Wednesday 17 July 2013

URBAN FANTASY COMEDY REVIEW: Brian Gulliver's Travels - Bill Dare

Release Date: 04/07/13
Publisher:  Pilrig Press

SYNOPSIS:

Based on the acclaimed radio series, this is an extremely funny satire on modern society. Brian Gulliver is lost in strange lands where he encounters wondrous beings and peculiar civilisations. In a country ruled by doctors, Brian must eat five vegetables a day - it's the law. He can only get food on prescription. Every form of human foible can be blamed on a syndrome or condition. There is no right or wrong, only 'symptomatic behaviour'. Brian escapes from the doctors into a forest, where he's captured by intelligent pigs who put him in a human farm. (Luckily for Brian, it's free range and organic.) Brian is a rare breed, so the pigs put him out to stud. Being compelled to have sex with a random stranger isn't as much fun as he'd hoped. Brian has to rethink his ideas about what sort of beings we eat, and why. As Brian roams from realm to realm his moral compass goes haywire. In one country, fame is a currency which can be exchanged for goods, in another, marriage is banned because of the harm it does to children. Satirising everything from marriage and celebrity culture to altruism and religion, Bill Dare leaves little safe from his uncompromising wit. You'll laugh, you'll think, you'll be taken on a great adventure.


REVIEW:

To be honest I came at this from a completely fresh perspective, I’ve not heard the radio play, I’ve not come across Bill Dare before and yet all round when I started reading this I was utterly flawed with cracking humour, a wonderful turn of phrase and a tale that translated well from Radio to Book Format.

The story blends all the best of fantasy, some real world philosophy and, when blended with humour, really generates a book that will entertain on so many levels. Add to the mix a friendly authorly voice that not only leads you by the hand but makes you pleased that you took the journey all round makes this something spectacular.




No comments: