- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Minerva; New edition edition (17 Mar 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0749386274
- ISBN-13: 978-0749386276
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,553,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Why does Mr Kipling bake such exceedingly good cakes? Is Jeremy Beadle really the devil incarnate? This adventure takes the reader to the epicentre of the consumer world where mono-maniacs and saddos overindulge in lottery tickets, burgers, CD Roms and Eurotrash.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Toby Litt's short stories range from pure capitalism (after winning the lottery, a man refuses to believe people and only believes adverts) to urban fantasy (a ghost in a laundrette). His writing is deft and rapid-fire; the way in which these stories flow so eagerly from page to page will make it hard to put this book down. The shorter stories are delicious little comtemporary fables, to be savoured while sitting on buses or in the middle of shopping trips; the longer ones are clever and original uses of short fiction. Buy this book today, if you value your status as a consumer!
Format:Paperback
Adventures in Capitalism is a collection of short stories, which hang together through many references well known brands, and people's struggles with contemporary society.
The quality of stories in this volume varies considerably, in part a reflection of the experimental nature of much of the work. Toby Litt uses Adventures in Capitalism to explore different forms and voices, not all of which are successful. The better cuts include "Moriarty", about a contemporary teenage Sherlock Holmes chasing her very own arch-enemy, "Please Use A Basket" following a Boots' poster girl, and "When I Met Michael Foucault", chronicling an extended dream sequence about the eponymous French philosopher.
Of a less certain quality is "After Wagamama But Mainly Before", in which the identity of the characters is constantly shifting, and "...The Betamax Boy" which comes across as an extended rant about Jeremy Beadle, or "It Could Have Been Me And It Was", a not so funny story about someone who chooses to believe all the advertising they see.
The inconsistent quality makes it somewhat disappointing, and the stories sometimes appear to be lacking a heart. However, the stories are tightly constructed, and there is enough dark humour running through them to sustain the reader.
The quality of stories in this volume varies considerably, in part a reflection of the experimental nature of much of the work. Toby Litt uses Adventures in Capitalism to explore different forms and voices, not all of which are successful. The better cuts include "Moriarty", about a contemporary teenage Sherlock Holmes chasing her very own arch-enemy, "Please Use A Basket" following a Boots' poster girl, and "When I Met Michael Foucault", chronicling an extended dream sequence about the eponymous French philosopher.
Of a less certain quality is "After Wagamama But Mainly Before", in which the identity of the characters is constantly shifting, and "...The Betamax Boy" which comes across as an extended rant about Jeremy Beadle, or "It Could Have Been Me And It Was", a not so funny story about someone who chooses to believe all the advertising they see.
The inconsistent quality makes it somewhat disappointing, and the stories sometimes appear to be lacking a heart. However, the stories are tightly constructed, and there is enough dark humour running through them to sustain the reader.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Thoroughly enjoyed the effervescent "Corpsing" and thought that I would sample one of Toby Litt's earlier works to see if it would provide similar entertainment , but "Adventures in Capitalism" turned out to be a different animal altogether. The title was a bit of a misnomer as none of the stories provided any great insights into late 20th Century capitalist culture. I had expected a humourous Bill Bryson-esque expose of the vulgarities and iconoclasms of Western society but what in fact were provided were a series of surreal,incongruous and ultimately pointless short stories which generally failed to enlighten or stimulate. However some of the fantastic narratives and imagery were entertaining; the Fluffy Pink Bunny Rabbit, The Betamax Boy and the excellent Launderama were my pick of the bunch. But many of the stories were turgid and silly. HMV, Cosmetic , Wagamama and Michel Foucault were prime examples.
"Adventures in Capitalism" is readable and not unentertaining, but it is a bit puerile and probably best avoided.
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