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The Rebel's Sketchbook
"This is a scorchingly brilliant book and Dreyfus is an authentic and vital writer." - Morning Star
"In his tales of bored and jobless layabouts, internet superstars, corrupt politicians and weary observers of socio-economic collapse, Dreyfus manages an equally coy and poisonous dissertation on 20-something British life." - Pop Matters
Maniac world leaders; talentless boybands; Westminster politicians; social media idiots; zero-hour contracts. Rupert's first collection of short stories uses transgressive fiction, black comedy and satire as a weapon for shooting down all of these and more. Keeping the spirit of rebellion alive, The Rebel's Sketchbook is set to become one of the most controversial releases in a generation.
"In his tales of bored and jobless layabouts, internet superstars, corrupt politicians and weary observers of socio-economic collapse, Dreyfus manages an equally coy and poisonous dissertation on 20-something British life." - Pop Matters
Maniac world leaders; talentless boybands; Westminster politicians; social media idiots; zero-hour contracts. Rupert's first collection of short stories uses transgressive fiction, black comedy and satire as a weapon for shooting down all of these and more. Keeping the spirit of rebellion alive, The Rebel's Sketchbook is set to become one of the most controversial releases in a generation.
260 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 2015
3 people are currently reading
903 people want to read
About the author
Rupert Dreyfus
9 books143 followersRupert Dreyfus is an award winning, Amazon top 10 selling author who writes black comedies as a means of venting about the state of the world. The influential magazine of cultural criticism PopMatters said that he writes “with the darkly absurd humour of a thirsty and somewhat paranoid Jonathan Swift”. Closer to home, activist and one-time musician Edwin Stratton described his work as “black bloc meets Black Mirror”.
Spark is his first novel which serves as a snapshot of modern-day Britain, seen through the eyes of disaffected computer hacker Jake Miller. After creating a legion of online followers known as Generation Y-bother, Jake shows us how incredibly easy it is to spark a revolution. You just have to be angry enough.
Dreyfus is also the author of The Rebel's Sketchbook; a collection of thirteen short stories. Targets include maniac world leaders, talentless boybands, Westminster politicians, social media idiots and much more. The Morning Star named it one of their favourite books of 2015.
More recently, Dreyfus has released a number of short stories as well as his first novella Prezident Scumbag!; a swipe at the rise of Donald Trump as told by crust punk squatter Faz.
It was nominated for Readfree.ly's 50 Best Indie Books of 2017 and subsequently placed 25th.
For more information about Rupert you can visit his website www.rupertdreyfus.co.uk.
"Dreyfus writes with the darkly absurd humour of a thirsty and somewhat paranoid Jonathan Swift." - Pop Matters
"Black block meets Black Mirror." - Edwin Stratton, activist and musician
"If his work doesn't make you think, I suggest getting your doctor to prescribe a course of fluoride tablets, subscribe to the Daily Mirror and vote in this year's X Factor." - The Canary
Spark is his first novel which serves as a snapshot of modern-day Britain, seen through the eyes of disaffected computer hacker Jake Miller. After creating a legion of online followers known as Generation Y-bother, Jake shows us how incredibly easy it is to spark a revolution. You just have to be angry enough.
Dreyfus is also the author of The Rebel's Sketchbook; a collection of thirteen short stories. Targets include maniac world leaders, talentless boybands, Westminster politicians, social media idiots and much more. The Morning Star named it one of their favourite books of 2015.
More recently, Dreyfus has released a number of short stories as well as his first novella Prezident Scumbag!; a swipe at the rise of Donald Trump as told by crust punk squatter Faz.
It was nominated for Readfree.ly's 50 Best Indie Books of 2017 and subsequently placed 25th.
For more information about Rupert you can visit his website www.rupertdreyfus.co.uk.
"Dreyfus writes with the darkly absurd humour of a thirsty and somewhat paranoid Jonathan Swift." - Pop Matters
"Black block meets Black Mirror." - Edwin Stratton, activist and musician
"If his work doesn't make you think, I suggest getting your doctor to prescribe a course of fluoride tablets, subscribe to the Daily Mirror and vote in this year's X Factor." - The Canary
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 2, 2016
With this collection of short stories, Rupert Dreyfus confirms what I already believe. The world is in trouble, and if we don't wise up, our only living survivors may prove to be a starving man and an emaciated polar bear. If this sounds farfetched, I recomend that you read these stories. Let them be your guide to the foundation of our culture: the ordinary people who are struggling to make ends meet. Pacified with idiocracy such as social media and outer appearances, our society appears as outlandish as some of the situations presented in these provocative stories. Subject to examination are the Deep Web, video game addiction, a president's very private bunker, competitive eating, male escorts and ... yes! ...a penis sprouting from a prime minister's head! Sure it sounds unbelievable, but consider the possible last living members of our earthly population. If we get too comfortable being followers, this may very well be our future.
March 5, 2016
I have a particular fondness for the picaresque surreal, and Rupert Dreyfus's Rebel's Sketchbook mines that rather narrow and esoteric vein for all the gold he can find. That fondness meant that, unlike some reviewers before me, I found this collection of short stories a very easy read and the content both highly amusing and thoroughly entertaining, notwithstanding its emetic qualities, but then I'm also a sucker for the anti-authoritarian trickster, the underdog outwitting the demagogue, the just desserts inflicted on the tyrant. Besides, Dreyfus just handles his material so well. The stories in this collection flow smoothly. The language is direct, uncomplicated, the voice active. It's possible, tempting, to revel in the pleasure of the text, to let the tales wash over you. Too tempting, in fact. You can miss the running jokes, the clever repetitions, and the constantly renewed use of the first-person narrator that comes with each story can lead you to make assumptions you shouldn't, to automatically empathize with each narrator, to identify and side with them even when they are undeserving of your sympathy. Of course, tricking the reader into empathizing with the villain is a perfectly legitimate strategy, one that is underused, I think, in these days of literary pabulum, and one you might expect from an accomplished joker like Dreyfus. Even so, you don't always see it coming, further testament to his skill.
It wasn't until I came to the end of this book that I realized how much the stories resembled episodes from Black Mirror, and only subsequent to that did I notice that this similarity was even mentioned in one of the blurbs. No harm in that. And it's a handy and accurate touchstone to let readers know what to expect of this book. But even Brooker doesn't quite reach the heights (or depths) of hilarity that Dreyfus achieves in these stories; some of the best jokes are even to be found in throwaway lines, exploding like fireworks, or better still, bangers, casually tossed to the floor so that you almost don't notice them until it's too late.
When I read in the mainstream media about a "new generation of literary talent", my spirits generally sink, because it tends to mean that another tranche of potentially original voices have been successfully trained to jump through the necessary stylistic hoops identified by the gatekeepers of culture as the sine qua non of proper literature. It also means that their outrage is neutered, that their tales of misery and poverty are recounted purely to reassure their educated readers that they're not to blame, that things are more complicated than that, and even that suffering can be endured. Such literature does little but provide comfort to the enemy, to raise their morale, to reassure them that there's nothing they should be doing. And that is not what literature is for.
Dreyfus, you'll be glad to know, is not here to boost the spirits of the bourgeoisie. He's here for us. For the underdogs, the proles, the precarious and problematic. He's here to raise our spirits, boost our morale and keep us in the battle. We need more like him.
It wasn't until I came to the end of this book that I realized how much the stories resembled episodes from Black Mirror, and only subsequent to that did I notice that this similarity was even mentioned in one of the blurbs. No harm in that. And it's a handy and accurate touchstone to let readers know what to expect of this book. But even Brooker doesn't quite reach the heights (or depths) of hilarity that Dreyfus achieves in these stories; some of the best jokes are even to be found in throwaway lines, exploding like fireworks, or better still, bangers, casually tossed to the floor so that you almost don't notice them until it's too late.
When I read in the mainstream media about a "new generation of literary talent", my spirits generally sink, because it tends to mean that another tranche of potentially original voices have been successfully trained to jump through the necessary stylistic hoops identified by the gatekeepers of culture as the sine qua non of proper literature. It also means that their outrage is neutered, that their tales of misery and poverty are recounted purely to reassure their educated readers that they're not to blame, that things are more complicated than that, and even that suffering can be endured. Such literature does little but provide comfort to the enemy, to raise their morale, to reassure them that there's nothing they should be doing. And that is not what literature is for.
Dreyfus, you'll be glad to know, is not here to boost the spirits of the bourgeoisie. He's here for us. For the underdogs, the proles, the precarious and problematic. He's here to raise our spirits, boost our morale and keep us in the battle. We need more like him.
December 6, 2018
There is nothing admirable about being obedient to a system that doesn’t serve you. The present system we endure day in, day out is designed to turn us against each other while a minority of people get rich off our backs, destroying the planet in the process.
Yep, that about says it, but what can we do? Well, short of taking to the streets just to be gunned down by those claiming to protect and serve us, the least we can do is keep the spirit of dissent alive, until the day arrives when we can no longer afford to be so docile. One of the ways we accomplish this is through the arts, but not the sort of art where justice prevails and the good guys win -- shit designed to comfort us, quell us, and ultimately fool us into thinking we've even got a chance in this present paradigm of drone warfare and domestic spying. Rather, the spirit of rebellion is kept alive in the realistic portrayal of our current situation and all its grim futility, our myriad defeats and our hard-won battles in this losing war. I'll give you one guess which category The Rebel's Sketchbook falls into.
The problem with modern-day society is that the average person remains miserable and unfulfilled by the drudgery that is their daily lives, but not so miserable as to ever really do or even say much about it. And make no mistake, this is all quite calculated by the powers that be. This is the first realization one must come to before understanding that our system is corrupt to its core, that the game is rigged and not in our favor, and it is this understanding which informs the narrative thread connecting these thirteen short sketches.
But surely one must wonder -- does any of this put the slightest dent in all of the varied and sundry oppressions endured by 99.99% of the people on this planet? A book for sale on Amazon? One that practically no one will ever read anyway? Just how rebellious is that? Well, fair enough I suppose, but I would argue that this book is at least more rebellious than the Free Tibet sticker on your bumper, the Che Guevara poster on your wall, or the anarchy symbol on your jacket. I know that's not saying much, but rather than boiling down the idea of rebellion into a hollow, meaningless gesture or an icon for us to swallow, what Dreyfus has given us here is a veritable feast of subversive food for thought, all of it sneakily coached within this collection of highly entertaining, well-written fictions. And he might even make a few bucks at Amazon's expense in the process. That's called fighting from within, folks.
Rebel, boys and girls, if only through the words on the page.
Yep, that about says it, but what can we do? Well, short of taking to the streets just to be gunned down by those claiming to protect and serve us, the least we can do is keep the spirit of dissent alive, until the day arrives when we can no longer afford to be so docile. One of the ways we accomplish this is through the arts, but not the sort of art where justice prevails and the good guys win -- shit designed to comfort us, quell us, and ultimately fool us into thinking we've even got a chance in this present paradigm of drone warfare and domestic spying. Rather, the spirit of rebellion is kept alive in the realistic portrayal of our current situation and all its grim futility, our myriad defeats and our hard-won battles in this losing war. I'll give you one guess which category The Rebel's Sketchbook falls into.
The problem with modern-day society is that the average person remains miserable and unfulfilled by the drudgery that is their daily lives, but not so miserable as to ever really do or even say much about it. And make no mistake, this is all quite calculated by the powers that be. This is the first realization one must come to before understanding that our system is corrupt to its core, that the game is rigged and not in our favor, and it is this understanding which informs the narrative thread connecting these thirteen short sketches.
But surely one must wonder -- does any of this put the slightest dent in all of the varied and sundry oppressions endured by 99.99% of the people on this planet? A book for sale on Amazon? One that practically no one will ever read anyway? Just how rebellious is that? Well, fair enough I suppose, but I would argue that this book is at least more rebellious than the Free Tibet sticker on your bumper, the Che Guevara poster on your wall, or the anarchy symbol on your jacket. I know that's not saying much, but rather than boiling down the idea of rebellion into a hollow, meaningless gesture or an icon for us to swallow, what Dreyfus has given us here is a veritable feast of subversive food for thought, all of it sneakily coached within this collection of highly entertaining, well-written fictions. And he might even make a few bucks at Amazon's expense in the process. That's called fighting from within, folks.
Rebel, boys and girls, if only through the words on the page.
August 25, 2017
Book of the year for me, not sure I'm going to enjoy anything else as much as this. A collection of short stories that are connected in lots of little ways, this makes the collection feel like they are one long story. At times you can see influences by Chuck Palahniuk, especially in Eat nasty. (insert vomiting emoticon)
I have read a few of these stories in the past on the authors website and I was really pleased to find he had added little bits to the story to link all the stories together, it's all very clever. It is tough to pick a favourite but I will have to go with Dead Man's Blunt, I've loved that story since I first read it and it still makes me chuckle now. Another good one is called Growth, I was very lucky I wasn't drinking when reading it as I would be needing a new book.
If you are one of these weirdos who spend their life on social networking sites then you need to read this, maybe it will be a wake-up call for you. There are lots of messages you can take from this, so read it again and again to make sure you get them all. I would also recommend reading Rupert's first book "Spark" before you read this, just so that you can enjoy spotting the references to that story.
I have read a few of these stories in the past on the authors website and I was really pleased to find he had added little bits to the story to link all the stories together, it's all very clever. It is tough to pick a favourite but I will have to go with Dead Man's Blunt, I've loved that story since I first read it and it still makes me chuckle now. Another good one is called Growth, I was very lucky I wasn't drinking when reading it as I would be needing a new book.
If you are one of these weirdos who spend their life on social networking sites then you need to read this, maybe it will be a wake-up call for you. There are lots of messages you can take from this, so read it again and again to make sure you get them all. I would also recommend reading Rupert's first book "Spark" before you read this, just so that you can enjoy spotting the references to that story.
August 25, 2015
When I finished this book, I felt annoyed. Annoyed that it was over too soon.
You might think that thirteen short stories and two hundred and fifty odd pages would more than suffice, but damn it, I wanted more!
Dreyfus has his witty finger firmly on the pulse of the everyday rebel: the minimum wagers, the drop out punks, the lager drinking philosophers, the people who know that a simple tweak of the system could actually make everything all right…
Each story is told in first person narrative, and this works surprisingly well. It’s also great fun that some of the stories’ main characters are referenced in other stories, giving it an extra interlaced dimension of the Irvine Welsh manner.
Talentless boybands, a dead man’s blunt, end of the world bunkers, social media mockery, literal dickheads and gnome fetishes… you’ll find them all here.
Sure, I could pick out some stories and say they were my favourites, but it would feel wrong to do so, because every tale is a winner.
In the afterword, the author states: “There is nothing admirable about being obedient to a system that doesn’t serve you. The present system we endure day in, day out is designed to turn us against each other while a minority of people get rich off our backs, destroying the planet in the process.”
Too right mate. I already know that I’m a rebel, but I’m hoping others will read this book and realise that they are as well.
But if I had to just use six words to review this book (a la the story entitled Sentenced), I’d simply opt for:
This book is funny as fuck.
August 28, 2017
As humanity evolves, it seems the direction we are taking is one of destruction driven by hunger for profit. This is the world we live in and either we take it lying down or we rebel against it.
There are various means to express rebellion, and Rupert Dreyfus uses his writing skills to paint the world’s problems in black and white, covered in multi-colored polka dots. After all, political drivel is just political drivel- it’s dry and it’s mostly lies. This is when the polka dots come to play as Dreyfus manages to pull along the thickest of ditches by wrapping any of society’s blinding issues into the outrageous and entertaining. He then proceeds to hand it over in an easy-read, relatable manner so you can take those layman terms and feel a spark awakening in you as you begin to see the bigger picture of it all… It’s not just about trying to shock you, it’s about taking a snippet of reality and mirroring it back with impact.
Your gravestone is marked with the six saddest words:
Social Media Drained My Soul Away
And they all mourn your loss at a budget funeral service while updating their social media statuses on mobile phones apps. And in years to come nobody remembers any of your updates; even those updates that you deep-down believed were going to bring about world peace. The Digital Age is more disposable than nappies and just as full of shit.
The Rebel’s Sketchbook is a collection of 13 short stories, all connected with some minor details gluing them into a linear order. The full spectrum of the system’s disease gets addressed as you read about pop celebrities, world leaders, mafia, aliens, drugs, anarchists, trying to stay alive, trying to get laid, social media. A well-oiled,”working-without-fault” system that we currently find ourselves in. The collection is not glorifying a single thing… it’s all dark, hopeless and stinking.
Covering it all is the rebellious message which resonates throughout the collection against the same shit system, and yet each story has something unique to them. They’re challenging and powerful in their delivery, they’re full of characters ‘as colorful as the Lord’s zoo‘ and they all have one thing in common: the human condition which is at the same time a virtue and a curse- the blind obsession derived from selfish, personal gain.
This was the overall message I personally chose to take away from the collection… no matter how rich or down in the dumps, we’re all to blame sometimes because we can’t see further from our own noses. However, as we find ourselves at Destination Rock Bottom, the human mind knows no bounds… the decisions we make during critical hours are unbelievable. As such I enjoyed the creativeness Dreyfus enabled for his characters throughout the 13 stories and it made me realise that sometimes doing something stupid is an attempt at survival. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
It makes me wonder, if it is the unpredictability of life that is gradually taking us closer to the final stop. It is starting to seem that whatever the masses are told, whatever next raging fashion statement is brought out- it is the only thing our ‘intelligent’ human minds can fathom thus completely losing the sight of the bigger picture? Anyway…
I hope some of you can remember my review for Prezident Scumbag! by Dreyfus… it was one helluva crazy ride. Do read it! The Rebel’s Sketchbook saw the light of day prior to PS! and it was interesting to compare these two works. Apart from one of the short stories acting as the prelude to PS!, there’s nothing repetitive. *scoffs* I guess when your inspiration is this vast world which continues to surprise you, Dreyfus will never run out of material. Not to mention that the ‘shock factor’ is well and truly a signature tool for Dreyfus.
As promised, The Rebel’s Sketchbook delivers this collection of transgressive fiction, black comedy and satire to the full of its meaning. There are no limits, no stops pulled, at taking the reality and returning it to the creator to have a good long look at itself. And really no one is safe in this collection of stories as the finger will point at each and every one through dark humour. You know, the dark humour where everyone laughs but deep down we all know that it’s the truth?
There are various means to express rebellion, and Rupert Dreyfus uses his writing skills to paint the world’s problems in black and white, covered in multi-colored polka dots. After all, political drivel is just political drivel- it’s dry and it’s mostly lies. This is when the polka dots come to play as Dreyfus manages to pull along the thickest of ditches by wrapping any of society’s blinding issues into the outrageous and entertaining. He then proceeds to hand it over in an easy-read, relatable manner so you can take those layman terms and feel a spark awakening in you as you begin to see the bigger picture of it all… It’s not just about trying to shock you, it’s about taking a snippet of reality and mirroring it back with impact.
Your gravestone is marked with the six saddest words:
Social Media Drained My Soul Away
And they all mourn your loss at a budget funeral service while updating their social media statuses on mobile phones apps. And in years to come nobody remembers any of your updates; even those updates that you deep-down believed were going to bring about world peace. The Digital Age is more disposable than nappies and just as full of shit.
The Rebel’s Sketchbook is a collection of 13 short stories, all connected with some minor details gluing them into a linear order. The full spectrum of the system’s disease gets addressed as you read about pop celebrities, world leaders, mafia, aliens, drugs, anarchists, trying to stay alive, trying to get laid, social media. A well-oiled,”working-without-fault” system that we currently find ourselves in. The collection is not glorifying a single thing… it’s all dark, hopeless and stinking.
Covering it all is the rebellious message which resonates throughout the collection against the same shit system, and yet each story has something unique to them. They’re challenging and powerful in their delivery, they’re full of characters ‘as colorful as the Lord’s zoo‘ and they all have one thing in common: the human condition which is at the same time a virtue and a curse- the blind obsession derived from selfish, personal gain.
This was the overall message I personally chose to take away from the collection… no matter how rich or down in the dumps, we’re all to blame sometimes because we can’t see further from our own noses. However, as we find ourselves at Destination Rock Bottom, the human mind knows no bounds… the decisions we make during critical hours are unbelievable. As such I enjoyed the creativeness Dreyfus enabled for his characters throughout the 13 stories and it made me realise that sometimes doing something stupid is an attempt at survival. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
It makes me wonder, if it is the unpredictability of life that is gradually taking us closer to the final stop. It is starting to seem that whatever the masses are told, whatever next raging fashion statement is brought out- it is the only thing our ‘intelligent’ human minds can fathom thus completely losing the sight of the bigger picture? Anyway…
I hope some of you can remember my review for Prezident Scumbag! by Dreyfus… it was one helluva crazy ride. Do read it! The Rebel’s Sketchbook saw the light of day prior to PS! and it was interesting to compare these two works. Apart from one of the short stories acting as the prelude to PS!, there’s nothing repetitive. *scoffs* I guess when your inspiration is this vast world which continues to surprise you, Dreyfus will never run out of material. Not to mention that the ‘shock factor’ is well and truly a signature tool for Dreyfus.
As promised, The Rebel’s Sketchbook delivers this collection of transgressive fiction, black comedy and satire to the full of its meaning. There are no limits, no stops pulled, at taking the reality and returning it to the creator to have a good long look at itself. And really no one is safe in this collection of stories as the finger will point at each and every one through dark humour. You know, the dark humour where everyone laughs but deep down we all know that it’s the truth?
July 5, 2016
This book is called the “Rebel’s Sketchbook.” Is this book subversive? Is this book rebellious? I think it’s just a lot of fun. Also, it’s not entirely mean, either. There is no aftertaste of nastiness to the book (except for the story “Eat Nasty”). Most of the characters in the book are just archetypes anyway, so there is no problem when bad things happen to them.
Here is my very controversial take on why the book is good (one the author is free to argue with): The book is good because it is not subversive. When it is, it’s subversive in a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek sort of way that avoids the excesses of internet trolls, pundits, or conservatives who have adopted the form (but not the substance) of the 60s radical movements. In other words, it avoids the stupid subversiveness of the creatures of the age of phony outrage -- an age where people are outraged by everything, call themselves mavericks, but don’t need to have any coherent agenda.
The establishment in this book doesn’t seem particularly real or threatening. It just seems ridiculous. Reality is inherently silly, thus the philosophy is more Douglas Adams than Frankfurt School (Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse).
The book’s dedication reads: “Dedicated to all the rebels who long to be free…”
I never saw “freedom” as anything more than the personal search for freedom. For me this is a good thing, because typically large-scale emancipation projects have usually ended in people trying to put other people in chains of a different sort.
Things that made me think he could write more good work: Rupert has an excellent sense of pacing, easy beats that offset dialogue nicely, and good comedic timing. In other words, he has a prose style that is evolved and carries stories easily from one scene to the next.
Something that might disappoint: There isn’t a coherent ideology that underpins these stories. Many of the stories have a light touch -- they are funny, they are dark, they have style and at times grace. But that’s about it. Also, some of the stories have endings that just seem to end for the end of it...for ends sake.
Things that surprised me: Stories narrated from the perspective of inanimate objects.
Things that made me guffaw: Really, not laugh, but guffaw -- the clever use of a penis as a plot device (guffaw!); mentions of the Fingerbang Twins; politicians acting like idiots; hints and winks at Monty Python.
Things that made me think: “Sentenced” was one of the smartest stories in the book. Again, like the other stories, nothing in it made me want to rebel; but I thought it had a very smart take on social media. It was also a gripping and suspenseful mystery.
In the end...the book was a lot of fun and a very easy read. Cheers!
Here is my very controversial take on why the book is good (one the author is free to argue with): The book is good because it is not subversive. When it is, it’s subversive in a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek sort of way that avoids the excesses of internet trolls, pundits, or conservatives who have adopted the form (but not the substance) of the 60s radical movements. In other words, it avoids the stupid subversiveness of the creatures of the age of phony outrage -- an age where people are outraged by everything, call themselves mavericks, but don’t need to have any coherent agenda.
The establishment in this book doesn’t seem particularly real or threatening. It just seems ridiculous. Reality is inherently silly, thus the philosophy is more Douglas Adams than Frankfurt School (Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse).
The book’s dedication reads: “Dedicated to all the rebels who long to be free…”
I never saw “freedom” as anything more than the personal search for freedom. For me this is a good thing, because typically large-scale emancipation projects have usually ended in people trying to put other people in chains of a different sort.
Things that made me think he could write more good work: Rupert has an excellent sense of pacing, easy beats that offset dialogue nicely, and good comedic timing. In other words, he has a prose style that is evolved and carries stories easily from one scene to the next.
Something that might disappoint: There isn’t a coherent ideology that underpins these stories. Many of the stories have a light touch -- they are funny, they are dark, they have style and at times grace. But that’s about it. Also, some of the stories have endings that just seem to end for the end of it...for ends sake.
Things that surprised me: Stories narrated from the perspective of inanimate objects.
Things that made me guffaw: Really, not laugh, but guffaw -- the clever use of a penis as a plot device (guffaw!); mentions of the Fingerbang Twins; politicians acting like idiots; hints and winks at Monty Python.
Things that made me think: “Sentenced” was one of the smartest stories in the book. Again, like the other stories, nothing in it made me want to rebel; but I thought it had a very smart take on social media. It was also a gripping and suspenseful mystery.
In the end...the book was a lot of fun and a very easy read. Cheers!
December 2, 2015
I hope I never piss off Rupert Dreyfus.
Because if I do, I'm confident I'll end up one of the cretins he hilariously exposes in his stories. And I'd rather be immortalized in other ways.
But while the gun's pointed at others, there's nothing but fun to be had, even with this collection of short stories. I say "even with" because short stories aren't really my bag. I was traumatized in college lit classes, instructed to hunt the text for Symbolism and Irony in this "short piece" by William Faulkner, "better known for his novels."
Despite that, I can appreciate the point and pleasure of a short story. And done the right way, as Dreyfus does in The Rebel's Sketchbook, a short story has all the pleasures of a one-night stand, even if your preference is a long-term love affair.
Oddly enough, reading these stories - or sketches - about people who could only exist in 2015, I kept thinking of reruns of a show I watched as a kid - a show that had died before I was born. The Twilight Zone featured normal people in abnormal situations that, thirty minutes later, weren't always resolved on a comforting note. And so it is here: The Twilight Zone, as hosted by William S. Burroughs, let's say.
To be a protagonist in a Dreyfus story is to be a sort of Everyman or Everysod - someone who's smart but powerless, finding himself in the worst situations with the worst types. Not criminals, necessarily, but just plain annoying people, who come off as hilarious on the Kindle, but if you were the one having to deal with such in real life, you'd be singing to yourself, "Come, / Come, / Nuclear bomb!"
Not all the stories work, but those that do are fantastic punches to the face. I thought "Sentenced" would be my fave because its structure is perfect. But right after that is "Cleo's Encounter," which closes on an unexpectedly emotional note. I really felt for Cleo. So his story is the best, in my opinion. Coming in at No. 3 is "Martha," a politically-incorrect tour de force that cracks me up every time I remember it. "Mo's Lesson" was also great, mirroring my own teenage self.
Dreyfus' style is described as transgressive. I thought I knew what that meant. I guess I don't. To me, his voice is simple and to the point. He rides the bike of his narrative without stopping to look at every detail of the landscape: an approach that, mixed with angry humor, is fun and easy to read.
And these are real stories, with a beginning, middle and end. Does the author have an ax to grind? A grander editorial point to make? Sure, but he skillfully does not let that interfere with what's more important, the entertainment of a story.
That's the mark of the real deal, and in today's ocean of indie phonies, Jaws Dreyfus deserves to chomp into chum his competition.
I also have to note a curious aspect of the Sketchbook. The stories seem to exist in the same universe, with references in one story to characters or events in another, including Dreyfus' other book, the novel Spark. I like that. Frank Zappa did the same in his songs and albums, an approach he called "conceptual continuity."
I really want to give the Sketchbook five stars but two stories frustrated me a little. "Hotel Scum" deserved to be twice as long. It seemed to end just when I was sure shit was about to hit the fan. And "Eat Na$ty" could've been stellar, but as one who grew up with the type of American Southern white trash portrayed, I think I could've offered a few pointers to make it just right in the eyes of a native.
But don't let those two discourage you from reading this book and, once more, having fun, laughing at the squares.
Sample: "Coniston Water is a pretty place. It has some old wooden rowing boats and a steam yacht bobbing up and down on it, and all around are these sprawling mountains. It feels very wild, like behind every cluster of trees you'd find a gorilla taking a shit."
If you don't think that's funny, I want you to go away.
Because if I do, I'm confident I'll end up one of the cretins he hilariously exposes in his stories. And I'd rather be immortalized in other ways.
But while the gun's pointed at others, there's nothing but fun to be had, even with this collection of short stories. I say "even with" because short stories aren't really my bag. I was traumatized in college lit classes, instructed to hunt the text for Symbolism and Irony in this "short piece" by William Faulkner, "better known for his novels."
Despite that, I can appreciate the point and pleasure of a short story. And done the right way, as Dreyfus does in The Rebel's Sketchbook, a short story has all the pleasures of a one-night stand, even if your preference is a long-term love affair.
Oddly enough, reading these stories - or sketches - about people who could only exist in 2015, I kept thinking of reruns of a show I watched as a kid - a show that had died before I was born. The Twilight Zone featured normal people in abnormal situations that, thirty minutes later, weren't always resolved on a comforting note. And so it is here: The Twilight Zone, as hosted by William S. Burroughs, let's say.
To be a protagonist in a Dreyfus story is to be a sort of Everyman or Everysod - someone who's smart but powerless, finding himself in the worst situations with the worst types. Not criminals, necessarily, but just plain annoying people, who come off as hilarious on the Kindle, but if you were the one having to deal with such in real life, you'd be singing to yourself, "Come, / Come, / Nuclear bomb!"
Not all the stories work, but those that do are fantastic punches to the face. I thought "Sentenced" would be my fave because its structure is perfect. But right after that is "Cleo's Encounter," which closes on an unexpectedly emotional note. I really felt for Cleo. So his story is the best, in my opinion. Coming in at No. 3 is "Martha," a politically-incorrect tour de force that cracks me up every time I remember it. "Mo's Lesson" was also great, mirroring my own teenage self.
Dreyfus' style is described as transgressive. I thought I knew what that meant. I guess I don't. To me, his voice is simple and to the point. He rides the bike of his narrative without stopping to look at every detail of the landscape: an approach that, mixed with angry humor, is fun and easy to read.
And these are real stories, with a beginning, middle and end. Does the author have an ax to grind? A grander editorial point to make? Sure, but he skillfully does not let that interfere with what's more important, the entertainment of a story.
That's the mark of the real deal, and in today's ocean of indie phonies, Jaws Dreyfus deserves to chomp into chum his competition.
I also have to note a curious aspect of the Sketchbook. The stories seem to exist in the same universe, with references in one story to characters or events in another, including Dreyfus' other book, the novel Spark. I like that. Frank Zappa did the same in his songs and albums, an approach he called "conceptual continuity."
I really want to give the Sketchbook five stars but two stories frustrated me a little. "Hotel Scum" deserved to be twice as long. It seemed to end just when I was sure shit was about to hit the fan. And "Eat Na$ty" could've been stellar, but as one who grew up with the type of American Southern white trash portrayed, I think I could've offered a few pointers to make it just right in the eyes of a native.
But don't let those two discourage you from reading this book and, once more, having fun, laughing at the squares.
Sample: "Coniston Water is a pretty place. It has some old wooden rowing boats and a steam yacht bobbing up and down on it, and all around are these sprawling mountains. It feels very wild, like behind every cluster of trees you'd find a gorilla taking a shit."
If you don't think that's funny, I want you to go away.
January 28, 2016
Few books can make you laugh and vomit at the same time. At least two stories in Rupert Dreyfus’s short-story collection The Rebel’s Sketchbook do this. It’s quite an achievement. In fact I am sure most major publishers would run screaming from this book, which is a good reason to read it.
Rupert Dreyfus does satire. Not the rapier-wit sort of satire; more a sort of blunt-force trauma. To read his stories is a bit like being beaten over the head with a cricket bat, but you laugh anyway. Thus in one of these stories, Eat Nasty, rival YouTube bloggers compete to see who can eat the most disgusting crap on-screen – and wind up eating themselves. Other stories also deal with social media and the virtual world. In Hatchet Job, a fanatical gamer runs out of money but is sure he can get work as a hit-man, because he’s so good at it in the game of that name. In Hotel Scum, a bunch of punks are about to be evicted from their run-down slum, but hack into the landlord’s PC and find he has an unusual fetish. (I won’t reveal what it is, but apparently it’s not unknown.)
As in any collection, some stories work better than others. Dead Man’s Blunt is told from the point of view of a marijuana cigar; it’s inventive and sometimes very funny, but in the end it didn’t quite work for me. The story Dreyfus offers as a postscript, Ice Age Coming, was a little too direct. When he is good, though, Dreyfus really is good. The story that had me throwing up and laughing at the same time, Martha, is completely revolting and very, very funny. Outrage, in which upstanding citizens turn into zombies and attack people on benefits, is a blunt but apposite comment on where we’re going in our treatment of the poor.
Outrage is a clue as to what’s driving Dreyfus. In an afterword to The Rebel’s Sketchbook, he says: “There is nothing admirable about being obedient to a system that doesn’t serve you. The present system we endure day in, day out is designed to turn us against each other while a minority of people get rich off our backs, destroying the planet in the process. ... Many people accept that this is the natural order of all things and they call it democracy.” These sound like pretty modern thoughts. In fact, I think Dreyfus is part of an English tradition of bawdy dissent that stretches back through Gillray, Hogarth, John Wilkes and into the stews of Elizabethan London. It’s never gone away, but the rise of Facebook and Twitter, and the digital revolution in publishing, has seen it come back to the fore with a vengeance. The Rebel’s Sketchbook is part of this, as is Dreyfus’s other book so far, a witty and fast-moving novel called Spark.
I really look forward to seeing what Dreyfus does next. In the end, he may need to expand into new directions; the trouble with the bellowed curse is that you get a sore throat in the end. There’s mileage in it yet, though. The Rebel’s Sketchbook works. It might not be subtle, but these stories are a shrewd, funny and provocative take on modern life. Now let me get that vomit cleaned up.
Rupert Dreyfus does satire. Not the rapier-wit sort of satire; more a sort of blunt-force trauma. To read his stories is a bit like being beaten over the head with a cricket bat, but you laugh anyway. Thus in one of these stories, Eat Nasty, rival YouTube bloggers compete to see who can eat the most disgusting crap on-screen – and wind up eating themselves. Other stories also deal with social media and the virtual world. In Hatchet Job, a fanatical gamer runs out of money but is sure he can get work as a hit-man, because he’s so good at it in the game of that name. In Hotel Scum, a bunch of punks are about to be evicted from their run-down slum, but hack into the landlord’s PC and find he has an unusual fetish. (I won’t reveal what it is, but apparently it’s not unknown.)
As in any collection, some stories work better than others. Dead Man’s Blunt is told from the point of view of a marijuana cigar; it’s inventive and sometimes very funny, but in the end it didn’t quite work for me. The story Dreyfus offers as a postscript, Ice Age Coming, was a little too direct. When he is good, though, Dreyfus really is good. The story that had me throwing up and laughing at the same time, Martha, is completely revolting and very, very funny. Outrage, in which upstanding citizens turn into zombies and attack people on benefits, is a blunt but apposite comment on where we’re going in our treatment of the poor.
Outrage is a clue as to what’s driving Dreyfus. In an afterword to The Rebel’s Sketchbook, he says: “There is nothing admirable about being obedient to a system that doesn’t serve you. The present system we endure day in, day out is designed to turn us against each other while a minority of people get rich off our backs, destroying the planet in the process. ... Many people accept that this is the natural order of all things and they call it democracy.” These sound like pretty modern thoughts. In fact, I think Dreyfus is part of an English tradition of bawdy dissent that stretches back through Gillray, Hogarth, John Wilkes and into the stews of Elizabethan London. It’s never gone away, but the rise of Facebook and Twitter, and the digital revolution in publishing, has seen it come back to the fore with a vengeance. The Rebel’s Sketchbook is part of this, as is Dreyfus’s other book so far, a witty and fast-moving novel called Spark.
I really look forward to seeing what Dreyfus does next. In the end, he may need to expand into new directions; the trouble with the bellowed curse is that you get a sore throat in the end. There’s mileage in it yet, though. The Rebel’s Sketchbook works. It might not be subtle, but these stories are a shrewd, funny and provocative take on modern life. Now let me get that vomit cleaned up.
July 31, 2015
The Rebel’s Sketchbook starts as it means to go on. Injustices intertwine with the grotesque, willfully failing human beings reveling in their asshole status rub shoulders with those alienated from The System, the machinations of which conspire to parasitically annihilate its exhausted populace just enough to keep it alive and just enough to sap its energy and oversaturate it into opting out. But not according to Dreyfus, who sees these absurd times and uses them as fuel, as a motivating force into your own personal dissents, however big or small, the waking up being the main thing. The possibility of change comes from vision and self empowerment, action the necessary consequence. Utilising some newfangled punk spirit these tales express the dichotomy of how power is wielded and undermines its own M.O.
People talk about verbal vomit, and here there is an acknowledged nausea that pervades, is even knowingly referred to as a key cliche of old school punk behaviour. These stories are sick to their stomach but justifiably so, and gleefully take on some very satisfying targets, with the right amount of self awareness to check that you are not turning into the asshole sneering at those in need of derision. There is enough perspective to provide a means to thought and not merely venting, which can be fun but doesn’t get you anywhere.
Still, there is oodles of fun to be had. Frequently laugh out loud funny, many of these are smirk inducing as it gradually dawns where they are going but manage to retain a freshness right to their destination. The shifting in voice from story to story really works, varied tones incorporating elements of trash culture and bad TV. I’m a sucker for this as much as anyone. But among the superficial fripperies there’s an big dollop of longing, a sense of the isolating nature of aspects of modern existence, and a call for the conscious rejection or rewiring of those forces that seek to undermine what are fundamental human needs, starting with dignity and connection and extrapolating out from there.
A great collection, lovingly rough and oh-so-ready, full of ramped up disgust, a keen search for a way to justice and a deadly dark humour that seems the only sane response to the diatribe of continual effluent distraction that is projected by those with the means to do so.
People talk about verbal vomit, and here there is an acknowledged nausea that pervades, is even knowingly referred to as a key cliche of old school punk behaviour. These stories are sick to their stomach but justifiably so, and gleefully take on some very satisfying targets, with the right amount of self awareness to check that you are not turning into the asshole sneering at those in need of derision. There is enough perspective to provide a means to thought and not merely venting, which can be fun but doesn’t get you anywhere.
Still, there is oodles of fun to be had. Frequently laugh out loud funny, many of these are smirk inducing as it gradually dawns where they are going but manage to retain a freshness right to their destination. The shifting in voice from story to story really works, varied tones incorporating elements of trash culture and bad TV. I’m a sucker for this as much as anyone. But among the superficial fripperies there’s an big dollop of longing, a sense of the isolating nature of aspects of modern existence, and a call for the conscious rejection or rewiring of those forces that seek to undermine what are fundamental human needs, starting with dignity and connection and extrapolating out from there.
A great collection, lovingly rough and oh-so-ready, full of ramped up disgust, a keen search for a way to justice and a deadly dark humour that seems the only sane response to the diatribe of continual effluent distraction that is projected by those with the means to do so.
September 20, 2015
“If we believe in nothing, if nothing has any meaning and if we can affirm no values whatsoever, then everything is possible and nothing has any importance.” - Albert Camus, The Rebel
"...makes you feel like you're not the only one wondering how we came to be surrounded by so much unquestioned mediocrity." - The Guardian on Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
"Worthless piece of shit!... I hope you die!"- Louis CK shouting at a driver who cut him off.
My interpretation is that this is Loneliness: Stories.
Maybe it sounds dismissive, but it's super important: it's what I see as the topic of pretty much any of my favourite films. It's a silent and insidious epidemic. It drives people to do incredibly destructive things. And life takes on a strangely inhuman quality when we are lonely. We treat ourselves and others with a shockingly passive savagery. Our residences always look like we're just off a three day bender with Howard Hughes. Somehow it seems totally our fault that we're in this situation. But isn't it to the benefit of modern life that it should appear connected while really dividing? Who ever told you you could have 100 friends? There's a price to pay for that immediacy. What appears to be a connection to the people we care for is more time spent with an illusion of them that we actually hate to our core.
I once met a woman in London at a party. She said she had the radio on all the time because there was no one around. I said I had started whistling involuntarily and couldn't stop- I am no longer alone, but I still can't stop. I added her on Facebook and she posted more than anyone I knew about drinks with friends, lovely events and done-up selfies. I kinda understand why she was the one who posted the most, but also I don't. I do know that as a result, as far as I was concerned she could keep the radio on because I wasn't coming round, such was my animosity to her attempt to live a good life by donning a good life's costume.
Dreyfus is a fun and insightful nihilo-satirist. So great I just made him his own word. Instability is to someone's benefit. Dreyfus clues us in a bit more about this. We lonely people begin to make dramatic requests about what we want to see change in the world. These stories are those requests, and will reveal to you that you are a little more lonely than you had imagined, but by providing you with understanding, you will leave with a little more honest company, likely provided to you through the internet, and thus giving you hope that one day you will stop fucking whistling.
"...makes you feel like you're not the only one wondering how we came to be surrounded by so much unquestioned mediocrity." - The Guardian on Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
"Worthless piece of shit!... I hope you die!"- Louis CK shouting at a driver who cut him off.
My interpretation is that this is Loneliness: Stories.
Maybe it sounds dismissive, but it's super important: it's what I see as the topic of pretty much any of my favourite films. It's a silent and insidious epidemic. It drives people to do incredibly destructive things. And life takes on a strangely inhuman quality when we are lonely. We treat ourselves and others with a shockingly passive savagery. Our residences always look like we're just off a three day bender with Howard Hughes. Somehow it seems totally our fault that we're in this situation. But isn't it to the benefit of modern life that it should appear connected while really dividing? Who ever told you you could have 100 friends? There's a price to pay for that immediacy. What appears to be a connection to the people we care for is more time spent with an illusion of them that we actually hate to our core.
I once met a woman in London at a party. She said she had the radio on all the time because there was no one around. I said I had started whistling involuntarily and couldn't stop- I am no longer alone, but I still can't stop. I added her on Facebook and she posted more than anyone I knew about drinks with friends, lovely events and done-up selfies. I kinda understand why she was the one who posted the most, but also I don't. I do know that as a result, as far as I was concerned she could keep the radio on because I wasn't coming round, such was my animosity to her attempt to live a good life by donning a good life's costume.
Dreyfus is a fun and insightful nihilo-satirist. So great I just made him his own word. Instability is to someone's benefit. Dreyfus clues us in a bit more about this. We lonely people begin to make dramatic requests about what we want to see change in the world. These stories are those requests, and will reveal to you that you are a little more lonely than you had imagined, but by providing you with understanding, you will leave with a little more honest company, likely provided to you through the internet, and thus giving you hope that one day you will stop fucking whistling.
January 27, 2016
I won the literary lottery again here in GR! This time with the Rebel. After the brilliant, brilliant Spark which deserves to climb up and shine for all to see, I knew that I was in good hands.
Absurdist fiction is a very hard thing for me. Many attempt to recreate Ionesco and Kafka, or Beckett and Amis but if it's not supported by a deep understanding and according philosophy it can be a smelly mess instead. I had an artist friend that once called me to tell me that he sent me a seven page letter. Oh, and what are you writing about, I was intrigued? You'll see, was the meaningful response. When I opened the letter there were indeed seven pages folded inside but completely empty. Not a dot. Later with a very self-congratulating smirk he explained it was an absurdist statement for 'what is left unsaid'. I felt embarrassed on his behalf. The same goes for a number of works I've read by people so desperate to come across as fashionably weird but possess a rather super logical, super conventional and square head.
What I'm trying to say, not very kindly I'm afraid, is that for me the intention and pretension does not equate with authenticity of literary or artistic voice. (Although the intention is something to be congratulated per se). The five stars above go very gratefully for that very authenticity and the conviction that Rupert's writing offers.
The Rebel is a razor sharp observer, anthropocentric, prophet of doom, maximalist, nihilist, grotesque and beautiful in strange virgin ways. He laments and he spits at the cultural traps, the social media, the trash entertainment, the dehumanisation as a result of greedy ambition. His heroes go from squats to the White House and there is no holding on. Thank god for that!
I can't find only one story as a favourite out of the thirteen, I find it hard to pick as every single one gave me lots to think and feel. But the one that broke my heart and I found so powerfully grotesque and tragicomic was the Eat Nasty.
I loved this book. I loved it indeed. And now as a reader I've reached the point that whatever piece of writing brings the signature of Rupert Dreyfus, I will unfold eagerly, with much respect.
Absurdist fiction is a very hard thing for me. Many attempt to recreate Ionesco and Kafka, or Beckett and Amis but if it's not supported by a deep understanding and according philosophy it can be a smelly mess instead. I had an artist friend that once called me to tell me that he sent me a seven page letter. Oh, and what are you writing about, I was intrigued? You'll see, was the meaningful response. When I opened the letter there were indeed seven pages folded inside but completely empty. Not a dot. Later with a very self-congratulating smirk he explained it was an absurdist statement for 'what is left unsaid'. I felt embarrassed on his behalf. The same goes for a number of works I've read by people so desperate to come across as fashionably weird but possess a rather super logical, super conventional and square head.
What I'm trying to say, not very kindly I'm afraid, is that for me the intention and pretension does not equate with authenticity of literary or artistic voice. (Although the intention is something to be congratulated per se). The five stars above go very gratefully for that very authenticity and the conviction that Rupert's writing offers.
The Rebel is a razor sharp observer, anthropocentric, prophet of doom, maximalist, nihilist, grotesque and beautiful in strange virgin ways. He laments and he spits at the cultural traps, the social media, the trash entertainment, the dehumanisation as a result of greedy ambition. His heroes go from squats to the White House and there is no holding on. Thank god for that!
I can't find only one story as a favourite out of the thirteen, I find it hard to pick as every single one gave me lots to think and feel. But the one that broke my heart and I found so powerfully grotesque and tragicomic was the Eat Nasty.
I loved this book. I loved it indeed. And now as a reader I've reached the point that whatever piece of writing brings the signature of Rupert Dreyfus, I will unfold eagerly, with much respect.
January 13, 2016
I rated my own book 5 stars. Wut?
June 10, 2016
Here be 13 short stories blending “transgressive fiction, black comedy and satire.” The REBEL’S SKETCHBOOK has a nice mix of modern-day themes meeting personal tales of frustration/isolation.
Divided into 16 chapters, Dreyfus illustrates the struggle/anguish of the common man (from a first-person perspective) in a number of every-day situations, from zero-hour-contract work to being ill/trying to claim benefits.
There is a biting, playful confidence in the words of the author (it wouldn’t surprise me that these stories were based on real-life encounters), with his voice often speaking with a resigned disbelief in the face of his forced wage-labour commitments and run-ins with rich/corporate people.
Many of situations the narrator finds himself in will be familiar to a lot of people (particularly now, in Britain). ‘FINGERED’ (great opener) will be particularly relevant to anyone who’s worked a half-arsed job in the hotel/catering industry (me):
“Truth is I didn’t take my job seriously enough but I had to pretend that I did in order to rack up enough hours just to make ends meet”
… while ‘HOTEL SCUM’ (pg 183) has a similar setting, but is written from the perspective of various punks occupying the building.
Dreyfus has envisions of the future in ‘ICE AGE COMING’; and drops various video games references throughout the book, emphasizing his characters(s)’ need for escapism. Other standouts include ‘EAT NASTY’ (a nod to the days when 2 brothers used to eat snales in the back-garden); and ‘DEAD MAN’S BLUNT’, which sees the narrator personifying a blunt, in similar vein to KRS-1’s ‘Can’t Wake Up (I’m a Blunt)’.
To be perfectly honest, prior to picking this book up (ie reading it on a laptop screen), I wasn’t in the mood for reading (I’ve been ill; and the head’s never all there). But I ended up giving this a go. I counted 6 lines in before I realised this was going to be something worth my time; and ended up thoroughly enjoying it.
Dreyfus demonstrates a knack for stream-of-consciousness storytelling, hitting out a various aspects of life with this collection of personal, diary-like entries. He never wanders too far off point (and when he does, you can emphasize with him); the stories are intriguing; they feel real.
(Rupert Dreyfus is a grassroots author currently seeking refuge, somewhere, in the far-northern part of England).
Divided into 16 chapters, Dreyfus illustrates the struggle/anguish of the common man (from a first-person perspective) in a number of every-day situations, from zero-hour-contract work to being ill/trying to claim benefits.
There is a biting, playful confidence in the words of the author (it wouldn’t surprise me that these stories were based on real-life encounters), with his voice often speaking with a resigned disbelief in the face of his forced wage-labour commitments and run-ins with rich/corporate people.
Many of situations the narrator finds himself in will be familiar to a lot of people (particularly now, in Britain). ‘FINGERED’ (great opener) will be particularly relevant to anyone who’s worked a half-arsed job in the hotel/catering industry (me):
“Truth is I didn’t take my job seriously enough but I had to pretend that I did in order to rack up enough hours just to make ends meet”
… while ‘HOTEL SCUM’ (pg 183) has a similar setting, but is written from the perspective of various punks occupying the building.
Dreyfus has envisions of the future in ‘ICE AGE COMING’; and drops various video games references throughout the book, emphasizing his characters(s)’ need for escapism. Other standouts include ‘EAT NASTY’ (a nod to the days when 2 brothers used to eat snales in the back-garden); and ‘DEAD MAN’S BLUNT’, which sees the narrator personifying a blunt, in similar vein to KRS-1’s ‘Can’t Wake Up (I’m a Blunt)’.
To be perfectly honest, prior to picking this book up (ie reading it on a laptop screen), I wasn’t in the mood for reading (I’ve been ill; and the head’s never all there). But I ended up giving this a go. I counted 6 lines in before I realised this was going to be something worth my time; and ended up thoroughly enjoying it.
Dreyfus demonstrates a knack for stream-of-consciousness storytelling, hitting out a various aspects of life with this collection of personal, diary-like entries. He never wanders too far off point (and when he does, you can emphasize with him); the stories are intriguing; they feel real.
(Rupert Dreyfus is a grassroots author currently seeking refuge, somewhere, in the far-northern part of England).
March 31, 2016
I often have trouble reviewing short story collections for varying reasons. In this case the sum truly is greater than the parts. Like Dreyfus's novel Spark this collection would definitely fit within the transgressive fiction genre. The stories are filled with depravity, violence and disturbing behavior. There's nothing gratuitous about it, on the contrary the very carelessness and indifferent attitude the characters hold toward their own actions end up reflecting the society that has created them.
Many of the criticism embedded in the tales resonate with my personal beliefs and concerns. The extreme disparity between people at the bottom of society struggling to make ends meet and then paying people insane amounts of money for their mind numbingly idiotic Youtube videos is glaringly revealed in the book. Although all tales involve different characters they also make up a whole and even draw connections to Spark. When taken together this is a war cry, a call for action and also somewhat a despondent last ditch attempt to shake up humanity. All told with a biting sense of humor. Several times I was reminded of the short stories published by Danish author Villy Sørensen in the 1950s and 60s.
A few of the stories were a bit silly for my taste, and some verge on the didactic, but I absolutely understand the compulsion to shout at the reader when it feels like everything is going to hell in a handbag. This is an important book, not just for the stories themselves, but for how they shine a bright light on modern society, revealing all the problems hidden in the shadows.
(I was kindly given my copy of the book by the author)
Many of the criticism embedded in the tales resonate with my personal beliefs and concerns. The extreme disparity between people at the bottom of society struggling to make ends meet and then paying people insane amounts of money for their mind numbingly idiotic Youtube videos is glaringly revealed in the book. Although all tales involve different characters they also make up a whole and even draw connections to Spark. When taken together this is a war cry, a call for action and also somewhat a despondent last ditch attempt to shake up humanity. All told with a biting sense of humor. Several times I was reminded of the short stories published by Danish author Villy Sørensen in the 1950s and 60s.
A few of the stories were a bit silly for my taste, and some verge on the didactic, but I absolutely understand the compulsion to shout at the reader when it feels like everything is going to hell in a handbag. This is an important book, not just for the stories themselves, but for how they shine a bright light on modern society, revealing all the problems hidden in the shadows.
(I was kindly given my copy of the book by the author)
August 21, 2015
I quite admire and agree with Rupert Dreyfus's spirit and method for creating this collection of stories. I know this is more about the state of modern Britain, but it most certainly resonates will the same illness we have in America. Fight!
The spirit and tone of these sketches reminds me quite a bit of the American T.V. series IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. Why--well, on this show you get the sense of people made absurd by the world they live in. It forces them to come up with ridiculous schemes to survive the rising waters. On the TV they do things like make their bar into a magnet for underage drinking, blackmail their friends, sleep with each other's rich relatives, smoke crack to get welfare, bet money in underground fight clubs, pretend to be crippled for sympathy---
The dark "sunniness" surrounding these stoog-y antics is Philadelphia itself, which is just a microcosmic stand-in for the larger modern word that twists up the behavior of these characters. Move these characters to other venues, largely in Britain...
The protagonists here are equally demented in their creativity and the source of their rebellion may be a tad more obvious, but it is in the same vein. I can't reveal the details of any of Rupert's plot lines without spoiling his stories--let's just say there is a pervasive anarchy-punk thread moving through this that an old raccoon eyed punk girl can appreciate. No safety pins or romper-stompers necessary.
Thought I'd end with a quote from a band I'm assuming Rupert loves/knows--seems to sum up grandly---
The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight
--Dead Kennedys , "Kill The Poor"
The spirit and tone of these sketches reminds me quite a bit of the American T.V. series IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. Why--well, on this show you get the sense of people made absurd by the world they live in. It forces them to come up with ridiculous schemes to survive the rising waters. On the TV they do things like make their bar into a magnet for underage drinking, blackmail their friends, sleep with each other's rich relatives, smoke crack to get welfare, bet money in underground fight clubs, pretend to be crippled for sympathy---
The dark "sunniness" surrounding these stoog-y antics is Philadelphia itself, which is just a microcosmic stand-in for the larger modern word that twists up the behavior of these characters. Move these characters to other venues, largely in Britain...
The protagonists here are equally demented in their creativity and the source of their rebellion may be a tad more obvious, but it is in the same vein. I can't reveal the details of any of Rupert's plot lines without spoiling his stories--let's just say there is a pervasive anarchy-punk thread moving through this that an old raccoon eyed punk girl can appreciate. No safety pins or romper-stompers necessary.
Thought I'd end with a quote from a band I'm assuming Rupert loves/knows--seems to sum up grandly---
The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight
--Dead Kennedys , "Kill The Poor"
January 10, 2016
This was received for an honest review.
Every time I tried to review this I got distracted, especially on my phone, I think I lost my review of this like three times, I guess that's the benefits of posting book reviews on blogs.
This short story collection is a blend of satire and bizarro. I can't tell if it's exactly bizarro or satire, there's comedic Sci-Fi and absurdism that make up for the bulk of this collection. Funny enough, I thought based on the title and the book cover, that this was going to be more of a noir/Sci-Fi, forgetting the absurdist stuff and instead encountered stories that were kind of on the brink of the shows you watch on Adult Swim. The Rebel's Sketchbook runs on the themes of digital ennui, the failure of capitalism, the fears of terrorism, Youtube pop stardom and cyber bullying, and of course the end of the world.
There was a saying for this, but I don't remember who the hell said it. But one of the ways to cope with a tragedy in the universe is to find the light of it. Although there isn't any light when it comes to death or starvation. But The Rebel's Sketchbook is an odd collection because the stories are completely random and out of the blue. Much like the bizarro genre, some of the ideas in this collection seem to come from the strain of thought process that is a "What if?"
What if a Youtube star was forced to use some obscure Twitteresque social media site and got bullied to death by a internet troll?
What if a cigarette had the feelings of a human?
What if the world ended with you and the president together? (I could be wrong about this, I read this long ago.)
what if a guy became a male escort for a fishy company?
All of this is narrated by a snarky British dude that kind of doesn't give a crap about anything until it involves him and his money.
And well. I enjoyed it, it was a fun read if you want some campy satirical fiction. I recommend it to fans of bizarro or Sci-Fi, or anyone looking for a read that doesn't take itself seriously.
Every time I tried to review this I got distracted, especially on my phone, I think I lost my review of this like three times, I guess that's the benefits of posting book reviews on blogs.
This short story collection is a blend of satire and bizarro. I can't tell if it's exactly bizarro or satire, there's comedic Sci-Fi and absurdism that make up for the bulk of this collection. Funny enough, I thought based on the title and the book cover, that this was going to be more of a noir/Sci-Fi, forgetting the absurdist stuff and instead encountered stories that were kind of on the brink of the shows you watch on Adult Swim. The Rebel's Sketchbook runs on the themes of digital ennui, the failure of capitalism, the fears of terrorism, Youtube pop stardom and cyber bullying, and of course the end of the world.
There was a saying for this, but I don't remember who the hell said it. But one of the ways to cope with a tragedy in the universe is to find the light of it. Although there isn't any light when it comes to death or starvation. But The Rebel's Sketchbook is an odd collection because the stories are completely random and out of the blue. Much like the bizarro genre, some of the ideas in this collection seem to come from the strain of thought process that is a "What if?"
What if a Youtube star was forced to use some obscure Twitteresque social media site and got bullied to death by a internet troll?
What if a cigarette had the feelings of a human?
What if the world ended with you and the president together? (I could be wrong about this, I read this long ago.)
what if a guy became a male escort for a fishy company?
All of this is narrated by a snarky British dude that kind of doesn't give a crap about anything until it involves him and his money.
And well. I enjoyed it, it was a fun read if you want some campy satirical fiction. I recommend it to fans of bizarro or Sci-Fi, or anyone looking for a read that doesn't take itself seriously.
July 26, 2015
The Rebel's Sketchbook asks the question we should all be asking. What the bleep is going on here?! But as this riveting collection of short stories points out, we're too busy tweeting and you-tubing and screwing our environment and getting screwed by politicians and corporations to ask any of the pertinent questions!
Dreyfus expertly intertwines humor and outrage so that many of the stories in The Rebel's Sketchbook are pretty darn funny. And not just snarky under your breath funny, but even laughing out loud hilarious funny. The reader is left both laughing and thinking.
Another aspect that I really liked about this collection is the connections between the stories--stories and events that are paramount in one story are part of the backstory in another. I like the effort this shows on the author's part, but it also makes reading more involved.
Dreyfus leaves us with a word of hope. He urges us to rebel. It is a welcome change after all the nihilist we're doomed and there's nothing we can do about it attitude that pervades our culture.
Dreyfus expertly intertwines humor and outrage so that many of the stories in The Rebel's Sketchbook are pretty darn funny. And not just snarky under your breath funny, but even laughing out loud hilarious funny. The reader is left both laughing and thinking.
Another aspect that I really liked about this collection is the connections between the stories--stories and events that are paramount in one story are part of the backstory in another. I like the effort this shows on the author's part, but it also makes reading more involved.
Dreyfus leaves us with a word of hope. He urges us to rebel. It is a welcome change after all the nihilist we're doomed and there's nothing we can do about it attitude that pervades our culture.
November 1, 2016
"The Rebels Sketchbook" is a collection of short stories by Rupert Dreyfus. Honestly, this book was a great read, and made me think about the life we lead today. Politicians, music, the internet, and everything else that can seem very silly when looking at it from a certain standpoint. My particular favorite was the story entitled "Sentenced" which was about a famous Youtube personality.
I gave this book five stars because I really enjoyed the stories and the ideas behind them. It really gave me pause to think about fame and the reasons behind it. Sometimes, people get famous and rich for no really great reason. They aren't any better than anyone else, and are oftentimes worse.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who thinks a little differently than the masses and is a leader, not a follower. This book was a great reminder to not be a "sheeple" and to rebel against what you know is wrong. Great book, Mr. Dreyfus!
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways, thank you, I enjoyed it!
I gave this book five stars because I really enjoyed the stories and the ideas behind them. It really gave me pause to think about fame and the reasons behind it. Sometimes, people get famous and rich for no really great reason. They aren't any better than anyone else, and are oftentimes worse.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who thinks a little differently than the masses and is a leader, not a follower. This book was a great reminder to not be a "sheeple" and to rebel against what you know is wrong. Great book, Mr. Dreyfus!
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways, thank you, I enjoyed it!
October 25, 2015
I loved this book.
The Rebel's Sketchbook is a collection of incredibly relateable short stories about the things that reside in the arse crack of humanity, such as corrupt politicians, talentless boy bands, corporate fat cats and the time-swallowing, worthless addiction that is social media.
The author knows when to be funny, when to be serious and when to utterly take the piss. He creates some wonderful characters and his dark humour works brilliantly with these themes.
The last story makes it clear that the author is writing, not just to entertain, but to try and create a better world by waking people up and making them think and not settle into the mass epidemic of apathy.
I'll be reading it again soon.
The Rebel's Sketchbook is a collection of incredibly relateable short stories about the things that reside in the arse crack of humanity, such as corrupt politicians, talentless boy bands, corporate fat cats and the time-swallowing, worthless addiction that is social media.
The author knows when to be funny, when to be serious and when to utterly take the piss. He creates some wonderful characters and his dark humour works brilliantly with these themes.
The last story makes it clear that the author is writing, not just to entertain, but to try and create a better world by waking people up and making them think and not settle into the mass epidemic of apathy.
I'll be reading it again soon.
September 2, 2018
Thirteen stories and a powerful essay to wrap it all up, every piece of this thing will stick with you. Transgressive fiction and satire are used to highlight very real issues we face, each tale highlights one or more of these problems, and the tone helps make the message easier to digest as you move through the pages. It isn’t preachy, or angsty, or arrogant; the stories are told in a darkly humorous style, the first-person point of view used to focus your attention and force you to consider situations from a different perspective, without being abrasive. At least that way you can enjoy humanity’s downward spiral. Everything from a bellboy to a blunt, a pack of crusty punks to the attention whores that pollute the interwebs. Collections can sometimes be hit or miss, and it isn’t often that EVERY SINGLE STORY IS A FUCKING GEM. Sorry for the caps lock, but I’m not going to fix it. As a reader, it is also difficult to write something that will encourage others to take a look, to invite them along on a journey you enjoyed, just so they can share the experience. But this is definitely one you should take a look at. Make sure to pay attention along the way, maybe learn something while you laugh. Here's the basics, I will keep it short:
Fingered - Fucking boy bands. And twiiiiiiins.
Hatchet Job - Online gaming.
On the President’s Watch - The one chosen by the majority.
Sentenced - Social Media.
Cleo’s Encounter - Foil hats.
Mo’s Lesson - The daily grind.
Eat Nasty - Like me.
Outrage - Elitism.
Dead Man’s blunt - When Pops is gone.
Hotel Scum - Gnome fucking way.
Martha - Making ends meet.
Growth - A new trend.
Ice Age Coming - What did you learn?
So that’s it. My opinion of the thing. Now go read it, and tell others.
Fingered - Fucking boy bands. And twiiiiiiins.
Hatchet Job - Online gaming.
On the President’s Watch - The one chosen by the majority.
Sentenced - Social Media.
Cleo’s Encounter - Foil hats.
Mo’s Lesson - The daily grind.
Eat Nasty - Like me.
Outrage - Elitism.
Dead Man’s blunt - When Pops is gone.
Hotel Scum - Gnome fucking way.
Martha - Making ends meet.
Growth - A new trend.
Ice Age Coming - What did you learn?
So that’s it. My opinion of the thing. Now go read it, and tell others.
January 16, 2016
There is a reason “The Rebel’s Sketchbook” (TRS) was named one of the Morning Star’s books of 2015.
Rupert Dreyfus, aside from being an author of incredible skill, is also a searingly astute political, ethnological and social commentator – something which shines through in this, his second outing.
TRS is a collection of 13 short stories which on the one hand vary wildly in tone and style, but on the other contain a running theme of the intensifying class war that is being waged on the precariats in society by both the Establishment and corporations – and where we, as a species, may end up.
Swipes at Pop Culture hurtle towards you faster than Eric Pickle’s biscuit tin is emptied – from the Jedward-esque boyband in “Fingered”, the Tor-inspired “Deep Web” and a nod at “The Walking Dead”, to vacuous Vloggers like Zoella and Caspar Lee, the New World Order and even a hint at what “The Word” may look like if it was resurrected on YouTube.
This is partly what makes Dreyfus one of the most accessible politically-driven, anti-capitalist writers around – his work is interlaced with references everyone of a certain generation can identify with. But his real skill is in his use of language, tone and structure.
Paragraphs are generally short, sometimes near-staccato in formation, to keep the reader engaged. The language (while not suitable for your Great Aunt Mavis) is aimed squarely at his target audience, and semantically he doesn’t over-embellish. But Dreyfus still manages to make the tone of each story distinct to reflect the character who is relaying it to us, which is crucial to understanding the point he is trying to make with each piece.
But the cleverest device is the way Dreyfus ensures we know that all the stories are set at the same place in time (critical to understanding the overall message of TRS). While each one is a tale in its own right, certain, very subtle “props” appear throughout the book – the online gaming platform called “Hatchet Job”, robots doing the work of checkout operators, the same, on-trend drug called “Black Sheep”, constant YouTube references – all point us towards a dystopian future not so far away.
For me, there were no “stand out” stories, however to give you a taster:
“Sentenced”. A seemingly dark tale about the dangerous pitfalls of social media for those who live in that world, but one which I found more waspishly satirical and wry than serious, as it highlight’s the preposterousness of these platforms and those who make a “career” out of them. As someone who inhabits the “Twittersphere” on a daily basis, the observations Dreyfus makes about how they and those within them operate are devastatingly close to the mark – but the genius in the story is the completely deadpan way he presents the narrative from the protagonist’s viewpoint; take a step away, and the ludicrousness is staring right back at you – especially the razor-sharpened ending.
The dénouement of TRS is somewhat of a shock, in terms of its stark displacement from rest of the book – however it works well, and serves as a fitting last shout of the message Dreyfus is trying to encourage us to listen to.
Like his first book “Spark”, TRS could so easily be lifted off the page and transferred onto our screens. Think Charlie Brooker’s “Black Mirror”, then add some class credibility and real guts, and you have an award-winning series in the making – one which nobody would probably dare commission. I think Rupert may well be pleased about that fact…
Overall? I would thoroughly recommend “The Rebel’s Sketchbook”. Essential reading for anyone on the fringes of our political spectrum – and equally essential for those slap-bang in the centre.
Get off your social media. Go buy this book.
Now.
This instant.
It may be a work of fiction, but the reality of the message Dreyfus is conveying is one that should worry us all.
Rupert Dreyfus, aside from being an author of incredible skill, is also a searingly astute political, ethnological and social commentator – something which shines through in this, his second outing.
TRS is a collection of 13 short stories which on the one hand vary wildly in tone and style, but on the other contain a running theme of the intensifying class war that is being waged on the precariats in society by both the Establishment and corporations – and where we, as a species, may end up.
Swipes at Pop Culture hurtle towards you faster than Eric Pickle’s biscuit tin is emptied – from the Jedward-esque boyband in “Fingered”, the Tor-inspired “Deep Web” and a nod at “The Walking Dead”, to vacuous Vloggers like Zoella and Caspar Lee, the New World Order and even a hint at what “The Word” may look like if it was resurrected on YouTube.
This is partly what makes Dreyfus one of the most accessible politically-driven, anti-capitalist writers around – his work is interlaced with references everyone of a certain generation can identify with. But his real skill is in his use of language, tone and structure.
Paragraphs are generally short, sometimes near-staccato in formation, to keep the reader engaged. The language (while not suitable for your Great Aunt Mavis) is aimed squarely at his target audience, and semantically he doesn’t over-embellish. But Dreyfus still manages to make the tone of each story distinct to reflect the character who is relaying it to us, which is crucial to understanding the point he is trying to make with each piece.
But the cleverest device is the way Dreyfus ensures we know that all the stories are set at the same place in time (critical to understanding the overall message of TRS). While each one is a tale in its own right, certain, very subtle “props” appear throughout the book – the online gaming platform called “Hatchet Job”, robots doing the work of checkout operators, the same, on-trend drug called “Black Sheep”, constant YouTube references – all point us towards a dystopian future not so far away.
For me, there were no “stand out” stories, however to give you a taster:
“Sentenced”. A seemingly dark tale about the dangerous pitfalls of social media for those who live in that world, but one which I found more waspishly satirical and wry than serious, as it highlight’s the preposterousness of these platforms and those who make a “career” out of them. As someone who inhabits the “Twittersphere” on a daily basis, the observations Dreyfus makes about how they and those within them operate are devastatingly close to the mark – but the genius in the story is the completely deadpan way he presents the narrative from the protagonist’s viewpoint; take a step away, and the ludicrousness is staring right back at you – especially the razor-sharpened ending.
The dénouement of TRS is somewhat of a shock, in terms of its stark displacement from rest of the book – however it works well, and serves as a fitting last shout of the message Dreyfus is trying to encourage us to listen to.
Like his first book “Spark”, TRS could so easily be lifted off the page and transferred onto our screens. Think Charlie Brooker’s “Black Mirror”, then add some class credibility and real guts, and you have an award-winning series in the making – one which nobody would probably dare commission. I think Rupert may well be pleased about that fact…
Overall? I would thoroughly recommend “The Rebel’s Sketchbook”. Essential reading for anyone on the fringes of our political spectrum – and equally essential for those slap-bang in the centre.
Get off your social media. Go buy this book.
Now.
This instant.
It may be a work of fiction, but the reality of the message Dreyfus is conveying is one that should worry us all.
October 26, 2015
Short stories are, for me, an undervalued medium in literature. Many of the great literary figures have at some point written short stories, but they often take a back seat to longer and famous works. J. G Ballard and Malcolm Bradbury are no exception to that rule, but in my opinion their short stories are their best works…. So, as you may have guessed I like short stories and was very interested to read ‘Rebel’s Sketchbook’…. I was not to be disappointed.
Rupert clearly has a vivid imagination that he has managed to distil into a funny, nasty, contemporary, and original piece of work. They way that the stories interweave with each other makes Rebel’s Sketchbook much more than just a ‘collection’ of short stories.
There is all kinds of things going on in these stories. It is the literary equivalent of sitting in the space port bar in Mos-Eisley and eating those sweets that start crackling and fizzing when in your mouth.
I can’t pick a favourite story, to be honest. At a push I would go for ‘Eat Nasty’, although they are all of a high quality – no filler whatsoever….
If I was able to award this book 6 starts instead of five, I would be asking why I can’t give it a 7.
Seriously, it is that good! If it had been written by some chinless Oxbridge tosser then the author would be courted by the Guardian & have Faber & Faber offering him a contract….. Although, there is plenty time yet :)…. Read this book!! £2.99, absolute bargain- and watch out for him in the future….
Rupert clearly has a vivid imagination that he has managed to distil into a funny, nasty, contemporary, and original piece of work. They way that the stories interweave with each other makes Rebel’s Sketchbook much more than just a ‘collection’ of short stories.
There is all kinds of things going on in these stories. It is the literary equivalent of sitting in the space port bar in Mos-Eisley and eating those sweets that start crackling and fizzing when in your mouth.
I can’t pick a favourite story, to be honest. At a push I would go for ‘Eat Nasty’, although they are all of a high quality – no filler whatsoever….
If I was able to award this book 6 starts instead of five, I would be asking why I can’t give it a 7.
Seriously, it is that good! If it had been written by some chinless Oxbridge tosser then the author would be courted by the Guardian & have Faber & Faber offering him a contract….. Although, there is plenty time yet :)…. Read this book!! £2.99, absolute bargain- and watch out for him in the future….
August 2, 2015
One of the very few books I look forward to reading again, and again. The Rebel's Sketchbook is a collection of short stories depicting our totally injust society today, in an entertaining and thought provoking way.
I frequently laughed out loud, smirked or nodded in agreement with the situations the characters found themselves in. But never, ever, predicted how each story was going to end. I loved the suspense and the uniqueness of the authors writing and point of view.
I couldn't possibly choose a favourite from the collection, as they are all too special in their own rights. However, I do like the sneaky intertwining between some of them.
Although not compulsory, I highly recommend Ruperts novel Spark to acquaint yourself to his style of writing and humour, and also spot some references to some of the stories.
Let's rebel :-)
I frequently laughed out loud, smirked or nodded in agreement with the situations the characters found themselves in. But never, ever, predicted how each story was going to end. I loved the suspense and the uniqueness of the authors writing and point of view.
I couldn't possibly choose a favourite from the collection, as they are all too special in their own rights. However, I do like the sneaky intertwining between some of them.
Although not compulsory, I highly recommend Ruperts novel Spark to acquaint yourself to his style of writing and humour, and also spot some references to some of the stories.
Let's rebel :-)
September 2, 2015
When reading this book, you think, 'oh, short stories, nice little appetisers between work or whilst smoking,' they are indeed short but that cigarette you're holding, it will be burning your fingers whilst Dreyfus' stories fly across the page. From talentless boy bands to minimum wagers and gamer fantasists, the stories are fast, fresh and at times hilarious whilst always being relevant and the author's observations on society right now are spot on. The added references to previous stories and characters were surprising and exceptionally well done, it felt like you were in on the private joke. It's a no-holds-barred assault on society and thank R.D for that. It's one of the best books i've read this year.
November 9, 2015
This was on my to-read pile for a while--so glad I got around to it!
The premises for each of the twisted little stories in this collection are so wickedly hilarious, it's hard not to like. Half of them I read with horrified recognition (OF A FRIEND I SWEAR), others with gleeful little bursts of schadenfreude laughter.
Perfect for folks of who see the darkly humorous side of our modern world.
The premises for each of the twisted little stories in this collection are so wickedly hilarious, it's hard not to like. Half of them I read with horrified recognition (OF A FRIEND I SWEAR), others with gleeful little bursts of schadenfreude laughter.
Perfect for folks of who see the darkly humorous side of our modern world.
March 20, 2016
Goodbye everyone and fuck you all. Heh heh. I have not read a short story collection in years. This one was great. It kind of reminded me of a TV series called 'Black Mirror'. This was funnier though. Anyway, great book.
May 19, 2017
Most of my favourite satirical authors are American which has always surprised me, because no one really quite does satire as well as the British. Thankfully, this little island now has an emerging new voice rising up amongst all the mindless clatter and it's pretty pissed off about how shit things have gotten for the 99% of us who seem to only exist to serve those high and mighty 1 percenters.
The Rebel's Sketchbook is a series of 13 short stories by Rupert Dreyfus which could have been called something like 'Life in Britain as We Know It Today' (but that's a shit title), as Dreyfus expertly showcases the very worst of what has happened to our society in a hilariously dark context.
All of the stories were vividly entertaining in a grotesque, black comedy way. Some of my favourites were Eat Nasty, a sickening but comedic account of how far some people will go to become famous on Youtube, Outrage, a hilariously bleak story about a virus that infects people who aren't on benefits so that they want to eat those who are on them, Hatchet Job, the tale of a man who runs out of money and decides to become a hit man on the Deep Web because he loves the video game of the same name, Mo's Lesson, a bitterly short coming-of-age-story where a young man learns that work just doesn't pay, and Sentenced, a full on attack on the meaningless nature of social media, but one that demonstrates how easily the tables can be turned on those who waste so much time on them.
Dreyfus exposes the perpetrators who often hide behind the scenes, whilst giving a voice to the victims of zero hour contracts, benefit sanctions and menial jobs through a range of colourful, awkward and often utterly fucked up characters. Some of the stories will make you feel physically sick (in a weird, good way as satire often does), but they will also make you think about why everything is so rubbish and who's really to blame.
I look forward to reading more from Dreyfus in the future!
The Rebel's Sketchbook is a series of 13 short stories by Rupert Dreyfus which could have been called something like 'Life in Britain as We Know It Today' (but that's a shit title), as Dreyfus expertly showcases the very worst of what has happened to our society in a hilariously dark context.
All of the stories were vividly entertaining in a grotesque, black comedy way. Some of my favourites were Eat Nasty, a sickening but comedic account of how far some people will go to become famous on Youtube, Outrage, a hilariously bleak story about a virus that infects people who aren't on benefits so that they want to eat those who are on them, Hatchet Job, the tale of a man who runs out of money and decides to become a hit man on the Deep Web because he loves the video game of the same name, Mo's Lesson, a bitterly short coming-of-age-story where a young man learns that work just doesn't pay, and Sentenced, a full on attack on the meaningless nature of social media, but one that demonstrates how easily the tables can be turned on those who waste so much time on them.
Dreyfus exposes the perpetrators who often hide behind the scenes, whilst giving a voice to the victims of zero hour contracts, benefit sanctions and menial jobs through a range of colourful, awkward and often utterly fucked up characters. Some of the stories will make you feel physically sick (in a weird, good way as satire often does), but they will also make you think about why everything is so rubbish and who's really to blame.
I look forward to reading more from Dreyfus in the future!
February 26, 2016
The Rebel’s Sketchbook is a collection of 13 first person satirical short stories. Subjects encompass capitalism, class war, drugs, viral culture, boy bands and zero hour contracts. The compilation’s motif is rebellion. Outrage is a tale about citizens turning into zombies and attacking people on benefits. There is also the surreal and aptly named Dead Man’s Blunt. Another features a community of anarchist punks. The book’s colourful cast includes Palahniuk-esque creation Eat Nasty, the proprietor of a popular YouTube channel. Amongst the visceral and erudite descriptions is the comparing of social media consumption to sucking vomit through a straw, gagging and wincing, but continuing to do so.
These stories are not for the faint-hearted. The dark humour, cynical observations and scathing social commentary appealed to this reader, an ardent devotee of transgressive fiction. Though not all will share the socialist sentiments of the author, they will find it difficult to ignore the ominous warnings regarding capitalism and the vapid nature of consumerist society.
These stories are not for the faint-hearted. The dark humour, cynical observations and scathing social commentary appealed to this reader, an ardent devotee of transgressive fiction. Though not all will share the socialist sentiments of the author, they will find it difficult to ignore the ominous warnings regarding capitalism and the vapid nature of consumerist society.
September 24, 2015
I just finished The Rebel's Sketchbook, and as I expected from Rupert Dreyfus, it was an excellent read that kept me guessing throughout the experience.
This is a collection of several short stories that loosely relate to each other in themes and/or characters. There are also a few references to Dreyfus's previous novel, 'Spark', sprinkled throughout which is a nice touch that adds a little continuity to his increasingly big and interesting transgressive version of England. In the future, I hope that the mythologies and stories that have been started both here and in 'Spark' will continue to grow into a larger and expansive world!
The Rebel's Sketchbook is funny at times, haunting in others, sad and depressing and absurd, and this is a true compliment to the book. It's rare that one work can evoke so many emotions in such a short amount of space, and it never feels disjointed or disconnected. The central themes that run through all of the stories is one of anarchy and rebellion against a greater and corrupt system, and this will surely resonate with many people around the world.
In short story collection reviews, it's probably customary to pick a favorite and share it, so I'll do just that. I enjoyed 'Mo's Lesson' the most. It's the tale of a disassociated young worker who is unhappy with the realization that they'll likely be locked into a meaningless, droning office job for the rest of their life, and the actions they take to avoid that outcome. Perhaps the story hit close to home for me, but it's well-written and is one of the standout's that really makes you empathize with the character.
The only minor criticism that I'd aim at the book is that it doesn't often go far enough to explain WHY we should rebel against the system. For a person reading the book who is already fully on the side of anarchy and rebellion, it is a love-letter and will be completely understood. But, if someone who had never expressed any problems with the "system" previously picked it up, they might not understand where all of the anger is coming from.
Regardless, this was an excellent read, and I can't wait to see what comes next from Rupert Dreyfus!
This is a collection of several short stories that loosely relate to each other in themes and/or characters. There are also a few references to Dreyfus's previous novel, 'Spark', sprinkled throughout which is a nice touch that adds a little continuity to his increasingly big and interesting transgressive version of England. In the future, I hope that the mythologies and stories that have been started both here and in 'Spark' will continue to grow into a larger and expansive world!
The Rebel's Sketchbook is funny at times, haunting in others, sad and depressing and absurd, and this is a true compliment to the book. It's rare that one work can evoke so many emotions in such a short amount of space, and it never feels disjointed or disconnected. The central themes that run through all of the stories is one of anarchy and rebellion against a greater and corrupt system, and this will surely resonate with many people around the world.
In short story collection reviews, it's probably customary to pick a favorite and share it, so I'll do just that. I enjoyed 'Mo's Lesson' the most. It's the tale of a disassociated young worker who is unhappy with the realization that they'll likely be locked into a meaningless, droning office job for the rest of their life, and the actions they take to avoid that outcome. Perhaps the story hit close to home for me, but it's well-written and is one of the standout's that really makes you empathize with the character.
The only minor criticism that I'd aim at the book is that it doesn't often go far enough to explain WHY we should rebel against the system. For a person reading the book who is already fully on the side of anarchy and rebellion, it is a love-letter and will be completely understood. But, if someone who had never expressed any problems with the "system" previously picked it up, they might not understand where all of the anger is coming from.
Regardless, this was an excellent read, and I can't wait to see what comes next from Rupert Dreyfus!
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