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Review
"'This belongs on everyone's bookshelf. With a big spotlight pointing at it.' Praise for Charlie Brooker's Screen Burn, Julie Burchill"
Book Description
The latest from Charlie Brooker, 'the funniest newspaper columnist in the world' (Racing Post) - includes in-depth coverage of Celebrity Big Brother 2007.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It seems that readers of a certain age believe that Brooker is some kind of genius because of the deluge of vitriol he produces and his rather overwhelming "I hate everything!" attitude. This book is a collection of his newspaper columns, arranged in chronological order, and is better when dipped into than read in one go like a novel, as the anger and range can be a little overpowering when consumed in long sittings.
However, it cannot be argued that Brooker is an excellent journalist who just happens to be hysterically funny. When I read this book on holiday there were several occasions where I had to put it down as I was laughing so much, and on the rare occasion he finds something he likes you actually find yourself yearning for something to come along which angers him as this is when he is most entertaining. I particularly loved his analysis of the character of Paul Danan in "Celebrity Love Island", the alternative title for which made me laugh half a cup of tea out of my nose and cannot be reproduced here.
However, it cannot be argued that Brooker is an excellent journalist who just happens to be hysterically funny. When I read this book on holiday there were several occasions where I had to put it down as I was laughing so much, and on the rare occasion he finds something he likes you actually find yourself yearning for something to come along which angers him as this is when he is most entertaining. I particularly loved his analysis of the character of Paul Danan in "Celebrity Love Island", the alternative title for which made me laugh half a cup of tea out of my nose and cannot be reproduced here.
79 of 90 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unlike most of the other amazon reviewers here, I'm not going to attempt to come up with a blisteringly fantastic Brooker-esque metaphor to describe how captivatingly despicable this book is. I understand that I'll never be that clever a writer, and am in fact rubbish. This review is testemant to my miserable writing skills, which are evident in the way I just mispelled "testament". And "misspelled".
Anyway, Brooker is brilliant. Bitter, twisted and brilliant. Dawn of the Dumb is an excellent compilation of his best Guardian articles, and I was very pleased to find it under the tree this christmas. Read it during the ad breaks (to be clever), on the toilet, or when you're feeling drunk and misanthropic. Or just, you know, when you would read any other book.
Anyway, Brooker is brilliant. Bitter, twisted and brilliant. Dawn of the Dumb is an excellent compilation of his best Guardian articles, and I was very pleased to find it under the tree this christmas. Read it during the ad breaks (to be clever), on the toilet, or when you're feeling drunk and misanthropic. Or just, you know, when you would read any other book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's hard to know how to comment on this book. On the one hand, I thought it was screamingly funny when I started reading it. Charlie Brooker is the master of the original and entertaining insult and he's prepared to describe segments of society as stupid, boring, useless and generally give voice to all the frustrations we feel with the rubbish we face every day and say the things that we would love (but simply wouldn't dare) to have said ourselves. He does it very well. Extremely well, in fact. I can't think of anyone who does it better.
The problem is that that's pretty well all he does and by the time I got halfway through this collection of articles I was desperately willing him to say something new rather than simply come up with another outrageous metaphor for how stupid Big Brother contestants are. So I really enjoyed the first half of the book but the second half was a real struggle. With hindsight, it would have been a good book to dip into. As it is, I ended up feeling that it was very samey -- you don't notice this in a weekly newspaper column as you have seven days to reset yourself but presented all at once there feels like there's a distinct lack of variety.
The problem is that that's pretty well all he does and by the time I got halfway through this collection of articles I was desperately willing him to say something new rather than simply come up with another outrageous metaphor for how stupid Big Brother contestants are. So I really enjoyed the first half of the book but the second half was a real struggle. With hindsight, it would have been a good book to dip into. As it is, I ended up feeling that it was very samey -- you don't notice this in a weekly newspaper column as you have seven days to reset yourself but presented all at once there feels like there's a distinct lack of variety.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
very funny
Firstly, the book cover is awesome, secondly, if you're a little bit cynical, and have a sense of humour YOU WILL LAUGH OUT LOUD, and thirdly, he does look a little bit like... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Morris.av
Sample only - Amusing, sometimes deep, sometimes superficial
I really enjoyed Brooker's "The Hell Of It All" (5*) but wasn't crazy about "Screen Burn" (3*), so it didn't come as much of a surprise that "Dawn of the Dumb" fits perfectly... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Andrew Ives
Dawn of the Dumbest
Right Title - Predictable naive leftist crap, , waste of money, avoid, or if this tripe is you thing and you want a free copy check my bin!
Published 13 months ago by octavian
A Bit Disappointed Overall
I think the main issue is not that it is a bad read, more that it is one of those books that would have been a better read at the time the articles were written. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mel
Moving Targets
The sequel to his TV dissing columns chronicled in Screen Burn branches away from TV to expend venom upon the real world, though he's still got enough for both. Read more
Published 18 months ago by P. J. Potter
The Best Book I have ever read!
This book is brilliant, it was the best thing I have ever read, period.
Funny, sharp, witty and genius! Read more
Funny, sharp, witty and genius! Read more
Published 19 months ago by TheWallflower
Merciless, yet funny
This is Brooker's second accumulation of vitriol that he has saved for the exorable nonsense of modern television. Read more
Published 21 months ago by T. West
Waffle
As a fan of his tv programme I purchased this book. Half way through and other than his discription of Janet Street Porter and his comment of someone looking as smug as thought... Read more
Published 22 months ago by G. Spence
giggle worthy
bound to make you randomly burst into laughter as you're reading it.
charlie brooker's sense of humour is amazingly satirical, dark and witty. loved it
charlie brooker's sense of humour is amazingly satirical, dark and witty. loved it
Published 22 months ago by Dems
boring
I am a big fan of screen wipe and news wipe I was under the impression this book would be more of the same this book is full of yesterdays news comments about big brother and... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Irvinescouse
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