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The Importance of Being Roger #1
In "The Importance of Being Roger," prepare to embark on a riotous journey alongside Roger Sidebottom, a man whose life seems to be a magnet for chaos. From his tumultuous childhood to his disastrous forays into adulthood, Roger's path is paved with mishaps, misadventures, and the occasional stroke of luck.
Haunted by the spectre of an indifferent father and the scars of lost love, Roger stumbles through school, university, and the working world, leaving a trail of uproarious incidents and near-misses in his wake. As he grapples with the absurdities of everyday existence, readers will find themselves alternately rooting for and cringing at Roger's antics, all while recognising echoes of someone they know all too well.
In the tradition of comedic masters like Tom Sharpe and Ben Elton, "The Importance of Being Roger" is a rollicking tale of one man's epic struggle against fate—and his own incompetence. Will Roger ever catch a break, or is he doomed to perpetually flounder in a sea of his own making? Dive into this uproarious page-turner and find out today
Haunted by the spectre of an indifferent father and the scars of lost love, Roger stumbles through school, university, and the working world, leaving a trail of uproarious incidents and near-misses in his wake. As he grapples with the absurdities of everyday existence, readers will find themselves alternately rooting for and cringing at Roger's antics, all while recognising echoes of someone they know all too well.
In the tradition of comedic masters like Tom Sharpe and Ben Elton, "The Importance of Being Roger" is a rollicking tale of one man's epic struggle against fate—and his own incompetence. Will Roger ever catch a break, or is he doomed to perpetually flounder in a sea of his own making? Dive into this uproarious page-turner and find out today
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2016
31 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Raymond M. Hall
16 books24 followersRaymond M Hall's books have been described by reviewers in glowing terms as a mixture of Thriller, Mystery, and Romance; indicating that readers find their individual tastes in his writing.
As one reviewer commented on his novel, "The Haunting":
Tremendously satisfying writing and character/time interplay make this a book to treasure. Think Poe, Doyle, King….......
The comedic side of the author is displayed in "The Importance of Being Roger". The subject of the book, Roger Sidebottom, can be seen either as a downright villain or a modern day anti-hero. However, within his character, you are bound to recognise somebody you know!
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 26, 2018
I was torn between choosing "I liked it" vs "I really liked it" - I did really like parts of the book, with several laugh-out-loud moments, but I grew to rather hate the protagonist Roger (for various reasons I won't spoil).
Anyways, I ended up going with 4-stars because it was an entertaining and quick vacation/beach read.
Anyways, I ended up going with 4-stars because it was an entertaining and quick vacation/beach read.
October 23, 2017
Sometimes we all need a laugh
Roger Sidebottom is a disaster waiting to happen. He has no idea how disastrous he is which makes for a funny storyline. There are a few twists to the story that keep you wondering. I laughed more than once while reading The story of Rogers chaotic life. It starts when Roger is eight years old living with his mom, and progresses through university, covers his love life (or lack of one in some parts) and pretty much any aspect of life you can imagine. Raymond Hall spent a lot of time creating his character and Roger is very relatable. There is a lot of grade school of vulgar humor but sometimes it’s nice just to have a care free laugh and this book definitely provided that.
Roger Sidebottom is a disaster waiting to happen. He has no idea how disastrous he is which makes for a funny storyline. There are a few twists to the story that keep you wondering. I laughed more than once while reading The story of Rogers chaotic life. It starts when Roger is eight years old living with his mom, and progresses through university, covers his love life (or lack of one in some parts) and pretty much any aspect of life you can imagine. Raymond Hall spent a lot of time creating his character and Roger is very relatable. There is a lot of grade school of vulgar humor but sometimes it’s nice just to have a care free laugh and this book definitely provided that.
February 26, 2018
This is a very strange book. The author has a way of making you read the next chapter even though at heart, you think it is a rather silly book.
But, I felt compelled to plow right through to find out how the main character ends up. I found the style somewhat reminiscent of "The 100 Year Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Walked Away". The similarity of the two main characters is that they both appear to be rather foolish, but always manage to come out on the best side of very bad situations. Sudden, expected deaths play prominently in both books.
This would be a great beach vacation book.
But, I felt compelled to plow right through to find out how the main character ends up. I found the style somewhat reminiscent of "The 100 Year Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Walked Away". The similarity of the two main characters is that they both appear to be rather foolish, but always manage to come out on the best side of very bad situations. Sudden, expected deaths play prominently in both books.
This would be a great beach vacation book.
May 13, 2018
A great dark humour read.
It would have got 5-stars if time had been spent attending to commas, etc. I would also have liked a bit more of an indicator in the story of how long periods of circumstances lasted. It was fairly easy to follow up to the age of leaving school, but I've no idea what age Roger was by the time the book ended.
Well worth a read.
It would have got 5-stars if time had been spent attending to commas, etc. I would also have liked a bit more of an indicator in the story of how long periods of circumstances lasted. It was fairly easy to follow up to the age of leaving school, but I've no idea what age Roger was by the time the book ended.
Well worth a read.
March 1, 2018
I read the first chapter and nearly gave up. It was just a bit silly. But the ridiculous, but *almost* believable story had me captivated. It was really amusing to see what japes naive Roger would get up to next.
As a light-hearted read I would highly recommend it. Bravo!
As a light-hearted read I would highly recommend it. Bravo!
July 27, 2018
Film material
From start to finish I couldn't help thinking what a great TV series or short film it would make. The dark humour connected the stories seamlessly and portrayed Rogers personality exquisitely.
From start to finish I couldn't help thinking what a great TV series or short film it would make. The dark humour connected the stories seamlessly and portrayed Rogers personality exquisitely.
November 14, 2020
Roger is probably one of the least sympathetic main characters there is, yet I found this book quite oddly engaging. He doesn't have much at all in the way of empathy for people, although he does find it for a select few, in his own way, as he goes on. He has very little regard for women, yet somehow seems to attract a lot of it (albeit unwanted) from them. His life seems to be a series of scrapes and catastrophes which he (sometimes unwittingly, sometimes with calculation) instigates and moves on from relatively unscathed, unlike for those he leaves in his wake. Blackly humorous, sometimes downright farcical. A nice, easy and amusing read.
March 23, 2018
Such a disappointment for so much potential.
The plot and shenanigans that Roger gets up to are amusing, and sometimes pretty funny - but the writing style is just horrendous. It's like a 12 year old has read some Bukowski, J.P Dunleavy or even Kerouac...and got it wrong. It's not often I think about not finishing a book, but this was a close call.
The plot and shenanigans that Roger gets up to are amusing, and sometimes pretty funny - but the writing style is just horrendous. It's like a 12 year old has read some Bukowski, J.P Dunleavy or even Kerouac...and got it wrong. It's not often I think about not finishing a book, but this was a close call.
April 22, 2019
Roger is self-centred and incredibly naive - leading to some unusual and not entirely ethical situations. You might, like me, find yourself enjoying his adventures at the same time as you despise some of his decisions. A funny read.
April 8, 2018
Entertainung.
Very amusing and paced itself quite nicely. I'd recommend it as it kept the humour quite clean, and the story interesting.
Very amusing and paced itself quite nicely. I'd recommend it as it kept the humour quite clean, and the story interesting.
May 8, 2021
Has some good, laugh out loud moments.
Reminds of those Tom Sharpe farces I read many years ago.
Reminds of those Tom Sharpe farces I read many years ago.
January 7, 2022
roger
great read took a while for me to get in to but enjoyed it. Roger was odd but made his way
great read took a while for me to get in to but enjoyed it. Roger was odd but made his way
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews