Member Reviews

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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 4 stars

  “I discovered this book because it was recommended on Christopher Moore's website. It doesn't seem fair that one man should be so talented, but at least we get to reap the rewards of Laurie's talents. This is a well crafted novel of suspense filled with action, witty dialogue, and humor. I keep hoping for an opportunity to use the line "my life is ebbing away in this room!" I had read somewhere that the movie rights were being optioned. I hope that if it does get turned into a film that they don't ruin it. ”

  librarianwho wrote this review Friday, June 22 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Moke said: Rated: 4 stars
  
  If you like the humor of P.G. Wodehouse and the action of John LeCarre, then this book is for you! It is a spoof on noir fiction and spy novels where the men are tough, smart, quick thinking and handy with a gun. The women are beautiful and deadly, but mostly just beautiful and vulnerable, but - as I mentioned - usually deadly. Throw in some American arms dealers and a plot to infiltrate a terrorist organization, a few Taikwondo moves and you've got yerself a novel, comrade! And, if you are lucky and get the Readers Club version, there are really thought provoking questions at the back - like, "8. How has Laurie altered your opinion of Volvos or Fiat Pandas?" I didn't know Fiat was breeding pandas for the mass market transportation industry. I suppose bamboo is cheaper than petroleum. Hardhitting stuff.
  
  I am, of course, trying to be as silly as Laurie is in this book.”

  Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review 15 hours ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “If you like the humor of P.G. Wodehouse and the action of John LeCarre, then this book is for you! It is a spoof on noir fiction and spy novels where the men are tough, smart, quick thinking and handy with a gun. The women are beautiful and deadly, but mostly just beautiful and vulnerable, but - as I mentioned - usually deadly. Throw in some American arms dealers and a plot to infiltrate a terrorist organization, a few Taikwondo moves and you've got yerself a novel, comrade! And, if you are lucky and get the Readers Club version, there are really thought provoking questions at the back - like, "8. How has Laurie altered your opinion of Volvos or Fiat Pandas?" I didn't know Fiat was breeding pandas for the mass market transportation industry. I suppose bamboo is cheaper than petroleum. Hardhitting stuff.”

  Moke wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “This is a hilarious book! The Subtle humer will have you rolling over laughing. It has action. Mystery and above all the charicter is Just like a kid. Sarcastic and Witty. Although most of my books i give 5 stars. This is defonetly top 3.”

  Blake D wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “This book striked me as the ultimate british humour after reading just the first page. I repressed a smile with every word of it - the first part more than the second one and found myself craving to go on once I reached the second part and there was action and suspense everywhere too. It still kept the humour, though, and there was even a small dose of romanticism in there. I was surprised by the talent with which Laurie bound everything in there, like a bomb! And by the way, I had never thought about the weapons market until I read The Gun Seller.”

  Lucia B wrote this review Friday, September 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “I really enjoyed the first half of this book but the plot lost my interest in the second half when I felt things got too bogged down with the terrorist/conspiracy angle. But I think that might be because I'm not a big fan of espionage plots. Otherwise Laurie's writing was smooth and I enjoyed the characters and humor. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys spy or conspiracy novels.”

  Sam wrote this review Friday, August 22 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 2 stars

  “"House"'s sarcasm and wit does not do a fantastic job of translating to a spoof-novel. Love him in Jeeves & Wooster as well as House M.D. ---should stick to acting at this point.”

  Whit wrote this review Friday, August 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “I love it, plain and simple. I've been a crazy Hugh Laurie fangirl for a long time now, so The Gun Seller is a prized book within my library. Of course, that being said, I can't HONESTLY review this book. I'm a fangirl. However, I CAN honestly write that you'll likely enjoy this book if you like his earlier work on the silver screen. Read it. You know you want to.”

  Katherine F wrote this review Sunday, July 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “For me the best writers have a very distinct "voice" which resounds throughout their work, as if I can hear the author narrating the story to me. Turns out, multi-talented actor Hugh Laurie is a pretty good writer. Fans of his TV show House will recognize his "voice" in his debut novel The Gun Seller, a mock spy thriller that is at once irreverent, intelligent, and entertaining. Laurie's writing style bears traces of the acerbic wit of his TV alter ego, but it is not House we "hear" telling the tale of reluctant hero Thomas Lang. It is Lang himself who comes to life as the beleaguered bodyguard-slash-mercenary who gets entangled in a twist-and-turn plot involving the CIA, the British Ministry of Defense, ruthless arms dealers and terrorists. Lang is wry and self-deprecating, and makes for an engaging first POV. He is cool under fire, and has no delusions about being James Bond... and it's precisely his un-Bond-like flaws that makes him sympathetic and endearing.
  
  Judging from The Gun Seller, it's apparent that Laurie is not just a terrific Brit actor who can pull off an impeccable American accent, he's also quite the skilled storyteller. His is one "voice" I'd gladly listen to again, so here's looking forward to his next literary endeavor.”

  Ailee wrote this review Friday, June 20 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “i guess in england hugh laurie as known as this really witty comedian, but as an american i'm surprised to see how intelligent and humorous this book is starting out.”

  Matt H wrote this review Wednesday, May 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )