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When a burned-out Hollywood sketch show writer named Nelson Kunker meets and falls for Roy Briggs, a part-time salmon fisherman/full-time archaeology student who's visiting from Alaska, hilarity, love, and debauchery ensue.
Bob Smith has the distinction of being the first openly gay comedian to appear on The Tonight Show and also have his own episode of HBO Comedy Half-Hour. He lives in New York.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious Yet Tender Look at Gay Love and Lust in Alaska,
By
This review is from: Selfish and Perverse (Hardcover)
Selfish and Perverse is a captivating, hilarious, very gay and very unique book. Smith knows his quirky characters and his settings, Los Angeles and Alaska, inside and out, and manages to make Nelson Kunker endearing, even if he's not the most exciting character in the fabulous first novel. That mantle is reserved for his two love interests, the hard-to-read, smart and cynical yet romantic Alaskan fisherman Roy and the flashy, annoying, but hot movie star Dylan. Staring out with the lowly life of a writer's assistant on a show in Hollywood, with a pit stop sinking into the La Brea Tar Pits, then moving on to remote Alaska, Smith captures each milieu and its inhabitants.
This is also a brilliant book for anyone who's ever written, tried to write, or thought about writing a novel. Nelson's ongoing attempts to write, which we mostly hear about from him, and his agony over not having written, make for great fodder in Smith's hands. Nelson seems young at times, as he waits for the approval of those around him, and while he'll occasionally throw out a zinger or show his anger, for the most part he's cautious, taking his cues from those around him. He has big dreams of writing but is crushed when his boyfriend Roy doesn't ask to read his novel. It's also the kind of book that, in the midst of joking around, will bust out with a truthful or heartfelt statement that makes you stop to reread it and fully absorb it. There's a tenderness to Smith's sex scenes, as he describes Nelson luxuriating in each vein of Roy's arms, that's sweet and sexy at the same time. Nelson seems like an average, insecure guy, and in some ways, he is--he lacks the flamboyancy of many of the other characters, and yet its his very fears and uncertainties, his mistakes and meanderings, that make him someone it's a pleasure to spend time getting to know. Smith doesn't make anyone here a tragic figure but lets us know that everyone, in their own way, is looking for wholeness, in love and in their careers. It's to Smith's credit that he made this reader root for Nelson and Roy, but want Dylan to stick around if only to get in their way and be an annoying, showy, needy guy. He's a cheapskate movie star sex addict who needs constant approval and attention, yet I almost felt sorry for him for missing out on the real pleasures of life due to his shallowness. Even the more minor characters, like Roy's mom, Dee, and Nelson's bitchy/funny dyke friend Wendy, are vividly rendered. The unusual setting of a fishing town in Alaska makes for vivid imagery and all sorts of interesting details about things like salmon and nagoonberries. Smith plays up te drastic differences between Nelson's Alaskan life and LA life, the beauty and newness of one and the ludicrousness of the other.I got caught up in this novel and couldn't put it down, and I certainly hope there's more where that came from from Smith.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Move over Jane Austen...,
This review is from: Selfish and Perverse (Hardcover)
This is a truly delightful book. Living outside the US, I was not familiar with this author's background in TV comedy. But I have to say that I have not read such a truly witty, funny novel since Christian McLaughlin's "Glamourpuss". The book sparkles with wit. And yet it is not a superficial novel. It grapples with growing up (which we can still be doing in our 30s!), searching for direction, and - of course - love. The characterisation of two of the main 'actors' in the novel - the narrator (Nelson) and the actor Dylan - is rich and complex. One of them (Nelson) slowly evolves before our eyes. The other (Dylan) is slowly *revealed*. In fact, he reminds me very much of a Frank Churchill (from 'Emma') for the 21st century - a complex and incredibly egotistical almost-villain whose depth and schemes are slowly revealed, and yet whom you can't help liking enormously. It may seem odd to compare the author of a 21st century 'gay' novel to Jane Austen, but there are a lot of similarities. Both sparkle with wit, both have very clever dialogue, both like revealing more and more complex layers to what appeared at first to be simple characters, and both have a lot to say about love. Of course, Mr Smith's book is very sexy as well (Jane Austen - not so much). It's a rare treat to find good comedy successfully combined with sexiness. Again, I'm reminded of Christian McLauglin's books.
My main criticism of the novel is that the third corner of the triangle - Roy the manly fisherman/archaeologist - is not as well drawn. Compared to the other two, his character is fairly static and doesn't have the same depth. That's disappointing. Maybe it's not so surprising, though, when you consider that the author is a writer who has also done TV acting :) If you find (like me) that you've written two pages refuting Mr Smith's theory about how the eagles could have just dropped the ring in Mount Doom and saved everyone a lot of trouble, then you'll realise that there's a lot for geeks in this book! The author has a love of books and good writing that I hope will encourage readers to try some of the works that he mentions. The standout comic moment (for me), without any spoilers, was Nelson's sudden conversion to belief in the literal reality of Shakespearean soliloquies. Very very funny! But don't be put off by the idea that this is a wanky kind of literary novel. Not at all - the literary references are not opaque or off-putting Overall, this is a very well written novel and I look forward very eagerly to anything further from this author.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Reading!,
By
This review is from: Selfish and Perverse (Hardcover)
I always loved Bob Smith's comedy, and I loved his prior books as well. When the new one, 'Selfish and Perverse' arrived, I greedily devoured it in the course of a long weekend. As usual, Bob's insights are always clever and often hilarious. I also very much enjoy his use of language, and his witty turn of a phrase often had me laughing out loud! The book also has enough that's campy/trashy to keep you tittilated, so it would work as a beach-read as well. It's nice to find a story with gay charaters that doesn't take place exclusively in a big city. Kudos to you, Mr Smith!
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