- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Sphere (1 July 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1847442692
- ISBN-13: 978-1847442697
- Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 3 x 21.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
24,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #37 in Books > Humour > Collections & Anthologies
Robin Ince's Bad Book Club
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More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
Hugely popular subject, written by an award-winning comedian.
Based on author's successful stage show.
Author very well-known and well-connected within the comedy industry.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.Product Description
Is hideous prose and ghastly poetry more fabulous than great literature? Determined to find out, award-winning comedian Robin Ince has spent most of the 21st century rummaging through charity shops, jumble sales, and even the odd skip to compile the defining collection of the world's worst - inadvertently hilarious - books. Among the many genres it explores, the book will guide you through the hinterland of celebrity autobiography, unearthing underappreciated classics such as those by It Ain't Half Hot Mum's Don Estelle and the brother of a former PM (MAJOR MAJOR). It offers a detailed study of romance sub-genres, from the equine (DIAMOND STUD) to the gynaecological (SIGN OF THE SPECULUM). And it will prove invaluable to anyone who wants to know THE SECRETS OF PICKING UP SEXY GIRLS. Above all, the Book Club is a manual - almost a life guide - training you up for membership of the Grand Order of Curators of Books That Should Never Have Been. Join the club.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book offers a laugh every time you pick it up. What I've enjoyed the most is it has that lovely quality of being able to "dip in" and read a few pages and have a laugh, but not need to read it in any particular order. It is incredibly light and entertaining, but with some very smart insights into the media and popular culture.
The tone ranges from the lighthearted, why do publishers write "The End" when the book has actually run out of pages, to the angry, and very funny, rants about newspaper columnists, which features a brilliant take on Gary Bushell and gay public orgies. (It's OK, don't sue, check it out). I especially like how Robin incorporates little bits of his everyday experience, thus the fact that he comes from a long line of vicars makes the section on religion even more pertinent. Not to mention the essential subject of "What would Jesus Eat."
The graphs and photographs are rather random and have some very helpful captions, including an equation with the caption "I forget what x is". So you may not learn the meaning of life in the pages of this book, but at least you know that Cliff Richard can offer you sexy breaks from the bible.
The tone ranges from the lighthearted, why do publishers write "The End" when the book has actually run out of pages, to the angry, and very funny, rants about newspaper columnists, which features a brilliant take on Gary Bushell and gay public orgies. (It's OK, don't sue, check it out). I especially like how Robin incorporates little bits of his everyday experience, thus the fact that he comes from a long line of vicars makes the section on religion even more pertinent. Not to mention the essential subject of "What would Jesus Eat."
The graphs and photographs are rather random and have some very helpful captions, including an equation with the caption "I forget what x is". So you may not learn the meaning of life in the pages of this book, but at least you know that Cliff Richard can offer you sexy breaks from the bible.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Robin Ince is much vaunted as a comic for intellectuals through his work on Nerdfest and Radio Four broadcasts alongside the likes of Professor Brain Cox - the beauty of this book is that it emerges as a down-to-earth self-deprecating biography of an engaging Everyman who knows his naff and compulsive bad reading habits are wrong, painstakingly smuggling cheap and nasty books past his long-suffering wife's antennae - but simply can't stop himself. The bevy of references to terrible and pointless books across a range of genres fizzes along with terrific one-liners, but it is the emerging portrait of Robin Ince himself which gives this immensely enjoyable book its heart and soul. Diving in and out of charity shops and even dusting discarded books off as he rescues them from skips prior to pulping, Ince wittily catalogues and crafts lovely stories about the woman who wrote a sequence of poems to the deceased Elvis, right wing reactionaries parading their prejudices as 'facts' and a whole array of religious and scientific fruitcakes, always finding non-judgemental merit, even joy, in these unlikely places. As a result, his own anally enriching life and misspent youth-evolving-into-middle-age jumps off the pages. Robin Ince achieves a skilful balance between laugh out loud book reviews and a unique biography through an analysis of his own obsession. Tremendous stuff!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I heard about this book on a web forum that I browse and thought it sounded right up my street as I too am a similarly afflicted habitual book hoarder and obsessive reader of any old rubbish. It actually reminded me that as a teenager I was obsessed with reading Silhouette romances (like Mills & Boon but worse) from the library which as an adult I have managed to completely mentally blank-out somehow.
I already liked Ince's sarcastic comedy stylings but it took me a while to get into the rhythm of his prose, perhaps because it's based on his live stand up show, but on the whole it's worth it. There's plenty of snigger-worthy moments from the books themselves, such as an in depth examination of the torrid mind of Don Estelle, but for me the best parts were Ince's asides about the lengths he will go to to acquire awful literature (going through skips, shame-faced at the till in charity shops, haggling at school fetes etc.) and hiding it/lying about it to his spouse.
If you liked Danny Wallace/Dave Gorman's adventures in print, you'll probably like this as well as it's similar in tone and style. An honest and enjoyable foray into the world of shameful literature.
I already liked Ince's sarcastic comedy stylings but it took me a while to get into the rhythm of his prose, perhaps because it's based on his live stand up show, but on the whole it's worth it. There's plenty of snigger-worthy moments from the books themselves, such as an in depth examination of the torrid mind of Don Estelle, but for me the best parts were Ince's asides about the lengths he will go to to acquire awful literature (going through skips, shame-faced at the till in charity shops, haggling at school fetes etc.) and hiding it/lying about it to his spouse.
If you liked Danny Wallace/Dave Gorman's adventures in print, you'll probably like this as well as it's similar in tone and style. An honest and enjoyable foray into the world of shameful literature.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bad Books and good writing
Humanity has produced many great works of literature, Ulysses, Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby, Being Jordan, but in this book the author looks at some of the worst books ever... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Lord Of All He Surveys
A must for the review of all the books you should never read
All I will say is that this is the first book that made me laugh out loud. I may not be the most educated when it comes to books, but I am thoroughly enjoying the book and I hope... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Kevin
Hilarious
Beware. Reading this book on an aircraft will damage either your reputation, or your diaphragm, depending on how willing you are to be seen laughing out loud.
Published 11 months ago by S. Ellis
Laugh out loud, inspired light reading
Quite a few of the reviewers here are a bit harsh on Robin Ince. While I'll admit a few sections of the book are a bit patchy (eg, bad science), quite a lot of it had me laughing... Read more
Published 17 months ago by MadamJMo
Loved this book
I now have the urge not only to read some of these odd books but write some completely insane ones too. Interesting and funny.
Published 21 months ago by Robin Hood's sister
Ironic, Don't You Think?
A book that charts bad books shouldn't work, and I am afraid that in the case of `Robin Ince's Bad Book Club' it doesn't. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Sam
A bad book about bad books?
I had high hopes for this book but it turned out to be a massive disappointment. A book about strange, oddball books written by a leading comedian and writer should have been good... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Bantam Dave
A fun diversion
I bought this book after having fond memories of seeing Robin live at the Hammersmith Apollo in December.
It did not disappoint. Read more
It did not disappoint. Read more
Published 22 months ago by William Satire
Quest or Jest
If you buy this book, you can share in the author's little joke. By reading about books, that in his opinion should never have been written, you too may be entitled to ask - why... Read more
Published 23 months ago by RainForest
Listmania!
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