Customer Reviews

The Harmon Chronicles

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was a big fan of Might magazine, where Leon used to work, and I was looking forward to his first book. While I like the idea of Leon's self-described "infiltration journalism", in which he dons various personas and costumes and weasels his way into various places and subcultures in order to check them out, I would have liked it a little better if he didn't enter each situation with such hostile intent. Leon's shtick has been described as a combination of Michael Moore, Tom Green, Candid Camera, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Punk'd, which is a pretty accurate -- he's not exactly subtle. And like a lot of these guys (and they are all guys), his ability to follow through with the totally outrageous behavior and ground rules he mandates for himself is definitely admirable on some level. However, where this book falters is in the actual writing -- for the most part, it's just not that good.

Basically, once you know the premise of each piece, that's probably enough to set you laughing (or not). Leon's subsequent choppy description of what happens doesn't generally add much to the enjoyment -- the premise is usually its own punch line. The experiences are arranged into categories like birth, work, home, sex, consumerism, etc. with one to five entries each for a total of 22 pieces. Those few I would recommend were the ones were he: gets hired and tries to get fired from a fast food place, checks out armed forces recruiting, becomes a telephone psychic, becomes a rent-a-clown, becomes a bounty-hunter, and checks into a Scientology hotel and gets recruited. One of the personas he adopts, Dieter Lieterschvantz, is particularly funny with his aggressive pidgin English.

Less funny were the pieces where he: goes gun shopping, competes to get onto various game-shows (expect the part on The Family Feud, that was good), poss as a director at the Cannes Film Festival, wanders around the X-Games as "Aggress-Vert" (a sport he invents) athlete Chas Lemon, checks out apartments for rent, goes used car shopping, tries on women's angora sweaters, and watches a baby contest. In a lot of these he merely comes across as an annoying provocateur, and doesn't really expose anything interesting about American society. And the two pieces in the sex section didn't fit into the rest of the book's framework at all. Unlike the rest of the book, it's just straight experiential reportage -- he goes to get a lap dance and goes up in a plane to have sex with his girlfriend.

On the whole, Leon's adventures are a reasonably enjoyable ride, albeit surface level and not nearly as clever as they might have been. It's kind of like seeing a rapid procession of standup comedians of mixed talent, as opposed to a really good narrative film comedy. The slapdash, hyper-choppy style of prose here might suffice for magazines, but if he's going to build his career around this kind of gimmick, he needs to become a much better writer. One other thing to be aware of, despite the 250 page count, the book is short (I read the whole thing in about two hours). And if you're not sure whether or not this is your cup of tea, do a quick search on the internet -- a number of the pieces in the book are available online. For those who are big fans, he continues his wacky hi-jinks in a more directed manner in his new book: "Republican Like Me: Infiltrating Red-State, White-Ass, and Blue-Suit America".

Chronicles is loaded with such delightful images, all framed within Leon's brilliant humor prose cadence. I have never laughed out loud so much while reading a book to myself. Even Leon's method of spacing his text weaves a magical comic spell. For example: reporting on his travails at the Eighth Annual America's Most Beautiful Baby Contest in Phoenix, he writes, "I've arrived early. Immediately, through direct eye-interaction from those in the mall, I've already been singled out as a child-abducting pervert. I'm the only one here without a baby. Just a grown man, alone, taking in a beautiful baby contest on a scorching hot Saturday morning, thank you."
A space in the text as Leon ponders this situation.
And then: "You really stand out without a baby. I should've brought one."
Leon has of course been compared with the likes of other infiltrators like Tom Green and Michael Moore, and though he does share similarities with those entertainers, the skill and pace of his storytelling places him in a slightly different field.

This book was my introduction to the bizarre world of Harmon Leon and what a way to start! I couldn't help giggling through the entire thing as he passes himself off as ridiculous personas to the most serious, unsuspecting victims with hilarious results. It was a vicarious experience - I only wish I had the guts to try it! Harmon gets to peek behind the curtains of Scientology recruitment, the world of lap-dancing and experiences first-hand the scary permissiveness of buying a gun despite presenting himself as most likely to take aim from a rooftop! An extremely funny read.

I had to stop reading mid-paragraph several times I was laughing so hard. Simpler than Sedaris, but of the same ilk. And to the reviewer, who gave it 2-stars and "finishes every book they start", well, we'll all let that statement be a judgement as to your judgement.

Stand-up comedian, comedy writer, and all-around goofball Leon sets his funnybone crosshairs on the more absurd aspects of American culture in the hysterical Harmon Chronicles. A sort of literary version of "Jackass" or Michael Moore without all the self-righteous baggage, Leon roams the country -- and, at one point, France -- enthusiastically participating in inane activities and just being a general nuisance.

Posing as a German named Dieter Lieterschvantz, he gets hired at a fast food restaurant...just to see how quickly he can get fired. As "aggres-vert" athlete Chas Lemon, Leon tries to find a corporate sponsor at the X Games. And during one inspired bit, Leon attempts to find out just how crazy one has to be before a gun shop clerk refuses to sell them a weapon. And then there's the forays into bounty hunting, Scientology, and lap dancing. Leon's take on Americana is silly, intelligent, and irreverent

I love this book. It made me laugh so hard I almost fell of my chair. Harmon is a master of uncovering the irony in every situation. I will be buying many copies for my friends and co- workers down at the plant.

Chronicles is loaded with such delightful images, all framed within Leon's brilliant humor prose cadence. I have never laughed out loud so much while reading a book to myself. Even Leon's method of spacing his text weaves a magical comic spell. For example: reporting on his travails at the Eighth Annual America's Most Beautiful Baby Contest in Phoenix, he writes, "I've arrived early. Immediately, through direct eye-interaction from those in the mall, I've already been singled out as a child-abducting pervert. I'm the only one here without a baby. Just a grown man, alone, taking in a beautiful baby contest on a scorching hot Saturday morning, thank you."
A space in the text as Leon ponders this situation.
And then: "You really stand out without a baby. I should've brought one."
Leon has of course been compared with the likes of other infiltrators like Tom Green and Michael Moore, and though he does share similarities with those entertainers, the skill and pace of his storytelling places him in a slightly different field.

The stories and experiences are funny, but not "I'm peeing my pants" funny. Harmon Leon has got guts to do everything he's written about, and that's impressive, but I felt as though half of the stories left me a little unsatisfied. It was worth him writing about how a gun can (and will) be sold to any lunatic off the street, but there's another report about him and his girlfriend renting a plane, so that they can get busy in it. I mean, c'mon, what's the point (other than the fact you like telling people you're part of the mile high club)? Checking out the Hare Krishnas, Jews for Jesus and Scientology religions was interesting, but faking personalities and trying to rent a room? I want my reading to be intelligent AND hilarious. This book was both, but often not at the same time.

Bottom Line: Pretty fluffy; perfect for a light reading experience.

Harmon's visit to the "Extreme Sports" festival alone makes this
a worthwhile read. Other of my favorites include his tale of becoming a licensed bounty hunter and strutting along the beachfront at Cannes with a pineapple (it makes sense when you read it).

Do you pranks? Do you like politics? Do you like humor? Do you like poking fun at the crazies in the world? Did you like Tom Green? Do you like Michael Moore? If you answered yes to at least two of these questions, then I'd get the book. Plus, it's Bob Mackie approved. you can't get better than this ya'll!