Comedy, I think, can be exceedingly difficult to pull off well in writing. After all, the key elements of timing and pacing are not present as they are in live performance. And then there is the very real fact not everyone thinks the same thing is humorous.
Some time ago, I stumbled upon the zany book Evelyn & Company by Chad Muller (aka CM Muller). I so enjoyed the novel, I have decided to make it my inaugural book review.
Previously, I posted reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. And to be honest, I don’t have anything additional to say. Therefore, without further ado, I give you Evelyn & Company by Chad Muller.
Purchased from Amazon 11 December 2014
Ratings:
Storyline: 4
Characters: 5
Writing Style: 5
Textual Errors: 4
Entertainment Value: 5
(See my Review page for an explanation of the rating system.)
Review:
Evelyn & Company is bizarre, zany, delightful. A crazy romp through the many facets humor has to offer us. Puns, slapstick, innuendo, juxtaposition, satire, black comedy, it’s all there in Evelyn Portobello’s mad, quixotic quest for revenge when she doesn’t get the product she bought from off the TV. Something that has either directly happened to us or what we got wasn’t what was advertised. And so the plump Ms Portobello is stiffed of her “Magic Morel Shake Mix” and her phone calls and letters go unanswered. Oh, the earthy deliciousness of it all!
Humor operates on many different levels and has a very individual appeal. What Evelyn & Company offers us is a smorgasbord of humor. There is something there for everyone. Some we may not get, but keep reading — our morsel is waiting.
The story is simple. The perfect slice of life. It begins in the middle of living and in a sense goes no where, but along the way we encounter injustice, love, devotion, romance, protests, strikes, anger, happiness, crazies, fun, and laughter. Yes, lots of laughter. After all, it’s a slice of life.
Evelyn is wealthy but lives in a trailer, expends tens of thousands of dollars to get back the $19.95 she was cheated out of, and then decides to take matters into her own hands. Situational irony at its finest!
In the tradition of black comedy and social satire, Muller has given us a 21st Century Candide — by the name of Evelyn & Company.
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