Customer Reviews

My Gun Has Bullets

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's incredible that this book is out-of-print already. I ran across it in the library, starting reading the first few pages, and had to run for the desk. Laughing so hard (and so quietly) that the librarians were about to dial 911. Fortunately, one of them had read the book, and understood why I was weeping and gasping for breath. Took it home and had sore stomach and cheek muscles for a week. This is easily among the ten funniest books I've ever read.

The Good Stuff:

This is a hilarious satire of the television industry with a little murder and mayhem thrown in. Much of the humor is 'tongue-in-cheek' while other scenes are just plain slapstick.

My favorite part was Charlie getting shot by a little old lady trying to get to the Neiman Marcus sale before it was over.

Let's hope the mob never gets that involved with television; although, if they decided to air more episodes of "The Sopranos", I wouldn't cry over it.

I could see this book in my mind as I read it, like watching a movie. Mr. Goldberg is an extremely talented writer.

The Bad Stuff:

I only caught one small error in plot development. Towards the end, there is a sentence: "This was the first time Charlie Willis had ever heard Delbert Skaggs' voice." This wasn't true as he had previously bugged a phone and heard a voice which was identified by another party as Delbert Skaggs.

There were a few errors in this Kindle edition. It was just the usual conversion typos, such as inserting an 'll' for an 'n'. Nothing too distracting, though.

I do think it would have been better had it focused more on Charlie and developed his character in a deeper manner. It skipped around quite a bit at times, then backtracked. I'm just not as fond of that method.

Overall: Truly funny book. Anyone who understands and enjoys satire, while thinking television is sometimes overrated, will enjoy this book.

Rating: Rated R for language and sexual situations.

Length: Novel - 7050 Locations

Lee Goldberg's My Gun Has Bullets is definitely one of the crazier, funnier books I've come across in a very long time. he situations are broad and unbelievable, but there is enough truth there to make you wonder.

The situation, in which the Mob finances a television series and, when the show doesn't do as well as expected, begins killing off the stars of the competing shows, is not in itself laugh out loud funny, but Goldberg's deft poking manages to create humor out of a silly premise.

The erstwhile star of the book, Charlie Willis, is also the novel's main flaw - he's just too good to be believed. He's a gentle, kind, aw-shucks ex-cop who gets his own TV series. When the competition staerts dropping like flies, he acts like a cop once again, hunting the killers.

If you're interested at all in the makings of a TV program, you'll enjoy this book. Though tongue-in-cheek, there's enough truth to make you think. The comedy is broad, (think Woody Allen's early films), the writing is above-average and the novel is entertaining, What more did you want?

Funny, witty in parts, a good read. First half is very well written, second half tries too hard and becomes a parody of itself. Lots of typos in the Kindel version - mostly 'l's and 'I's for 't's. Becomes a bit distracting after a while. The plot is original, the dead-pan delivery of the main character is funny. The story is a bit stilted in parts, like it was written with genuine enthusiasm then the author - Lee Goldberg got a little bored and went a bit crazy himself. All the characters are stereotypes and the cliches come thick and fast. The dog - Boo Boo is just strange - by the end of the book you can definetly see the 'toilet goes into the wall'.

Made me laugh...

Nicely done. A very cool, tongue-in-cheek, send up of the television industry wrapped in a murder mystery. Loved the thinly veiled characters that Mr. Goldberg salts the book with - especially Esther Radcliffe.

A fun read, a worthy read. Don't miss out on this one. And check out the sequel, "Beyond the Beyond".

One of the editorial reviews above mentioned Carl Hiaasen, and I think that is apt. Like Hiassen, the plot is strained, most of the developments are telegraphed way in advance, and the "funny situations" are pretty predictable. But, sometimes a particular scene really takes off, and sometimes you read a throwaway line or a bit of dialogue that really hits the mark. That keeps the book going, makes the read worthwhile, and is its own reward.

I enjoyed this book enormously. What a hoot! I worked it in between some pretty heavy reading and it was
a tonic. Laugh-out-loud funny. Wicked satire and outrageous slapstick. The 2 bumbling and psychotic stunt men dreaming of starring in their own TV show are brilliantly drawn and deftly deployed. Unforgettable characters. The topical TV references are dated now but still effective. The plot chugs smoothly along in the midst of all the madness and mayhem and the hero and heroine are totally likeable - worth rooting for.
All in all My Gun Has Bullets is a refreshingly amusing mystery and well worth your time.

After reading The Walk I knew I had to read more from this author. As before, I was caught on the first page couldn't stop. I cringed, I got horny, I got disgusted, I worried, I laughed, I wondered, and I laughed some more! His characters are some of the best I've ever read. I love the cynical stabs at the very business he's in. Who should know better? Incredible clever is the best I can say to sum it up.

A few other reviews have suggested this as funny. I didn't manage so much as a wry chuckle. All the characters and plotting are pure Hollywood hideously overdrawn caricatures good men, hot good women, the mob etc etc but none of it really makes any sense. the plot limps along, revolving around television rights before ,ending in a suitably bloody finale The guy of course ..... No I won't spoil it

Maybe this is supposed to be an unfunny farce. I just thought it unfunny implausible and dull.

I laughed so often and so unexpectedly while reading this book that I was afraid I was going to drop my Kindle. The other reviewers gave a good description of the book, so I just want to add that it is definitely worth reading.