Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper: A Novel [Paperback]

Dito Montiel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Meet Eddie Krumble. He's a relatively happy guy. Content-ish. Fresh to Los Angeles, Eddie and his friend Chris Plork land their first gig: clapping as paid audience members for infomercials and sitcoms so heinous that tourists won't even attend. Eddie spends long days clapping, laughing, and hissing — on cue, of course — and his life slowly begins to take shape as a relationship with Judy, a gas station attendant, begins to brew. Suddenly his life is turned on its head. In one of his nightly rants, Jay Leno scrutinizes the state of late night TV and ends up unveiling two stills of Eddie as audience members for two different infomercials. Eddie is singled out as clapper-for-hire, Eddie's career comes to a halt, and Leno turns his discovery into a segment on his show: "Who is THE CLAPPER?" takes the public by storm, and Eddie's face appears on TVs and billboards throughout the nation. A clever satire about fame, consumerism, and reality TV, Dito Montiel's Eddie Krumble is The Clapper is the first work of fiction from the acclaimed author of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The widely acclaimed author and director of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints shifts from memoir to high-energy satire in his fiction debut. Eddie Krumble is a high school kid from Queens with a job at a lock factory and a bleak future that gets a bit sunnier when he and permanently stoned pal Chris Plork hop a bus to L.A., where they find work in the "audience participation placement" field (read: compensated clapping for shows too awful to draw a legitimate audience). Eddie wears disguises to maximize his earning potential—appearing as different people at different clapping gigs (sometimes three in a day). The producers of The Tonight Show meanwhile, while trawling reels of bad television for material, notice Eddie's manifold personalities, prompting Jay Leno to make "The Clapper" into a recurring bit that puts Eddie's anonymity, and thus his livelihood, on the line. A whimsical tale where the underdog gets his day—and his few minutes in the spotlight—Montiel's first stab at fiction is an entertaining excursion into the mundane reality behind television's exuberant facade. (Mar.)
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Review

"Montiel tells his entertaining, sad tales with a combination of affection, glee, and nostalgia. He's managed to escape the dismal fate of many of his childhood cohorts, while still cherishing and embracing their humanity."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560259639
• ISBN-13: 978-1560259633
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,880,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars a brisk read, February 9, 2008

By 

A. McMillan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper: A Novel (Paperback)

i loved monteil's "a guide to recognizing your saints" so i gave "the clapper" a try as well. with the very short chapters, i was able to plow through this book in one sitting. i personally expected more after "saints", but it is a good, fun book to read to kill time on a flight.

5.0 out of 5 stars anything an everything the man writes is brilliant, August 8, 2007

By 

sdr (everywhere but california the most) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper: A Novel (Paperback)

Mr.Montiel is one of a kind and what an innovative , revolutionary and stoical kind he is
his writing inspires..moves and soothes teh soul.
he is a delight to read and watch (his film work)
already he has made this world a far more magical place..i have no doubt this is just the begining of his monumental positive contribution to the planet.
yes indeed.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and fast reading!, July 7, 2007

By 

James Lyons "J. Lyons" (Taos NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper: A Novel (Paperback)

I loved this book! There is so many levels to this satire that spark laugh out loud emotions. I had never heard of this author and just by chance happend on this book and man oh man it's truly great! I actually have a cousin that this story could have been written about! Like I said fun and easy reading at its best!