Customer Reviews

The Great Pursuit

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The story of a publisher, Frensic, who convinces an unimaginative would-be author, Peter Piper, to pretend authorship of a wildly successful, pornographic novel. It's a funny book, though not riotously so: more witty and arch, or getting its humor by deflating stereotypes. Its plot is devious and twisted, but though there's sex and a riot and some explosions, it seems restrained compared to other Sharpe books. I must say I don't care much for the abrupt, highly unsatisfying ending. Start reading Sharpe with Wilt or Blott.

The zany plot lines and characters of Tom Sharpe are present, but the language is toned down slightly. The plot is rather summarily tidied up at the end as though the word limit was achieved and the author just decided to work into a close. Early promise in the plot was therefore not fully realised. The characters were as likely and unlikely as ever. On the whole not up to the great 'Blott', but not quite as raucous as some of the others by Sharpe.

I enjoyed this book. The concept is reasonably understandable, a uk publicist has a sure fire winning manuscript, who's author who wants anonimity, so installs in the authors place a writer who's willing to pretend to be the original writer so as to premote the book for the sales pitch to the USA. Sounds simple? No chance!

Having already agreed, the surrogate author finds the book is not at all to his taste, and throws a wobbly!! The ensuing chaos is all you'd expect of a Tom Sharpe book, ranging from vast amounts of expletives, through to dialogue thats sharp, witty, and occasionally leaves you grasping for the dictionary. Its not Porterhouse Blue standards... but its still well worth a read.

All I have to say is that while reading a Tom Sharpe book in the subway you'll probably end up missing your stop. Accidentally because you are so engrossed, or purposely because you don't want to put the book down. Watch out, you might end up in an area you don't want to visit!!

Tom Sharpe's one of the great British comic novelists of the last fifty years, if not the best. I've read his books, seen TV versions, and always with the same result. Raucous, bawdy, and, at times, bitingly satirical tales. This is another of the same.

I'm reviewing the UK 1977 Pan Books edition.

The novel falls short in the hastily fabricated ending, and I see I'm not alone to think so. Was Sharpe's own Great Pursuit to finish in a predetermined number of words? The story rushes to an end through the last couple of chapters.

I think Brits would appreciate the humor more than anyone else, because it fits a comic tradition that's British more than it is American. Nobody I know hereabouts has read any of his novels. Their loss.

It was a minor niggle, and odd, that Sharpe's research for the US scenes was lacking, with things such as misspelled place names (e.g. Ashville, NC) and huge errors in distance between Bangor and Tuscaloosa (2000 miles?). Maybe I'm being picky, but for me the little mistakes take away from the enjoyment. I haven't noticed those kinds of things in the other novels I've read, such as Porterhouse Blue, the Wilts, Blott, etc.

But it's still a damn good read. I've re-read it a few times, and will do again. I'd recommend it, but not for a first Sharpe experience. Try Blott or Wilt first.

Four stars instead of five, due only to the rushed ending and the niggles.

This was the first Tom Sharpe's book I read. It was so funny! I loved it so much - I had to buy his other books. This one is definitely one of my favorites.