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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prunty's best book yet, May 22, 2010
This review is from: My Fake War (Paperback)
If you like Andersen Prunty's books (if you're reading this, chances are you do), My Fake War will not disappoint. It's a bit more whimsical than Jack And Mr. Grin, more serious than The Beard, and not as dark as Morning is Dead. What we get is another of Andersen's realistic, believably-flawed characters with an odd name (Saul), who starts off in an askew but mundane setting, and progresses into the uber-weird. Don't mistake this for meaning more of the same, however. My Fake War has more social commentary elements than Andersen's previous books, but there's no preaching or any other such unpleasantness.
As with all his books, My Fake War would make an excellent starting point for Bizarro fiction. There's plenty of weird, but the writing is extremely accessible, and the focus is always on what's happening to the characters.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bizarro answer to 'Catch-22', October 8, 2010
This review is from: My Fake War (Paperback)
I've always been a fan of political/war satire, and in the last year-or-so I've become a big fan of Andersen Prunty's work. So when I saw that his next book was 'My Fake War', I instantly got the feeling that a dream had come true. And I was not wrong. 'My Fake War' has not only become my favorite book by the author, it is easily one of the bext Bizarro books I've had the pleasure to read.
The plot was surprisingly straight-forward as far as Prunty's work goes. Gone is the sprawling surreal landscape of 'The Beard' and the bizarre, encroaching dread of 'Jack & Mr Grin'. Instead, we're presented with a man, a robot, and the mysterious war, glued together with grotesque displays of power. 'My Fake War' thrives in the relative simplicity of the main character and his confusion. And like any great war satire, there are several truly devastating moments, culminating in one particular paragraph that still haunts me in its truth. Suffice to say, Prunty reveals just how real the 'Endless War' can be, in simple, heartbreaking terms.
If there were to be only two books on the complete madness and confusion of war, they would be Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22' and Andersen Prunty's 'My Fake War'. Each must be read, particularly in the world we currently live in.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Toenails and Robots, July 1, 2010
This review is from: My Fake War (Paperback)
Loner Saul Dressing is interrupted one night by a knock at his door. A stranger wearing military fatigues forcibly drafts him into the Army of the United States of Everything. He soon parachutes (also forcibly) into an unknown country known as Grisnos with one objective: to get one of its citizens to start with him so the U.S.E. can declare war on them. The only problem is Saul becomes friends with the first person he meets, a lizard-man named Bob Weathers (who also happens to be the ONLY inhabitant of the desert-country of Grisnos). What follows is another surreal and absurd ride that fans of the author have come to expect.
Along with its Thinking Flying Giant Robot, disgustingly long toe nails, pretend houses, people, and food, as well as one cool military-issued super rifle, MY FAKE WAR serves as a metaphor for the current state of international affairs. It also serves bizarro fans with yet another memorable read. Prunty shows no signs of slowing down.
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