When the French accuse the United States of acting imperially in Iraq, Americans often chuckle, believing that the French are deaf to their good motives. They might even say, "Pass the Freedom Fries, s'il vous plaît." However, recent cultural messages from Europe may be more disturbing as they suggest the deep alarm that our friends across the Atlantic have about America's mental health.

Last spring, "Elephant" won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and now "Vernon God Little" has won the Booker Prize. Coincidentally, both Gus Van Sant's movie and D.B.C. Pierre's debut novel have just been released in the US. But perhaps not coincidentally, both are based on the Columbine high school shooting in 1999.

Apparently, when Europeans think of America, they're not just thinking of celebrities like Ben Affleck and J. Lo, or even the military actions of the Bushes in the Middle East. They're thinking of the tragic and disturbing reality of children shooting each other.

The pervasive horror at American violence may be the only explanation for the Booker committee's decision to choose this grotesque satire as the best novel in the British Commonwealth. Pierre was reportedly shocked to have won, and after reading it, the author of this review shares his astonishment.

The story begins a few days after Jesus Navarro murders 16 of his classmates and commits suicide in the town of Martirio, "the barbecue sauce capital of Texas." Vernon Little, his only friend, is held as a "skate-goat" and narrates this bloody critique of American culture. The plot revolves around human excrement, and the tone is rather crude.

Vernon angrily asks, "How could they think I did this?" He feels he's being wrongly accused just because he hung out with the underdog. British critics have praised the book's "authentic voice," which means the way Little speaks in terms of copulation, waste, or female body parts.

Poor Vernon is in deep trouble. He's held as an accessory to mass murder, while his mother is more concerned about impressing the neighbors with a new refrigerator. The book also takes shots at the American media, with a CNN reporter named Lally Ledesma being a prime target.

However, "Vernon God Little" ultimately descends to a simplistic level in its exploration of the motives behind school violence. It offers a rather shallow explanation for the murderer's actions. Fiction can be a powerful tool to expose our flaws, but the Booker judges may have erred in their choice if they hoped to convey a more profound message. As Vern himself observes, TV sometimes fails to show how things really work in the world, and the same might be said for some award-winning novels.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1104/p1...

The author indeed showcases a remarkable gift for language, with a terrific turn of phrase that initially catches the reader's attention.

However, the plot is a complete disaster. It staggers around haphazardly, much like a drunkard, and ultimately fails miserably, falling flat on its face.

The attempt to patch up some of the numerous plot holes with generous dollops of magical realism is both unwelcome and unsuccessful.

At the beginning of the book, I was somewhat engaged with the characters. But alas, that interest quickly waned, and it became a real struggle to finish the book.

It's truly a shame. I constantly caught glimpses of the brilliant novel that this could have potentially been. But these flashes of promise twinkled out of existence as rapidly as they appeared.

I'm not overly surprised that it won the Booker Prize. It seems to have a strange allure for pseudo-intellectuals. I would even wager a significant amount that the majority of those who voted for it had not actually read the entire book. Instead, they likely only read the extracts and publicity material that made it sound like the kind of book that simply "ought" to win. Additionally, the author's colorful personal life probably added an extra element of intrigue that tickled the fancy of the London literati.

As a result, I've never bothered to read another Booker winner since.

Bland sophomoric satire,

bland picaresque,

bland hip posturing,

bland blandness. It seems that Vernon God Little is a work that fails to truly shine. If John Kennedy Toole wasn't funny,

if David Foster Wallace only wrote down the first thing that came to mind,

if Chuck Palahniuk was a pale imitation of himself (himself being already a pale imitation of more intelligent writers),

then you might end up with something like Vernon God Little. However, if you have a penchant for reading satires of American incoherence,

there are far better options available. You could turn to Toole or Wallace,

or explore the works of Pynchon or Barth or R. Crumb or Gary Shteyngart.

These authors offer more depth,

wit, and incisive commentary on the American condition,

leaving Vernon God Little in the dust as a rather lackluster attempt at satire.

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre won the Booker Prize in 2003.

The novel delves into a particularly tumultuous year in the life of 15-year-old Vernon. He finds himself unjustly accused of a murder that he probably didn't commit. As if that weren't enough, fate and a cast of rather unsavory characters seem determined to make his life a living hell.

The author's heavy reliance on profanity-laden vernacular and the portrayal of a dark and hopeless existence brought to mind American Psycho and A Clockwork Orange.

In terms of writing quality, it lies somewhere between these two more renowned books. The adults in this story, aside from the judge, possess few, if any, redeeming qualities. Vernon, our protagonist, isn't especially endearing either.

I rate this novel 3.5 stars. While it does have an interesting plot, the excessive use of profanity and the lack of a character to cheer for significantly lowered my assessment.

Without being extremely valuable, it is a pleasant book. It is a bit like "The Catcher in the Rye", with more jokes. It has an engaging writing style that I like. I had a pleasant time reading it.

This book offers an enjoyable reading experience. Although it may not possess extraordinary worth, it manages to capture the reader's attention with its similarities to "The Catcher in the Rye" and its abundance of humorous moments. The author's writing style is engaging, making it easy for the reader to get lost in the story. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the process of reading this book, and it provided a welcome escape from the daily grind.

In conclusion, while this book may not be a literary masterpiece, it is still a worthwhile read. Its light-hearted nature and engaging writing style make it a great choice for those looking for a pleasant way to pass the time. Whether you're a fan of "The Catcher in the Rye" or simply enjoy a good laugh, this book is sure to satisfy.

DNF @ 25%.

This book, when I look at it now, has not withstood the test of time very well in my opinion. It really doesn't align with my personal reading style at all. In fact, if it hadn't been a Booker Prize winner, I likely wouldn't have even bothered to attempt reading it. It just sat on my shelf for over a year before I finally decided to give it a try. However, after getting through all of part 1, which is about 1/4 of the way into the book, I find that I'm simply not engaged or interested in the story.

The characters don't seem to come alive for me, and the plot isn't gripping enough to hold my attention. Maybe it's because my tastes have changed over the years, or perhaps this book was just not meant for me. Whatever the reason, I've decided to stop reading it at this point. I'm sure there are many other great books out there that will capture my imagination and keep me turning the pages.

I can understand the reasons why people might have an aversion to this novel.

They may be disgusted by the way it handles such profound and serious subject matter. Additionally, they might not take a liking to the titular protagonist.

I'm not sure if it's because I grew up watching South Park, or because I was raised in suburban Texas where all these characters seem to ring true in an exaggerated way. Maybe it's also because I felt like a red-blooded black sheep during my high school years that makes me relate so strongly to Vernon, clenching this novel in my fists like a kitten.

Mostly, it's the characters. If they hadn't been so wild and unique in their own right, I'm afraid to say the novel wouldn't have had much going for it.

As much as I relished the vulgar writing that is native to my home state, and as much as I maintained a resolute adoration for Vernon Gucci/God/Genius/Gregory Little, and as much as I felt my heart expand and contract in response to its surprisingly moving prose, the final chapter left me with a sense of disappointment.

It felt as if it was stitched together with a certain laziness, an attempt to appeal to the reader in a way that was contrary to the original intentions of the novel. It would have had a much more powerful impact if DBC had chosen a different path.

Nevertheless, the voice behind the novel was realistic enough to make me love Vernon. That's why I'm so tempted to give it an extra star. But even my Texan self knows that's irrational. And Texans usually aren't very good at determining what's irrational. So there you have it.

Brilliant!

A worthy winner of the Man Booker Prize 2003. From the very beginning, I felt a great deal of sympathy for Vernon Little. His world view appears to be significantly wider and more acute than that of the dim-witted adults he is unfortunately stuck with in Martirio.

I have read quite a number of different fictional books regarding high school massacres. Most of them were produced after the Columbine incident. However, this one is quite distinct as the high school shooting rampage in Maritirio is not the central focus of this story.

It is challenging to discuss this book in detail without revealing spoilers. But essentially, Vernon's trials, hardships, and subsequent legal proceedings all emphasize the fact that the worst possible thing can occur in one's hometown. And yet, somehow, people will still either desire to be on television or attempt to make a quick profit from other people's misfortunes.

This book offers a unique perspective on a tragic event and the various reactions and behaviors that follow. It makes the reader think about the nature of humanity and how we respond in the face of such disasters.

Superbly brilliant and sublime, DBC's (Dirty But Clean) is a post modern novel that is a five-star read for me. It will surely stay with me for a long time to come.

VGL is a five-act novel, not unlike Shakespeare's five-act tragedies, written on a similar, if not modernist, level as the old bard. The writing is truly sublime. The characterizations of every character, except the narrator Vernon, seem more like caricatures. They made me cringe, laugh, and deeply disturb me on every level. The plot, set in an eerily plausible middle America, is highly relevant to the times we live in. It focuses on a human nature that I am increasingly embarrassed to be a part of. Filled with harsh observations of human nature at its extreme and ugliest, and all this is delivered with a language of unrelenting cynicism and word plays that I adored.

DBC seems to touch on so many important issues that we face today. There is media saturation, judgment-imposing societies, teenage and adult bullying, the naivety of the weak versus the strong, and the plot leaves no room for misinterpretation. I particularly loved the Powerdime. It made me laugh non-stop and reminded me of a Vonnegut novel.

It is the third book this year in which shit, figurative human excreta, has received so much attention.

No wonder I don't enjoy reading books as much anymore. The other two books are The Discomfort of Evening (another Booker winner; the Booker committee seems to have a penchant for shit) and the book that probably introduced shit to literature - Gargantua and Pantagruel (I'm still reading it).

This particular book revolves around America's love for things that shoot - guns and cameras. I can concede that the satire on media trials had some brilliant elements and Vernon often makes some astute observations. However, in the end, it was more like a pale shadow of a real book.

Moreover, in hindsight, it may not have been a book about shootings at all. You learn nothing about what, why, or how shootings occur or what the author thinks about them. Shootings might have simply been that big thing that overshadowed the central theme - the human need to turn everything into entertainment (much like the woman kidnapping theme overshadowed the main theme of Room, which was more about the mother-child relationship). But there are more issues here - for example, why is it that every time a literary fiction author writes from the perspectives of teenagers in the States, they feel the need to make them swear in every other sentence? If your protagonist can't be a good narrator, why opt for a first-person narrative at all? I guess I'm just not that big a fan of satires.

It's comparison to "Confederacy of Dunces" may be inescapable.

Both deal with plenty of the following after all: poor suffering mamas and the boys who devastate their love for them. There's a protagonist's distrust of society at large. There's a constant mention of fate or other celestial devices (Fortuna's Wheel for Toole, "God" in the title by Pierre). Digestive maladies, with bile and acid in interplay. The hero is utterly, pathetically, heartbreakingly misunderstood while the law and its enforcement become ludicrous.

Martirio, TX (Martyrdom, TX) is not without its dunces. That Vernon is always at throes with the law, with himself, and with his family makes him effectively endearing to the reader. But the plot's collision with actual modern events (SPOILER) i.e. schoolyard massacres seems too, well, too... contrived? Too stuck-on? A bit like what racism is to a book like "To Kill a Mockingbird" - very hidden a theme & deeply embedded, almost invisible - the daily headline-grabbing bloodbath is to a book like "Vernon God Little."

It's as if the author is trying too hard to make a statement about the modern world through these extreme events. While the character of Vernon is well-developed and engaging, the forced connection to real-world tragedies detracts from the overall authenticity of the story. It makes one wonder if the book would have been stronger without this heavy-handed attempt to address current affairs.

However, despite these flaws, "Vernon God Little" still manages to capture the essence of a young man's struggle in a complex and often unforgiving society. The vivid descriptions and unique narrative style keep the reader hooked from start to finish. It's a book that makes you think, even if it doesn't always get everything right.

Perhaps with a bit more finesse in handling the plot's connection to modern events, "Vernon God Little" could have been an even greater work of literature. As it stands, it's a flawed but still值得reading novel that offers a unique perspective on the human condition.

Folks are friendlier to me on the afternoon of my death. The cons are friendlier by not hassling. Especially the one I gave my clacker-balls to. Everybody else quietly avoids the issue. It's a busy-feeling day. Like one of your mom's urgent baking days gone wrong. With feelings left unattended. A sense that somehow I forgot something. Left the oven on. Didn't lock the door. A sense that I can do it when I get back.

The story of the empathetic teenager is both heartrending and ironic, even by modern standards of dark humor. His best friend, a Mexican-American victim of bullying, stages a massacre at school and then commits suicide, and the main hero is accused of complicity. With each chapter of the book, the problems and the number of his so-called victims (from 18 to almost 50 or more by the end of the story) grow like a snowball rolling down from Goverly: a journalist worms his way into the trust of the hero's mother, who craves attention in her life; she generously shares details about her son, which are enough for almost a Netflix series, and finally on a national reality show where online viewers watch the lives of death row inmates and decide by voting who to send to the electric chair. Meanwhile, the mother nitpicks at Maluku Vernon, saying that he looks too passive on the TV screen, and the show's makeup artists reassure her that thanks to them he will look his best on stage (Don't you worry darlin,' says a make-up lady, 'a little blush'll perk you up').

They say the author was surprised when he learned that he had been awarded the Booker for this debut. Indeed, it is a somewhat non-standard book for such loud awards. But it is very dynamic, with a hero who touches the heart with his empathy for the problems of everyone around him and a certain naivete and purity of soul, despite the fact that he already has a lot of stress, like a typical teenager: he loves his sneakers, is obsessed with girls, suffers from hormones, emotional crises, and various absurd situations that fill the lives of his peers.

After the call, I lay back on the bunk and plowed things over in my mind. Needs, boy, human needs. Mom once said Palmyra was into food because it was the only thing she could control in her life. It wouldn't run from the plate, or stand up to her. I think about it, and see Leona sucking attention like sunrays; ole Mr Deutschman savoring his mangle-headed tangs. Sympathy dripping giddy into the aching sponge of Mom's life. Give 'em all what they want, I say.