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My Goat Ate Its Own Legs
30 utterly original, darkly surreal and dangerously funny tales unfold in the present, past and future in mythic space and the not-quite-ordinary everyday world. In them you will meet a panoply of unforgettable characters, including the ex's of both God and Death, a dog addicted to cocaine, a couple who literally merge through the intensity of their mutual lust; and another who eat their kids. And of course, the goat that ate its own legs.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
229 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2008
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119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 23, 2010
This week while I was in an elevator on my way to lunch after a really crappy morning at work when the phone started ringing. The elevator phone... God? is that you? Buddha? My ex? Mom? My mind raced with the possibilities. I was duty bound to answer it just to settle my own intense curiosity. Who calls an elevator?
M: Hello? (cautiously still expecting my mother to be on the other line scolding me for that fifth cup of tea and third pain killer I just had)
Lady: Is this Santa Barbara Media Pro?
M: This is an elevator.
Lady: ... ... ... How the hell did I call an elevator?!
M: I have no idea.
Followed by a brief exchange with me trying to explain that I couldn't verify the number she called, her still not quite understanding that she had just called an ELEVATOR emergency phone and that I really couldn't help her with her media needs.
It was absurdity in its simplest form and it put a smile on my face. My horrible morning faded away slightly with sound of that elevator ring.
This book is that. Absurdity with a twist of reality mixed with illogical plot lines and eclectic characters (Not unlike my life). The writing itself left a lot to be desired but for a little light reading it is perfect. and a story about dating death. Come on, we've all experienced THAT. It was Roald Dahl on ecstasy with a quarter of the writing skills.
M: Hello? (cautiously still expecting my mother to be on the other line scolding me for that fifth cup of tea and third pain killer I just had)
Lady: Is this Santa Barbara Media Pro?
M: This is an elevator.
Lady: ... ... ... How the hell did I call an elevator?!
M: I have no idea.
Followed by a brief exchange with me trying to explain that I couldn't verify the number she called, her still not quite understanding that she had just called an ELEVATOR emergency phone and that I really couldn't help her with her media needs.
It was absurdity in its simplest form and it put a smile on my face. My horrible morning faded away slightly with sound of that elevator ring.
This book is that. Absurdity with a twist of reality mixed with illogical plot lines and eclectic characters (Not unlike my life). The writing itself left a lot to be desired but for a little light reading it is perfect. and a story about dating death. Come on, we've all experienced THAT. It was Roald Dahl on ecstasy with a quarter of the writing skills.
February 1, 2016
Yes, it's a bizarre book.
It has lots of strange stories, some of them are not "original" at all, but had been written in an intrigue form that give them a new meaning.
I totally recommend this book, it's easy to read, it's funny and original, it even makes you think about all the metaphors from life-love-death-good-bad.
It has lots of strange stories, some of them are not "original" at all, but had been written in an intrigue form that give them a new meaning.
I totally recommend this book, it's easy to read, it's funny and original, it even makes you think about all the metaphors from life-love-death-good-bad.
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August 22, 2019I stumbled across this collection of short stories in a second hand bookshop and it has illumined my day. What a creative, surreal, hilarious and satirical writer. Each story has transfixed me, made me laugh and gasp. Uncomfortable at times but very engaging.
August 11, 2023
This book looks a lot of fun outside, with its nibbled edges and is a lot of fun inside.
There are lots of odd little pieces in this; a goat eating its own legs, improvements to a human abattoir, astral travel to see God shitting out the universe, his ex-wife who makes good jam, a woman who went out with Death, a rat who has a plan to be domesticated, paint that makes everything beautiful. The only trouble is that the main pleasure of most these stories lies in that one phrase or idea, very few of them are actual developed stories. A similar joy may be had from a list of funny ideas for stories, as these are essentially a padded version of that.
The most developed story in the book is a retelling Bedd Gelert, and it’s very good. It really builds up the relationship between the man and dog, but also what a terrifying dog it is, making the mistake more understandable.
Some fun notions, more story please.
There are lots of odd little pieces in this; a goat eating its own legs, improvements to a human abattoir, astral travel to see God shitting out the universe, his ex-wife who makes good jam, a woman who went out with Death, a rat who has a plan to be domesticated, paint that makes everything beautiful. The only trouble is that the main pleasure of most these stories lies in that one phrase or idea, very few of them are actual developed stories. A similar joy may be had from a list of funny ideas for stories, as these are essentially a padded version of that.
The most developed story in the book is a retelling Bedd Gelert, and it’s very good. It really builds up the relationship between the man and dog, but also what a terrifying dog it is, making the mistake more understandable.
Some fun notions, more story please.
June 18, 2010
These short stories almost had me rolling on the floor. I was intrigued by the title and I won the ‘judge a book by its cover’ jackpot in this instance. Darkly humorous, this is confection for adults who are messed up. Really messed up. Adults like me; people who would find a story about a goat actually eating its own legs not only hilarious but oddly sweet, a book to soothe a wrecked and twisted psyche, or perhaps to indulge it. I recommend! Waiting for the author’s next offering is pretty close to torture.
January 30, 2011
Possibly, one of craziest collection of short stories I have ever read. A lot of these stories were quite ironic in either a laughable or depressing sense yet quite entertaining. It was fantastic. (Although, my edition still had plenty of typos).
May 20, 2011
wow. really just a great bunch of the randomest, funniest, heartfelt and most imaginative stories i've ever read. and somehow still mature
January 18, 2012
Twisted, bizarre, hilarious, often gruesome collection of short stories. I picked it off the shelf for the title and weird shape - bite taken out of the corner edition.
July 5, 2013
The title story is awesome!
August 24, 2014
Extremely surreal. X-Rated, definitely not for the faint of heart, but still quite good.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews