Here's the ins and outs of a home shopping network cast of characters, as told via the warped perspective of the man who gave us Running with Scissors.

Things are humming along nicely for everyone at Sellevision when one fine day, one of the senior hosts accidentally exposes himself during a live segment aimed at children and their parents. Turns out to be the beginning of a major downward spiral for the network. Shortly after, another host finds herself the target of a stalker and becomes progressively (and hilariously) unhinged. A third exposes her boss/lover live on the air during a Simulated Ruby Sensations segment, and the fourth, a compulsive shopper, finds love in an unexpected place.

This one is a wicked romp that manages to skewer television/film personalities, shopping culture, NYC culture, suburbia, religion, 12-step programs, and a host of other sacred cows. Those are the book's strengths. The main weakness is that it leans a little too hard on the train-wrecky side of absurdity in places--there's a definite sense of "what more can I pile on here?" just for the sake of it, in other words. But it's still fun.

Augusten Burroughs' first novel... I thought it kind of read like a first novel -- a little unsure of itself, sometimes weird transitions, strange ending -- but I did enjoy it.

I'd read "Running with Scissors" so I was interested to see what Burroughs would do with a novel. He created some very vivid characters (I swear I know a few Peggy Jeans), and totally committed to the whole "home shopping network" vibe of the novel/characters/settings.

"Sellevision" was an easy read, fun, naughty in parts and just a good time. I'm sure there's a lesson in there about materialism and the way you treat others and what-not, but I was having too much fun to notice or care.

Trash, don't bother.

This has been on my TBR list for years. I was reluctant to read his first novel, but that was clearly stupid. It was such a fun little book following a few characters all connected to a shopping network. It was such a good read with entertaining characters and situations. I would highly recommend it for a quick, scandalous escape.

Ha. Definitely a LOL book. A quick and entertaining read of the silly lives of the hosts for a shopping network. If you need a pick-me-up, this is a great fix.

an unenthusiastic meh.

Snotty, easy satire (*Titantic II*, har har); "mean," and not in a good way. Paper thin characters, and Burroughs' writing has all the grace and style of a Dan Brown--the same sentence structure over and over, the same needless, gratuitous naming of items ("She stepped out of her S-Series Mercedes;" "he bit into his crispy recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken"), as though material goods are a fine substitute for characters who are otherwise lifeless automatons.

A ridiculous parody of home shopping networks. Not the best book I've ever read, but certainly memorable and entertaining.

3 stars

Not a bad little comedy about the ambition-frenzied, so-fake-they're-real moderators of a home shopping channel.

Unfortunately, "Sellavision" starts strong, but steadily looses momentum until the plot strands are sagging like a bouquet of deflated balloons. I felt more could have been done lampooning the glorification of rampant consumerism and the pursuit of idealised perfection in the late '90s -early '00s, but what is there is entertaining nonetheless!

This one's a fairly decent beach-read for those who enjoy seeing the seedy underbelly of snobs exposed.

(Warning for those who find sex comedy distasteful: (gay) penises play a major role in the plot! )

This book is exactly as shallow as the people in it. The story revolves around Sellevision, a home shopping network like QVC, and the people who work there, or, in the case of Max, no longer work there. It's a trashy, unengaging read, and the POV is staggeringly inconsistent. The opening lines give you a pretty good idea about how the rest of the novel works: "You exposed your penis on national television, Max. What am I supposed to do?"

This book is filled with cliches. Several times I found myself thinking, No, he wouldn't. That's too obvious. And then, yes, he did. Every plot twist is visible from a mile off.

One star. I think I'll stick with Burroughs' non-fiction after this.

Very sarcastic, witty and fun-to-read book.

A satirical, train wreck, dysfunctional ride.