The Astrological Diary of God [Paperback]

Bo Fowler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2001

A masterpiece of religious parody in the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut.

Japs Eye Fontanelle, an 88-year-old overweight, retired Japanese kamikaze pilot, insists that he is the rightful king of the Holy Channel Island of Jersey. He also claims to be the Creator of the Universe. This is his autobiography, written while under armed guard inside the gold vault at Fort Knox. Fontanelle recounts his truly remarkable life: from his birth in the city of Kyoto and his involvement in World War II, to his study of the ancient science of astrology, the historic discovery of his own divinity, and the founding of the first Astrological Kingdom on Earth. Occasionally, when he isn't busy creating galaxies, he takes a break to watch "Star Trek".

Structured in twelve meticulously-researched, hilariously funny zodiacal chapters-and padded with photo inserts revealing such delights as God returning from his ninth suicide mission, Shinto monks, and God's genitals- The Astrological Diary of God is a savage and irreverent take on modern belief.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Giving in to obsession is one surefire way to go insane, and British author Fowler (Skepticism, Inc.) allows his protagonist to do just that, in this wackily original but ultimately frustrating novel. WWII veteran Zizo Yasuzawa is an 85-year-old, five-foot, 600-pound astrological egotist, held prisoner by the United Nations Cosmology Commission in a mobile home inside a gold vault in Fort Knox, Ky., for the alleged killing of Time. Decades ago, after a series of failed kamikaze missions, Zizo came to believe that he was being saved for a higher purpose, and with the help of astrology books, ardent followers and not a little self-delusion, he decided he was a divine being. In that capacity, and in keeping with ancient Egyptian legend, he also came to believe he created new galaxies every time he masturbated. It's more than a little confusing that Zizo refers to himself in the third person as "God" yet continues to use first person pronouns ("God waved, or rather God wriggled my podgy fingers"). His perverse autobiography is punctuated by astrology charts and brief catalogues of historical and trivial dates (for example, "Japanese annihilate Russian fleet in the Tsushima straits" and "Man balancing on tightrope falls off after 205 days"). Unfortunately, neither his companions in captivity jailer Colonel Fleming and nurse Julie Hughes nor his arch nemesis, U.N. Commissioner for the Prevention of Natural Disasters Pedro Pizarro, are allowed to speak for themselves. A perspective other than that of the star- and navel-gazing Zizo would have greatly aided his and the book's philosophically convoluted cause. (Mar.)Forecast: Amusing graphics and campy, comic-book cover art will catch the eye of alterna-kid readers, but the novel lacks the contagious charm of the cult classics it emulates.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Fowler has written a damned fine novel-audacious, sparky and very funny." --The Times-UK

"Clever and funny." --Independent

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; First U.S. Edition edition (March 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582341184
• ISBN-13: 978-1582341187
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,925,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A major disappointment, February 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Astrological Diary of God (Paperback)

Vonnegut and Adams are two of my favorite authors, and -- perhaps more importantly -- I loved Bo Fowler's other book, Scepticism, Inc. Very sadly, though, I found The Astrological Diary of God to be tough to even finish. It's too focused on masturbation, the characters are otherwise not very compelling, and the story seems to lose itself halfway through the book. That said, I highly encourage readers who like Vonnegut and similar authors to check out Scepticism, Inc. and, personally, intend to read whatever Bo Fowler publishes next.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars tries too hard to be vonnegut, September 21, 2003

By 

"atomicsnail" (nz) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Astrological Diary of God (Paperback)

I was unable to finish this book. Half way through I thought if I want vonnegut I can read breakfast of champions again. So I did.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why People Don't Read, November 23, 2004

By 

Cuedus "Kyooverse" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Astrological Diary of God (Paperback)

*smiles* Namely because they read reviews like the first two.

This book is FUNNY. They should not have said it's like Vonnegut because I think Fowler is doing something quite different, giving us a totally different narrative and book.

He masturbates a lot.. so do you, the only difference is that he is God and he creates universes when he cums.

If you can read that and not be intrigued, you don't wanna read this.

The read is easy, the pacing is perfect, great pictures, and it is severely funny -- whether you know a lot about astrology or not.

The message of the book is great and the indeterminate ending feels satisfying because it is answered... maybe.

It's a great read, but not for poseurs to the literary form.

Postmodernism at it's snickering best.