Customer Reviews

Kiss My Left Behind

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I haven't read any of the books in the "Left Behind" series so I was doubtful that I would enjoy this satirical take on the genre. But it turns out that the author's writing in "Kiss My Left Behind" is good enough on its own to hold the reader's interest. Lee has a deft touch with humorous writing and a strong narrative style. Even without prior knowledge of the details of the "Left Behind" books, I found that characters (caricatures?) like airline pilot Ramrod Steel and flight attendant Hadshe Dunhim were funny enough to hold my interest and keep me laughing.

Lee's satirical take manages to skewer both fundamentalist Christianity and George W. Bush in a fast-paced, entertaining read. Since I haven't read the satirical target, I've only given this book four stars. If I had, however, I suspect it may well deserve five.

If I had read the Left Behind series, I might find this work to be a hysterically funny twist on the details of those books. I haven't read the series, though, and I suspect most of those who have read the series would find this work more offensive than funny. As a result, the "in jokes" for people who've read "Left Behind" are largely wasted, leaving a work that is far too much like my doubtless twisted notion of the thing it's parodying to be funny.

It also far too often descends (ascends?) into explicit rational criticism of fundamentalist theology (heck, all Christianity) and the American right in general. Even when I mostly agree with it, rational discourse is not funny. If you want to preach, write some nonfiction. If you want to make a parody, let the reader supply the commentary from the situations.

Far too many characters were simple illustrations of various stereotypes of hypocritical religious figures, and the anti-religous arguments were too overworked to justify the book's existence as anything other than the parody it wanted to be.

Really, when you think about it, the "Left Behind" series itself could be viewed (in a "Mommy Dearest" sort of way) as an unintentional satire of the Book of Revelations. A common technique in satire is to take as an ironic premise the concept that everything in the source material is absolutely true, then show the absurdity of that concept by following it to its ridiculous extreme. For those who don't believe that the Book of Revelations is literally true, the actual Left Behind series could fit those criteria handily.

All of this means that for those who won't find this work too offensive to be funny, it's essentially a parody of a satire, and as such, really needs to be absurdly over the top. "Kiss My Left Behind" does not deliver comedy at that level.

Overall, though, the book is not terrible as plain old fiction, and is much shorter than "Left Behind", so I can't say I regret buying it. I just wish it had been funnier, or at least less preachy.

"This book should be read by everyone in Texas who knows how to read, and once this occurs, I'm confident that both of them will enjoy it."--someone who should be president

ROTFLMAO!!! That's awesome!

Since evangelicals get that familiar surge of pride every time a new book in that worn-out-its-welcome "Left Behind" series comes out, it's about time the other half of the world gets treated to a similarly rewarding experience.
Just as the late night talk show hosts parody and humorously criticize famous figures, this sort of situation is no different and shouldn't be treated with the vehemence that it does. The right wingers are of course clueless about their "I can hurt you but you can't hurt me" attitudes, which makes this sort of parody even more welcome to those of us with minds.
If you liked the representation of the president on the "That's My Bush" tv show, or parodies of anything considered sacred by those who'd rather preach than have sex, then you'll enjoy this series.

This book is a parody of Tim LaHaye's best-selling novel, _Left Behind_. LaHaye has sold over 55 million books in this series, so it only makes sense someone would decide to parody his work.
I really laughed out loud, from the first page on. And the political satire is wild. The Antichrist is Nickelay Dubyah the Younger, who is about to be elected "Fearless Leader" of the former Soviet Republik of Texrectumstan. The main character, Ramrod Steel, is also very funny!

I disagree with "Proud Texan" about this book,primarily because it is obvious that his Fuhrer Complex has blinded him to the fact that George W. Bush is an idiot. This book should be read by everyone in Texas who knows how to read, and once this occurs, I'm confident that both of them will enjoy it.

This book jumps from weird, to bizarre, to funny and then back again. And the scene where the two of them are going at it on the white leather couch, with the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" playing in the background--just too much! I'll never hear "Come All Ye Faithful" again without thinking about this bizarre comedy.

This book is an enjoyable, useful corrective for the religious lunacy fueling sales of the "Left Behind" behind series. Lee does a very good job of parodying Lindsay's books, down to the fine details. As an example, Lee emulates Lindsay's writing style so well that someone picking up this book and one of Lindsay's might well have trouble telling the difference between the writers -- at least initially. While some might consider this book "crude" and "offensive," it's also a very funny poke-in-the-eye for the arrogant religious nuts think that they're so much better than the rest of us that they'll be among "God's chosen" in "the rapture."

This is the best parody I've read since "Bored of the Rings"!
This book cleverly skewers LaHaye's Left Behind and similar "End times" novels. It also has a clever political satire, as George W. appears as the Antichrist, Nickelay Dubyah the Younger, the "Fearless Leader" of the former Soviet Republik of Texrectumstan.

This is the second parody I've read on the "Left Behind" series--and I've never read the actual Left Behind books, mainly because I disagree with the dispensationalist theology underlying them. The previous parody, "Right Behind" was written from a Christian perspective, and in some ways was funnier than this book. "Kiss My--Left Behind" is definitely not written from a Christian perspective, and even contains some language and situations that may be offensive to some. While there is indeed much hypocrisy, shallowness, and plain bad theology in the Christian world that is suitable for ridicule, the basis of Christianity remains true, so the reader should not go overboard in condemning all Christians because of some bad apples which are characterized in books such as these. In addition, if one is going to write a parody on the "Left Behind" books, it should be focused on that series. Instead, this books tries to include a parody of the Bush administration as well, to the point where some may be confused as to the main point of the actual parody, as a previous reviewer apparently was. In an election year as polarizing as this one, I suppose playing the "hate card" against the current administration may pick up a few Michael Moore-types that otherwise would avoid a book such as this.

All in all, it was a mildly amusing read, so I give it a very mild recommendation to those who are not easily offended.

Read the sample pages and you'll know right away whether this book is for you.