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Impossible Art: Notes on Dusty Springfield
"The story is part David Lynch, part comedy of errors, and readers will never quite know what will happen next. The scenes are loaded with surprises...A highly creative, if meandering, adventure." - Kirkus Reviews
"Canterel's prose style swings between heights of hyperbole and verbosity and depths of existentialist despair...His narrative consistently shows a polished command of language and a self-assured style." - Publishers Weekly
"It is a truly introspective body of work where the author takes you deep into visceral thoughts of the characters that make this book the beautiful novel that Quentin Canterel placed in our lives. In reading this book, you quickly realise that the art of writing is not dead.And Thank GOD for that. It has been a while since I enjoyed someone’s writing so much." - The Quidnunc
"Reads like The Jolly Coroner are so hard to find, and I hope to read more from this author." - Underratedreads.com
"It's seldom that you find a book to be hysterical and morbid at the same time. I enjoyed the originality of The Jolly Coroner and will be recommending to many readers." - Bodacious Books and Baubles
Evil wakes while the people sleep.
Amongst the strip malls, concrete blocks and empty parking lots of the Southern town of Hokum, the American dream lies broken. A helpless immigrant the state has declared dead finds himself unable to prove otherwise. Abused Mexican kids abduct their schoolteacher escaping back across the border. A haunted hillbilly dangles from a flagpole refusing to believe his wife and children aren't ghosts. The Warden, a camo-wearing military obsessive pedals drugs whilst blaring Stockhausen. A down on her luck junkie fails to drown herself and resurfaces to find love. All these characters have one thing in common: they will all find a way to wind themselves in to the coroner, Billy's life.
Billy's love of celebrity and aversion to hard work leaves a growing trail of wronged members of the public - a trail that he just can't seem to shake. Although he can't understand why, the townsfolk begin increasingly to mistake him for the devil. Amidst all the fun, THE JOLLY CORONER poses questions about moral decay and proves that a casual string of circumstances, in the right conditions, can lead to the rise of a dangerous man... only it's so accidental no one seems to notice.
"Canterel's prose style swings between heights of hyperbole and verbosity and depths of existentialist despair...His narrative consistently shows a polished command of language and a self-assured style." - Publishers Weekly
"It is a truly introspective body of work where the author takes you deep into visceral thoughts of the characters that make this book the beautiful novel that Quentin Canterel placed in our lives. In reading this book, you quickly realise that the art of writing is not dead.And Thank GOD for that. It has been a while since I enjoyed someone’s writing so much." - The Quidnunc
"Reads like The Jolly Coroner are so hard to find, and I hope to read more from this author." - Underratedreads.com
"It's seldom that you find a book to be hysterical and morbid at the same time. I enjoyed the originality of The Jolly Coroner and will be recommending to many readers." - Bodacious Books and Baubles
Evil wakes while the people sleep.
Amongst the strip malls, concrete blocks and empty parking lots of the Southern town of Hokum, the American dream lies broken. A helpless immigrant the state has declared dead finds himself unable to prove otherwise. Abused Mexican kids abduct their schoolteacher escaping back across the border. A haunted hillbilly dangles from a flagpole refusing to believe his wife and children aren't ghosts. The Warden, a camo-wearing military obsessive pedals drugs whilst blaring Stockhausen. A down on her luck junkie fails to drown herself and resurfaces to find love. All these characters have one thing in common: they will all find a way to wind themselves in to the coroner, Billy's life.
Billy's love of celebrity and aversion to hard work leaves a growing trail of wronged members of the public - a trail that he just can't seem to shake. Although he can't understand why, the townsfolk begin increasingly to mistake him for the devil. Amidst all the fun, THE JOLLY CORONER poses questions about moral decay and proves that a casual string of circumstances, in the right conditions, can lead to the rise of a dangerous man... only it's so accidental no one seems to notice.
- GenresFiction
82 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2015
1 person is currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 15, 2016
Hokum needed a coroner and the only applicant was Billy Rubino. He is a crabby man, who dislikes his job, except he gets to drink and look at porn. Some of the stranger characters in the town think Billy is the devil. He does seem to attract the weirdos.
This was a difficult book to get into. I didn't care for Billy and the other characters were really off the wall. The story did get better as you read it, but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with Billy and the whole romantic arc was a joke. There was some humor in there and an actual plot, but I was already turned off by the time I got to that point. I did finish it though, hence the Two Stars!
* I voluntarily read and ARC of this book and have given an honest review *
This was a difficult book to get into. I didn't care for Billy and the other characters were really off the wall. The story did get better as you read it, but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with Billy and the whole romantic arc was a joke. There was some humor in there and an actual plot, but I was already turned off by the time I got to that point. I did finish it though, hence the Two Stars!
* I voluntarily read and ARC of this book and have given an honest review *
May 20, 2016
Well written and darkly funny, The Jolly Coroner was engrossing and entertaining. Also a quick read for me. I love the weird and slightly macabre genre and this novel was definitely it! It's all in the details, this guy can make the inside of cardboard box seem interesting, yet somewhat menacing.
This would story would make a good David Lynch movie - does he still make movies?
This book was sent to me from Netgalley for an honest review.
This would story would make a good David Lynch movie - does he still make movies?
This book was sent to me from Netgalley for an honest review.
September 7, 2016
All in all/short version: 4 stars - I enjoyed this book even if it had its drawbacks. Things I did enjoy: the looming dread, the steady story-building and vivid atmosphere, the well fleshed-out characters, the tough questions raised and the sense of interconnectedness, or karma, so to say. Things I didn't enjoy: the slow pace, the fact that it doesn't get anywhere for about 60% of the book, the fact that some of the questions were not answered and the mystery didn't quite get resolved, and ultimately - the overdone use of obscure vocabulary.
Detailed version: In the Jolly Coroner, the author sets the atmosphere well, the descriptions are vivid and picturesque. Although the book starts out quite lighthearted, it steadily darkens throughout the story. Even if it is slowly developed, there is a nagging mystery that keeps coming out stronger and stronger - quite a dark one, about who (or what?) the main character really is - and it's a mystery to both us as well as the main character. No spoilers - but unfortunately, the story didn't come to a resolution I expected - or even the kind of resolution I expected. Maybe it was even too satisfying for a character you learn to hate, and then only barely begin to slightly like. But I did like reading about a person who is so far removed from the normal, empathetic human being and is not made out to be a hero or even a good man. Sometimes it's good to see through the eyes of someone you can only pity for being so blind. And yet you wonder - maybe it's just being different? Is it so bad if in the end their actions bring good outcomes, even if the motives were selfish, bordering on callous? I can not answer this question. Neither does the book - I guess you're meant to keep chewing on them until you come up with something. But ultimately, that's what literary fiction SHOULD make you do.
However, there was one drawback for me. See, in my opinion, there are cases where big fancy words do the text justice. But in the majority of texts, big fancy words just strike you as a means of showing status - say, somewhat like the problem older men get when they start buying increasingly expensive cars of dating increasingly younger women, all to compensate for.. something. This is what the author's use of big words comes across. It carries pretty much no additional meaning, it doesn't add depth to the story, all it does is fatigue the reader. You do get used to them, but for some of them even my Kindle's dictionary had no definition, so it just leaves you feeling slightly off. For those who don't take my word on it, I'll let the text speak for itself. Let me present you with a proud example of my "favourite" sentence in the book:
"Though he was a master of casuistry, his debates were mordantly eristic."
I rest my case.
All in all, this was a good read. I feel like it could have been expanded more, all those little questions could have been answered, the main mystery led up, built and delivered. But maybe this guessing was what the author intended, or maybe it was just a little too subtle for me? Try to read the book and answer this for yourself.
Detailed version: In the Jolly Coroner, the author sets the atmosphere well, the descriptions are vivid and picturesque. Although the book starts out quite lighthearted, it steadily darkens throughout the story. Even if it is slowly developed, there is a nagging mystery that keeps coming out stronger and stronger - quite a dark one, about who (or what?) the main character really is - and it's a mystery to both us as well as the main character. No spoilers - but unfortunately, the story didn't come to a resolution I expected - or even the kind of resolution I expected. Maybe it was even too satisfying for a character you learn to hate, and then only barely begin to slightly like. But I did like reading about a person who is so far removed from the normal, empathetic human being and is not made out to be a hero or even a good man. Sometimes it's good to see through the eyes of someone you can only pity for being so blind. And yet you wonder - maybe it's just being different? Is it so bad if in the end their actions bring good outcomes, even if the motives were selfish, bordering on callous? I can not answer this question. Neither does the book - I guess you're meant to keep chewing on them until you come up with something. But ultimately, that's what literary fiction SHOULD make you do.
However, there was one drawback for me. See, in my opinion, there are cases where big fancy words do the text justice. But in the majority of texts, big fancy words just strike you as a means of showing status - say, somewhat like the problem older men get when they start buying increasingly expensive cars of dating increasingly younger women, all to compensate for.. something. This is what the author's use of big words comes across. It carries pretty much no additional meaning, it doesn't add depth to the story, all it does is fatigue the reader. You do get used to them, but for some of them even my Kindle's dictionary had no definition, so it just leaves you feeling slightly off. For those who don't take my word on it, I'll let the text speak for itself. Let me present you with a proud example of my "favourite" sentence in the book:
"Though he was a master of casuistry, his debates were mordantly eristic."
I rest my case.
All in all, this was a good read. I feel like it could have been expanded more, all those little questions could have been answered, the main mystery led up, built and delivered. But maybe this guessing was what the author intended, or maybe it was just a little too subtle for me? Try to read the book and answer this for yourself.
December 22, 2022
The Publisher Says: Evil wakes while the people sleep.
Amongst the strip malls, concrete blocks and empty parking lots of the Southern town of Hokum, the American dream lies broken. A helpless immigrant the state has declared dead finds himself unable to prove otherwise. Abused Mexican kids abduct their schoolteacher escaping back across the border. A haunted hillbilly dangles from a flagpole refusing to believe his wife and children aren’t ghosts. The Warden, a camo-wearing military obsessive pedals drugs whilst blaring Stockhausen. A down on her luck junkie fails to drown herself and resurfaces to find love. All these characters have one thing in common: they will all find a way to wind themselves in to the coroner, Billy’s life.
Billy’s love of celebrity and aversion to hard work leaves a growing trail of wronged members of the public—a trail that he just can’t seem to shake. Although he can’t understand why, the townsfolk begin increasingly to mistake him for the devil. Amidst all the fun, THE JOLLY CORONER poses questions about moral decay and proves that a casual string of circumstances, in the right conditions, can lead to the rise of a dangerous man... only it’s so accidental no one seems to notice.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Mildly amusing, always interestingly presented story of sorts. The Ignatius J. Reilly-esque character of Billy isn't exactly a comedic dynamo. Much of the book...almost 2/3, at 63%...is spent building up to a completely wacky ending.
I got very close to Pearl-Ruling the book at multiple times and didn't because Billy's got something I like in a fictional character: An infuriating ability to be right. When you're sure he's wrong, he's weirdly right.
I don't think this is for everyone. I do think anyone who starts it will know by the 10% mark whether they're even going to be able to take the full trip. But if you can stick to it, there's a payoff in chortles and whinnys of laughter that made me think "oh...okay, that was a good time."
Amongst the strip malls, concrete blocks and empty parking lots of the Southern town of Hokum, the American dream lies broken. A helpless immigrant the state has declared dead finds himself unable to prove otherwise. Abused Mexican kids abduct their schoolteacher escaping back across the border. A haunted hillbilly dangles from a flagpole refusing to believe his wife and children aren’t ghosts. The Warden, a camo-wearing military obsessive pedals drugs whilst blaring Stockhausen. A down on her luck junkie fails to drown herself and resurfaces to find love. All these characters have one thing in common: they will all find a way to wind themselves in to the coroner, Billy’s life.
Billy’s love of celebrity and aversion to hard work leaves a growing trail of wronged members of the public—a trail that he just can’t seem to shake. Although he can’t understand why, the townsfolk begin increasingly to mistake him for the devil. Amidst all the fun, THE JOLLY CORONER poses questions about moral decay and proves that a casual string of circumstances, in the right conditions, can lead to the rise of a dangerous man... only it’s so accidental no one seems to notice.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Mildly amusing, always interestingly presented story of sorts. The Ignatius J. Reilly-esque character of Billy isn't exactly a comedic dynamo. Much of the book...almost 2/3, at 63%...is spent building up to a completely wacky ending.
I got very close to Pearl-Ruling the book at multiple times and didn't because Billy's got something I like in a fictional character: An infuriating ability to be right. When you're sure he's wrong, he's weirdly right.
I don't think this is for everyone. I do think anyone who starts it will know by the 10% mark whether they're even going to be able to take the full trip. But if you can stick to it, there's a payoff in chortles and whinnys of laughter that made me think "oh...okay, that was a good time."
May 13, 2016
Full disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
Billy Rubino is Hokum's grumpy coroner. He was the only person to apply to the job. He doesn't particularly enjoy it, but it gives him time to get drunk and look at Asian porn.
He tends to attract the weirder citizens of Hokum,-some who are convinced that Rubino is the Devil, such as a recently homeless Polish man who has to prove he's not dead, a schizophrenic family man who is convinced his family are actually ghosts, so he goes to live in the forest instead of dealing with them, a drug dealing, classical music loving redneck called the warden, and a suicidal junkie with a legendary family background.
It took me awhile to get into the story. Billy is definitely not a likable character. When it hit the part about the teacher kidnapped by 3 Mexican students, it got me. (That eventually ties in with the rest of the book. At first, you'll think it doesn't)
I found Rubino's love story line to be rather implausible. I can't imagine a nice-ish woman going for him. Especially, with how they meet and end up together.
Billy Rubino is Hokum's grumpy coroner. He was the only person to apply to the job. He doesn't particularly enjoy it, but it gives him time to get drunk and look at Asian porn.
He tends to attract the weirder citizens of Hokum,-some who are convinced that Rubino is the Devil, such as a recently homeless Polish man who has to prove he's not dead, a schizophrenic family man who is convinced his family are actually ghosts, so he goes to live in the forest instead of dealing with them, a drug dealing, classical music loving redneck called the warden, and a suicidal junkie with a legendary family background.
It took me awhile to get into the story. Billy is definitely not a likable character. When it hit the part about the teacher kidnapped by 3 Mexican students, it got me. (That eventually ties in with the rest of the book. At first, you'll think it doesn't)
I found Rubino's love story line to be rather implausible. I can't imagine a nice-ish woman going for him. Especially, with how they meet and end up together.
March 14, 2016
You haven't lived until you have read The Jolly Coroner. It is a truly introspective body of work where the author takes you deep into visceral thoughts of the characters that make this book the beautiful novel that Quentin Canterel placed in our lives. In reading this book, you quickly realize that the art of writing is not dead.
There are multiple storylines and multiple opportunities to 'choose your own adventure.' The fluidity at which the author moves the reader from one scene to the next makes you feel as if no time has passed, however, you quickly realize in fact you have traveled hundreds of miles and many hours in some cases.. all the while having a birds eye view into one of today's finest suspense thrillers.
Every character is described in a way that makes you feel that you have known them for a lifetime. As the reader, you find yourself rooting for some on not for others. But regardless of the side you take, you've been transported there.
The artistry in this work is something to be admired and cannot be denied. Bottomline here, is that I am eagerly awaiting the next work of Quentin Canterel.
There are multiple storylines and multiple opportunities to 'choose your own adventure.' The fluidity at which the author moves the reader from one scene to the next makes you feel as if no time has passed, however, you quickly realize in fact you have traveled hundreds of miles and many hours in some cases.. all the while having a birds eye view into one of today's finest suspense thrillers.
Every character is described in a way that makes you feel that you have known them for a lifetime. As the reader, you find yourself rooting for some on not for others. But regardless of the side you take, you've been transported there.
The artistry in this work is something to be admired and cannot be denied. Bottomline here, is that I am eagerly awaiting the next work of Quentin Canterel.
August 25, 2016
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What intrigued me most about this was the protagonist. How often do you read books where the main character is a coroner, a person usually not much thought about by most of society (unless you watch crime shows, that is)? Turns out, my instinct was right: this was a very interesting and not at all morbid and boring novel. The main character Billy lives his life in Hokum, a small American city which is not exactly a place were world changing developments take place. However, Billy makes the best of it by imagining wild and fantastical stories about the cause of death of his "customers". He also has to deal with the living at times, so for example a poor immigrant who was falsely declared dead and is kept from proving the opposite by a lot of red tape. When an old story about teenagers abducting their school teacher to force her to drive them across to border to Mexico turns into a recent and quite personal case, and a hurricane is about to hit the city, Billy realizes that he does not need to make up stories about anyone else when he can just be a hero himself.
This is a funny and thoughtful novel, including many quite moments of personal reflection, but also plenty of action. Billy is sort of an anti-hero in the beginning, but he is easy to follow along. Overall, everything is very realistic and taken straight out of life. The imagery is vivid and the descriptions on point - not a word too much while also including everything important. It is a small-town-hero story with a very unusual hero. Very readable!
What intrigued me most about this was the protagonist. How often do you read books where the main character is a coroner, a person usually not much thought about by most of society (unless you watch crime shows, that is)? Turns out, my instinct was right: this was a very interesting and not at all morbid and boring novel. The main character Billy lives his life in Hokum, a small American city which is not exactly a place were world changing developments take place. However, Billy makes the best of it by imagining wild and fantastical stories about the cause of death of his "customers". He also has to deal with the living at times, so for example a poor immigrant who was falsely declared dead and is kept from proving the opposite by a lot of red tape. When an old story about teenagers abducting their school teacher to force her to drive them across to border to Mexico turns into a recent and quite personal case, and a hurricane is about to hit the city, Billy realizes that he does not need to make up stories about anyone else when he can just be a hero himself.
This is a funny and thoughtful novel, including many quite moments of personal reflection, but also plenty of action. Billy is sort of an anti-hero in the beginning, but he is easy to follow along. Overall, everything is very realistic and taken straight out of life. The imagery is vivid and the descriptions on point - not a word too much while also including everything important. It is a small-town-hero story with a very unusual hero. Very readable!
June 21, 2016
I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. You can find a copy of this review at: https://thequidnuncblog.wordpress.com...
To be honest I requested the book because of the cover and the title, didn't even bothered with reading the description. I was in a weirdo mode and I thought "yay, skulls! yay, jolly coroner! yay, I'll order it!"... And so I did! What came after was a complete surprise for me. A good one to that. It was an extremely quick and enjoyable read, that actually made me giggle a couple of times. I love the weird and slightly macabre genre and this novel was definitely it!A grumpy coroner - how genius is that! I loved the character from the very beginning!
It is a truly introspective body of work where the author takes you deep into visceral thoughts of the characters that make this book the beautiful novel that Quentin Canterel placed in our lives. In reading this book, you quickly realise that the art of writing is not dead.And Thank GOD for that. It has been a while since I enjoyed someone's writing so much. Maybe since Denise Mina I haven't been so excited to come back from work to get a quick shower and get my nose dug in the pages! The novel is funny and gripping with good pace but readers should not mistake this for an easy, "beach-type" drama, as behind Billy's adventures the novel works on many different and more in-depth levels that will keep the reader intellectually entertained.
To be honest I requested the book because of the cover and the title, didn't even bothered with reading the description. I was in a weirdo mode and I thought "yay, skulls! yay, jolly coroner! yay, I'll order it!"... And so I did! What came after was a complete surprise for me. A good one to that. It was an extremely quick and enjoyable read, that actually made me giggle a couple of times. I love the weird and slightly macabre genre and this novel was definitely it!A grumpy coroner - how genius is that! I loved the character from the very beginning!
It is a truly introspective body of work where the author takes you deep into visceral thoughts of the characters that make this book the beautiful novel that Quentin Canterel placed in our lives. In reading this book, you quickly realise that the art of writing is not dead.And Thank GOD for that. It has been a while since I enjoyed someone's writing so much. Maybe since Denise Mina I haven't been so excited to come back from work to get a quick shower and get my nose dug in the pages! The novel is funny and gripping with good pace but readers should not mistake this for an easy, "beach-type" drama, as behind Billy's adventures the novel works on many different and more in-depth levels that will keep the reader intellectually entertained.
July 2, 2016
The Jolly Coroner by Quentin Canterel is a quirky story about a Texas town. Billy Rufino is the town’s coroner and he encounters many interesting and unique people while on the job.
Billy was the only applicant for the job of Hokum, Texas coroner. He has interesting cases which baffles the mind. Basyli Jach is a man who has been declared died but is still very much alive. He lives in a state of limbo as he cannot prove who is he and needs Billy’s help to straightened out the snafu. Riley is a man who believes his wife and daughters are dead and wants Billy to release their bodies for burial. However, he doesn’t believe Billy when he tell him that his family survives. A woman enters his life as he rescues her from near drowning. Soon the situations with Jach and Riley come to a boiling point. What can Billy do? Who is this woman who has entered his life? And how does a story, “The Ballad of Jean and Reg,” play into the crazy town of Hokum?
The Jolly Coroner is an interesting and quirky story filled with fantastical characters and wild images. The book was a little hard to get into with jumps into side stories and social commentaries and philosophical lectures from a character called the Warden. However, once the story started rolling and the reader begins to see the links between the side stories and philosophical ideas. The Jolly Coroner isn’t little reading. It’s reading which will take some thought and time as you digest all the events. If you are a fan of quirky, satirical and strange stories, you will enjoy The Jolly Coroner.
Billy was the only applicant for the job of Hokum, Texas coroner. He has interesting cases which baffles the mind. Basyli Jach is a man who has been declared died but is still very much alive. He lives in a state of limbo as he cannot prove who is he and needs Billy’s help to straightened out the snafu. Riley is a man who believes his wife and daughters are dead and wants Billy to release their bodies for burial. However, he doesn’t believe Billy when he tell him that his family survives. A woman enters his life as he rescues her from near drowning. Soon the situations with Jach and Riley come to a boiling point. What can Billy do? Who is this woman who has entered his life? And how does a story, “The Ballad of Jean and Reg,” play into the crazy town of Hokum?
The Jolly Coroner is an interesting and quirky story filled with fantastical characters and wild images. The book was a little hard to get into with jumps into side stories and social commentaries and philosophical lectures from a character called the Warden. However, once the story started rolling and the reader begins to see the links between the side stories and philosophical ideas. The Jolly Coroner isn’t little reading. It’s reading which will take some thought and time as you digest all the events. If you are a fan of quirky, satirical and strange stories, you will enjoy The Jolly Coroner.
November 6, 2016
What I discovered about this book was the different writing style that is so sickening yet so fully engrossing as well. Billy is the small town's coroner. It must not take a lot to do. His hobbies include drinking at a bar he walks three blocks to (NO DUI). He's on call one windy, cold night while half-soused at the bar. Three kids found a woman's body near the river's edge. Come to find out, she was unconscious, not dead. And the very next day, she gets out of the hospital, then she decides to move in with Billy without him knowing about it.
There are a lot of sub-stories within this one. A Russian homeless guy swears that Billy is the DEVIL HIMSELF, and tries to get the word out. Another man was in some kind of bizarre accident and thought his wife and three girls are dead, and that Billy hid their bodies and death certificates. Everything seems to come around, back to Billy.
There is one story that stands apart from Billy's. Three high school kids abduct a teacher and makes her drive to and through Mexico, until the dinero runs out. Then they are trying to figure out what to do next. This one seems so out of place and out of reach of Billy's world.
The writing is spectacular in and of itself. The characters are as bizarre as a dessert storm: great to read about but pulls you into places you may not want to be in. The story is so unique, I loved that about the book. It is all easy to take in and digest. When you are finished, you will think that was a great meal, indeed.
NetGalley gave me an e-ARC copy of this book to read and give my honest review.
There are a lot of sub-stories within this one. A Russian homeless guy swears that Billy is the DEVIL HIMSELF, and tries to get the word out. Another man was in some kind of bizarre accident and thought his wife and three girls are dead, and that Billy hid their bodies and death certificates. Everything seems to come around, back to Billy.
There is one story that stands apart from Billy's. Three high school kids abduct a teacher and makes her drive to and through Mexico, until the dinero runs out. Then they are trying to figure out what to do next. This one seems so out of place and out of reach of Billy's world.
The writing is spectacular in and of itself. The characters are as bizarre as a dessert storm: great to read about but pulls you into places you may not want to be in. The story is so unique, I loved that about the book. It is all easy to take in and digest. When you are finished, you will think that was a great meal, indeed.
NetGalley gave me an e-ARC copy of this book to read and give my honest review.
September 7, 2016
Nope. Nope nope nope.
I have tried to work my way through 50 pages of The Jolly Coroner, struggling to find something appealing for me about the book. The protagonist, Billy Rubino, de facto coroner of the town of Hokum, is a supremely unlikable character (which I'm assuming is the point), and after only one chapter dealing with Rubino, I had an immediate dislike for him, but I kept thinking something would endear the book to me eventually. However, the second chapter jumps to a seemingly unrelated narrative about three high school kids who, trying to escape their horrid family lives, kidnap a teacher to drive them to Mexico, where they expect to live like royalty. To be honest, I thought maybe I had been confused about The Jolly Coroner, that it was in fact a collection of short fiction instead of one continuous story, but that's not the case. After reading some other reviews, it would seem the kidnapping does eventually tie into Rubino's story, but by this point, I don't care.
I know there will be an audience for this book, but I'm not included in that group. I believe Canterel was trying too hard to prove how clever and gritty a writer he could be, only to the detriment of his story and characters. An unfortunate case of form over substance.
I received a free ebook from the publisher thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have tried to work my way through 50 pages of The Jolly Coroner, struggling to find something appealing for me about the book. The protagonist, Billy Rubino, de facto coroner of the town of Hokum, is a supremely unlikable character (which I'm assuming is the point), and after only one chapter dealing with Rubino, I had an immediate dislike for him, but I kept thinking something would endear the book to me eventually. However, the second chapter jumps to a seemingly unrelated narrative about three high school kids who, trying to escape their horrid family lives, kidnap a teacher to drive them to Mexico, where they expect to live like royalty. To be honest, I thought maybe I had been confused about The Jolly Coroner, that it was in fact a collection of short fiction instead of one continuous story, but that's not the case. After reading some other reviews, it would seem the kidnapping does eventually tie into Rubino's story, but by this point, I don't care.
I know there will be an audience for this book, but I'm not included in that group. I believe Canterel was trying too hard to prove how clever and gritty a writer he could be, only to the detriment of his story and characters. An unfortunate case of form over substance.
I received a free ebook from the publisher thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 17, 2016
I received this book from Netgalley to write a review.
Billy is the town's coroner (being the only applicant at the time the position was available), who is a grumpy single middle-aged man. He loves to play up the crime scenes and make them extra juicy in details for the media. His dream is to be the most recognized coroner in Hokum.
At first I found it hard to get into the story. Maybe too many minor details were shared and it pulled away from what could have been.
After getting half way through the book the story did start to pick up it's pace. Throughout the book each different character plays into Billy's life. Most of the characters are crazy, not lacking any personality. I liked that they were different, that really grabbed my attention and made it a good read. Billy is the type of person you either like or dislike in a book. He made me laugh which helped his case.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is looking for something different. Not your usual off the shelf romance or crime novel. Its quirky!
Billy is the town's coroner (being the only applicant at the time the position was available), who is a grumpy single middle-aged man. He loves to play up the crime scenes and make them extra juicy in details for the media. His dream is to be the most recognized coroner in Hokum.
At first I found it hard to get into the story. Maybe too many minor details were shared and it pulled away from what could have been.
After getting half way through the book the story did start to pick up it's pace. Throughout the book each different character plays into Billy's life. Most of the characters are crazy, not lacking any personality. I liked that they were different, that really grabbed my attention and made it a good read. Billy is the type of person you either like or dislike in a book. He made me laugh which helped his case.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is looking for something different. Not your usual off the shelf romance or crime novel. Its quirky!
July 1, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Jolly Coroner has an incredibly interesting central conceit. Billy is the coroner of the dark and twisted city of Hokum. He is reluctant to work hard but loves the attention and hubbub that death brings him. The book weaves between following Billy and his work with the lives of fellow city folk and their dark dealings.
This book will be incredibly decisive for prospective readers. The dark nature of the story and characters as well as the overall tone reminded me somewhat of Irvine Welsh. I applaud Canterel for attempting to create a vast and detailed world. However, the writing was not strong enough to will me into completing the book. Whilst there was an evident focus in attempting to create a detailed prose, the dialogue was not very good and didn't have the same on point sharpness and wit of an Irvine Welsh novel. For me, the book lacked a clear focus and was rather indulgent in its writing.
The Jolly Coroner has an incredibly interesting central conceit. Billy is the coroner of the dark and twisted city of Hokum. He is reluctant to work hard but loves the attention and hubbub that death brings him. The book weaves between following Billy and his work with the lives of fellow city folk and their dark dealings.
This book will be incredibly decisive for prospective readers. The dark nature of the story and characters as well as the overall tone reminded me somewhat of Irvine Welsh. I applaud Canterel for attempting to create a vast and detailed world. However, the writing was not strong enough to will me into completing the book. Whilst there was an evident focus in attempting to create a detailed prose, the dialogue was not very good and didn't have the same on point sharpness and wit of an Irvine Welsh novel. For me, the book lacked a clear focus and was rather indulgent in its writing.
July 10, 2016
I'm sorry, but it didn't work for me. I did my best, but 1/3rd of the way through I gave up. It started well, I quite enjoyed the first chapter. The second chapter had me going back to see if I'd missed something and it was a set of short stories. No, it wasn't. For some reason this chapter was produced in a larger typeface than the previous. Yes, this second chapter was interesting, but ... I don't know something was wrong with the book. It seemed as though the author was trying too hard - too hard to be clever, too hard to be descriptive, too hard to include as many long words as possible - to the detriment of the story. I just got too impatient. There are too many good books out there to struggle through this one. Sorry Mr Canterel, sorry publisher who kindly allowed me to have a review copy, via NetGalley. But, I'm quite sure there may be many others who will like this genre.
June 20, 2016
Although this novel took a little to get into it does become quite a fascinating and dark but amusing read. Set in the American South, Hokum has the most strangest set of people I can think that I have read about, including The Jolly Coroner, Billy Rubino. These weird and strange characters certainly give Billy the lime light for publicity but how do the town's people think of Billy?
This isn't going to be a book that everyone enjoys it will have it's own band of followers that are into dark humour that the author has created. Stick with it because it does become very intriguing, especially the story of the homeless Polish man.
I wish to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This isn't going to be a book that everyone enjoys it will have it's own band of followers that are into dark humour that the author has created. Stick with it because it does become very intriguing, especially the story of the homeless Polish man.
I wish to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2016
Very interesting book. Works on a number of different levels and draws the reader into sometime dark sometime funny characters. Finally a book where the reader doesn't feel compelled to love the protagonist but rather some of the other characters that appear in Billy Rubino's life and that make this book so pleasant and different at the same time.
The book starts with a more descriptive pace to set the scene for the event that follow. It gathers pace towards the middle and will grip you till the very end, but overall is dotted with many funny moments that will keep you entertained throughout the reading.
The book starts with a more descriptive pace to set the scene for the event that follow. It gathers pace towards the middle and will grip you till the very end, but overall is dotted with many funny moments that will keep you entertained throughout the reading.
June 12, 2016
The Jolly Coroner, a Hodge podge of satirical rambling. The story jumps and adds little stories in (I personally found the smaller internal stories to be more compelling) to the ramblings of the town of Hockum's coroner that is an alcoholic, druggie generally not nice person that convoluted the book. I requested to read from netgalley and was not impressed. Not an author I would read again, as I was unable to connect to any of the characters and had to force myself to continue reading. On the positive side the editing was well done.
May 18, 2016
Quentin Canterel's The Jolly Coroner was anything but jolly. It has hard to get into the concept of this book or the characters. It seemed discombobulated from the very beginning. Lack of interest forced my decision to quit reading this book at 25%. There may be a market for this book but it did not appeal to me.
August 22, 2016
The author has a real talent for describing places and for creating characters with greatdepth. One can close his eyes and imagine Hokum and the surroundings as if he/she was really there. There are also stories inside the main story who are beautiful cameos and would be almost worth a novel themselves.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
August 22, 2016
Great book. Love the dark humor in it, as well as the real talent that this author has for words. Words are not only used to make up realistic (at times poetic) descriptions of places or people but they are also chosen for their sound, to give the reader a holistic experience that too often these days is sacrificed in the name of modern (aseptic) writing style. Worth every minute of my time.
September 8, 2016
Full review closer to release date. (November 2016)
For now, strange & quirky are words I'd best use to describe this book. I didn't always enjoy the strangeness either. Had its moments. Didn't care much for the characters. In all honesty, I'm probably, definitely NOT the target audience. Overall, two and a half stars.
*NetGalley provided me with a DRC in exchange for review
For now, strange & quirky are words I'd best use to describe this book. I didn't always enjoy the strangeness either. Had its moments. Didn't care much for the characters. In all honesty, I'm probably, definitely NOT the target audience. Overall, two and a half stars.
*NetGalley provided me with a DRC in exchange for review
July 14, 2016
It's seldom that you find a book to be hysterical and morbid at the same time. I enjoyed the originality of The Jolly Coroner and will be recommending to many readers.
August 29, 2016
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My review can be found in my blog! Come leave me some lovin!!!!
My review can be found in my blog! Come leave me some lovin!!!!
July 13, 2025
I was so hopeful for this book. I love dark humor and deep thought. Morbid, morose, dark...I love it all. I was excited with the beginning of the novel and its prose. I thought, oh is this going to be the next fight club...12 monkeys... matrix... what is it? Then it quickly went downhill and never recovered. I wanted to DNF so many times, but I kept holding out that it would some how blow my mind. After 20+ times of mentioning that you're only into Asian women... and I'm completely racist, derogatory, and cringy ways... it became hard to move passed the creepy factor. This main character was completely dead inside, narcissistic, jaded, delusional, egotistical, drunk, and usually high off something. For someone who only gets off on Asian women, I'm still confusing how a black man got his stick hard...hmmmm...me thinks the lady doth protest too much. There were 0 redeeming qualities... intolerable let alone likeable. The language was so full of itself. Trying to sound so smart like they're the next Camus but the story didn't go anywhere. 0 growth, 0 insight... just bland and boring existentialism, ego, and vanity. The ending offered more of the same. Such interesting ideas that were completely ruined by cringe and narcissism.
September 19, 2017
Very difficult to get into. Perhaps I should not have taken this book to read, but the description made it sound quirky and interesting. It was verbose, and very hard to get into and when I did, I found it a struggle to keep with it and all of the convolutions in the plot(s). I put it down several times and was not able to finish it.
June 23, 2017
I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get through it. The writing was blah and the story line just couldn't hold my attention.
June 1, 2017
I really didn’t like this story. It felt a little all over the place and I was left wondering what the point of it all was. Was he the devil? It was such a strange tale. It seemed incredibly sexist, racist and homophobic. The language was bizarre. Now I have a reasonably large vocabulary but I found it was so misplaced in this book. Why would you have such sophisticated words in a story about bogan rednecks? No one in this story was particularly smart, no matter how much they pretended they were.
Sometimes if I leave it a while to write the review, I find I feel different about the book. The only difference I am feeling now is contempt for this book.
The only thing this book had going for it was that it inspired some weird desire for me to ultimately connect the dots between all the characters. However in saying that I felt like there was still a lot unresolved.
My recommendation: Skip it.
I recieved this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes if I leave it a while to write the review, I find I feel different about the book. The only difference I am feeling now is contempt for this book.
The only thing this book had going for it was that it inspired some weird desire for me to ultimately connect the dots between all the characters. However in saying that I felt like there was still a lot unresolved.
My recommendation: Skip it.
I recieved this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2016
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.25 of 5
This was certainly one of the most interesting books I've read in quite some time. I'm not sure how one would define this. Quirky romance? Bizarre-o horror? Oddball thriller? I also don't think I've ever gone through as much of a pendulum swing in liking/disliking a book, while reading it, as I did with this.
In the town of Hokum (which right off should send the reader a message), Billy Rubino is a young man (one gets the feeling that he's just out of college-aged) who doesn't want to work too hard at anything. He runs for office as the City Coroner and gets the position (because no one else wants it). Through the course of his work, Billy works with strange locals, including a man who refuses to believe Billy was correct in reporting that his family is deceased and is constantly haranguing Billy to fix the paperwork. There is also the girl junkie who tries to kill herself, but fails, and because she has nowhere to go, finds herself staying at Billy's place.
But when the chips are down, the lazy-assed Billy finds himself in a place where he can make a difference. Will he step it up or let it go?
Most people who read this book aren't going to admit this, but one fo the very first things that ticked me off about this book was author Quentin Canterel's writing and word choice. I'm a relatively intelligent reader with a better-than-average lexicon, but I was looking up a lot of words at the beginning of this book (which is why I like my Kindle...it can give me the definition of most words in just a second ... MOST words. Some that I looked up for this book were not in the Kindle dictionary). Perhaps I should know these, but I had to look up: fatidic, nutated, fustian, eructations, gelid, jejune, and tenebrous. All in the first chapter or two. And his main character's favorite film is Ubu Roi ... a not-well known work of the absurd ... really setting this work (and character) apart from the average reader. (Though later he writes "by in large" which is the incorrect form of the idiom "by and large.")
Mind you...I don't mind looking up words. I enjoy getting a little smarter by knowing new words. But having to do this takes me out of the story and I started to think that Canterel was just trying to show off how smart he was. His pomposity and being taken out of the story had me about ready to close the book for good. But this use of unusual words was limited to the very early chapters of the book, and I began to wonder if Canterel did this on purpose to help show us what a jerk Billy Rubino was. He does say about Billy: "It was a fact that Billy was overly fond of long, drunken conversation, which usually took a philosophical bent and never varied despite the character of his audience" which seemed to go along with the language Canterel was using.
Later, Canterel writes: "One can only judge one's vernacular against the fundamental grammar of his society, provided of course that one is surrounded by well-spoken people, otherwise one must speak the language of the insane, which isn't really a language at all." Clearly, the use of words Canterel chooses is very intentional. Suddenly, I'm a little more interested. Canterel is working this story on many levels.
I started to enjoy Billy as the story went on and his speech to the masses during the onset of a disaster had me howl with laughter.
This is easily the strangest book I've read in a long time and I just don't know how to rank it. If you like books such as Catch-22 or A Confederacy of Dunces, this might be up your alley. But this could also be the sort of book that you start to read and then close and forget about it. Part of me wants to give this two stars and part of me wants to give it four and a half. I guess we'll meet in the middle.
Looking for a good book? The Jolly Coroner, by Quentin Canterel, is an odd-ball novel that isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind quirky humor and David Lynch-like characters, and maybe feeling a little stupid now and then, this is the book you've been looking for and won't find very often.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This was certainly one of the most interesting books I've read in quite some time. I'm not sure how one would define this. Quirky romance? Bizarre-o horror? Oddball thriller? I also don't think I've ever gone through as much of a pendulum swing in liking/disliking a book, while reading it, as I did with this.
In the town of Hokum (which right off should send the reader a message), Billy Rubino is a young man (one gets the feeling that he's just out of college-aged) who doesn't want to work too hard at anything. He runs for office as the City Coroner and gets the position (because no one else wants it). Through the course of his work, Billy works with strange locals, including a man who refuses to believe Billy was correct in reporting that his family is deceased and is constantly haranguing Billy to fix the paperwork. There is also the girl junkie who tries to kill herself, but fails, and because she has nowhere to go, finds herself staying at Billy's place.
But when the chips are down, the lazy-assed Billy finds himself in a place where he can make a difference. Will he step it up or let it go?
Most people who read this book aren't going to admit this, but one fo the very first things that ticked me off about this book was author Quentin Canterel's writing and word choice. I'm a relatively intelligent reader with a better-than-average lexicon, but I was looking up a lot of words at the beginning of this book (which is why I like my Kindle...it can give me the definition of most words in just a second ... MOST words. Some that I looked up for this book were not in the Kindle dictionary). Perhaps I should know these, but I had to look up: fatidic, nutated, fustian, eructations, gelid, jejune, and tenebrous. All in the first chapter or two. And his main character's favorite film is Ubu Roi ... a not-well known work of the absurd ... really setting this work (and character) apart from the average reader. (Though later he writes "by in large" which is the incorrect form of the idiom "by and large.")
Mind you...I don't mind looking up words. I enjoy getting a little smarter by knowing new words. But having to do this takes me out of the story and I started to think that Canterel was just trying to show off how smart he was. His pomposity and being taken out of the story had me about ready to close the book for good. But this use of unusual words was limited to the very early chapters of the book, and I began to wonder if Canterel did this on purpose to help show us what a jerk Billy Rubino was. He does say about Billy: "It was a fact that Billy was overly fond of long, drunken conversation, which usually took a philosophical bent and never varied despite the character of his audience" which seemed to go along with the language Canterel was using.
Later, Canterel writes: "One can only judge one's vernacular against the fundamental grammar of his society, provided of course that one is surrounded by well-spoken people, otherwise one must speak the language of the insane, which isn't really a language at all." Clearly, the use of words Canterel chooses is very intentional. Suddenly, I'm a little more interested. Canterel is working this story on many levels.
I started to enjoy Billy as the story went on and his speech to the masses during the onset of a disaster had me howl with laughter.
This is easily the strangest book I've read in a long time and I just don't know how to rank it. If you like books such as Catch-22 or A Confederacy of Dunces, this might be up your alley. But this could also be the sort of book that you start to read and then close and forget about it. Part of me wants to give this two stars and part of me wants to give it four and a half. I guess we'll meet in the middle.
Looking for a good book? The Jolly Coroner, by Quentin Canterel, is an odd-ball novel that isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind quirky humor and David Lynch-like characters, and maybe feeling a little stupid now and then, this is the book you've been looking for and won't find very often.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
September 22, 2016
I received a copy of the ebook from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I don't really know where to begin with this review. The description sounded like it would be perfect for me. One of the review blurbs even said it was david lynch like. I didn't see that anywhere. It is also described as being darkly funny and a satire. Another reason I wanted to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything like this while reading.
None of the characters were likeable, which isn't always a bad thing. The worst part was they weren't even interesting. The most interesting character was only seen through an article written by said character. It's a shame the character I wanted to hear more about wasn't an active part of the story.
I also found the writing very clunky. A lot of very uncommon words thrown in that were used correctly, but didn't flow with the rest of the writing style. Maybe if that were pulled back just a touch, it would have a more even flow.
I enjoy stories with a slow burn, but nothing important happens until the second half of the book. By the end, the few interesting bits didn't seem fully resolved. It was meandering, which is great, but not if that meandering is boring.
It took me a while to finish this one as I never really wanted to jump back in and read more. It's a shame because I still find the idea interesting, but for me it wasn't executed very well.
Still, there are positive reviews. So I would recommend thisbook if you read through some of the positive reviews as well, and think it still sounds good.
I don't really know where to begin with this review. The description sounded like it would be perfect for me. One of the review blurbs even said it was david lynch like. I didn't see that anywhere. It is also described as being darkly funny and a satire. Another reason I wanted to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything like this while reading.
None of the characters were likeable, which isn't always a bad thing. The worst part was they weren't even interesting. The most interesting character was only seen through an article written by said character. It's a shame the character I wanted to hear more about wasn't an active part of the story.
I also found the writing very clunky. A lot of very uncommon words thrown in that were used correctly, but didn't flow with the rest of the writing style. Maybe if that were pulled back just a touch, it would have a more even flow.
I enjoy stories with a slow burn, but nothing important happens until the second half of the book. By the end, the few interesting bits didn't seem fully resolved. It was meandering, which is great, but not if that meandering is boring.
It took me a while to finish this one as I never really wanted to jump back in and read more. It's a shame because I still find the idea interesting, but for me it wasn't executed very well.
Still, there are positive reviews. So I would recommend thisbook if you read through some of the positive reviews as well, and think it still sounds good.
December 13, 2016
picaresque
adjective
relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.
Well the hero is rough and dishonest but far from appealing,and certainly could not be described as Jolly under any stretch of the imagination. A beer swilling, farting, drug addicted coroner is our hero.
This book has a good story underneath but is completely ruined By the authors attempts to fill every criterion of writers 101. There is descriptive overload from the outset and boy am i glad that i read it on Kindle as Canterel had obviously swallowed a dictionary on the day he wrote this and a dictionary is needed to interpret it - by the end of the first chapter I was exhausted by the work required. Try a few of these eructation - a belch, olio - a spiced stew of meat used to describe a mixture of smells including urine; a boscage - a mass of trees - what on earth is wrong with belch, smell and copse. Some of the chapters are entitled in a foreign language, he philosophises, use geographical, historic, paleontological, voodoo references - Why? Perhaps they are meant to show what an erudite author he is. Instead All these fancies completely distract from the storyline and made the book far less enjoyable and far longer than necessary in my opinion. I can't say i will be looking for anymore by this author
adjective
relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.
Well the hero is rough and dishonest but far from appealing,and certainly could not be described as Jolly under any stretch of the imagination. A beer swilling, farting, drug addicted coroner is our hero.
This book has a good story underneath but is completely ruined By the authors attempts to fill every criterion of writers 101. There is descriptive overload from the outset and boy am i glad that i read it on Kindle as Canterel had obviously swallowed a dictionary on the day he wrote this and a dictionary is needed to interpret it - by the end of the first chapter I was exhausted by the work required. Try a few of these eructation - a belch, olio - a spiced stew of meat used to describe a mixture of smells including urine; a boscage - a mass of trees - what on earth is wrong with belch, smell and copse. Some of the chapters are entitled in a foreign language, he philosophises, use geographical, historic, paleontological, voodoo references - Why? Perhaps they are meant to show what an erudite author he is. Instead All these fancies completely distract from the storyline and made the book far less enjoyable and far longer than necessary in my opinion. I can't say i will be looking for anymore by this author
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