Name: Vernon God Little
ISBN: 9780802194350

DBC Pierre

Hailed by the critics and lauded by readers for its riotously funny and scathing portrayal of America in an age of trial by media, materialism, and violence, Vernon God Little was an international sensation when it was first published in 2003 and awarded the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The memorable portrait of America is seen through the eyes of a wry, young, protagonist. Fifteen-year-old Vernon narrates the story with a cynical twang and a four-letter barb for each of his townsfolk, a medley of characters. With a plot involving a school shooting and death-row reality TV shows, Pierre’s effortless prose and dialogue combine to form a novel of postmodern gamesmanship.

Vernon God Little

D. B. C. Pierre

WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2003 WINNER OF THE 2003 WHITBREAD FIRST NOVEL PRIZE Named as one of the 100 Best Things in the World by GQ magazine in 2003, the riotous adventures of Vernon Gregory Little in small town Texas and beachfront Mexico mark one of the most spectacular, irreverent and bizarre debuts of the twenty-first century so far. Its depiction of innocence and simple humanity (all seasoned with a dash of dysfunctional profanity) in an evil world is never less than astonishing. The only novel to be set in the barbecue sauce capital of Central Texas, Vernon God Little suggests that desperate times throw up the most unlikely of heroes. 'A showpiece of superb comic writing . . . Out of the detritus of a morally bankrupt society, Pierre has fashioned a work of comic art.' Sunday Telegraph 'In a just world, this ridiculously funny first novel would come free with every television set . . . Not since reading John Kennedy O'Toole's masterpiece, A Confederacy of Dunces . . . have I laughed so much or felt such sheer delight at the discovery of a wholly fresh comic voice . . . this novel reads like a modern day fairytale.' Mail on Sunday

A 21st Century Comedy in the Presence of Death

This  was such a wild ride. Three pages to the end I was screaming, stomping, and ready to throw the book across my room. Vernon is quite the interesting narrator,  the way he grows as he learns about his surroundings shines within his internal dialogue (powerdimes). Really fucken cool, really fucken disturbing, I hated so many people in this story like really!! Read this book if you want to be angry and upset for a couple of days.

Eli Alvah Huckabee

Rose Stanley

This was a quick read but difficult to review. Lots of unpleasantness (the plot is centred around a school shooting but there's also a LOT of paedophilia going on and a fair amount of scatological and other language that I found similarly unpleasant, plus none of the characters is particularly appealing, except maybe Jesus). I think if you can stomach the first three acts, the payoff in the last two is good. 

This book has been compared by a lot of reviewers to A Confederacy of Dunces...well, it's been 12 years since I read the latter and I genuinely remember nothing! Will have to reread both in order to decide which is the better piece.

Shantesh Patil

Initially it might be a little hard to get comfortable with the style of writing. Once I was a few pages in though I was pretty hooked. This is a funny, moving and uncomfortable read at times. It never shys away from anything. It's the thoughts of a teenager laid bare to greatest extent possible.