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Like a Hole In the Head
From a startling new writer comes a wisecracking novel starring one of the toughest, funniest heroines around. Jill, a part-time bookseller with a dangerous wit, buys a first-edition Jack London--and then unloads it for a profit. But her good fortune turns out to be short-lived when an outlandish cast of psychopaths, sleazy book dealers, and minor-league Hollywood moguls start sniffing around for the missing volume Author publicity .
296 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 1998
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1429 people want to read
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December 3, 2018
”Whenever I worked at the bookstore, I worked alone. The owner was either out trying to buy books or visiting his friends in San Francisco. He went to San Francisco a lot, which meant I worked a lot. That was fine with me. I liked the store better than my apartment. It was quiet. I could sit and read for hours at a time.”
Unfortunately, I never had a bookstore job where I could sit around and read. Sometimes I’d steal a paragraph of reading while I was shelving books, but most of my time was spent buying books at the used book counter or managing a large staff of neurotic workers.
Jill would have fit in fine with the neurotic staff, but might not have done well with me directing her to run a cash register, answer the phones, or fetch a book for a customer. The thing about bookstores is I’ve never worked in one that wasn’t understaffed. Every shift I worked, I was short at least one pair of hands. It was fine, though, because in those days I had energy to burn, and keeping one step ahead of potential chaos was all part of the fun in showing up to work.
Jill might have created more chaos than I could handle.
Her day starts off fairly normal. She is riding her bicycle; she is $200 short of owning a crappy Honda, when a nose picking moron almost runs her off the road. She gets to work just in time to watch the cat hurl a soggy hairball down the rare book shelves. She returns from cleaning that up only to find a dwarf standing at the counter wanting to sell her a book. She isn’t pleased, but thinks she can fob him off down the road easily enough.
She doesn’t buy books. The owner does.
I’ve trained people on how to buy used books. There are people who have a gift, and those who don’t. Those who don’t have the knack wash out of the program and move into shelving books full time or answering the phones. Every book employee wants to be a book buyer because they are mini-gods in the used book universe. Yes, I was once worshipped. The key to being really good is to recognize something unusual, even if you don’t know the writer. I used to get this tingle about a book and knew that it was something special even if I’d never heard of it.
If a dwarf walked in with a first edition copy of The Cruise of the Snark, signed by Jack London, the hair on the back of neck would have been standing at full attention, and let’s be honest, here I would have had the beginnings of a chub. One of the things that you learn about the book biz is that the books should fit the customer. I’ve been burnt more than once by somebody coming in to sell their father’s prized collection of Arkham books to buy nose candy or sell their aunt’s early Stephen Kings for money to get out of town. I would have asked the dwarf a few questions, and I can tell you that his answers would have stunk like four day old fish or been as smelly as his sweating armpits.
There is a part of me, that evil greedy book collector side, who would have been looking at the dwarf’s grubby, chubby hands and would have started whispering in the ear of my saintly pious side, “You must save this book.”
We can always justify things in our head. When the dwarf pops off to Jill that he will sell her the book for $20, whatever doubts I might have had about the ownership of the book would have been dispelled.
It’s stolen.
A first edition of Jack London is going to be worth hundreds of dollars. A signed one could get into the thousands. Bells, whistles, and brass bands would have been playing in my head.
Wait, did he just say $20?
The greedy book collector is doing back flips in my head. During my time in the book business, I had to fire four people for stealing books. One was a book buyer who was buying rare books at the counter and putting them in the rejects (rejects were books left by customers that we didn’t want to pay for), and throughout the day a book shelver from the back would come up with a handcart and move the rejects to the backdoor where they would eventually be picked up by Goodwill. The backdoor was the very door the employees left to go home. Now Sara, we will just call her Sara, would pluck the tasty morsel out of the reject pile and walk out the door to her car. My catching her had more to do with my natural radar for interesting books than any real sleuthing, but that, my friends, is another story.
Jill checks a few reference books and comes to realize that she has the means to buy that crappy Honda right there in the sweaty hands of a thief. Greed is the downfall of many. This downfall is going to put a major crimp in her easy going lifestyle. She offloads the book to a dealer she knows for a healthy profit. Moments later she gets a menacing call telling her the book is stolen, and they are coming down to get it. The thing to understand is books can move around the country very quickly. I might sell a book to a collector in Phoenix, but he might decide to trade it to another collector in Indiana for a book he desires more, a day later. I always enjoy finding clues in used books I own that tell some of the story of where they have been. Jill knows she needs to return this book, but soon discovers that the real ownership is difficult to determine as she maneuvers through a minefield of Hollywood moguls, sleazy book dealers, one gloved maniacs, and a flaming (literally) irritating dwarf.
The book does produce some chuckles. The book side is fun and reasonably accurate. The problem is the author seems to get lost in her own plot, and the book does lose momentum in the end. Regardless, I still enjoyed the book maybe because I firmly believe that any movie or book is instantly better with a dwarf worked into the plot.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Unfortunately, I never had a bookstore job where I could sit around and read. Sometimes I’d steal a paragraph of reading while I was shelving books, but most of my time was spent buying books at the used book counter or managing a large staff of neurotic workers.
Jill would have fit in fine with the neurotic staff, but might not have done well with me directing her to run a cash register, answer the phones, or fetch a book for a customer. The thing about bookstores is I’ve never worked in one that wasn’t understaffed. Every shift I worked, I was short at least one pair of hands. It was fine, though, because in those days I had energy to burn, and keeping one step ahead of potential chaos was all part of the fun in showing up to work.
Jill might have created more chaos than I could handle.
Her day starts off fairly normal. She is riding her bicycle; she is $200 short of owning a crappy Honda, when a nose picking moron almost runs her off the road. She gets to work just in time to watch the cat hurl a soggy hairball down the rare book shelves. She returns from cleaning that up only to find a dwarf standing at the counter wanting to sell her a book. She isn’t pleased, but thinks she can fob him off down the road easily enough.
She doesn’t buy books. The owner does.
I’ve trained people on how to buy used books. There are people who have a gift, and those who don’t. Those who don’t have the knack wash out of the program and move into shelving books full time or answering the phones. Every book employee wants to be a book buyer because they are mini-gods in the used book universe. Yes, I was once worshipped. The key to being really good is to recognize something unusual, even if you don’t know the writer. I used to get this tingle about a book and knew that it was something special even if I’d never heard of it.
If a dwarf walked in with a first edition copy of The Cruise of the Snark, signed by Jack London, the hair on the back of neck would have been standing at full attention, and let’s be honest, here I would have had the beginnings of a chub. One of the things that you learn about the book biz is that the books should fit the customer. I’ve been burnt more than once by somebody coming in to sell their father’s prized collection of Arkham books to buy nose candy or sell their aunt’s early Stephen Kings for money to get out of town. I would have asked the dwarf a few questions, and I can tell you that his answers would have stunk like four day old fish or been as smelly as his sweating armpits.
There is a part of me, that evil greedy book collector side, who would have been looking at the dwarf’s grubby, chubby hands and would have started whispering in the ear of my saintly pious side, “You must save this book.”
We can always justify things in our head. When the dwarf pops off to Jill that he will sell her the book for $20, whatever doubts I might have had about the ownership of the book would have been dispelled.
It’s stolen.
A first edition of Jack London is going to be worth hundreds of dollars. A signed one could get into the thousands. Bells, whistles, and brass bands would have been playing in my head.
Wait, did he just say $20?
The greedy book collector is doing back flips in my head. During my time in the book business, I had to fire four people for stealing books. One was a book buyer who was buying rare books at the counter and putting them in the rejects (rejects were books left by customers that we didn’t want to pay for), and throughout the day a book shelver from the back would come up with a handcart and move the rejects to the backdoor where they would eventually be picked up by Goodwill. The backdoor was the very door the employees left to go home. Now Sara, we will just call her Sara, would pluck the tasty morsel out of the reject pile and walk out the door to her car. My catching her had more to do with my natural radar for interesting books than any real sleuthing, but that, my friends, is another story.
Jill checks a few reference books and comes to realize that she has the means to buy that crappy Honda right there in the sweaty hands of a thief. Greed is the downfall of many. This downfall is going to put a major crimp in her easy going lifestyle. She offloads the book to a dealer she knows for a healthy profit. Moments later she gets a menacing call telling her the book is stolen, and they are coming down to get it. The thing to understand is books can move around the country very quickly. I might sell a book to a collector in Phoenix, but he might decide to trade it to another collector in Indiana for a book he desires more, a day later. I always enjoy finding clues in used books I own that tell some of the story of where they have been. Jill knows she needs to return this book, but soon discovers that the real ownership is difficult to determine as she maneuvers through a minefield of Hollywood moguls, sleazy book dealers, one gloved maniacs, and a flaming (literally) irritating dwarf.
The book does produce some chuckles. The book side is fun and reasonably accurate. The problem is the author seems to get lost in her own plot, and the book does lose momentum in the end. Regardless, I still enjoyed the book maybe because I firmly believe that any movie or book is instantly better with a dwarf worked into the plot.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
June 26, 2021
This is a great book and I highly recommend it. I can't believe the author only has one.
Also, if you watch Friends (TV show) this book is in a scene. One of the characters is reading it. And in another scene a character mentions the authors name during a scene with Joey when he is in a play. Someone; the actors or producers knew the author and or read the book.
Great read.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
Also, if you watch Friends (TV show) this book is in a scene. One of the characters is reading it. And in another scene a character mentions the authors name during a scene with Joey when he is in a play. Someone; the actors or producers knew the author and or read the book.
Great read.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
April 24, 2015
Rewatching Friends on Netflix. Monica and Rachel both read this book in season 4. It reminded me that I picked up this book around 2004 solely because Rachel and Monica read it in season 4. It's only OK.
February 7, 2017
A book about a book. Except this story is really about people being swallowed by their pasts, and why this is detrimental to life. Originally read this book over a decade ago, after I spotted it first in an episode of Friends (season 4, Monica was reading it while her and Rachel lived in Joey and Chandler's apartment) and then in a public library. Loved the book then; loved it even more now, because with maturity I really caught the meaning. If you ever watched anybody die, or have a dead parent, but still have a good sense of humor and enjoy the surreal, then this is possibly a must read.
December 18, 2007
What's not to love about the adventures of a drunken used book store employee who finds herself in the middle of a rare book thievery fiasco involving former child stars, midgets and Las Vegas?
July 15, 2011
As far as I can discern, this remains Ms. Banbury's only novel to date, which is a shame, because her voice is so distinctive and memorable. I can still recall much of this book years after my last re-reading. I do understand, though--this book set the bar so high, it would be hard to top. And doing some research online, I learned that she spent some time in Iran (!) writing journalism for Salon. But that was a while ago. She's also mentioned, briefly, in a book about two guys who made money selling t-shirts to Sox fans here in Boston who then went to Iran also. If someone could give me more recent information about this woman, I'd be ever so grateful.
In the meantime, I can only add that if you're in the mood to read about a woman working part time in a used book store who stumbles across a mystery involving a very rare first edition and an even rarer dwarf, then this is the novel for you. The good news is that it shouldn't be too hard to secure a cheap copy from an online vendor, even though I'm pretty sure it's (sadly) out of print.
Worse comes to worse, you can ask me for one, since I think I have about four copies myself.
In the meantime, I can only add that if you're in the mood to read about a woman working part time in a used book store who stumbles across a mystery involving a very rare first edition and an even rarer dwarf, then this is the novel for you. The good news is that it shouldn't be too hard to secure a cheap copy from an online vendor, even though I'm pretty sure it's (sadly) out of print.
Worse comes to worse, you can ask me for one, since I think I have about four copies myself.
March 7, 2022
As a life-long FRIENDS fanatic, I had to read Like a Hole in the Head, the book Monica is seen reading in Season 4 of the series (shortly after she and Rachel lose their apartment). The good part about all the effort that went into finding a copy of the book is that it’s a fantastic read. The blurb might have you think it’s some sort of adventure where a bookseller goes in search of a book. Well, it is, but look closer, and there is plenty of subtext in the story to keep your brain cells occupied for a while afterwards. It also helps that Jill is a brilliant and very likeable protagonist. As for the LA setting, it’s classic to the core. Too bad the author has not written anything else since, and dare I say, I would love to see a movie adaptation of the book.
March 28, 2011
This book petered out for me pretty badly across its final fifty pages, but...up till then, I was having a hell of a time. It was zany, preposterous, and irreverent enough to remind me of the inane stories my sister and I used to write together as bored early adolescents with our overactive imaginations, limited grasp of reality, and demented sense of fun. The protagonist of this story is a twenty-something screw-up, with a big mouth and a sense of nothing left to lose. She inadvertently gets caught up in dangerous intrigue, which forms the center of the plot....but I never got wrapped up in the storyline so much as in her voice. She's just a fun lead character who many would find obnoxious in all contexts, and who would probably crack me up in any book or film she figured in. When actual violence entered the story, I was surprised. It seemed jarring, out of place. From that point on, I began to lose interest. But the first 150 pages or so were fresh and fun. Too bad the author didn't just stick with what was working--a quirky character having misadventures.
Read
November 23, 2019should have sparked a new subgenre ("slacker noir," maybe, as suggested by one blurbist on the back cover); instead best known for having been read by monica & rachel on friends, bc the world is fundamentally unfair. jill the heroine's got moxie in spades, & i love moxie (both the quality of character and the soft drink) -- consistently terrific comebacks to dumb q's & it's nice as well to see a lady character whose body isn't just there for the delectation of dude characters. she sweats, drums on her belly w/ her hands, just generally does the stuff that a person in a human body does w/ said human body. gets a bit raggedy & tough to tell apart the various antagonists at the end, but this deserves a better fate than winding up as friends trivia. *clap clap clap clap*
May 10, 2016
A neo-noir set in a sunny modern underbelly L.A. featuring a very depressed, possibly alcoholic, anti-social, brash, woman bookseller who gets involved in sought after rare book by Jack London. A lot of people want it and will bribe, cajole, lie, torture, and kill to get it. This is a semi-comical nightmare ride down the rabbit hole into an insane surreal world and Jill is the foul mouthed Alice. The mix of Hammett/Chandler type of sleazy Hollywood characters, the twists and turns of who has the book and why they want it and the sadness inside Jill's mind regarding a death in her family she never fully dealt with emotionally is pretty attention grabbing. Highly recommended.
December 1, 2023
Did anyone else notice Jennifer Aniston reading this book in an episode of friends?
I had already read it at that point but I was stoked to see it. I read this book in highschool and remember loving the quirky writing style and plot. I think I attempted to read it again a few years later and wasn't as impressed. I used to say this was my favorite book but I have a feeling that might not be so if I read it again. Thinking I'll just keep my romanticized idea of this book ;)
I had already read it at that point but I was stoked to see it. I read this book in highschool and remember loving the quirky writing style and plot. I think I attempted to read it again a few years later and wasn't as impressed. I used to say this was my favorite book but I have a feeling that might not be so if I read it again. Thinking I'll just keep my romanticized idea of this book ;)
July 14, 2007
I read this book because I love bibliomysteries involving used bookstores and rare books. We can always use more bibliomysteries. When this came out, I was excited to dig into a new one. Unfortunately this one is grating, annoying, and a waste of time.
It comes down to this: the protagonist, Jill, is completely unsympathetic. By the middle of the book, I didn't care what happened to her. The premise is that she's a slacker bookstore worker. Apparently the author thinks that fact alone should make us like the character. Had there been anything else of substance to the character or the story, it could have been fun and interesting. Instead the protagonist is just annoying, immature, makes stupid decisions, and doesn't learn a single thing or change in any way by the end of the book. She's not entertaining, not funny, not witty, not anything. There's a torture scene near the end of the book, but by that time I didn't care what happened to her. You would think this torture would make her snap out of her stupor but, no, she continues on her dull way.
The supporting characters are one-dimensional. There is far too much padding material in the book, lots of text that has no relation to the rest of the story or to any of the characters. I found myself thinking, "alright already, get back to the story. Tell us something relevant." There's not much book talk or discussion of rare books or bookstore operations, so if you're looking for that, you'll be disappointed. It's a shame, really, because I wanted to like the book, but even the most sympathetic reading of it leaves one disappointed. Let's hope the author matures as a writer.
If you're looking for a bibliomystery with lots of book talk, read John Dunning's "Booked To Die" or Samuel Hirsh Gottlieb's "Overbooked In Arizona." You won't be disappointed.
It comes down to this: the protagonist, Jill, is completely unsympathetic. By the middle of the book, I didn't care what happened to her. The premise is that she's a slacker bookstore worker. Apparently the author thinks that fact alone should make us like the character. Had there been anything else of substance to the character or the story, it could have been fun and interesting. Instead the protagonist is just annoying, immature, makes stupid decisions, and doesn't learn a single thing or change in any way by the end of the book. She's not entertaining, not funny, not witty, not anything. There's a torture scene near the end of the book, but by that time I didn't care what happened to her. You would think this torture would make her snap out of her stupor but, no, she continues on her dull way.
The supporting characters are one-dimensional. There is far too much padding material in the book, lots of text that has no relation to the rest of the story or to any of the characters. I found myself thinking, "alright already, get back to the story. Tell us something relevant." There's not much book talk or discussion of rare books or bookstore operations, so if you're looking for that, you'll be disappointed. It's a shame, really, because I wanted to like the book, but even the most sympathetic reading of it leaves one disappointed. Let's hope the author matures as a writer.
If you're looking for a bibliomystery with lots of book talk, read John Dunning's "Booked To Die" or Samuel Hirsh Gottlieb's "Overbooked In Arizona." You won't be disappointed.
February 17, 2013
I've read some of the reviews of this book that proclaim that liking the protagonist is impossible. I disagree.
I loved this book. It started out a little slow for me, but I preserved. I came to like the protagonist, Jill, very much by the end of the novel. The last 1/4 of the book had me not wanting to put the book down! The action progressed at an increasing pace, and I came to like many of the characters in this story. I have no trepidation recommending this book.
I you like a book with realistic characters who you find yourself rooting for, even with their defects... you will love "Like a Hole in the Head".
I did.
I loved this book. It started out a little slow for me, but I preserved. I came to like the protagonist, Jill, very much by the end of the novel. The last 1/4 of the book had me not wanting to put the book down! The action progressed at an increasing pace, and I came to like many of the characters in this story. I have no trepidation recommending this book.
I you like a book with realistic characters who you find yourself rooting for, even with their defects... you will love "Like a Hole in the Head".
I did.
August 8, 2012
Here's how it is with this book - looking at the reviews you either love it five-stars worth (and I do), or it's a 1 or 2 star read in your opinion. Me, I consider it one of my best on my shelf, and I bought quite a few copies just to share then with like minded readers I know.
There's a subtle storyline in the mix here, dealing with the main character's past, and a secret therein, and the way Jen Banbury plays it out is superb. As an author, myself, who tries for this type of writing gold, I can honestly consider this a small gem the type of story any novelist prays to write.
There's a subtle storyline in the mix here, dealing with the main character's past, and a secret therein, and the way Jen Banbury plays it out is superb. As an author, myself, who tries for this type of writing gold, I can honestly consider this a small gem the type of story any novelist prays to write.
February 14, 2016
This book is odd-- oddly dark and disturbing, filled with odd characters that do weird things. No one is very likable, but I found myself totally in love with the main character, foibles and all.
I loved it and counted it as one of the few books I would lend to people to impress them, until someone I lent it to never gave it back! Now I miss it and am always thinking of how much I would like to re-read it.
I loved it and counted it as one of the few books I would lend to people to impress them, until someone I lent it to never gave it back! Now I miss it and am always thinking of how much I would like to re-read it.
May 18, 2015
This book is a wild ride!
It's all about a heavy drinking young woman who works in a used bookstore. There is all kinds of adventure and intrigue and a dwarf! DAMN!
I couldn't put this book down and would read it again in a minute.
UPDATE: I was so excited when I stumbled across this book in a small town thrift store. I didn’t read this book in years, I hadn’t even thought about it in years. Then there it was, like an old friend you see across a coffee shop in a city where you don’t even live.
I paid $1.50 for this hard back copy, and I could hardly wait to read it. I could barely force myself to finish the book I was already reading before I dove into this one.
This book has a lot to offer: The protagonist is an emotionally scarred alcoholic with a heart of gold who works in a used bookstore. There’s a borrowed motorcycle as mode of transportation. There’s a trip to Vegas. There are bad guys, and one of them is a dwarf! And the whole mystery, the main conflict of the plot involves a book!
This book really needs to be turned into a movie. Why hasn‘t this book been turned into a movie?
I like that the supporting characters seem to have real personalities and lives of their own, even though the reader might not learn much about those lives and personalities. None of the characters seemed flat, although this book is definitely plot driven.
And yet…Upon rereading this book, I realized I didn’t need to reread it. Everything I was going to get out of it, I got the first time. I didn’t gain any new insights or discover nuances I’d missed the first time.
It’s a good story and a good read, but like the old friend in the coffee shop, I found we didn’t have much to say to each other after all the years that had passed.
It's all about a heavy drinking young woman who works in a used bookstore. There is all kinds of adventure and intrigue and a dwarf! DAMN!
I couldn't put this book down and would read it again in a minute.
UPDATE: I was so excited when I stumbled across this book in a small town thrift store. I didn’t read this book in years, I hadn’t even thought about it in years. Then there it was, like an old friend you see across a coffee shop in a city where you don’t even live.
I paid $1.50 for this hard back copy, and I could hardly wait to read it. I could barely force myself to finish the book I was already reading before I dove into this one.
This book has a lot to offer: The protagonist is an emotionally scarred alcoholic with a heart of gold who works in a used bookstore. There’s a borrowed motorcycle as mode of transportation. There’s a trip to Vegas. There are bad guys, and one of them is a dwarf! And the whole mystery, the main conflict of the plot involves a book!
This book really needs to be turned into a movie. Why hasn‘t this book been turned into a movie?
I like that the supporting characters seem to have real personalities and lives of their own, even though the reader might not learn much about those lives and personalities. None of the characters seemed flat, although this book is definitely plot driven.
And yet…Upon rereading this book, I realized I didn’t need to reread it. Everything I was going to get out of it, I got the first time. I didn’t gain any new insights or discover nuances I’d missed the first time.
It’s a good story and a good read, but like the old friend in the coffee shop, I found we didn’t have much to say to each other after all the years that had passed.
November 11, 2008
First, let me make it clear that I didn't buy this book. I won it. Actually, I won a video of "Tarzan" (I'm not talking about the cute Disney version) and then chose to swap it against the book, thinking that a book, any book, suerly must be better than "Tarzan".
Boy, was I wrong.
And I'm saying this although I've never even seen Tarzan.
So, the book. It wasn't even that bad in the beginning. Girl, working in book store, mysterious first edition book by author I have conveniently forgotten. Some confusion, she tries to get book back etc. It could have been a good story. (In fact, it was an excellent story in "The Secret of Lost Things", see my review.) However, in an attempt to be uebercool, the author chose to make her protagonist a slutty, dirty, dumb alcoholic. And as if this wasn't bad enough, she added lots of unerotic, sex and graphic violence to the mix. Did I mention the story took place near or in Hollywood? Maybe it is a political statement?
In hindsight, I should have been warned by the use if the word "tits" (I think) or something equally shocking to the average US-american, but I'm from Europe and was taught to politely ignore unexpected nakedness.
So I was already about 100 pages into the book, that I chose to read some goodreads reviews, to make sure that I hadn't fallen into the alternative universe of really bad books that hide behind okay writing. Lucky for me, someone mentioned a detailed torture scene towards the end of the book, and good riddance!, off you go, into the very very back of the shelf, so that no one knows I even own you, book.
I'm so glad that I got over the habit of finishing every book I started some time ago.
Boy, was I wrong.
And I'm saying this although I've never even seen Tarzan.
So, the book. It wasn't even that bad in the beginning. Girl, working in book store, mysterious first edition book by author I have conveniently forgotten. Some confusion, she tries to get book back etc. It could have been a good story. (In fact, it was an excellent story in "The Secret of Lost Things", see my review.) However, in an attempt to be uebercool, the author chose to make her protagonist a slutty, dirty, dumb alcoholic. And as if this wasn't bad enough, she added lots of unerotic, sex and graphic violence to the mix. Did I mention the story took place near or in Hollywood? Maybe it is a political statement?
In hindsight, I should have been warned by the use if the word "tits" (I think) or something equally shocking to the average US-american, but I'm from Europe and was taught to politely ignore unexpected nakedness.
So I was already about 100 pages into the book, that I chose to read some goodreads reviews, to make sure that I hadn't fallen into the alternative universe of really bad books that hide behind okay writing. Lucky for me, someone mentioned a detailed torture scene towards the end of the book, and good riddance!, off you go, into the very very back of the shelf, so that no one knows I even own you, book.
I'm so glad that I got over the habit of finishing every book I started some time ago.
June 25, 2012
(Fiction 1998) According to the jacket, this book is "a raucous bumper-car ride . . . with a wickedly hard-boiled female protagonist ..." I really wish I had read that book, because the one within the jacket had a little humor in it, and the female protagonist had no redeeming qualities I could find. She is unlikeable from the beginning and gets worse. Admittedly, awful things are happening to her, but if anyone would be deserving of such back luck, I would definitely nominate her. I'm not sure why I finished it, probably just in hope of finding some of the "satire, slapstick comedy" promised. I did not.
January 27, 2008
This is not a book about trepanation.
Nearly every single character made me sick, including our heroine. Yet I could not put it down! It is indeed a downward spiral which starts with a dwarf set on fire. In the din, you do find there are those who are as trustworthy as they are few. The escapade has a faint essence of Hunter S. Thompson (RIP), including the drink and drugs. Know this - once you step into this story, there is no going back. You must go to the end if you want to get back.
Nearly every single character made me sick, including our heroine. Yet I could not put it down! It is indeed a downward spiral which starts with a dwarf set on fire. In the din, you do find there are those who are as trustworthy as they are few. The escapade has a faint essence of Hunter S. Thompson (RIP), including the drink and drugs. Know this - once you step into this story, there is no going back. You must go to the end if you want to get back.
August 8, 2013
The trouble started when Jill was working at the book store in LA and bought a first edition of a rare Jack London for $25 from a dwarf. Being in dire need of replacing her foot-powered bike with a motorized variety, she sells the gem to a local book dealer, Timmy, for $400. When the dwarf returns accompanied by a giant calling himself “Joke Man” who sets the dwarf’s hair on fire in search for the book, Jill figures she better forget the bike and get the book back.
Timmy delivers more and less of what she needs, so she goes to the Antiquarian Book Fair in Vegas to find Timmy and the book. While there, she is abducted by a movie director named John Malcome, who says the book originally belonged to him. It turns out that this is no ordinary first edition; in fact, its value is probably over $200,000. After being drugged, tortured, stealing several vehicles, enlisting aid from innocent bystanders by lying like a rug, shooting a cop in the foot and being used as an extra in a movie, Jill still manages to stumble on. She’s a little bit (ok, a lot) crazy but loyal and tender-hearted. Who else would steal a car to escape from kidnappers but stop to rescue a dog lying in the middle of the street?
This book is definitely something different. It’s full of Generation X attitude, smart remarks and skewed views of life. The humor and attitude are omnipresent; it kind of wore me down about three-fourths of the way through the book when Jill was cracking wise while being tortured. The book is like a slapstick homage to Dashiell Hammett, Sam Spade in Bizarro World. It’s a wild ride but a journey well worth taking.
Timmy delivers more and less of what she needs, so she goes to the Antiquarian Book Fair in Vegas to find Timmy and the book. While there, she is abducted by a movie director named John Malcome, who says the book originally belonged to him. It turns out that this is no ordinary first edition; in fact, its value is probably over $200,000. After being drugged, tortured, stealing several vehicles, enlisting aid from innocent bystanders by lying like a rug, shooting a cop in the foot and being used as an extra in a movie, Jill still manages to stumble on. She’s a little bit (ok, a lot) crazy but loyal and tender-hearted. Who else would steal a car to escape from kidnappers but stop to rescue a dog lying in the middle of the street?
This book is definitely something different. It’s full of Generation X attitude, smart remarks and skewed views of life. The humor and attitude are omnipresent; it kind of wore me down about three-fourths of the way through the book when Jill was cracking wise while being tortured. The book is like a slapstick homage to Dashiell Hammett, Sam Spade in Bizarro World. It’s a wild ride but a journey well worth taking.
February 27, 2018
I wish I had been able to read this book faster, then the pace of my reading would've matched the frenetic pace of the story.
This is a book about a book, to put simply, but to be more in depth, it's a book about detachment, about holding onto intangible things while others put so much value on material things.
The main character is fascinating while simultaneously being very vague guarded about herself. What I concluded in the end, and this is a bit of a SPOILER, is that Jill is seemingly putting herself through her own purgatory whilst considering whether she wants to stay alive or not. She is full of regret about her mother, and she has been adrift ever since. She wonders whether she deserves to be okay or to suffer.
I wonder why Jen Banbury never published another novel; I know she turned to journalism, but I hope she does eventually revisit fiction writing. Her style of writing, her character development, it's all cohesive and thorough without being overwhelming. The twists and turns in the story are fantastic and realistic all at once, and the ending is unexpected and yet appropriate.
I came across this book, to be quite honest, because I have watched Friends one too many times, and there are two episodes (I think) in which Monica Geller is seen reading this book, and that caught my attention and I looked it up. Otherwise I probably never would've heard of it. I feel this book needs to be on more people's reading list, because it's an unexpected gem.
This is a book about a book, to put simply, but to be more in depth, it's a book about detachment, about holding onto intangible things while others put so much value on material things.
The main character is fascinating while simultaneously being very vague guarded about herself. What I concluded in the end, and this is a bit of a SPOILER, is that Jill is seemingly putting herself through her own purgatory whilst considering whether she wants to stay alive or not. She is full of regret about her mother, and she has been adrift ever since. She wonders whether she deserves to be okay or to suffer.
I wonder why Jen Banbury never published another novel; I know she turned to journalism, but I hope she does eventually revisit fiction writing. Her style of writing, her character development, it's all cohesive and thorough without being overwhelming. The twists and turns in the story are fantastic and realistic all at once, and the ending is unexpected and yet appropriate.
I came across this book, to be quite honest, because I have watched Friends one too many times, and there are two episodes (I think) in which Monica Geller is seen reading this book, and that caught my attention and I looked it up. Otherwise I probably never would've heard of it. I feel this book needs to be on more people's reading list, because it's an unexpected gem.
December 30, 2012
I got the second-handed copy of this book a few years a go. I gotta say it was one of the best tiga puluh rebu I spent. Agak lucu juga waktu membandingkan rating dan review di Goodreads. Tampaknya orang akan benci sekali atau suka sekali dengan Like a Hole in the Head.
Yang saya suka dari novel ini adalah bagaimana Jen Banburry memoles tokoh utama, Jill, menjadi karakter yang tomboy, reckless, berantakan, selalu sial, yet lovable. Like a Hole in the Head adalah sebuah petualangan kecil yang dialami Jill hanya karena ia berhubungan dengan buku yang disinyalir adalah kopi pertama "Call of the Wild"-nya Jack London. Awalnya ia berpikir bahwa buku inilah tiket untuk mendapatkan motor tua impian yang keren, tapi tak dinyana, si buku justru menjadi awal bencana untuk keseharian Jill yang malas dan tenang.
Dengan melibatkan Timmy si bekas bintang film cilik, seorang hitman yang mirip kurcaci, dealer buku yang ambisius, tak lupa Scott--teman Jill--yang clueless dan malang, Jill mengajak pembaca bertualang dalam sebuah aksi kejar-kejaran yang ironis dan berantakan. Jika hendak menyimpulkan "rasa" yang ditawarkan buku ini, maka istilah yang diambil salah satu endorser buku ini adalah yang paling tepat; Like a Hole in the Head adalah sebuah buku ber-genre "Slacker-Noir"
Yang saya suka dari novel ini adalah bagaimana Jen Banburry memoles tokoh utama, Jill, menjadi karakter yang tomboy, reckless, berantakan, selalu sial, yet lovable. Like a Hole in the Head adalah sebuah petualangan kecil yang dialami Jill hanya karena ia berhubungan dengan buku yang disinyalir adalah kopi pertama "Call of the Wild"-nya Jack London. Awalnya ia berpikir bahwa buku inilah tiket untuk mendapatkan motor tua impian yang keren, tapi tak dinyana, si buku justru menjadi awal bencana untuk keseharian Jill yang malas dan tenang.
Dengan melibatkan Timmy si bekas bintang film cilik, seorang hitman yang mirip kurcaci, dealer buku yang ambisius, tak lupa Scott--teman Jill--yang clueless dan malang, Jill mengajak pembaca bertualang dalam sebuah aksi kejar-kejaran yang ironis dan berantakan. Jika hendak menyimpulkan "rasa" yang ditawarkan buku ini, maka istilah yang diambil salah satu endorser buku ini adalah yang paling tepat; Like a Hole in the Head adalah sebuah buku ber-genre "Slacker-Noir"
May 4, 2013
Jill is filling in for the owner of a bookstore when a jittery man comes in and wants a quick sell on a signed Jack London first edition.
After checking it out, Jill buys the book and later, another dealer comes to the bookstore and asks if any new books. Jill shows him what she bought and the man buys it from her.
Jill is happy and can now afford a Honda she's been wanting. She tells her friend she's ready to buy the vehicle but the jittery man comes back and wants the book back. She tells him she sold it and the man returns with another man who tries to intimidate her.
The rest of the book shows Jill's attempt to get the book back while dealing with an assortment of unsavory characters and a man making a movie.
Jill lives life to the fullest and has a clever quip for whatever situation she gets into.
A lighthearted novel and a fun read.
After checking it out, Jill buys the book and later, another dealer comes to the bookstore and asks if any new books. Jill shows him what she bought and the man buys it from her.
Jill is happy and can now afford a Honda she's been wanting. She tells her friend she's ready to buy the vehicle but the jittery man comes back and wants the book back. She tells him she sold it and the man returns with another man who tries to intimidate her.
The rest of the book shows Jill's attempt to get the book back while dealing with an assortment of unsavory characters and a man making a movie.
Jill lives life to the fullest and has a clever quip for whatever situation she gets into.
A lighthearted novel and a fun read.
April 2, 2016
A strange book, odd, edgy and raw in parts. Some of the book was a little hard to follow. I couldn't relate to the main character at all, nor any other character in the book. The story is based in LA, which I always find appealing since I know the area. It was lacking something I can't quite put my finger on. I liked it though. It was like the Spellman series on speed. 3 1/2 stars
Want to read
December 5, 2019Synopsis: Jill, part-time bookseller, gets her hands on a first-edition. She sells it, but then the vendor returns with an assassin, wanting it back.
December 8, 2017
Like a Hole In the Head
In the beginning of the book it immediately draws you in with a picture of how messed up Jill (the main character)'s life will be throughout the novel, but this helps "humanize"/make it more realistic since we all have beyond messy lives. It starts to get a bit weird and hard to follow has the book continues since it just takes these drastic/very unrealistic turns mostly just leaving you confused on how Jill could get herself into this situation and how it could become any worse, but of course it just gets worse and worse which yes makes it interesting. But so Jill works in a book store where in all her life isn't very exciting. And like any other day a customer walks in desperately wanting to sell this book and that's exactly where the drama starts. This book ended up being a big deal and was worth a lot of money but the owner wanted to do everything in his power to get rid of it, which any logical person would find a bit suspicious. So then throughout the book it continues and as you get a sense of what Jill was like, I personally really started to dislike her. She was constantly rude to everyone and made it her goal to almost purposefully ruin peoples' days with her attitude. But even with the book's weird twists and turns it keeps you interested and wanting to find out in how much more trouble Jill can get herself into. In all I would recommend this book, might take a while to get a hang of it but its definitely fun to see all the drama Jill gets herself into and how in the end the book turns out.
In the beginning of the book it immediately draws you in with a picture of how messed up Jill (the main character)'s life will be throughout the novel, but this helps "humanize"/make it more realistic since we all have beyond messy lives. It starts to get a bit weird and hard to follow has the book continues since it just takes these drastic/very unrealistic turns mostly just leaving you confused on how Jill could get herself into this situation and how it could become any worse, but of course it just gets worse and worse which yes makes it interesting. But so Jill works in a book store where in all her life isn't very exciting. And like any other day a customer walks in desperately wanting to sell this book and that's exactly where the drama starts. This book ended up being a big deal and was worth a lot of money but the owner wanted to do everything in his power to get rid of it, which any logical person would find a bit suspicious. So then throughout the book it continues and as you get a sense of what Jill was like, I personally really started to dislike her. She was constantly rude to everyone and made it her goal to almost purposefully ruin peoples' days with her attitude. But even with the book's weird twists and turns it keeps you interested and wanting to find out in how much more trouble Jill can get herself into. In all I would recommend this book, might take a while to get a hang of it but its definitely fun to see all the drama Jill gets herself into and how in the end the book turns out.
June 15, 2023
Offenbar ist Jill so ein "make it or break it"-Charakter, wenn ich mir andere Rezensionen anschaue. Und ja, ich erinnere mich, dass ich beim ersten Mal lesen auch etwas schockiert davon war, wie gerade heraus, ordinär und unverschämt sie ist. Und gleichzeitig fasziniert mich das heute wie damals. Das sind Eigenschaften, die wir bei einem männlichen Protagonisten cool finden würden, aber einer Frau wird das weniger verziehen. Und dabei vielleicht zu schnell überliest: Die Andeutungen, wie viel Verletzlichkeit, Enttäuschung von anderen und sich selbst dahintersteckt, eine Fassade, eine Maske, um in einer männerdominierten Welt und mit einem schlimmen Trauma zurechtzukommen. Ein Verstecken vor dem Leben und zerstörten Träumen. Als Selbstbewusstsein getarnte tiefe Unsicherheit und Selbsthass. Ich finde, das hat viel Identifikationspotential, auch wenn ich nicht annähernd so selbstzerstörerisch drauf bin. Ansonsten liest sich das spannend hintereinander weg. Nicht perfekt, in manchen Punkten verletztend und das mit Absicht. Aber ein absurder Ritt voll schwarzem Humor.
April 4, 2020
"No one would hurt a girl with a cat in her lap." (64)
Tenho que confessar que comprei este livro porque a Rachel e a Mónica da série Friends o mostraram em alguns episódios. Depois pesquisei o livro, o enredo interessou-me e acabei mesmo por o comprar.
Bem, gostei muito desta leitura, a história está muito bem conseguida, só o final é que não me caiu bem. Esperava mesmo outro final. A personagem principal desta história, Jill, uma rapariga que trabalha numa livraria, está tão bem caracterizada. É uma personagem que tem de tudo (alegria, tristeza, euforia, raiva) e mesmo nos maus momentos, no meio de todas as peripécias, tem sempre tempo para mandar uma piadinha. Tudo o que acontece nesta história é causado por um livro antigo e raro, The Cruise of the Snark. Jack London de 1911, que até eu senti vontade de lhe meter as mãos.
Tenho que confessar que comprei este livro porque a Rachel e a Mónica da série Friends o mostraram em alguns episódios. Depois pesquisei o livro, o enredo interessou-me e acabei mesmo por o comprar.
Bem, gostei muito desta leitura, a história está muito bem conseguida, só o final é que não me caiu bem. Esperava mesmo outro final. A personagem principal desta história, Jill, uma rapariga que trabalha numa livraria, está tão bem caracterizada. É uma personagem que tem de tudo (alegria, tristeza, euforia, raiva) e mesmo nos maus momentos, no meio de todas as peripécias, tem sempre tempo para mandar uma piadinha. Tudo o que acontece nesta história é causado por um livro antigo e raro, The Cruise of the Snark. Jack London de 1911, que até eu senti vontade de lhe meter as mãos.
July 26, 2024
This novel is a lost gem from the 90's. I remember finding it at Powell's in Portland, Oregon and devouring it in a single day. Recently, I decided to read it again and enjoyed it just as much.
Like a Hole in the Head reads like a hilarious caper movie. Think a lost classic film like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, only with a female protagonist and set in the book world. The cast of characters is one quirky, memorable character after the next. The mystery of the plot reads almost like an adventure novel, as it bounds one episode to the next in an unpredictable but linear fashion, rather than circling the reader around to divert them from the epiphany.
Notably, this is a really fun read, but also with a ton of heart. The story is a first-person narrative and the narrator is undeniably hilarious. She's laugh-out-loud in all her worldly observations, but also character who slowly unravels the trauma which landed her in the situational aspect of the story.
I scavenged the web but could not find a follow-up novel from Ms. Banbury. I hope she one day decides to write something else because she's a unique voice and a supremely talented writer. She's like the Elmore Leonard who got away, and I'd recommend this novel to anyone.
Like a Hole in the Head reads like a hilarious caper movie. Think a lost classic film like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, only with a female protagonist and set in the book world. The cast of characters is one quirky, memorable character after the next. The mystery of the plot reads almost like an adventure novel, as it bounds one episode to the next in an unpredictable but linear fashion, rather than circling the reader around to divert them from the epiphany.
Notably, this is a really fun read, but also with a ton of heart. The story is a first-person narrative and the narrator is undeniably hilarious. She's laugh-out-loud in all her worldly observations, but also character who slowly unravels the trauma which landed her in the situational aspect of the story.
I scavenged the web but could not find a follow-up novel from Ms. Banbury. I hope she one day decides to write something else because she's a unique voice and a supremely talented writer. She's like the Elmore Leonard who got away, and I'd recommend this novel to anyone.
June 24, 2021
Could’ve been 3 stars, but it really lost my interest about 2/3 of the way through and got very ramble-y. I picked this book up for free from a friend who was giving away loads of books they hadn’t read — I don’t think they missed out on anything by giving away this one. It’s funny at times, but definitely of it’s time. Some of the humor and language just seems crude now. I did like our unlikeable protagonist Jill, and her time in the book store, the mystery of the book she purchases, and while it starts strong there, it really goes all over the place and makes a mess by the end.
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