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Magnificent Vibration #1
Olur Böyle B*ktan Şeyler
“Hey Tanrım!
Bir dahaki sefere ben çaldırsam sen beni arar mısın?”
Hayatınızın en berbat günlerini yaşıyorsunuz. Tam olarak dibe vurmuş durumdasınız. Sonra aniden karşınıza bir telefon numarası çıkıyor. Arıyorsunuz. Telefonun diğer ucunda hiç tanımadığınız bir ses: Tanrı'nın sesi.
Muhtemelen bunun bir şaka olduğunu düşünüyorsunuz.
Ya da belki de delirdiğinizi.
Fakat bu ne bir şaka ne de siz keçileri kaçırdınız.
Sahi, o numarayı yeniden aramaya cesaret edebilir miydiniz?
“Konuşmamız gerek Tanrım. Aslında bunu çok daha önce yapmamız gerekirdi ama beni ciddiye almadığının farkındayım. Oradan nasıl göründüğü hakkında en ufak bir fikrim yok ama bilmeni isterim ki buradan bakıldığında işler pek de yolunda gitmiyor.
Yani dünyayı diyorum.
Farkında mısın bilmiyorum ama boka batmış durumdayız.
Hey, sana söylüyorum, beni duyuyor musun? Ah hadi ama…
Kontör tam da bitecek zamanı buldu. Hey Tanrım, bir dahaki sefere ben çaldırsam sen beni arar mısın?”
“İnanılmaz yaratıcı…
Springfield âdeta şöyle diyor:
Emniyet kemerlerinizi bağlayın ve uçuşa hazır olun.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Büyüleyici, etkili, komik; bu kitap, en ilginç hikâyelerin hiç ama hiç beklenmedik yerlerden gelebileceğinin bir kanıtı.”
– Booklist
Bir dahaki sefere ben çaldırsam sen beni arar mısın?”
Hayatınızın en berbat günlerini yaşıyorsunuz. Tam olarak dibe vurmuş durumdasınız. Sonra aniden karşınıza bir telefon numarası çıkıyor. Arıyorsunuz. Telefonun diğer ucunda hiç tanımadığınız bir ses: Tanrı'nın sesi.
Muhtemelen bunun bir şaka olduğunu düşünüyorsunuz.
Ya da belki de delirdiğinizi.
Fakat bu ne bir şaka ne de siz keçileri kaçırdınız.
Sahi, o numarayı yeniden aramaya cesaret edebilir miydiniz?
“Konuşmamız gerek Tanrım. Aslında bunu çok daha önce yapmamız gerekirdi ama beni ciddiye almadığının farkındayım. Oradan nasıl göründüğü hakkında en ufak bir fikrim yok ama bilmeni isterim ki buradan bakıldığında işler pek de yolunda gitmiyor.
Yani dünyayı diyorum.
Farkında mısın bilmiyorum ama boka batmış durumdayız.
Hey, sana söylüyorum, beni duyuyor musun? Ah hadi ama…
Kontör tam da bitecek zamanı buldu. Hey Tanrım, bir dahaki sefere ben çaldırsam sen beni arar mısın?”
“İnanılmaz yaratıcı…
Springfield âdeta şöyle diyor:
Emniyet kemerlerinizi bağlayın ve uçuşa hazır olun.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Büyüleyici, etkili, komik; bu kitap, en ilginç hikâyelerin hiç ama hiç beklenmedik yerlerden gelebileceğinin bir kanıtı.”
– Booklist
328 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
68 people are currently reading
1346 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
August 21, 2014
a rollicking romp of a book. His view of divine intervention may not be mine, but his storytelling shines in this clever, entertaining – and sometimes surprisingly enlightening – first novel
July 26, 2014
3.5 Stars: Rick Springfield can write books along with singing “Jessie’s Girl”…..who knew? He’s a funny guy with an unusual view of God. I found Springfield’s God to be an interesting interpretation. I like to other’s ideas of God, life, and spirituality. This is a great book for that, although there is a lot of sophomoric humor that can be a bit distracting. I read it for book club and most of the members really liked it. One thought the ending was abrupt. I thought it was thought provoking. I’m still thinking about it.
June 8, 2014
Oh, my old friend, Rick, has written a terrible, terrible--albeit EXTREMELY well-written--book.
No joke. Read this prose, suspend judgement: ""The blood-drained winter sun is an impotent, diffused ball hanging low and idle in the haze of a dawn sky. A light drizzle further filters out her anemic warmth and color. Silence hangs inside the low, settling lake mist. High above the bleakness, morning birds call and wheel as they prepare for yet another uncompromising day of gathering nourishment for themselves and their nurslings. The damp Loch Ness fog offers small counsel and limited guidance for the shadow that is slowly finding its way through the aurorean blur."
There's more. Lots more. Who knew? Though the story is simply awful--as in IT SUCKS--the prose is top-notch. Disturbingly good. I was driven to search for evidence of a ghost-writer, and I came up with nothing. When I told my Snotty Literati better half about my Rick polemic, she said, "Well, he uses big words in some of his songs: 'I played along with the CHARADE. . .'"
Good point.
So, this is very confusing. Rick can write.
The story is truly awful, though. I'm not going into it. The theology/philosophy in it is absurd--and, yes, this is a philosophical novel. Rick has not neglected the Big Questions. As a former student of his every move might suspect, this guy likes to think about the meaning of life.
The problem is that he's like one of those guys you meet at a party when you're eighteen, and you think, "Wow, he's SO deep," and then, when you're like thirty-five and you meet him, you think, "Wow, what an idiot." His world religious thinking has now morphed into this oddball combo of something sort of Buddhist and Deist with a strong hint of environmentalism, a love of the Loch Ness Monster, a bizarre alienesque creature named Merikh that seems a little STAR TREK-ish to me, and a yin-yang/karma thingy. There's also a sexy nun and the gun from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN starring one of my other old friends, Johnny Depp.
I liked his memoir, by the way. Yes, I read that too. Okay, so I've got problems.
In addition to the wacko philosophizing, there are also way too many references to his KIA (the car) and masturbation (with "Woody"). Dear Lord, Rick is obsessed with his car and his penis. Hold back, friend. Hold back.
But, another note on his surprising talent: Rick also did illustrations in this book! They're pretty good.
A friend of mine put it well when she noted that this is a guy in his sixties who is writing about a guy in his early thirties with the mind of a twelve-year-old kid. I think she was especially referencing his love of all things penis, but I think it goes for everything in here.
One nagging question: Why did the dog have to die?
No joke. Read this prose, suspend judgement: ""The blood-drained winter sun is an impotent, diffused ball hanging low and idle in the haze of a dawn sky. A light drizzle further filters out her anemic warmth and color. Silence hangs inside the low, settling lake mist. High above the bleakness, morning birds call and wheel as they prepare for yet another uncompromising day of gathering nourishment for themselves and their nurslings. The damp Loch Ness fog offers small counsel and limited guidance for the shadow that is slowly finding its way through the aurorean blur."
There's more. Lots more. Who knew? Though the story is simply awful--as in IT SUCKS--the prose is top-notch. Disturbingly good. I was driven to search for evidence of a ghost-writer, and I came up with nothing. When I told my Snotty Literati better half about my Rick polemic, she said, "Well, he uses big words in some of his songs: 'I played along with the CHARADE. . .'"
Good point.
So, this is very confusing. Rick can write.
The story is truly awful, though. I'm not going into it. The theology/philosophy in it is absurd--and, yes, this is a philosophical novel. Rick has not neglected the Big Questions. As a former student of his every move might suspect, this guy likes to think about the meaning of life.
The problem is that he's like one of those guys you meet at a party when you're eighteen, and you think, "Wow, he's SO deep," and then, when you're like thirty-five and you meet him, you think, "Wow, what an idiot." His world religious thinking has now morphed into this oddball combo of something sort of Buddhist and Deist with a strong hint of environmentalism, a love of the Loch Ness Monster, a bizarre alienesque creature named Merikh that seems a little STAR TREK-ish to me, and a yin-yang/karma thingy. There's also a sexy nun and the gun from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN starring one of my other old friends, Johnny Depp.
I liked his memoir, by the way. Yes, I read that too. Okay, so I've got problems.
In addition to the wacko philosophizing, there are also way too many references to his KIA (the car) and masturbation (with "Woody"). Dear Lord, Rick is obsessed with his car and his penis. Hold back, friend. Hold back.
But, another note on his surprising talent: Rick also did illustrations in this book! They're pretty good.
A friend of mine put it well when she noted that this is a guy in his sixties who is writing about a guy in his early thirties with the mind of a twelve-year-old kid. I think she was especially referencing his love of all things penis, but I think it goes for everything in here.
One nagging question: Why did the dog have to die?
February 1, 2014
worst dialogue ever. I just cannot continue
October 22, 2020
Funny sad and thought provoking. It ended up somewhere completely different than I thought it was going, but that wasn't a problem. It was an absorbing read.
May 7, 2014
Magnificent Vibration is the beautiful brainchild of Rick Springfield's imagination with enough of his real life mixed in for authenticity.
Despite what your dirty minds are thinking, the book is about a man who, newly-divorced, emasculated, and feeling he has nothing left to live for, comes across a self-help book titled Magnificent Vibration: Discover Your True Purpose with a toll-free number handwritten inside which appears to be the direct telephone number to God. As his relationship with God and religion has always been a rocky one, he sets out trying to determine why he has been chosen to communicate directly with the Supreme Being and see if he can get some of his big questions about life and the universe answered at the same time.
And there are some dirty bits.
Okay, a lot of them.
But I won't give away any spoilery bits of the book - there are other places on the web for that if you don't feel like reading it yourself, but I suggest you do.
Unless you're gonna be a prude about it, then just skip it, because frankly, I don't wanna hear it.
I pre-ordered Rick Springfield’s Magnificent Vibration in August when it first became available to do so, and I took the day off from work for its release & downloaded it onto my Kindle just after midnight. (Amazon.com, I do not appreciate the additional 15 minutes I had to wait as I hit refresh on my Orders page!) I laughed a lot and cried a little.
I’ve followed Rick’s career since I was in single digits and have read his memoir more than once, so it was easy to spot the semi-autobiographical elements of Magnificent Vibration, though the names, genders, and relationships were changed (that’s what makes it fiction, folks!). I love his self-deprecation and his dark humor. His style of writing almost makes it seem like we are reading the journal of his hero, Horatio (Bobby) Cotton. (I even like that the characters of his novel have names reflecting people important to him. This novel is truly from an intimate place within him – and that doesn’t mean only the detailed and numerous sexual references. But if you’ve read his memoir, you will know that that, too, is a trademark aspect of who Rick Springfield is.)
I love that his many pop cultural references are decidedly geeky and he opens a window to his world of the (for some) un-cool. The fact that I got all of those geeky pop cultural references places me squarely in his boat of the un-cool, the place I most proudly choose to be.
Possibly my favorite part of the book (aside from the stunner of an ending!) is the description of his rental car and all references to it woven throughout the book. I giggled like a lunatic alone in my room all night as I raced with our heroes through the streets of Los Angeles and beyond.
When my hardback and audiobook arrive, I shall have to revisit the story and the now-beloved characters, this time more leisurely and with greater understanding.
Despite what your dirty minds are thinking, the book is about a man who, newly-divorced, emasculated, and feeling he has nothing left to live for, comes across a self-help book titled Magnificent Vibration: Discover Your True Purpose with a toll-free number handwritten inside which appears to be the direct telephone number to God. As his relationship with God and religion has always been a rocky one, he sets out trying to determine why he has been chosen to communicate directly with the Supreme Being and see if he can get some of his big questions about life and the universe answered at the same time.
And there are some dirty bits.
Okay, a lot of them.
But I won't give away any spoilery bits of the book - there are other places on the web for that if you don't feel like reading it yourself, but I suggest you do.
Unless you're gonna be a prude about it, then just skip it, because frankly, I don't wanna hear it.
I pre-ordered Rick Springfield’s Magnificent Vibration in August when it first became available to do so, and I took the day off from work for its release & downloaded it onto my Kindle just after midnight. (Amazon.com, I do not appreciate the additional 15 minutes I had to wait as I hit refresh on my Orders page!) I laughed a lot and cried a little.
I’ve followed Rick’s career since I was in single digits and have read his memoir more than once, so it was easy to spot the semi-autobiographical elements of Magnificent Vibration, though the names, genders, and relationships were changed (that’s what makes it fiction, folks!). I love his self-deprecation and his dark humor. His style of writing almost makes it seem like we are reading the journal of his hero, Horatio (Bobby) Cotton. (I even like that the characters of his novel have names reflecting people important to him. This novel is truly from an intimate place within him – and that doesn’t mean only the detailed and numerous sexual references. But if you’ve read his memoir, you will know that that, too, is a trademark aspect of who Rick Springfield is.)
I love that his many pop cultural references are decidedly geeky and he opens a window to his world of the (for some) un-cool. The fact that I got all of those geeky pop cultural references places me squarely in his boat of the un-cool, the place I most proudly choose to be.
Possibly my favorite part of the book (aside from the stunner of an ending!) is the description of his rental car and all references to it woven throughout the book. I giggled like a lunatic alone in my room all night as I raced with our heroes through the streets of Los Angeles and beyond.
When my hardback and audiobook arrive, I shall have to revisit the story and the now-beloved characters, this time more leisurely and with greater understanding.
February 7, 2014
Laugh out loud funny. Rick Springfield's debut novel reads like the strange but wonderful lovechild of Neil Gaiman, Mitch Albom and David Eggers all rolled into into one. Campy at times but still clever and fun, this riotous adventure tale is sure to give you a serious case of the giggles.(Though it should be noted that I have a somewhat dark, irony loving sense of humor.)
September 5, 2014
This was probably the worst book I have read in decades. At least one every page (or every other) the character talks about his privates, and the action only starts in the last few chapters. The beginning started out well, but went down hill from then. The ending seems like the editor made the writer just create any ending without reason.
I am a BIG Rick Springfield fan and grew up with his music (not just the "Jesse's Girl" stuff either). I was excited to read this, especially since I enjoy the fact music acts try to venture into another form of art, but this is a major dud. If the author's name wasn't well know, this book would not been read or even giving a book deal. I gave this one star just because I have to rank it something. I ran out the day this came out to buy. A waste of my money.
I am a BIG Rick Springfield fan and grew up with his music (not just the "Jesse's Girl" stuff either). I was excited to read this, especially since I enjoy the fact music acts try to venture into another form of art, but this is a major dud. If the author's name wasn't well know, this book would not been read or even giving a book deal. I gave this one star just because I have to rank it something. I ran out the day this came out to buy. A waste of my money.
May 31, 2014
Another book I didn't finish but at least I gave this one 50 pages. I found it confusing and rambling; wasn't sure what was going on or when. It skipped from childhood to present, to conversing with God, back to childhood and then again to the present. Exhausting. Too many good books out there.
June 24, 2014
It's a good thing I wasn't a huge Rick Springfield fan back in his heyday because this book would have totally destroyed my fandom.
May 29, 2014
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I saw the name Rick Springfield and fangirled a little since I'm a fan of his music, and added it to my Kindle. I definitely wasn't expecting the reading experience that I received, which left me with torn, relatively neutral feelings about it.
This book follows the main character, Bobby, who calls an 800 number he finds tucked away inside of a self-help book, and discovers that the phone number reaches the one and only big man upstairs, God. He picks up a partner, the very pretty Alice, and together shenanigans and debauchery ensue.
On the one hand, I give Springfield credit. The book made me chuckle out loud quite a few times. There's some very funny one liners and comebacks that kept my interest throughout. I also really liked the concept of someone getting a phone number that belongs to God. Could you imagine? It got me thinking, admittedly, about what I would do. What would I ask for? Would I take it seriously? Would I act as hilarious and crass as Bobby does?
However, on the other hand, I had a bit of issue with the dialogue in this book. While some of it was really amusing, the parts that weren't came across as choppy and forced. It didn't always feel like a natural, real conversation and I had to reread a few lines a few times to make sure I was following correctly.
The blurb on this book's Goodreads page labels it as "over the top", and I have to agree. This book squeezes sex, religion, God, the Loch Ness monster, hot nuns, and saving the world into one adventure. Unfortunately for me, over the top wasn't necessarily a good thing. It was bizarre, and in some parts it really worked, but fell short in other bits, leading me overall to an in-the-middle rating of three stars.
This book is good if you want a strange, often funny read, but be warned that there's some sex and language. In a nutshell, this book made me laugh and had a great concept, but didn't always "click" with me as a whole. Thanks to Netgalley and Touchstone for my chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
This book follows the main character, Bobby, who calls an 800 number he finds tucked away inside of a self-help book, and discovers that the phone number reaches the one and only big man upstairs, God. He picks up a partner, the very pretty Alice, and together shenanigans and debauchery ensue.
On the one hand, I give Springfield credit. The book made me chuckle out loud quite a few times. There's some very funny one liners and comebacks that kept my interest throughout. I also really liked the concept of someone getting a phone number that belongs to God. Could you imagine? It got me thinking, admittedly, about what I would do. What would I ask for? Would I take it seriously? Would I act as hilarious and crass as Bobby does?
However, on the other hand, I had a bit of issue with the dialogue in this book. While some of it was really amusing, the parts that weren't came across as choppy and forced. It didn't always feel like a natural, real conversation and I had to reread a few lines a few times to make sure I was following correctly.
The blurb on this book's Goodreads page labels it as "over the top", and I have to agree. This book squeezes sex, religion, God, the Loch Ness monster, hot nuns, and saving the world into one adventure. Unfortunately for me, over the top wasn't necessarily a good thing. It was bizarre, and in some parts it really worked, but fell short in other bits, leading me overall to an in-the-middle rating of three stars.
This book is good if you want a strange, often funny read, but be warned that there's some sex and language. In a nutshell, this book made me laugh and had a great concept, but didn't always "click" with me as a whole. Thanks to Netgalley and Touchstone for my chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
May 25, 2014
This was one of two books I struggled through this week. The first on was just as bad as this one for different reasons.
I will also confess I did not finish either one, this used to bother me- which is something people who like to read will understand- but I have come to the conclusion that life is too short to waste on crap. I did not know the Rick Springfield fancied himself as an author especially considering that his major claim to fame is that he was on a soap opera in the 80's and also during that time released a song that everyone on the planet knows- "Jesse's Girl". He has a greatest hits album which shockingly is not on a 45! At this point it probably will come as no surprise that I have not nor will I be reading his, I guess you would call it memoir, Late, Late at Night, but I wonder if it is anywhere near as bad as this book.
The premise of Magnificent Vibration is a man named Horatio/Bob steals a self help book from a bookstore and written inside it is a phone number, which turns out to belong to God. After talking to God he meets a confused nun in a bar, and I guess at some point they head out together to do something, or search for meaning, who cares. I thought the book would be funny. It's not.
First off there are no chapters, just three different fonts as Horatio tells the story in the present, the past and a random story about an old man who has seen the Loch Ness monster. As far as I can tell from the first hundred pages, Rick Springfield hates organized religion, and his main character was obsessed with sex and masterbation growing up. Maybe the author was as well, I don't really care since he was not able to incorporate any of these themes into a story that was readable. In fact at least for as far as I made through the book, it none of these themes were particularly offensive, he just managed to mix them in to a very boring story.
This book for me was a complete waste of time, thank god I didn't spend any more time finishing it.
I will also confess I did not finish either one, this used to bother me- which is something people who like to read will understand- but I have come to the conclusion that life is too short to waste on crap. I did not know the Rick Springfield fancied himself as an author especially considering that his major claim to fame is that he was on a soap opera in the 80's and also during that time released a song that everyone on the planet knows- "Jesse's Girl". He has a greatest hits album which shockingly is not on a 45! At this point it probably will come as no surprise that I have not nor will I be reading his, I guess you would call it memoir, Late, Late at Night, but I wonder if it is anywhere near as bad as this book.
The premise of Magnificent Vibration is a man named Horatio/Bob steals a self help book from a bookstore and written inside it is a phone number, which turns out to belong to God. After talking to God he meets a confused nun in a bar, and I guess at some point they head out together to do something, or search for meaning, who cares. I thought the book would be funny. It's not.
First off there are no chapters, just three different fonts as Horatio tells the story in the present, the past and a random story about an old man who has seen the Loch Ness monster. As far as I can tell from the first hundred pages, Rick Springfield hates organized religion, and his main character was obsessed with sex and masterbation growing up. Maybe the author was as well, I don't really care since he was not able to incorporate any of these themes into a story that was readable. In fact at least for as far as I made through the book, it none of these themes were particularly offensive, he just managed to mix them in to a very boring story.
This book for me was a complete waste of time, thank god I didn't spend any more time finishing it.
July 25, 2015
Kitap son derece ilginç bir konuya sahip; İntihar etmek üzere olan bir adam çaldığı bir kitapta "Tanrının numarası" adı altında bir numara görür ve kaybedecek hiçbir şeyinin olmadığını düşünerek bu numarayı arar. Ancak bu numara gerçekten de tanrınındır ve karşınızda gayet ince mizah yapan bir tanrı bulursunuz.
Kitabı ilk gördüğümde pucca kitapları gibi edebiyatdışı, kağıt israfı bir şeydir diye düşünmüştüm ama gerçekten akıcı ve güzel bir roman okumuş oldum.
Eğlenceli ve kaliteli bir kitap.
Kitabı ilk gördüğümde pucca kitapları gibi edebiyatdışı, kağıt israfı bir şeydir diye düşünmüştüm ama gerçekten akıcı ve güzel bir roman okumuş oldum.
Eğlenceli ve kaliteli bir kitap.
August 12, 2014
I did like the writing style and the concept, but the main character was WAY too obsessed with sex. I don't have to put up with slogging through books like that, so I skipped to the end to see if it might be worth it after all....I think I made the right choice to quit when I did.
June 20, 2024
wow okay. i really only picked this up because the cover was all pow in your face, it looked cool. i didn't even make the springfield connection until my parents pointed it out. overall, this was truly terrible and i don't know how i made it through. it's such a Man book in a way i can't quite explain what with the monster quest and the sexy nun (ofc) and every other page making a reference to either the main character's penis or car (vroom). it just reeks of men in a bad way. maybe that's a better audience for this book. on top of all that there's an odd blend of religions plus various storylines all written in different fonts. even God got a pov. my favourite part was probably the first two phone calls. at that point (the beginning) it was reminiscent of a silly-funny-maybe-profound-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy type story. but no. nope! i have no more to say. too many erections, 1 star ⭐
July 10, 2014
Douglas Adams meets Jonathan Tropper.
I realized as I was actually getting ready to post this review that it's just all over the place, so please excuse my lack of cohesion.
If poking fun at religion offends you, do not read this book.
I had initially planned on buying the book just so I could meet the man I'd had such a huge crush on when I was 15. He was doing a book signing nearby and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. As details of the book leaked out, I was intrigued. It seemed like something I would want to read anyway.
Recently divorced Horatio "Bob" Cotton is despondent when he stumbles across a book with telephone number to God scrawled on the inside. THE God, "Big 'G' little 'o,' 'd.'" And God has a sense of humor. It's a little dark, and a little off kilter, and it really throws Horatio for a loop.
I don't really want to give away the story, so I'll just saying it's irreverent and funny, and at its core has a very real and serious message for everyone who inhabits this "Beautiful Blue/Green/White Majestic Starlight," otherwise known as Earth. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that the prude in me couldn't help wondering if maybe it could have had fewer references to, um, self-gratification and Horatio's seemingly constant state of arousal.
Still not sold in it? How about this: it has the Loch Ness Monster, the Angel of Death and a hot nun! Referring to it as a fun romp sounds so cliche, and I am loathe to do so, but that's really what it is.
I like that we don't know what ultimately happens to Horatio/Bob. We're left wondering, imagining two possible outcomes. I hope Rick doesn't write a sequel. Good literature should make you think, not spell everything out for you.
The truly unfortunate thing about this book is that the segment of the English-speaking population who would most enjoy it will probably never even consider picking it up. I am referring to men. Ladies, those of you who actually get around to reading it and hopefully enjoy it as I did, tell the men in your lives to give it a shot. They'll probably be embarrassed to be seen with anything bearing the name Rick Springfield, but they won't be disappointed.
I realized as I was actually getting ready to post this review that it's just all over the place, so please excuse my lack of cohesion.
If poking fun at religion offends you, do not read this book.
I had initially planned on buying the book just so I could meet the man I'd had such a huge crush on when I was 15. He was doing a book signing nearby and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. As details of the book leaked out, I was intrigued. It seemed like something I would want to read anyway.
Recently divorced Horatio "Bob" Cotton is despondent when he stumbles across a book with telephone number to God scrawled on the inside. THE God, "Big 'G' little 'o,' 'd.'" And God has a sense of humor. It's a little dark, and a little off kilter, and it really throws Horatio for a loop.
I don't really want to give away the story, so I'll just saying it's irreverent and funny, and at its core has a very real and serious message for everyone who inhabits this "Beautiful Blue/Green/White Majestic Starlight," otherwise known as Earth. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that the prude in me couldn't help wondering if maybe it could have had fewer references to, um, self-gratification and Horatio's seemingly constant state of arousal.
Still not sold in it? How about this: it has the Loch Ness Monster, the Angel of Death and a hot nun! Referring to it as a fun romp sounds so cliche, and I am loathe to do so, but that's really what it is.
I like that we don't know what ultimately happens to Horatio/Bob. We're left wondering, imagining two possible outcomes. I hope Rick doesn't write a sequel. Good literature should make you think, not spell everything out for you.
The truly unfortunate thing about this book is that the segment of the English-speaking population who would most enjoy it will probably never even consider picking it up. I am referring to men. Ladies, those of you who actually get around to reading it and hopefully enjoy it as I did, tell the men in your lives to give it a shot. They'll probably be embarrassed to be seen with anything bearing the name Rick Springfield, but they won't be disappointed.
August 6, 2016
I love Rick (have since I saw him in concert in 1982), and I renewed my love for him in 2014 during his one-man show that mixed comedy and song.
A dear friend that went to that show bought me this book. I can say, Rick can write. He's a smart man. But the story? Lord, help me! Calling God on a hotline and Loch Ness monster crap . . . Yikes!
I'm sure there is deep meaning that I would find if I continued reading this insane plot, but alas, I simply can't bear it right now. There are too many books with plots that don't make me want to drink out there.
Sorry, Babe! You still are absolutely adorable, witty, and seemingly a good man, father, and husband. :-)
A dear friend that went to that show bought me this book. I can say, Rick can write. He's a smart man. But the story? Lord, help me! Calling God on a hotline and Loch Ness monster crap . . . Yikes!
I'm sure there is deep meaning that I would find if I continued reading this insane plot, but alas, I simply can't bear it right now. There are too many books with plots that don't make me want to drink out there.
Sorry, Babe! You still are absolutely adorable, witty, and seemingly a good man, father, and husband. :-)
July 13, 2015
After the first few pages I doubted if I was going to enjoy the book because of how sporadic the author was with his writing. I decided at the start I was going to stick through to see if it got any better... It didn't. While the story was entertaining at parts, there was way to much of an emphasis on 'woody' and didn't add to the story besides making the guy seem like a horn dog 24/7. The only salvageable part of the story was when he talked about Tio's (his) sister. The rest was unbelievably far fetched and there were too many voices throughout the story that made it hard to follow. The ending was absolutely horrible and made me wish I stopped halfway through.
September 19, 2014
I was so excited to recieve this book from Goodreads! Wow, my high school celebrity crush wrote a book and I get a signed copy! I eagerly dived right in. Only to be sadly disappointed. Ugh...I really, really hope he did not incorporate his own personality in his character, because I seriously could not ever see him on television again without unbidden images of his "Woody Woodpecker". Gad, what a terrible book. I cannot think of a single reason to recommend this to anyone.
November 21, 2015
Can I give it less than one star? The writing is so...full of big unnecessary adjectives...that I practically fell asleep mid sentence. Several times. Thank god I downloaded a sample before I bought it. It would have been a huge waste.
September 25, 2015
I actually didn't finish this one. Despite snippets of great writing, this book is just weird. And, if it weren't for the different fonts to distinguish between storylines (which made no sense), I would have been totally lost. Stick to singing and performing, Rick.
May 24, 2018
Hayatimda okuduğum hem en ilginç kitap hem de ne iyi derslerden birini veren kitaptı.
Kitabı ben buyum şuyum ya da o'yum demeden nötr olarak okumanizi öneririm :)
Ayrıntılı yorum için ;
http://hunharcaokuyankiz.blogspot.com...
Kitabı ben buyum şuyum ya da o'yum demeden nötr olarak okumanizi öneririm :)
Ayrıntılı yorum için ;
http://hunharcaokuyankiz.blogspot.com...
July 7, 2014
I think maybe Rick has lost his mind. I am and always have been a huge fan of his music. But this book is disturbing.
April 25, 2015
The word pretentious is an understatement. It was horrible.
September 18, 2023
Who would have thought that Dr. Noah Drake could write such an amazing book.
This was simply a joy to read, and I laughed my way through it.
(But, dammit, Rick, did you really have to kill the poor dog? That was just cruel!)
Highly recommended to fans of Christopher Moore, actually this is much better than any of Moore's books in my opinion.
This was simply a joy to read, and I laughed my way through it.
(But, dammit, Rick, did you really have to kill the poor dog? That was just cruel!)
Highly recommended to fans of Christopher Moore, actually this is much better than any of Moore's books in my opinion.
June 10, 2014
The Short of It:
A very weird, mixed-up story about a guy’s conversations with God. I think.
The Rest of It:
Where do I start? This is quite possibly the worst audio book I’ve ever listened to. I’m not sure what I expected when I discovered that Rick Springfield had written a novel, but what played out before me was like smoking some bad weed and then being over taken by fumes of an unknown variety. My eyes watered. My ears hurt. I kept telling myself, it’s Rick! It’s got to be good. I mean, I love the guy. I have loved him since the 80′s. I loved him through his stint on General Hospital and I still think he’s right up there musically. But writing? Not his strong suit.
The story is about a guy named Bobby. He steals a self-help book titled Magnificent Vibration. Inside, he finds a 1-800 number and calls it. When the guy on the other end answers and introduces himself as God, an interesting conversation takes place. Bobby then hooks up with a sex-pot named Alice and the two head off on an adventure.
I got through two discs and between those discs, I think the main character mentions masturbation, I don’t know, at least twenty times and Springfield’s use of colorful expressions to represent the act was impressive. But putting all that aside, the story is all over the place. I listened to those two discs uninterrupted and had to go back a few times to figure out what was going on. There is a little bit of humor in between the gritty bits but overall, the story, the reading (slurred words, poor attempt at an accent maybe?) were just too much for me to keep going.
I’ve been told that I have a good sense of humor and can be a little sarcastic at times so I get the sarcasm and the jabs and all that, but the dialogue was really what made this difficult to listen to. Perhaps it plays out better in print, but I doubt it.
If you’ve read the book or listened to the audio, I’d be interested in your opinion on this one.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
A very weird, mixed-up story about a guy’s conversations with God. I think.
The Rest of It:
Where do I start? This is quite possibly the worst audio book I’ve ever listened to. I’m not sure what I expected when I discovered that Rick Springfield had written a novel, but what played out before me was like smoking some bad weed and then being over taken by fumes of an unknown variety. My eyes watered. My ears hurt. I kept telling myself, it’s Rick! It’s got to be good. I mean, I love the guy. I have loved him since the 80′s. I loved him through his stint on General Hospital and I still think he’s right up there musically. But writing? Not his strong suit.
The story is about a guy named Bobby. He steals a self-help book titled Magnificent Vibration. Inside, he finds a 1-800 number and calls it. When the guy on the other end answers and introduces himself as God, an interesting conversation takes place. Bobby then hooks up with a sex-pot named Alice and the two head off on an adventure.
I got through two discs and between those discs, I think the main character mentions masturbation, I don’t know, at least twenty times and Springfield’s use of colorful expressions to represent the act was impressive. But putting all that aside, the story is all over the place. I listened to those two discs uninterrupted and had to go back a few times to figure out what was going on. There is a little bit of humor in between the gritty bits but overall, the story, the reading (slurred words, poor attempt at an accent maybe?) were just too much for me to keep going.
I’ve been told that I have a good sense of humor and can be a little sarcastic at times so I get the sarcasm and the jabs and all that, but the dialogue was really what made this difficult to listen to. Perhaps it plays out better in print, but I doubt it.
If you’ve read the book or listened to the audio, I’d be interested in your opinion on this one.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
May 3, 2018
Imagine opening up a book and seeing a phone number and learning that it's the number for God, yes you read that right, GOD. Now imagine that two other people, one whom is a nun and the other is an immigrant, who just so happen to have the same book as you and yet each book is different. Throw in a little teen angst, humor, abuse, sexuality, and religion and there's the plot for your story. Every single page is worth the time. There was not yet one time in the book that I was bored. Rick Springfield did a magnificent job.
May 22, 2014
This book is a smartly funny, pre-apocalyptic story, set mostly in present-day Los Angeles. There's a lot of sex in this book in the sense that the reader is allowed a glimpse inside the thoughts of someone still stuck in adolescence who is preoccupied with the subject, but doesn't actually engage in the activity. The story line may not interest everyone ("Why are we here? What is love? Is there a Loch Ness monster? Does God send text messages?"), but the writing style made it so much more worthwhile than the book I read by "the next J.K. Rowlings" that was so poorly executed I could barely get through it. Between the flash backs and the modern day trials and tribulations of the sympathetic Horatio Cotton, I actually cried. Twice. I found it to be light, quick, and fun--it's not common for a main character to earn his living dubbing Cambodian films into English. I found myself relating to the battle between the lengthy, ADD-fueled inner dialogue and what was actually spoken. Magnificent Vibration
July 13, 2014
Yes I am a big fan of this man. Have followed him since his pre Zoot days in a band called Wickety Wak. Read his autobiography and loved it. He is good with words, just listen to his song lyrics.
I also enjoyed this story. He has a individualistic writing style and the subject matter was most unexpected.
When I heard it was about a man who calls God/Arthur via a phone # he finds in a book he nicks, I was worried that it would be like the movie Bruce Almighty, couldn't be more from the truth.
I love the message/moral that came with the deal about taking better care of Mother Earth and his character development was strong and quirky.
His sense of humour underpinned the story line and saved it from being preachy and tedious.
Very pleasant and easy read.
must be amazing to be so talented.
I loved that he dedicated the book to his lifelong friend and bandmate, even naming the hero after him.
R.I.P Darryl.
I also enjoyed this story. He has a individualistic writing style and the subject matter was most unexpected.
When I heard it was about a man who calls God/Arthur via a phone # he finds in a book he nicks, I was worried that it would be like the movie Bruce Almighty, couldn't be more from the truth.
I love the message/moral that came with the deal about taking better care of Mother Earth and his character development was strong and quirky.
His sense of humour underpinned the story line and saved it from being preachy and tedious.
Very pleasant and easy read.
must be amazing to be so talented.
I loved that he dedicated the book to his lifelong friend and bandmate, even naming the hero after him.
R.I.P Darryl.
January 7, 2015
I'm as surprised as you are, that I read an entire novel written by Rick Springfield. And enjoyed it. Like, I couldn't put it down.
It's a pulpy, crazy ride. But if you like transcendental comedy fiction, then here is your book.
Yes, lots of swears. Lots of sex thoughts from our main character. But it's a lovable, wild romp through his mind, and I liked it. And I think it's werid that I liked it, but there you go. I can explain no more, you are on your own.
It's a pulpy, crazy ride. But if you like transcendental comedy fiction, then here is your book.
Yes, lots of swears. Lots of sex thoughts from our main character. But it's a lovable, wild romp through his mind, and I liked it. And I think it's werid that I liked it, but there you go. I can explain no more, you are on your own.
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