Barry Trotter Boxed Set : Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody', 'Barry Trotter and the Unnecessary Sequel', 'Barry Trotter and the Dead Horse

Barry Trotter #1-3

by Michael Gerber

Contains BARRY TROTTER AND THE SHAMELESS PARODY, BARRY TROTTER AND THE UNNECESSARY SEQUEL and the all new BARRY TROTTER AND THE DEAD HORSE. Supplied in a high-tech biodegrable, epoxy resin fixed, folded paper-pulp display case (cardboard box), these three books tell the ghastly tale of Barry Trotter, Lon Measley and Ermine Cringer. Amusingly, the story starts when barry is 22, goes on to tell what happened when he was 39 and then, because we couldn't think what do next, zips back, via a supremely unlikely plot device, to when he was 9. Laugh! at Lord Valumart's bizarrely inept attempts to kill Barry. Wonder! just how Bumblemore got to be headmaster. Sigh! when you realise that it isn't a Harry Potter book after all. What? You've only just worked that out? Oh dear, oh dear.

Genres: Teen, Humor

Hardcover

First published October 21, 2004

About the author

Parodist, author of Barry Trotter series, parodies of Harry Potter books. Also known as Mike Gerber or Michael Allen Gerber.

For the business author, see Michael E. Gerber.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book is funny. The second is one of the funniest books I've ever read, and I've re-read it multiple times. The third book however is awful, not even readable. I got rid of my copy.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Barry Trotter parodies were some of my favourite books as a child, and inspired me to delve into the world of parody with the many other books which spoof popular series, although Barry Trotter remained my favourite. The trilogy is about Barry Trotter and his two friends, Lon Measly and Ermine Cringer, three students at the Hogwash School for Wizardry and Witchcrap. In Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody, we meet a 22-year old Barry who still lounges around at Hogwash as a millionaire celebrity, thanks to the books of GK Rollin, but decides he must stop an upcoming film about his life because he's sick of the harassment from Muddles. In Barry Trotter and the Unnecessary Sequel we found out that Barry and Ermine are now married, and (shock horror) one of their two children might just be a Muddle. Finally, in Barry Trotter and the Dead Horse, we go back in time and learn about the teenage Barry.

I've seen lots of reviews on this site criticising these books because the spoof names are lazy and unimaginative (probably true) and that the humour is slightly crass. If I re-read them today, perhaps I'd agree. But these are books aimed at teenagers, in that sweet spot where they're just about 'adult' (i.e. rude) enough to make you feel like you're committing a rebellious act just by reading them. As a kid I thought they were hilarious, and when I brought them into school and let some friends read them, they agreed. That's the metric I think it has to be judged on. 8/10

[Effy Weasley · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading the first book i found it hilarious - and also a bit confusing in the end :D

reading the second book i thought it was funny but nothing special.

reading the third book made me chuckle sometime but it wasn't anything new, just an immature barry and kinky jokes over and over again.

all in all, the idea - harry potter parody - is genious but the realization didn't come out as great as it could've been.

[Markus Quast · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just read a few chapters and resold it!