Customer Reviews

Sellevision: A Novel

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Loved this book. I've read his others too and thought they were great. Finished novels in the traditional sense? No, but they're highly entertaining and fresh. Edgy and definitely not for those who are easily offended, these books are a great break from the "traditional" literature you were required to read in school. Thanks A.B.!

In the mood for something light, I read SELLEVISION by
Augusten Burroughs . . . what a hoot!

It is a novel about life at a fictional home-shopping network . . . such topics as greed, obsession and third-tier celebrity are explored--all by way of a cast of characters that had me laughing out loud.

This is one book that ended far too soon . . . but the good thing is that it left me wanting to read other books (RUNNING WITH SCISSORS and the sequel DRY) by the same author. The way J.T. McCrae's KATZENJAMMER does, did, whatever.

There were many hysterical passages; among them:
Bebe rested her fork on the plate, clasped her hands in front of her on the table and recited: "Aging Jewish Princess, forty-two. seeks her prince, or at least a guy who walks upright. I'm attractive, successful,with a down-to-earth nature and an unfortunate passion for Rocky Road ice cream. Healthy, active, and fit, I enjoy the outdoors as well the occasional night on the town. I'm very spontaneous, and love to travel. You should be likewise. You should also be devastatingly handsome, filthy rich, outrageously funny, prone to extreme lapses of common sense, and humble. What else did I say? Oh yeah-the sense-of-humor impaired need not apply."

Even Sellevision had sent out a memo asking all their hosts if any of them had any "Hispanic, Asian, African American, or American Indian ancestry." It turned out Irish-Catholic Adele Oswald Crawley's great-great-grandmother on her father's side had some Navaho blood. So within a month, Adele was dressed in a little suede dress with fringe and given her own turquoise jewelry showcase called Indian Expressions, complete with potted cactus trees and a tepee. An old black-and-white
photograph of Adele as a little girl wearing an Indian headdress at a birthday party was enlarged and hung behind her. Prop stylists added Navaho throw rugs around the living room set, but the deerskin was pulled at the last moment because of the lawyers. After the show,
Howard had made it clear, "This is just a Band-Aid on the situation. We've got to get an ethnic in here immediately."

"That item has sold out, so congratulations to everyone who purchased it.

I think you'll be very happy. Up next: Joyce's Choice Crows Away! under-eye gel. But first, coming up on Sunday, Don from the Good Morning Show will be talking with author and trend forecaster Faith Popcorn about her brand new programmable popcorn popper that lets you pop tomorrow's popcorn today! If you're a busy snacker, you won't want to miss this
presentation."

Augusten Burroughs is a true talent. The plots within this story are so clever and so well-constructed. Read this book! And when you're finished, read "Running With Scissors". I'm awaiting his future books with great anticipation! The dialogue is funny, the plot is funny, and the inside look at home shopping networks is a true riot.

The ending is just as good as the beginning and it makes you want to read more and more from Augusten Burroughs. This is my first novel by this author and I look forward to reading the rest of his novels after this one.

Also recommend: Running With Scissors, Children's Corner by McCrae

I'm going to admit that I was a little annoyed when I had gone to Barnes & Noble and had them order me this book when it wasn't in stock and then brought it home and realized that I intended to order and buy "Dry", not "Sellevision". "Dry", actually, wasn't in stock either.

But, God, what a filthy piece of fiction this is. It is so outrageously funny. How can you NOT love a book that takes Joyce DeWitt (of Three's Company fame) and Debby Boone (yes, THE Debby Boone who annoyed everyone with "You Light Up My Life") and includes them as characters with actual speaking lines? Burroughs takes real-life B-grade celebrities and either includes them somewhere, or makes mention of what their success would have been in a warped, alternate universe (Deborah Norville is now a two-time Emmy winner, Greg Kinnear has now won multiple Oscars, there is now a sequel to Titanic, and yes, Celine Dion has done another bombastic ballad for it). It is actually a very funny and unique touch.

The book itself revolves around the fictional Sellevision -- which is like the Home Shopping Network, or QVC, and the people who work or have worked there. The characters Burroughs creates may not be complex, but they don't really need to be. The book takes on all most of it's storylines seperately and the characters don't intermingle with any specific purpose. But, this isn't a psychological thriller... and it's not intended to be.

Especially endearing and funny is Peggy Jean Smythe, whose desperate attempts to be a "good Christian woman" are ruined when her life falls apart around her. But the fact that so many of the characters' personal lives are well-defined, when there's a character who doesn't seem to have a purpose, it kind of sticks out... like even though I just finished the book very recently, I can't remember why Leigh was even someone we had to know about at all. Or was that another character? Hmm... so yeah, some of the characters fail to make true impressions and they melt together when you're trying to discuss the book. Other characters like Bebe or Max are well-written and have their own stories about their screwed-up lives.

Tolstoy it's not. It's not even J.K. Rowling. But, it is a great weekend read when you're looking for a little empty fun that isn't going to consume you or require you to have intense concentration. You won't miss too much if between pages 23 and 30 you ended up daydreaming instead of absorbing the words you were reading. But, this is really an interesting foray into fiction for Burroughs, best known for his mostly non-fictional work, "Running With Scissors".

Satires are not an easy thing to achieve. But in the hands of Augusten Burroughs, who followed this book by writing two brilliant memoirs that found laughter in the saddest and most extraordinary situations, satire becomes a child's trick.

The book follows the ups and downs of the people working at Sellevision, the nation's newest television phenomena. Sellevision is a home shopping network with class. Or so they'd want you to believe. But judging from the people who work there, you have to ask yourself serious questions.

First off, Max is fired from his job after accidentally exposing his manly assetts on live television. Max doesn't know what he wants to do with his life now that he's jobless. And numerous job interviews lead him to believe that there is nothing else for him out there, until he finds the one avenue that will leave him satisfied in many ways.

Then there is Peggy, the host with a stalker. Her stalker problem and her unhappy life leads her towards the bottle and turns her into a Proza addict. Soon enough, her neurotic personality lands her into a detox centre.

Or what about Leigh, who places a personal ad and meets her perfect match (who just happens to be a millionaire)? Or the young host who is having a relation with her married boss? Or what about the other five or six characters that so well colors the pages of this novel.

The story itself would not have been much without Burroughs's wit and sadistic humour. He's able to take small banal portions of every day life and turn them into complete laugh riots. He's able to make you laugh even under the most strangest or saddest situations.

Sellevision is a one-of-a-kind read. Not only is Burroughs talented when it comes to writing memoirs, but he's a great writer of fiction as well. Sellevision will leave you laughing and smiling until you can't smile anymore. There aren't too many books with that quality on the shelves right now.

Very funny book and was in good condition. The prices were right and got here in record time. thank you amazon.

I've loved all the books I recently purchased, and each and every one is COMPLETELY different. The endless tome I AM CHARLOTTE SIMMONS was the first, and even with its length I was captivated. Then I read Jackson McCrae's THE CHILDREN'S CORNER with delight, disgust, fear, hope, and laughter. Finally, I came to rest with SELLEVISION. This novel is a delight! Each and every character is well crafted. I still can't find one I like over another. Readers get a look at each of their personal lives, as well as their on-air ones. All of which are screwed up to various degrees! Hilariously so!

I picked up this book because I liked the cover - read the first page in the store, and rushed home to buy it on Amazon. On the basis of that first page, I had prepared myself for the kind of involvement and hilarity that I have come to expect from David Sedaris, and I was not disappointed. The only other author I did this with was Jackson McCrae and his "Children's Corner" which is superb and well written. Burroughs is a master storyteller - he gets the details right, creates characters that leap from the page, and makes you howl with laughter. This is a great romp through the world of home shopping networks, if we could but peek behind the scenes and infuse it with the wicked imagination it surely begs for. I hated to see Sellevision end, because there is nothing more therapeutic than a great laugh -- I eagerly await Mr. Burrough's next novel. In fact I am going to sit right here and wait. Hurry......

I am quickly becoming a fan of Augusten Burroughs. I first bought DRY after all the comparisons to Rikki Lee Travolta's MY FRACTURED LIFE and was very pleased with the purchase. SELLEVISION is my second Burroughs book and I enjoyed it even more. Burroughs definitely has the same quick wit and off center sense of jesting that Travolta has. The writing is very similar and is winning me over as a fan.

I've loved all the books I recently purchased, and each and every one is COMPLETELY different. The endless tome I AM CHARLOTTE SIMMONS was the first, and even with its length I was captivated. Then I read Jackson McCrae's THE CHILDREN'S CORNER with delight, disgust, fear, hope, and laughter. Finally, I came to rest with SELLEVISION. This novel is a delight! Each and every character is well crafted. I still can't find one I like over another. Readers get a look at each of their personal lives, as well as their on-air ones. All of which are screwed up to various degrees! Hilariously so!