Customer Reviews

Phule's Company

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the beginning of Robert Asprin's funniest series to date. He's managed to create characters that are likeable as well as realistic enough that you can genuinely care about them. The story is set in a technologically advanced society, but it's not so complex as to alienate you. Willard Phule, the main character, is an interesting guy to read about. Being one of the youngest megamillionaires in the galaxy, you wouldn't think he'd join the military. But he does... and not just any branch, but the Space Corps--the laughingstock of the military. The antics will have you hitting the floor on several occasions, I'm telling you. Believe me, by the time you finish the book--which won't be long--you won't rest until you find the sequel. Have at it

Robert Asprin is probably more famous for his Myth books than the Phule books but I happen to think the first two Phule novels are much funnier. I'm talking laugh out loud funny. They are also quite addictive and it is difficult not to read each in one sitting. Fair warning though, I'm fairly sure "Phule's Company" and "Phule's Paradice" are the only two novels in the series that were written by Asprin, so buyer beware for the rest.

The basic concept revolves around one key individual. A career military commander who has the happy knack of getting the most out of his people and achieving even seemingly impossible goals. The trouble is, this paragon of virtue is also a rich playboy who is an officer in the Space Legion; a branch of service despised by all the others. He also enjoys the active animosity of some very high ranking brass, who like nothing better than to set him up for failure.

It is just such an attempt that puts Captain Phule in charge of the Omega company; a band of ruthless, capitalistic, incompetent, belligerent misfits who's sole purpose seems to be to make the rest of the legion look a little better by comparison. Half the fun of these novels is watching this group of interesting characters turn their unique talents for mayhem to good ends, or at least Phule's ends. I don't promise you Shakespeare but you will get a kick out of Phule's Company.

If you are looking for something light and entertaining and something enjoyably different from the Star Trek or Star Wars series, try Robert L. Asprin's Phules books for a good start. I recommend that you read them in order. Start with this one, "Phule's Company." The other reviewer answered some plot questions, so I won't repeat any of that here. The purpose of this review is solely to say that this book and its series are an OK place to start looking for an alternative source of light science fiction.

There is nothing too heavy, too outrageious, or too violent in this series. They are somewhat dated (Phule uses something very akin to a laptop computer and wireless communication which was way-out science fiction when the first book was written). But, you can overlook that if you want to just enjoy a fun read (similar to the Doc Savage-type books where an answering machine was an fabulous invention).

Asprin uses some good old-fashioned character conflict to keep the reader interested. Everyone loves an underdog (which Phule is) that makes good. Phule isn't perfect, but he tries hard to do a good job even if it involves some risk and is a likeable character.

I gave the book 4 stars because it is "OK." I reserve five-star ratings for larger, more complex plots, and books that leave me feeling put out to sea, or at least decidedly different.

Go ahead and buy this book, you cannot help but be entertained.

After reading and enjoying Aspirin's Myth series, I was very excited by the appearance of this book. The brief comments on the book jacket piqued my interest, and the book did not disappoint me.

This book's writing style is more advanced than the Myth series, but still relies on puns and mis-conceptions to provide humorous writing. This book is one of my favorite choices for light reading due to the verbal repartee between the characters.

Phule is a multi-millionaire who decides to buy an officer's commission into the disreputable branch of the space army. His superiors are unsure of what to do with him, not wanting to endanger one of the richest men in the universe, nor to appear that they are giving him a cushy job after he make a rather serious mistake.

Their decision: to send him to an out-of-the way mudball of a planet to command a group of misfits. Their reasoning: If Phule fails to shape the company up, he would be just another link in a long line of failures, but if he succeeded, the army would be better off.

All in all, an enjoyable read. The characters are well thought out, believable, and the plot flows smoothly from the first page to the last. Phule and his butler take advantage of their charisma and financial resources, not to mention an unusual management style to take this group of misfits and shape them into a company that can be proud of itself.

I loved this book! I read it over and over again, and so will you. I can't really add anything that the other reviewers didn't already say, but it's all true. I wish Asprin would write more "Phule" books: I think they're his best series, and definitely better than the "Myth" books.

A really good book if you like science fiction, but are looking for something a little off the beaten path. Phule is similar to Sgt. Bilko, but in outer space. If you like the Myth serious this is a good book to try. Asprin keeps the humor going throughout the book much like his Myth books. I definitly recommend this to anyone looking for a good laugh that could last a few hours.

I borrowed this book from a friends. I coundn't believe how funny it is. As a Trekkie, its very hard for me to find militarish books that I like. This one beat them all. The only other book I have found that could possibly be compared was the Trek book, How Much For Just The Planet. Phule's Company was better! A great book and I hope to read the rest! .

It's the story of Captain Jester and his ragtag troop of misfits in a sci-fi comedy full of all the twists and japes you'd expect from the author of the MYTH series. Captain Jester's strength in leadership comes from his belief in the abilities of others and the compassion to help them find their own self-worth. He's a soldier who cares. This book is a wonderful example of the theory that the best way to build a winning team is through sincere positive reinforcement. You'll read it more than once. It'll make you laugh and it will give you a warm feeling and a smile.

Is it that funny? Well, yes. Not that Phule is as stupid as Wooster, but it does hint at tad at the understated humor that we get from the English. Touching, funny and sometimes a tad weird, this seems to really hit that spot. I really enjoyed reading this day on my weekend and wished that I had all the other books already in my library. Now I'll have to go hunting for them, but that's OK, they are worth the money and the time. Break out the chow, find a comfortable foxhole and read!

Beeker, the stereotypically proper British butler, chronicles the adventures of his employer and hero Willard Phule, a gazillionaire turned military man in the very distant future. Phule is backed by nearly limitless financial resources, and his insistence on prioritizing a mission-accomplished over the army's conservative regulations brings him in direct conflict with his superiors, who are annoyed by his priveleged background and want nothing more than to see him fail in a big way.

This book is written in a very lighthearted manner, and brings out all sorts of stereotypical characters who are subjected to Aprin's own sly brand of humor. Asprin hasn't departed from his myth series as much as one might assume. While he's jumped from medieval to interstellar, the central idea (reworking time-honored plots while a bad-news-bears team of misfits triumphs against all odds) remains the same.

Something about this book lacks the heat of the early Myth books. The character of Phule is less sympathetic than Skeeve, perhaps because he possesses both confidence and money in abundance, which undercuts his underdog status. There's also the fact that technology is never going to be as fun as magic.

I feel like Asprin lost his way a bit toward the end of the Myth series, and just went in the wrong direction when trying to recapture the freshness and originality that the early Myth books provided in abundance.

Despite these complaints, Phule's Company is the kickoff to an amusing series, and Asprin's ability to make us chuckle remains unchanged. The comedic bits, both subtle and broad, are well-done, and the action is exciting, if somewhat predictable.