Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody [Paperback]

Michael Gerber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2002

WARNING: THIS ISN'T THE REAL THING...IT'S FUNNIER!

"Stop that movie," Headmaster Alpo Bumblemore said, "or Hogwash is history!"

Already overrun by brawling, fetid fans of the bestselling Barry Trotter books, Hogwash is certain to be pulled down brick by brick after Barry's new big-budget biopic debuts. So Barry Trotter, Ermine Cringer, and Lon Measly are hauled out of retirement to face their toughest challenge yet. Not only do the twenty-two-year-olds have to elude packs of rabid fans, outwit Barry's sponging godfather Serious, and vanquish their old foe Lord Valumart, they have to face the most powerful enemy of all: Hollywood!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dave Hanson The Tonight Show writer Barry Trotter is really good literary parody; it illuminates Rowling's books, capturing their nuances and annoyances -- blasé about Harry, you'll love Barry! -- Review

From the Publisher

Comic wit Michael Gerber has created a spoof and tongue-in-cheek parody of the famous Hogwart's student, Harry Potter. How would Harry's story be different if he were a more outspoken boy of 11, instead of his obedient and vanilla self? Gerber's realistic vision of what really happens when a herd of owls flies over the dinner table, of more typical relationships between men and women, of a world turned upside-down and upside down again, will delight readers of all ages.

This fun and twisted story includes the half-giant, Halfwit, the ghostly Nearly Brainless Bill, and an order from Alpo Bumbelbore to stop the movie, "Barry Trotter and the Inevitable Attempt to Cash In." With direct hits on Harry's stardom, popularity, and the over-commercialization of the entire magical world, Michael Gerber delivers uncanny satire and biting wit.

Something to read while waiting for the year-late 5th edition of Harry. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; Original edition (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743244281
• ISBN-13: 978-0743244282
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Gerber (b. 1969) has sold 1.2 million books in 20 different countries, most notably Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody, which reached #2 on The London Times bestseller list and launched a renaissance in that type of comic prose. Prior to working in the novel form, Gerber sold humorous writing to every major American magazine and newspaper that publishes such drivel, including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many others. He has also contributed to NPR and TV's "Saturday Night Live." In his spare time, he leads the 501(c)3 overseeing The Yale Record, America's oldest college humor magazine, and mentors many student writers all around the world.

An ardent fan of The Beatles, Gerber runs a team blog on the group located at http://www.heydullblog.blogspot.com. He lives in Santa Monica, CA, with his wife and two cats.
 

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious Harry Potter parody, January 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody (Paperback)

I am the world's biggest Harry Potter fan, and so when I read an article about this parody in the Chicago Sun-Times I had to get it. What the hell, it's only ten bucks anyway.

I'm so glad I did! It's one of the funniest things I 've ever read. It's not really a parody of a specifc book in the series -- instead, it starts when Barry (Harry) is twenty-two, made incurably lazy by his famous life, and unwilling to leave Wizard school, where everyone caters to his every whim. It's only when he learns that a Hollywood movie is being made out of his life -- and that if the movie suceeds the school will have to close and he'll have to get a real job -- that he is galvanized into action.

What's especially hilarious is seeing the grown up Barry Trotter using magic in ways that any 22 year old guy would if he could -- to meet women, to get out of trouble he got himself into. Also wonderful is the way that Michael Gerber comes up with little bits of magic that are worthy of JK Rowling, except funny... like "Traveling Snuff," something wizards use to fly. Usually with snuff, you see, you stay in the same place and the snuff comes shooting out of your nose... but with magic snuff, IT stays in the same place, and when you sneeze, you go shooting up into the air.

So, if you like Harry Potter, and you like to laugh, do yourself a favor and get this.

44 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but not good, July 11, 2002

By 

Sallia (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody (Paperback)

First of all, I adore the "Harry Potter" series. I have read all four books several times, seen the movie, and definitely consider myself a Potter-phile. I have been going through a sort of withdrawal while waiting for the fifth book to come out. The movie filled that void for a bit and so did the two school books, but it didn't make it go away. So, I've been reading books that have been compared to the series and books that are somehow related to them. This is one of those books.

I have read several parodies and humor books in the past and this is actually one of the funnier ones I have read. It is funny because it does not take itself seriously at all. It pokes fun at itself constantly. Almost as often as it pokes fun at everything relating to "Harry Potter."

Really, this book isn't surprising. "Harry Potter" has become so big that I'm surprised there aren't more books like this one. It isn't exactly insulting, as I feared it would be, because of the fact that it's obvious it's meant as humor. It takes some of the very basic concepts behind the series and twists them to the point where you'd have to be a phile to recognize the original idea. In that way, this book is aimed at fans.

There is a lot of "potty humor" in this book, as well as a lot having to do with sex. The writing style is not good by any definition- even the author admits this. Though, I think that might have been the point. It reads more like a piece of (poorly written) fan fiction than a novel.

It can be crude at some points, but it is entertaining nonetheless. I actually found myself getting really into it toward the end and was almost sad when it was over. Maybe that's just my withdrawal speaking, but I guess it means something.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, but not for small children, February 6, 2002

By 

Kate "Girl Reader" (Santa Monica, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody (Paperback)

I've read this book upwards of 12 times and it still never fails to make me laugh. Many chapters are so funny that I can't eat and read at the same time, for fear of choking to death or spitting crumbs all over the page. <P...

What keeps me coming back to "Barry Trotter" is the vividness of Mike's imagination: I can still picture Barry's owl with a cigarette clenched in her beak and the hipster centaurs adjusting their berets as they canter into the woods. He's done an amazing job of creating a parody that is as entertaining as it is hilarious.

I should mention that some parents might find "Barry Trotter" inappropriate for children. It's a great book, but it is aimed at an older audience. If you feel that "South Park", "The Simpsons" and Mad magazine are not for kids, you may want to wait a few years before getting "Barry Trotter" for your child....