Written from the first-person perspective of a blundering idiot, this book quickly makes you wonder if the character is a fool, or if the author is. Based on the weak plot, the lame jokes, and the grade-school level of writing, I' m placing my bets on the latter. There were moments of interest, and even one or two that made me smile out loud, but not enough to recommend this or ever read anything by this author again.

Hilarious! Perfect combination of mystery, humor and a little science fiction. I literally laughed out loud, it was unbelievably funny.

I love the Simpsons as much as the next guy and Swartzwelder is surely a joke writing genius in that medium, but I had a really hard time finishing this book. Apart from maybe two good jokes in the whole thing it really wasn’t worth the read for me. It strikes me as maybe being well suited for a young kid who likes wacky satirical stuff like the Simpsons, but even then some of the references probably wouldn’t connect with them. A disappointment for me. But, I can see how some hardcore Simpsons fans who eat the goofy stuff up would love it. If you’re a big fan, it’s worth it to give it a try, but don’t be surprised if you wind up as disappointed as I did.

Funny is an understatement.

A real self-esteem booster of a read, because you'll realize you will never be as stupid as Frank Burly. I used to think that slapstick comedy didn't work in text form, but John Swartzwelder*'s ability to translate cartoonish buffoonery into prose is enough for me to admit I was wrong.

*and of course he would know how to write cartoonish slapstick - he was a staff writer on The Simpsons for fourteen years, ten of which were good.

I love humor, but this book is...different. There are very funny moments throughout, but overall, it is so goofy and disjointed that it's hard to engage. The story, such as it is, is all over the place and kept losing my attention. The protagonist is hard to connect with and makes choices for no particular reason. And he is constantly being beat up by virtually everyone he meets. I don't really know if I could recommend it.

This thankfully came together in a fun satisfying way in the end. I had a lot of frustration reading this story; some of that is my own issue but I think some of it is with the author. John Swartzwelder was a prolific Simpsons writer and this was his first book. He’s more interested in humor than plot, and a random silly thing happens in every sentence. You have to apply a Simpsons logic to this world as a result but scenarios that would probably get a smile out of me if they were animated don’t do the same when I read them.

The last few chapters were good though. A lot of threads that just seemed nonsensical had a point and there was a clever ending.

Less like an episode of The Simpsons and more like an episode of The Jack Benny Program where they let the detective parody skit last for the entire show, and if FCC guidelines weren’t as strict back then. I have a sneaking suspicion that I might end up buying the rest of this series within the next year or so.

I thought I would enjoy this a lot more. However, I'd lie if I said I didn't actually laugh out loud at a few parts. This book is so absolutely absurd that if you have any sense of humour at all, I can't see how you wouldn't find choice bits of the book hilarious.

As many other reviews mentioned, Frank Burly could basically be replaced with Homer Simpson (if he was a detective), and it would still make sense as a novel. This doesn't hurt the story too much, although it is hard not to make comparisons since Swartzwelder did write so many episodes for "The Simpsons." It often reads as if Swartzwelder MEANT for Burly to be a Homer Simpson stand-in.

The plot is farfetched and nonsensical, which is okay, because it only exists so that you, the reader, can laugh at Burly's bumbling hijinks. I think it's a good book for when you want to neutralize your literary palate before reading something more serious, but I don't think I'll be reading any of the other books in the series.

I picked this one up after Matt Groening and co talking up Swartzwelder's humour on the Simpsons and plugging his books.

It does read like some of the zanier Simpsons humour but with the kooky factor turned up to 11. Occasionally I'd prefer it if he reigned in the insanity just slightly more, but it's still an hilarious read.

This is the first of many self-published novels by the most prolific writer of Simpsons episodes from the Golden Age. My reaction, to use a term that I only know thanks to Swartzwelder: meh. The constant deconstructionist irreverence works brilliantly in a 22-minute TV episode, and even better in a "deep thought" by Jack Handy. But at the length of a novel, even a short one, I found it exhausting. The individual sentences were endlessly clever, but the plot was not. I think I will get back to political reading.

I think this was the first book that ever made me laugh out loud. I started laughing from the first sentence and I couldn't stop laughing or put it down. Great read.