I liked this book quite a bit, but it had two pretty big problems.



1. There are too many characters for so small a book. It was only towards about page 180 that I figured out that Trish and Leigh were two different people. I had somehow combined them into one super character in my head until that point. I'm sure that this specific problem didn't occur for many, but it is just an example of how confusing it can be to introduce six main characters within a span of 50 pages. The big characters were Max and Peggy Jean. He should've either stuck with them or made this a 400 page book.



2. It took awhile for the action to start. I felt that there were too many references to the Selevision inventory and inner workings. I understand that he was trying to be detailed and draw us into the "world of home shopping", but instead it just made the pace drag. Once he cut the rate of the references down about a quarter of the way through the book, it was a lot more enjoyable. The meat of the story was the characters and once he focused more on them, it got really good.



This book was extremely funny. I found it to have more frequent laughs than his non fiction stuff. I gave it four stars because I wouldn't have a problem with reading it again. I hope Burroughs gives fiction another try.

Outrageously over the top satire that goes behind the scenes of home shopping. A relentless and shameless commentary on greed and celebrity with pop cultural references you “aughts” to remember.. or maybe “noughties?” ; )

I barely made it through Running with Scissors years ago, but wanted to give Burroughs another chance to redeem himself. Alas, he failed yet again. I do not understand why everyone loves his books and thinks they are so wonderful--what am I missing? This story was mildly amusing at some parts and even though I know it was supposed to be a farce, a mockery of the industry in which he writes about, it still felt like he was trying too hard. Different title, different book cover, same crappy disaster.

This may be the most accurate time capsule of the culture of the late 90s/Y2K era I’ve ever seen. I prefer Borroughs as a memoirist, though.

I respect and thoroughly enjoy Burroughs yet this book screams first novel and it is. The characters are over the top and outrageous, just as I would hope Burroughs would write them yet there is a brilliant comedic heart missing in this fiction. His memoirs are weighty and sincere in their bitter humor. He is genuine and rich in his other work. There is no question that Augusten is a tremendous writer- I simply find that when writing from the heart, he is something more than from the imagination.

I don't think this book is going to change anyone's life. It's pretty entertaining, pretty quick, and probably could be described as "quirky" if I were the type of person who used the word "quirky." It's also kind of over the top sometimes. Personally, I'd prefer that Mr. Burroughs keep his personal life fucked up enough that he can just keep writing weird memoirs.

I think (?) this was Augusten's debut novel, and frankly, I'm surprised they gave him a second chance after this one (which would have been a shame, because I normally get a big kick out of his humor and writing style)! It is a disjointed conglomeration of narratives of vapid shopping network hosts absurd lives. It's awful. I've read 'Kindle First' books that were better than this, and that is not a compliment.

I loved the first half of the book, it was a fun story about the hosts of a shopping channel called Sellevision. The second half turned into a horrible mess of adultery, statutory rape, and many other things that are not my cup of tea. Disappointing to rate this a 1 star but the last half of the book warranted it.

A fun, quick read. I love a good satire, and this book was well ahead of its time. Definitely fits in with cultural zeitgeist we have going on in 2019 - it's crazy that it came out in 2000!

I agree with the criticism that this book has way too many characters in it. I also agree that some of it reads like self-insert fiction. Some of the Peggy Jean scenes felt like they were lifted right out of Dry. The child abuse scenes were lifted right out of Runnin With Scissors. Found that part gratuitous and unecessary.

Overall, I had a few good chuckles, and as with all Augusten Burroughs books, I never want to read it again.

I love this cheeky book! I read it 10 years ago, and always remembered it fondly, though I couldn't quite recall the plot. After reading others' reviews, I worried that I would have different feelings about it now that I'm older, but I still think it's a great, light, hilarious book. Certainly absurd, and dark at times, this was a quick, easy read that kept me engrossed. It would be a 5-star book for me if not for more than a few glaring editing errors - a number of misspellings and accidental name swaps distracted me from time to time, which is really unfortunate because the book is great otherwise.

A hilarious, entertaining look at the lives of home shopping hosts once the cameras stop rolling. I could not put this book down, it was so funny. A great quick, funny read.

3.5 stars. This book is very different than most of Augusten Burroughs' other work. In the beginning, it was hard to get hooked on this as I have with his other books. The POV changes quite a bit, which can be hard to follow when you are just getting started with reading the book. As I pushed through, I started to get more interested in the stories and characters. It is definitely an interesting insight into production and marketing, and it's even more interesting when it is coming from somebody who has plenty of marketing experience. After reading his memoirs, you can see that he put a piece of himself into each of the characters which can also add a special touch to the book. I would definitely recommend Sellevision, but I think it is best read after his memoirs. It will change your perspective on the stories entirely.