Customer Reviews

Katzenjammer: Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture

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Expecting nothing more than a page-turner (which it is), I picked up Katzenjammer along with a few other things on Amazon. This latest foray into the land of bestsellers has got to be the funniest thing I've read since Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty." The plot involves one Max Perkins-a would-be writer trying to make it in New York. His travels through the city alone are worth the price of admission, and anyone who has experienced job or apartment hunting in the Big Apple will surely appreciate all that Max goes through. Dodging Satan worshipers, Mormons, sleazy book editors, and eccentric bosses, we follow Max through a never-ending maze of strangeness that culminates in insanity. Or does it? That's the point, really, of this excellent and dazzling second novel by the author. You're not sure what really happened when you get to the end. Was it all made up? Or was he telling the truth? Or was it a little of both? At one point, Max even takes on reviews that appear on websites, presenting some examples that are classic, poking fun at them. Example: "The righting is at best meatyoaker. Whoz editing this ting?" Nothing is sacred in this romp through one year of trying to make it without money, connections, or luck. As with McCrae's other book, he takes a famous (or in this case semi-famous) person and weaves them into his own reality. Easy to read, with very short chapters and a reader's guide at the end of the book, you're sure to enjoy this bright and colorful romp through New York.

Katzenjammer is a whirlwind of a novel about the bizarre characters and situations young author Max Perkins encounters when he moves to New York to attempt to publish his debut novel. All he wants is a place to stay and a way to earn money to eat, but his search for roommates and jobs turns into a never ending series of Mormon missionaries, Devil worshippers, unbalanced pet owners, hermaphrodites, overweight bosses who forbid conversation, a foray into male prostitution, and more. The novel is full of dark, cynical humor and outrageous plot twists. Throughout Max's trials to bring his book to publication, there is an on-going mystery of cryptic packages and messages.

The novel is full of insights into the publishing world, including a brilliant decoder ring of what certain literary buzz phrases mean when they are applied to new works. McCrae concludes his novel with dozens of weight discussions/essay questions comparing Katzenjammer to Faust, Rosemary's Baby, Drugstore Cowboy, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and more. For anyone looking for an off-the-wall change from the usual literary fare, look no further. Also recommended are Paul Ford's Gary Benchley, Rock Star and Julia Slavin's Carnivore Diet.

Our book club recently picked this novel, and all I can say is that we were NOT disappointed. We found ourselves howling with laughter all the way through this bright and funny look at insanity and all that goes with that area. Anyone who has ever been slighted or not give their due will find something to love in Katzenjammer.

At one point, the protagonist is apartment hunting in New York. (Anyone who has ever done this will appreciate the author's description of what the ads "really" mean in the New York newspapers):

If the ad says "quaint" the actual living space will be so filthy that you will need a spatula to scrape the dirt from the walls and floor.

If the ad says, "cozy" you will not be able to open the refrigerator and the front door at the same time. You may also have to sleep standing up. Note: Cozy and quaint often go together.

If the ad says "reasonably priced," someone was murdered in the apartment, no one bothered to clean up the crime yet, an outer wall is missing, and the landlord has now decided to charge you five hundred dollars a month more than the previous (deceased) tenant.

If the ad says, "pets okay," this means that the rat and cockroach populations in the hallways are so extensive that Fluffy won't be noticed.

The list goes on, and McCrae gives us some of these same gems as they relate to getting a book published. Suffice it to say that this novel is entertaining. It will either offer up some comfort for those who have been through the same thing, or give those who've never lived in New York a glimpse into "the other side." As a result, our book club has now gone back and taken on McCrae's entertaining and complex first book, and, while it is darker than Katzenjammer, it is ever bit as well done. If you have to read one book this year, I can only suggest that you make it Katzenjammer.

This book had me laughing-out-loud for days. Well, it's not a long book, so about three days. The plot just flies along at a rapid pace and I honestly had no idea where the author was going at time. I'd be thinking, "What's this going to be all about" and WHAM, things would twist out of control.

Probably the most intriguing aspect of this novel is that it's "character driven." Not a lot of books do this nowadays, and McCrae is a master at getting into his character's hearts and heads. The thing that may be a turn off to some people is that "Katzenjammer" is considerably more commercial than the author's first novel. But it sill has a good, solid, and somewhat complex structure.

On another note, the epigrams (which the author is fond of using in his other works) are funny and tie in well to the chapters that follow. For instance the initial one at the beginning of the book: "I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific"-Lily Tomlin. What's great about this is the fact that the protagonist, Max Perkins, obviously hasn't given this much thought when he lands in New York in 1989. As a result, he gets taken in by everyone. For a while at any rate. Then he begins to turn the tables.

But just when you think you've got it figured out-what's going to happen to Max, the author introduces a new idea or person. Or does he? At least that's the way it seems, but the thing or person was really there all along.

If you want entertainment, some educational material thrown in, a warning for those considering writing a book, a look at New York, or just a quick and easy read, "Katzenjammer" will not disappoint. I highly recommend this compelling tale of "trying to make it" in the worlds most difficult and unusual city.

The sexy cover doesn't hurt things either, and this is all part of the tie in again to the world of publishing, marketing, and promotion in the book, along with the subtitle.

I bought this book because I had read McCrae's other works with great interest. As usual, he didn't disappoint with his latest. Told through the eyes of Max Perkins (a writer who is, unfortunately, named after the famous editor to Hemingway, Wolfe, and Fitzgerald) we travel through corporate America, the land of insanity and hilarity, and find out a good deal about the publishing industry and what it takes to sell a book nowadays. This book is unlike McCrae's first novel (Bark of the Dogwood) in that is has none of the dark underside and disturbing elements. That is not to say that "Katzenjammer" doesn't disturb on some level, but it is mostly funny where as "Dogwood" was a mixture of different styles and ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed this witty and "off-color" book. With short chapters, the plot flies along at a rapid pace. It's a bit like speeding along in a car with no breaks, but knowing that in the end, you'll come out all right. And the ending is brilliant--the way the author ties everything up. Not to be missed, this one.

This book is pure fun. It's a modern-day version of "Faust" with a few tricks and new ideas thrown in, and with references to popular movies (which I can't go into here without giving away some of the plot). The thing that "made" this novel for me was the prologue and epilogue which sets off the novel. These two sections are key to not only the form of the book, but the mind-set of the main character. The story itself is fascinating and well-told, but when you finally reach the end, you'll be asking yourself----"Did this really happen or . . . ?" Which is how it should be. Killer dialogue and a neat, well-trimmed style make this an enjoyable read.

This book is rediculous, the charachter development is so good! There seems to be a lot of charachters but McCrae does such a great job of defining each one very distintively that you can easily keep up with everything. The book really seems like it would be a great movie..I hope it does..I love books/movies like this that have tons of things going on and you are trying to connect them all together and then suddenly everything is revealed..and this book does not fail in the "twisting plot" department. A lot of the characters are so weird..you start to wonder why Max (the main character) doesn't punch a lot of people in the face.

What a treat! Katzenjammer is hilarious. As always, McCrae's work is immensely entertaining and thought-provoking.

I can't seem to get over how great this book is. The story--just incredible, with twists and turns all over the place. Great pacing, great writing, great storytelling, and above all----great fun! Laugh-out-loud in places, and cynical and sarcastic in the next. I was reminded of the humor that you mind find on the TV show "House"---you know, the sarcastic hospital administrator? Something like that. One of the best books I've ever read, and the ONE that made me want to write in and tell everyone. You can't go wrong with this one.

I lived in New York long enough to find this book truly hysterical. There is the main story line of trying to get a book published, the priceless descriptions of the horrendous living arrangements available in New York if you don't have a lot of money, and the crazed bosses at the undesirable jobs paying the low salaries that lead to your not having a lot of money in the first place. I admit that I would have liked to have throttled Max, our protagonist, at times for being so gullible. He eventually becomes a proper NY cynic, but, sadly, can't quite manage to play the game though he certainly tries. Watching it all come tumbling down around him is painful, but oh so entertaining (think of those guys who used to spin all of those plates on the Ed Sullivan show when the plates started crashing to the ground).

This book is quite different from the author's first one--the style is more towards Sedaris and it is not as deeply moving. However, the story is masterfully crafted, the writing is tight and fast-paced, and you'll be hard pressed to decide which is your favorite part or the funniest scene.