Please: A Novel (Paperback)

by Peter Darbyshire (Author) "I WALKED EVERYWHERE in those days..." (more)
Key Phrases: blindfolded woman, The Code, John Deere, Happy Harbour (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
The nameless narrator of this fine debut novel is as luckless as he is bighearted. Over a few short chapters, he gets hooked up with a group of surly sexual fetishists and a minivan-driving drug dealer, learns that his girlfriend is a phone-sex operator, and is propositioned by a man who mistakes him for a male prostitute. The characters whom the narrator encounters are uniformly weirdos and losers, the struggling and the sullen; nevertheless, this is a very funny book. Darbyshire's narrator is frequently unemployed, but he is always running into someone willing to pay him for the oddest of odd jobs: when he is not disposing of dead cows, he is making a few bucks by helping a small-time criminal or serving as an "injured" patient for a local hospital's disaster drills. Although Please is a fully realized novel, its individual chapters could stand alone as strange but moving short stories. Darbyshire plumbs the murky regions of the soul in a novel of dark brilliance. Kevin Canfield
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Hilarious social satire of daily life among the young and nihilistic ... a winner of a debut" -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"It's like an episode of Seinfeld in which all the characters are George ... it's must-read TV" -- CTV

"a consummate critique of the human weaknesses, counterfeit values and trend-driven desires that erode our hopes for meaning and purpose" -- The Globe and Mail

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Raincoast Books (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551925621
• ISBN-13: 978-1551925622
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,908 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, witty and downright enjoyable!, November 13, 2003

By	bowery boy (seattle) - See all my reviews

This is one of the most refreshing, highly readable, laugh out loud novels I have read in a long time. The only fault I can find is it's too short. I found myself reading slowly in order to make it last. Each chapter in itself can stand alone as a short story and they brilliantly come together as a whole.

The main character is this down on his luck chronically unemployed twenty-something guy who pines over his wife who has divorced him. Through flashbacks to the past we learn about his wacky relationship with his ex-wife while in the present he spends time drinking in S&M bars frequented by models, peeping through apartment windows with a blind man, getting robbed by Mormons and going on car chases in pursuit of John Cusack but that's not even the half of it!

If you read this in a public place, you'll find yourself trying to suppress your laughter at some of the deadpan tongue-in-cheek humor. Dabryshire has a sharp wit and is an incredible talent. I can't wait to read more of him.

If you liked Palahniuk's Choke or Banbury's Like A Hole In The Head, then you'll love this.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Treasure, May 24, 2004

By	Colin Willey (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Trying to get some Canadian content into my reading repertoire, I headed to the local library where I came across "Please". After reading the first chapter there in the library, I was hooked.

Darbyshire combines wit and satire to produce a hilarious offbeat and thoroughly enjoyable novel. Having a similar style to Joseph Heller, Darbyshire's "Please" reminded me of the timeless classic "Catch 22".

If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable and different read, pick up a copy of this novel. You'll be glad you did!

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing writing, funny yet touching and real., February 16, 2006

By	the penguin - See all my reviews

This book is phenomenal. Darbyshire debuts with strong writing and even stronger characters. Best books I have read so far this year.