Dreaming of Gwen Stefani (Paperback)

~ Evan Mandery (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Mortimer Taylor Coleridge used to study evolutionary biology at Columbia. Now he is a dedicated employee of Papaya Queen hot dogs. Master of the bun flip and speedy with the condiments, Coleridge feels he has elevated his job to an art form. Then he stumbles on the episode of TV's Behind the Music featuring Gwen Stefani, and his life is never the same. He buys No Doubt's entire catalog of CDs, jettisons his longtime girlfriend, and undertakes a strenuous fitness regime. He is preparing himself for the day when the glamorous star, who has declared hot dogs as her favorite food, will come strolling into his establishment. Mandery's offbeat debut novel contains a long history of the popularity of the hot dog as well as an in-depth and often absurd parsing of Stefani's lyrics. But Mandery's droll send-up of celebrity worship is more odd than effective since his deadpan reciting of every single detail of Stefani's life is not quite as humorous as he intends. Still, this may appeal to pop-culture junkies looking for a quick read. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Dreaming of Gwen Stefani is a quirky and compelling riff on the nature of romantic obsession, celebrity worship, free will versus determinism and the Joys of Papaya King Hot dogs.--Jay McInerney

Mortimer Taylor Coleridge is a unique man. With a mind of rare mathematical precision, he is obsessed with imposing order upon the chaos of every day life. A once brilliant student of evolutionary biology at Columbia University, he has turned his back on a promising academic career to devote his life to selling hot dogs at Papaya Queen. And Mortimer has used his keen intellect to become the quickest and most efficient of hot dog men, devising a numerical-based system to sell hot dogs which maximizes both time and effort.

One day while watching TV, Mortimer comes upon VH1, and his life is instantly transformed. While watching Behind the Music: No Doubt, he decides that he and Gwen Stefani are soul mates, destined to be together. When Mortimer discovers that her favorite food is a Papaya Queen hot dog, he dedicates his life to preparing for the day, which he knows will come, when Gwen Stefani will walk into the Papaya Queen where he works, order a frankfurter and fall in love with him.

In the comic tradition of writers such as Carl Hiaasen and Lydia Millet, Dreaming of Gwen Stefani takes our culture's obsession with celebrity to its logical-or illogical-conclusion.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ig Publishing (January 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977197263
• ISBN-13: 978-0977197262
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #858,337 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to like Stefani to love this book, February 7, 2007

By	Kevin Low "hiphopbjj" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mandery's writing style makes for a quick and entertaining read. The pop culture references and dead pan delivery are reminiscent of Chuck Klosterman and the Family Guy's Seth Macfarlane. I am not a particularly big fan of Stefani or No Doubt but enjoyed the Behind the Music-esque background stories and asides. Mandery uses Coleridge as a spigot for rantings on a myriad topics from hot dogs toppings to evolutionary biology. At times the plot becomes secondary to the narrative but is never overwhelming. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different and funny.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting dichotomy, February 12, 2007

By	Paul Kramer (Studio City, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Dreaming of Gwen Stefani will have obvious appeal to fans of Gwen Stefani -- the book includes a few interesting details of her life and the history of No Doubt -- but it is really a book about love and free will. The main character, Mortimer Coleridge, is heavily influenced by an evolutionary biology professor who convinces him that man does not possess free will.
The book is quite funny, but it is also quite sad. Neither the main
character nor anyone else in the book ends up getting what they want. I was left feeling a bit unsettled myself.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare story from an even rarer perspective, February 9, 2007

By	Jeffrey Lu - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The basic walk through Mortimer's life feels initially like a breath of fresh air from all the other novels out there. His reflections on the subject of love were inspiring. The setting introduces a new concept into other books of this nature where a random intelligent guy falls to what some would consider the lowest of the lows yet manages to integrate his life into someone who he considers the highest of the highs in his mind. In this world, it describes the life of a fan. This book however takes it to the next level delving into the mysteries of love and the unspoken social laws regarding such a ever changing topic.