Vernon God Little: A 21st Century Comedy in the Presence of Death (Man Booker Prize)

Absolutely awful. I read the whole to make sure I could write this review honestly. Bought the book cheaply for $2 and figured why not try it out. This is awful. So boring, the language is terrible and the F-word is in just about every single sentence. Story it just plain awful.

Based on the style and subject of the first few pages, if this book had not had the words "Booker Prize" on the cover I would have put it down. But I kept with it and am glad. It is excellent, and a book that you will think about for a long time after putting it down. All the things that might shock you or turn you off in the first part are necessary to the narrative, in a brilliant way, and you will see why.

I have not read a novel in years. I saw this book in the new book section of our local library and decided to read the first page. I could not put the book down and spent the whole weekend reading the novel. It is a very funny and gripping book which will certainly offend a lot of Americans. I laughed out several times. The prose is very well thought out and flows smoothly. The characters are very realistic. Very enjoyable novel.

I don't think I'm easily impressed, so I'm puzzled at how few reviewers here have gone over-the-top with praise for this book. The plot outline alone would have assured a good read, but it takes second place to Pierre's razor-sharp execution. His writing is a torrent of perfectly struck notes (and never a false one). I often had to deliberately slow my reading pace not to miss any. If physical laws govern creativity, Pierre's next book won't be here any time soon. Those who savor good writing, including some that bites back, ought not let this one get away.

An audacious and bold debut novel about a young boy who is accused of participating in a heinous crime (the Columbine-like shooting of his classmates). Deeply troubled and damaged by his life with an uncaring mother and a father who disappeared one day Vernon is unable to fathom the severity of his situation and falls further and further into a hole he unwittingly helps dig. Masterfully written in a gritty and original style 'Vernon God Little' mixes dark comedy and drama to perfection. It certainly deserves a spot among the classics.I must add that I was surprised to see the reviews that criticize this book. They seem to be caught up in the world Vernon lives in and fail to see that the book is not actually about that and is in fact about Vernon. I got the impression that this was intended as parody rather than fact and more condemnation of media extortion than of crass Americans. As for the ending: anyone who tries to tell you that this book has a cheap happy ending probably didn't get it. But the hallmark of a good book is that it is open to interpretation ('Life of Pi' being another example).

I finished this book about 5 minutes ago and it left me stunned. This book is a caustic future interpretation of what American reality shows and courtroom media coverage are slowly evolving into. The main action centers around Vernon Little's mistaken guilt in a Texan school shooting that leaves sixteen dead. The main character is completely real, his actions and words strike a chord into the heart of any American. However, the Australian author has bent the laws of realistic diction a bit far with his Texas drawl, leaving annoyance in its wake. But even this does not detract from this allegorical masterpiece. The real message of the book is revealed throughout the last hundred pages, but the entire novel is threaded with bitter insight and hilarious satiric skill. This is one novel not to pass up!