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Review
** 'Bitingly satirical and madly surreal, this must be the funniest book of the year . . . Monty Python meets John Motson Leo McKinstry', DAILY TELEGRAPH ** 'Monstrously, almost unreasonably funny. This is an author with an encyclopaedic knowledge of football, with a thorough grounding in modern culture, and with a brilliant sense of humour who - rare among his peers - knows when to stop.' Andrew Baker, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ** 'Harry Peason makes me laugh. In fact his columns and Marina Hyde's are the two main reasons why The Grauniad is my sports sections of choice... Be warned your head will explode if you attempt to read this in one go.' LONDON LITE ** 'Pearson has a knack for turning soccer cliches on their head and taking them in unexpected directions, as well as having a penchant for surreal flights of fancy, such as the little known fact that Bob Dylan's muse was awakened by a spell with Hartlepool United.' FT ** 'Highly entertaining' SUNDAY TRIBUNE
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
* A hilarious encyclopaedia of football myths, legends and cliches
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I feel this book should have a less biased review than those already listed. Firstly, a few things about the product that need to clarified, and that seem to have been forgotten by others (though they've possibly been genuinely misled). This is not a book to buy if you're looking for a book of Football statistics, records or even unusual but true stories. The clue is in the the title- the UNBELIEVABLE encyclopedia of football. A quick glance through its pages and entries for 'Noun Deficiency Syndrome' and 'Rodd Rugg' amongst hundreds of others should tell you that much. This is a book, written by Guardian journalist and highly respected author Pearson, of football satire and (somewhat bizarre) humour. The great thing about satire though is that when well executed, as here, it rings as true as any other observational humour, and when done in a fond way by a man who loves the beautiful game, can be hilarious and still respectful. Pearson clearly does love football. It seems that 'The Far Corner', an earlier book by Pearson charting many matches played by smaller North Eastern teams from one season in the 90s ia a far more popular book - I have read it and indeed it is a true gem of a book, and clarifies that Pearson loves the sport. However, perhaps Pearson is a victim of his own success here- those who loved The Far Corner see a new football by Pearson and are expecting a sequel, or expect the same book again, but rightly he has not just repeated himself.
The other thing it seems those who are critical of it have done wrong, is to read it cover to cover. This is not like The Far Corner or others, but is perfect for dipping in and out of. Some entries will have you rolling around with laughter, others are less successful, but too much of this oft-surreal humour page after page, and you will find it a bit hard going.
I fully admit that the sense of humour may not be to everyone's taste - nothing very offensive, but a little off-the-wall in places, and that isn't everyones cup of tea. Fair enough. You may not be a Guardian reader either, and thus not see his weekly column that pokes fun at something from the week of sport (not just football) or his 'what won't happen this weekend', to which this book clearly takes it's inspiration from, where hugely unlikely (or impossible!) scenarios are listed. But, as long as you too love football, you don't need to. All you need is to put your prejudices away and let Pearson take you through his wacky, fictional world of football.
The other thing it seems those who are critical of it have done wrong, is to read it cover to cover. This is not like The Far Corner or others, but is perfect for dipping in and out of. Some entries will have you rolling around with laughter, others are less successful, but too much of this oft-surreal humour page after page, and you will find it a bit hard going.
I fully admit that the sense of humour may not be to everyone's taste - nothing very offensive, but a little off-the-wall in places, and that isn't everyones cup of tea. Fair enough. You may not be a Guardian reader either, and thus not see his weekly column that pokes fun at something from the week of sport (not just football) or his 'what won't happen this weekend', to which this book clearly takes it's inspiration from, where hugely unlikely (or impossible!) scenarios are listed. But, as long as you too love football, you don't need to. All you need is to put your prejudices away and let Pearson take you through his wacky, fictional world of football.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is hardcore, distilled down, Pearson on football. I sometimes wonder if Harry, noticing that Charlie Connelly had systematically nicked all of his other ideas, went all out to demonstrate in full the one thing that Connelly can't do, this stream of absurdist, improvised humour which makes him the original, and Connelly the middlebrow Sunday Supplement imitation. Those of us who love it, lap it up. As to others, well, you can see the other reviews.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Harry's forte is really when he's writing about his travels, things he's really done and seen. He can write about that in a fun and engaging way, it's not Theroux but it's amusing.
This kind of stuff, where he's deliberately trying to write comedy is all so hit and miss and there are just not great gags here or anything close.
This is a collection of newspaper and magazine bits and pieces going under the pretense of being a jokey encyclopedia of football. And it's all in good fun but just not very funny and where he goes off in to fantasy descriptions of what happened to old time managers or the origins of the pie it's just too far from real to be really funny. It's silly but without the grounding in sensible that silly needs.
Pompous review? Maybe but all in all this is not great. If you like Harry's sillier columns then there is a lot here, this is value for money if you value the content. In that case order away, you'll love it. But there are funnier football books, Harry Pearson books and probably even encyclopedias too.
This kind of stuff, where he's deliberately trying to write comedy is all so hit and miss and there are just not great gags here or anything close.
This is a collection of newspaper and magazine bits and pieces going under the pretense of being a jokey encyclopedia of football. And it's all in good fun but just not very funny and where he goes off in to fantasy descriptions of what happened to old time managers or the origins of the pie it's just too far from real to be really funny. It's silly but without the grounding in sensible that silly needs.
Pompous review? Maybe but all in all this is not great. If you like Harry's sillier columns then there is a lot here, this is value for money if you value the content. In that case order away, you'll love it. But there are funnier football books, Harry Pearson books and probably even encyclopedias too.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Harry Pearson - "Dribble"
For any avid reader of the Friday and Saturday issues of The Guardian, reading any article by Harry Pearson must be a top priority. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Dave John
Unbelievable
Jimmy Greaves once said, "It's a funny old game" and one has only to look at the antics of players, managers, club owners and hear their comments to know it's true. Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2009 by Neutral
Drivel, not Dribble
Another desperately disappointing book, as was 'Around the World by Mouse'
It is hard to believe that this is the same author who wrote the excellent 'Far Corner'. Read more
It is hard to believe that this is the same author who wrote the excellent 'Far Corner'. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2009 by G. Page
Dribble? Drivel.
It pains me to write this as in my view, Harry Pearson's 'The Far Corner' is the finest football ever written, and I love the chap. Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2009 by Siberian Spireite
Hubby Hated it
I usually buy my non book reading hubby a couple for Xmas. Usually they are football or sport related and this looked interesting.
Sadly he hates it. Read more
Sadly he hates it. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2008 by M. Reeve
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