Ketchup

by Sam Pink

Yummy stuff

Genres: Fiction

126 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2021

About the author

Sam Pink is the author of The No Hellos Diet, Hurt Others, I Am Going to Clone Myself Then Kill the Clone and Eat It, Frowns Need Friends Too, and the cult hit Person. His writing has been published widely in print and on the internet, and also in other languages. He lives in Chicago, where he plays in the band Depressed Woman.

Reviews

[Trevor Bather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Pink understands the struggle. He contextualizes the Sisyphus plight human condition thing like nobody else I read. I deliver groceries for low amounts of money, often listening to loud hip hop about money to get through what can otherwise be tedious and sometimes demoralizing. Sam’s new book cuts through any woe-is-me. We’re all out here. It made me feel really good about being on the lifeboat, surviving and doing what’s gotta get done, hotroddin’ in my own way, delivering groceries to people for $9 and whatnot. Like a more spiritual cousin to a hip hop record, putting the hustle and the crumbs into a bigger perspective. Sam is just living and in the process really helping the rest of us do the same.

[Garth Miró · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished Sam Pink's Ketchup in one night. Don't know how he does it. You take a bite of something familiar, it's a burger, good, normal, but then you look up and it's not a burger, it's an AK 47, you're a freedom fighter, fighting the final war for the soul of man and it's brutal and tender and it's the only way through, the last push up ahead, a dire push, and it's not fair, you and Pink are the last in the trenches, him with a cigar in his mouth, smiling, and he puts a hand on your shoulder, and says, "you can do it, brother; give them hell." And suddenly you're ready to charge the fray.

[Anna Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had absolutely no clue what this was about before getting into it but I really enjoyed it!

Zeroed-in, content ruminations on the mundane. Slice of life style. I loved Bed Head. And some of these pages are pure gold, like when that one guy asks for the bill.

Especially recommend it if you've ever worked service industry.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Pink's ability to render life's mundane encounters with enthralling, odd people radiates from every page of Ketchup. If you haven't read anything by Pink this is a great place to start.

[Zach Zoeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shit is so good. There’s one scene where someone forgets to say “please” to the main character, and the ensuing rage is just so true to my own experiences in food service. Sam Pink is a man of the people, dammit!

[Fred Rojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

No recuerdo haber leído algo de este estilo. Rápido, entretenido, diferente y hasta refrescante. Mack y Jopo, mis personajes favoritos.

“La única forma de salir de un combate es combatiendo.” (p. 85)

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quiet. I haven't stopped thinking about it even days after finishing. It's quietly deep and quietly hilarious and quietly sad. Nothing happened but when does it ever in real life? At least a life like this, working a public-facing job in a small town. I know all these people and I've been this guy, probably still am him most days. And seeing the world reflected back to me this way was pretty cool.

Felt like the guy was both deeply connected and utterly dissociated. At the books most serious moments, we're zeroed in on the smallest detail. Not always the most beautiful or most important: A dead spider, an old lady's cigarette smoke mustache. And the way the character gets talked AT - and his gentle acceptance of it all, riding the wave of the small talk. But there's often more beneath the surface going on in his mind. Almost an aggressive chillness about him. What's he hiding from, what past is he avoiding? Maybe nothing, but then again... This felt like real life to me. Maybe I'm in the lifeboat too, maybe life is just one big lifeboat sometimes.

[Steve Bal4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

'You can't go around being afraid of the ketchup.

That's exactly what it wants.'

That said, Sam Pink's new novella -- KETCHUP -- has very little to do with the condiment, but does indeed add a special flavour to a short tale of everyday fare.

Pink writes fun; quirky but realistic characters (I love his regional dialects); sharp, punchy lines; finding and expressing beauty and wonder in the mundane without a hint of purple prose.

KETCHUP is a bit more reserved than previous work (a friend described it as more 'mature'), and my favourite parts were when he'd wax more poetic, but I couldn't help but feel this work might have been better served in combination with other stories. Regardless, it's worth a read. And there's ducks!

⭐⭐⭐1/2

[Albus Elown · Rating 5 out of 5]

KETCHUP
AUTOR: SAM PINK
EDITORIAL: @telurica.editorial
TRADUCCION: NICOLAS PEREZ FERRETI @trans.in.translation y ANA MARIA ALVAREZ COX @theanitaalvarez
PAGINAS: 137

SIempre necesito leer algo peculiar para luego seguir con mis lecturas habituales sobre Asia. Así que decidí leer algo diametralmente opuesto, una historia simple que se desarrolla en Estados Unidos en Michigan específicamente con un narrador protagonista que nunca sabremos su nombre y dónde la vida cotidiana y el mismo pueblo serán los protagonistas.

KETCHUP de Sam Pink es una historia donde los comensales del Pops donde trabaja este narrador cocinero, viven sus vidas, se quejan , y tratan de sobrevivir en un lugar muy particular donde todos se conocen y bueno conviven. Quizá el término de "Feeling Good", que habitualmente se usan en las historias asiáticas, dista mucho de esta trama, ya que, nuestro cocinero es el "oidor" o la persona que escucha a estos comensales, observa las situaciones particulares de los mismos espacios y vive su vida en un flujo constante que va de la mano de la monotonía y el día a día.

A mí gusto es una historia dulce, en dónde los lazos humanos forman un vínculo fuerte en la historia desde los ojos del protagonista cuando todos van en ese bote salvavidas. Para mí, la cotidianidad y el hábito y rutina son una característica también interesante de este pequeño libro, que con su narrativa particular también te saca alguna que otra carcajada. Adore a cada personaje sobre todo a Jopo, a Rose, a Vicky , a Mack , A Mary y al extravagante Deny , entre otros mas. Cada personaje vive su vida, tiene sus problemas y trata de adaptarse a las situaciones que ocurren.

De verdad ha sido un viaje tan rápido, la narrativa va conforme al paso del día y a lo que pasa entre el cocinero y los comensales del local. Los platillos son tan simples, pero que hasta dan ganas de probar como el Chilli y las hamburguesas. Es una obra para leerse en un momento de caos y que llega en un momento maravilloso ¡Muy recomendable !

[Alex Ferland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, I’m not going to waste your time. When it comes to Sam Pink, the hits keep on coming. His narrator may joke about dying in the nightmare, but if you trace the evolution from the lad in Person silently hiding from his roommate to the one here seeking out every colourful character in Michigan to absorb their vibe and wisdom, it becomes obvious that this is very much a more optimistic work. It feels unmistakably an evolution of the same writer, but gone are the self-destructive flights of fancy, to be replaced by a warm, funny humanism. This is vital writing that homes in on the incredibly tiny minutiae of every day life, small talk, turns of phrase etc and just…enjoys those things.
Hell yeah.

[Brooks Sterritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"On TV, a person struggles calamitously with a shitty old vacuum, in black and white."

[Stagger Lee]

Barkeep Buddhism, griddle plate philosophy. An extravagant duck. A cast of small town folks all perfectly normal and perfectly weird. Written in short, sparse language. Wonderful.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give yourself the gift of ketchup.

[Ignacia Bruñol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gente común, sobreviviendo, como todos.

[OSLO Zeimantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

"KETCHUP" is not about that tho.
Sam Pink hits hard on this one. Putting his life into the lives of others (customers, regulars, a duck, neighbors, and a boss with teasing pleasures. Someone I want to meet. His characters stand on their own. Like a chair missing one leg, they still work. He squares the circle, with these pleasant and unpleasant making of a life, keeping the dirt on you. Making interesting people (all are) happy anyway he can. Shit, it made me smile, laugh, feel bad for a duck who's picture at the end of the book seals the deal. Sam Pink, pleasuring himself by helping others, what a human concept! Its brings me to an emotional mountain of, I (WE) can do these things too. Its like a self help novel that real for me. The kind that motivated you to bend a little for humanity's downtrodden. Not his BEST, but its a great read. Makes me consider that there is a world of GOOD for everyone, if they take that chance at being that gentle person, who only wants to love the world in their way. Enduring love and pain, making thing fun. Theme I see the most, deal with the BS, with FIERCE obstinate towards any inference of pain on the otherside of it. 7/10.

[Downward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. While most people are out there creating violent fantasias about the darkness of the suburbs or whatever Sam Pink is writing about the interactions that create a day and make up most of our lives, blessed with the subtle beauty of someone who is paying attention.

[David Catney · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Lifeboat policy from here on out.

Not the original vessel or initial course now no, none of us, but the life boat.

Where the rules are different, and noting how people approach those rules is all you need to know.

Yourself, likewise.”

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Emerson of the shift’s hottest pocket.

[Tim Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished Ketchup, Mr. Pink’s latest rock solid manifesto. Dude’s got style, first and foremost, and not many contemporary writers can make the same claim and not be bullshitting themselves. His sentences cut like machetes through evil prey. Every page is a new surprise - seldom what you could have predicted – and there is never a dull moment, never a missed word, never too many words, and his stories are Always brimming with empathy and wonder. He approaches characters, human or otherwise, with the type of quizzical curiosity and kindness that genuinely inspires me to be a better person in the world. And if you like philosophy and allegory and all that highbrow literary shit, he’s got you covered there too, and doesn’t sound like a pretentious prick while doing it. Life, death, pain, love – it’s all there on full display; popping and locking and vibrating with strange and silly feelings that spark the nervous system. And his comic timing; forget about it, man. Sizzling. Unmatched, in my humble opinion. He makes me laugh hard, big belly laughs, and he doesn’t have to belittle or make fun of others to do it. He presents a myriad of situations that seem banal on the surface, but he digs deeper, locates the anomalies, and punches you in the gut with the absurdity and hilarity of it ALL. Fuck Dave Chapelle, Pink is the King of American Comedy.

[Sean Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a lot of people, I've had some crappy jobs over the years. Yet along with the degradation, repetition, and monotony that comes with punching the clock, there are also moments of hilarity, spontaneous magic, and transcendent beauty that stick with you more than all the bullshit. Sam Pink manages to capture the feel of work (internal and external) better than anyone else I can think of. Possessing seemingly limitless empathy, and a keen eye and ear for the way we navigate our path from beginning to end of shift, he's an utterly original voice. I would also argue that he's one of the funniest nature writers out there, at least when it comes to observing the wildlife we share space with on a daily basis. Ketchup, his latest novella, finds him reliably firing on all cylinders. A pleasure from start to finish.

[theheadofthequeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where story is seemingly based on (and reliant on) conflict, conflict, and more conflict, where the writing approach is “up the stakes,” Ketchup is wonderfully serene in its delivery and content. These words are soothing and moving in unexpected and subtle ways. There is something to be said of a very effective book that doesn’t rely on escalating events. It's in the writing, voice, perspective, and considerations. The book is a page turner in the literal sense of the phrase - I couldn't put it down and always needed to get to the next page - yet it relies on none of the conventions of a typical or traditional "page-turner" of a book. Masterful stuff - I'm so glad I came across it.

[John Duran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diehard Sam Pink fan. I've read just about every single thing the guy puts out. Ketchup is in no way a "bad" book, but I think it generally lacks some of the unflinching insights that Pink usually builds his works around. Are the characters funny, sad, bizarre, beautiful? As always, yes. And Sam demonstrates yet again he is the contemporary blue-collar factotum who can both befriend and loathe the human shapes that make up our world.

But Ketchup at times feels like it's treading water, filling pages in a rush to get itself over with. And by the end I felt it was the first Sam Pink book thus far that I wouldn't be compelled to read again. But, meh. They can't all be winners. And he's had a hot streak going on for a decade now. Still beyond excited for whatever comes next <3

[T.J. Larkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters are really refreshing to read about. The narrator reveals something fucked up but beautiful in the most life-affirming way possible. The philosophy-- or just the general spirit of the story-- is inviting. And like all of Pink's books, there is nothing being forced upon the reader. The reader is cared for, in Pink's world, and in the world of Ketchup-- almost as much as the characters are cared for... Hilarious too, of course... Yeah... If you know you know... If you don't: fuck you. No just kidding (?).

[Eric Algeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tranquility describes the writing of Sam Pink working in a small bar in rural Michigan. Long gone are the days of painful malaise in Chicago or Florida, it seems almost that this book is a testament to just finally existing, a place where most people want to find themselves. And like most people I think Sam Pink accidentally got there and wrote it down. Hilarious, fun, and always showing the thoughts of what the average working-class, mid-30s, politically ambiguous, writer retiring into the woods thinks. Gotta get myself there someday too.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several weeks ago I was at work and walked past a table and a woman yelled “WATER!” I stopped. “Excuse me,” I said. “WATER!” “Would you like some water?” I asked. “Yeah,” she said. Someone else brought her water and she dropped the glass and it shattered. Someone else cleaned it up. But it was there, ‘ancient violence, moonlight murders in prehistoric times, enemy ships on the horizon, flags, the claiming of territory, the defending of territory, ancient grudges in map like constellations.” And right now I’m in Florida for my grandmas funeral. So what is ketchup and what the fuck is anything

[Mauricio Cáceres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro cortito entrete y rápido de leer.

Es una historia un poco diferente, pero sobre lo típico. Con humor relata lo más banal mientras toca temas profundos del sin sentido humano.
Aún inspirado en otros libros me parece una propuesta creativa. También lo sentí un poco como la película Soul en la temática y Gran Torino en alguna que otra dinámica.

Me gustaron las dos reflexiones del final. Sobre que al final todos vamos en el barco salvavidas, y de dejar de vivir con miedo de vivir.

Lo recomiendo harto, es chistoso, tierno y optimista, disfruté harto leyéndolo.

[Delicious Tacos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Some of the greatest birdwatching scenes you'll ever read. Ending is transcendent.

The book is about a guy flipping burgers in a small town. It also connects the universe, humanity and nature from motes of dust up to the infinite.

I'm into Sam's books like some people are into James Bond. Each story is the same character doing the same kind of shit, but I love it every time. He does a beautiful job of capturing his reality and putting it in your head.

[boofykins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first experience in reading Sam Pink and I really hotrodded through it.

As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think the world of Sam Pink resides somewhere in between writings of Charles Bukowski and the homemade films of Giuseppe Andrews. The colorful supporting cast brought to mind Richard Linklater’s Slacker and the documentary film American Movie. There’s something very familiar and Midwest about this book. I’ll definitely be clamoring to read more.

[Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a banger. Sam Pink is one of my favorite living authors, and his grasp of the human condition never ceases to amaze. In this story, we follow a man working in a restaurant, surrounded by a cast of super quirky characters (as is usually the case in a Sam Pink novella); from the owners to the gas station attendant, everyone is idiosyncratic in their own particular way. Ketchup radiates a gently offbeat charm. Warm and fuzzy are the best adjectives I can think of to describe this book.

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

One Uppers love Sam Pink. They will tell you, “Oh, but have you read Sam Pink?” Ketchup is not a story. Or a book… I can hear someone say something about a book being a cover with pages in between. Nothing more. Thanks for that. But, perhaps a book should attempt some level of depth of imagination? Ketchup is a doc you forget you wrote stored on a laptop you no longer use.