was written well and flowed nicely. The book was descriptive and this helped with the enjoyment tremendously.

The small Welsh village setting gave me cosy vibes which was nice. Barry's village sounds like a lovely place to live!

The characters were fun and I enjoyed them all tremendously. I do like Barry and his story is excellent. I love watching it unfold.

I really recommend this to you all!

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Barry White trilogy and having read the first book - The Absurd Life Of Barry White - last summer, I absolutely had to see what life held for Barry this time round.

 

So we do dive right back in where we left off, but I still feel that this could read ok as a standalone read - but as ever, you'll definitely get much more from this read if you've read the escapades in book 1 first.

 

Life has changed for Barry, but maybe not in the best way possible.

Still trying to just get on with life since his mother died and trying to keep things normal - but it seems normal isn't quite catching up with Barry as more chaos ensues through this story.

 

I really love Barry who is so relatable. He comes across as such a kind hearted man, but people really don't quite get him and it was great watching Barry navigate all the issues that occur and they to just fit it with his local community.

 

This was another fast-paced and fun read which had me racing through the pages and laughing out loud along the way.

I can't wait to see what the final book will have in store for us all!

 

[Bianca Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 picks up the action where we left it i book 1. Barry is still the affable Welsh fool who can't do right for doing wrong. He is a bumbling idiot with a heart of gold and you can't help but root for him!
There's some tough topics addressed, such as dementia, but I love how they are handled.
It is a really easy to read story with plenty of things going on to hook you in and your attention maintained.
There's a wee carrot dangled to us in the last few pages that suggests there is still more to come from the crazy capers of Barry and Anghofiedig and I am looking forward to seeing how Barry copes with what's next!

[Lauren Flewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Barry White trilogy but read well as a standalone (I hadn’t read the first book before reading this one) although i would quite like to know the beginning of Barry’s story.

I absolutely loved the dark humour throughout this novel it had me laughing out loud at points.

The characters were all larger than life and I enjoyed the Welsh village setting.

The author has made this easy to read and very easy to get stuck into. Ideal for a lighthearted read.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry White is still absurd by Rob Harris .
The Barry White Trilogy Book 2.
I loved the cover. It was simple yet it colourful and bright. It was different. I do love this series. This book is hilarious. I loved it from page one. I love Barry. He is kindhearted. I loved reading him navigate through this book. I loved the setting, the writing style, and the story. This was certainly a fun read. It had dark humour. I can't wait for the next book. I definitely recommend this book.

[C I KESZEI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Rob Harris.

Barry and Romeo are back to do as little as possible in their Welsh village that I can neither spell n mior pronounce. Add in a vicar with a dark past and a flamboyant American live interest and you get a romp around that unpronounceable village.

Looking forward to book three.

[ukkindlecustomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yma O Hyd - Just

Laugh out loud, big-hearted, tragicomedy in left behind mining community. At best weird, often scary characters find themselves and each other in positively surreal, barely avoiding dystopia, situations.The Tuckers meet The League of Gentlemen.

[Mark Beer · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book was better in my opinion. I just don’t really like Barry, he wants to do better and just doesn’t, and everyone just sort of excepts in. You don’t need to check the cover to see this is written by a man!

[Jacqueline Moxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, just as I enjoyed the first one about Barry White. What a kind hearted, unassuming, well meaning anti hero he is. Coping with adult life, without his beloved mother, is difficult. To make things worse, his uncle is developing dementia. Having given away most of his huge gambling win, Barry expected life in his village to resume uneventfully. However, some of his kind deeds bounce back ungratefully, just as the money, which he never really wanted, seems determined to return to its donor. Amusing and touching, this is a gentle and entertaining read.