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davidflearoth's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
suzemo's review against another edition
2.0
Oh my gawd, this was so boring. It started out OK, but was incredibly repetitive. Apparently hell is all about being denied pleasure (right?) and random torture that seems to either involve unpleasant ways to repeatedly die or frustration from lack of sex.
It feels like the author tried to emulate Dante's Inferno with the different sections (not rings) of hell, and making sociopolitical commentary-light. Only it was boring. More boring, by a long shot. It could have been cute if it were edited down, maybe... the idea is OK, the execution just stunk.
It was boring. I'm glad I'm done carrying the book around trying to force myself to finish it.
It feels like the author tried to emulate Dante's Inferno with the different sections (not rings) of hell, and making sociopolitical commentary-light. Only it was boring. More boring, by a long shot. It could have been cute if it were edited down, maybe... the idea is OK, the execution just stunk.
It was boring. I'm glad I'm done carrying the book around trying to force myself to finish it.
enelvee's review against another edition
3.0
I worship Butler's short fiction, but this was just okay.
chrstnareads's review against another edition
3.0
I'd say that I enjoyed about 7/8 of this book. It was an interesting premise, and the author delivered for most of the book, but I was less than enthused at the end. Maybe it was a little esoteric for me.
Anyway, the book follows famous news broadcaster Hatcher McCord. He was this in life, and in death. You see, Satan makes him the anchor for the Evening News in Hell. Here, he is doomed to read Bruce Almighty-esque teleprompters, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it, and is responsible for the series "Why Do You Think You're Here?" in which he interviews myriad "celebrities" of past and present (well, at this point they're all past, since they're dead), like Henry VIII, J. Edgar Hoover, Bill Clinton, and even Satan himself. One day, Hatcher hears talk that another Harrowing (Jesus will come to Hell to retrieve those who are worthy of rising to Heaven) will take place, and decides that he must find out more about it for himself, and his occasionally headless lover, Anne Boleyn. In the process he faces Satan (and because of him, shoots Hitler), and runs into Virgil and Beatrice, Judas Iscariot, and all three of his wives (not to mention his nude mother). The reader gets to see the various thoughts/self-tortures of all these characters, proving that even in Hell, we are largely responsible for creating our misery, which Satan uses to his advantage.
Anywho, Hatcher faces succubi, Beelzebub and other minions to track down people from his and Anne's pasts to try to find their ways into the Harrowing. But from these meetings, instead of redemption, they only find hurt. But it's just as well because when the time comes for the Harrowing **SPOILER ALERT** Hatcher and Anne are left off the rocket to Heaven. It's okay though, because it was all just a lie. There was no Harrowing. They're still stuck in hot, torturous, acid rain Hell of, well, Hell. But there's light at the end of the tunnel. Or is there? Hatcher finally does find a way into Heaven, but it's so lonely and confusing (there are no people there, only Hatcher's favorite latte from Starbucks and a Big Mac waiting for whenever he wants them), and ultimately, Hatcher willingly goes back into Hell. The final line of the book is him shouting to all the other people of hell (everyone who's ever lived, we're led to believe), "I love you all!"
I suppose this is supposed to be profound since the author makes a point of showing how impossible it is for people to say the "L" word in Hell. Like Hatcher has learned something the others do not know; he has become enlightened. And I suppose the point he has learned is that we are more comfortable with being miserable, miserable at the hands of ourselves and others, because without everyone else, without the stimuli of living in a world of which we are a part, all that is left is a lonely illusion of life. *shrugs*
I can get behind that. I get it. But it was still kind of an anti-climactic ending. Meh. 3.5 Stars.
Anyway, the book follows famous news broadcaster Hatcher McCord. He was this in life, and in death. You see, Satan makes him the anchor for the Evening News in Hell. Here, he is doomed to read Bruce Almighty-esque teleprompters, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it, and is responsible for the series "Why Do You Think You're Here?" in which he interviews myriad "celebrities" of past and present (well, at this point they're all past, since they're dead), like Henry VIII, J. Edgar Hoover, Bill Clinton, and even Satan himself. One day, Hatcher hears talk that another Harrowing (Jesus will come to Hell to retrieve those who are worthy of rising to Heaven) will take place, and decides that he must find out more about it for himself, and his occasionally headless lover, Anne Boleyn. In the process he faces Satan (and because of him, shoots Hitler), and runs into Virgil and Beatrice, Judas Iscariot, and all three of his wives (not to mention his nude mother). The reader gets to see the various thoughts/self-tortures of all these characters, proving that even in Hell, we are largely responsible for creating our misery, which Satan uses to his advantage.
Anywho, Hatcher faces succubi, Beelzebub and other minions to track down people from his and Anne's pasts to try to find their ways into the Harrowing. But from these meetings, instead of redemption, they only find hurt. But it's just as well because when the time comes for the Harrowing **SPOILER ALERT** Hatcher and Anne are left off the rocket to Heaven. It's okay though, because it was all just a lie. There was no Harrowing. They're still stuck in hot, torturous, acid rain Hell of, well, Hell. But there's light at the end of the tunnel. Or is there? Hatcher finally does find a way into Heaven, but it's so lonely and confusing (there are no people there, only Hatcher's favorite latte from Starbucks and a Big Mac waiting for whenever he wants them), and ultimately, Hatcher willingly goes back into Hell. The final line of the book is him shouting to all the other people of hell (everyone who's ever lived, we're led to believe), "I love you all!"
I suppose this is supposed to be profound since the author makes a point of showing how impossible it is for people to say the "L" word in Hell. Like Hatcher has learned something the others do not know; he has become enlightened. And I suppose the point he has learned is that we are more comfortable with being miserable, miserable at the hands of ourselves and others, because without everyone else, without the stimuli of living in a world of which we are a part, all that is left is a lonely illusion of life. *shrugs*
I can get behind that. I get it. But it was still kind of an anti-climactic ending. Meh. 3.5 Stars.
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
1.0
Not what I was expecting AT ALL. It had its moments in the first 50 pages, then it just went downhill for me after that. I skimmed and jumped around and was never genuinely engaged. I guess I just missed the point.
modernoddity's review
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
guinness74's review against another edition
1.0
Not impressed. As a matter of fact, several times throughout the book, I was reminded of the title whenever I considered how many pages were left. I only stuck with it because Mr. Butler is a Pulitzer Prize winner (although, not by the standards of this book, in my opinion) and the premise is interesting, just not well done. Anyway, I can't recommend it at all as I barely finished it myself.
mscottbone's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
davidlz1's review against another edition
1.0
This was really a painful read. I thought this would be a humorous book. While there were parts which were comical, the overall theme was anything but. It started off a bit dis-jointed. Then it moved to being uncomfortable. From there it progressed towards comical scenes relying on either well-known historical events or rather recent political events. From there it moved toward character redemption. But then it circled back on itself. In a way it was really challenging the definition of 'hell', but it remained elusive throughout. The one or two laughable moments just really are not worth the read.
Pass on this one.
Pass on this one.
sardugg's review
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75