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Slick (Paperback)

by Daniel Price (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Piatkus Books; New edition edition (4 Aug 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0749936053
  • ISBN-13: 978-0749936051
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 631,388 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Product Description

'I work in the field of perception management, although the less colorful term is 'media manipulation.' We're the CIA of PR, the sublime little gremlins who live just outside your senses, selling you products and concepts without you even knowing.? Scott Singer is a publicist, expert spin doctor and media assassin, killing scandals and selling the unsellable - be it guns, porn or reputations. Now he's the hired gun in a record company's attempt to save the public character of their major artist, rap star Jeremy Sharpe, a.k.a. Hunta. Hunta is no stranger to controversy. He currently stands accused by the media of inciting criminal acts among his teenage fans and his staff are fighting to stop a former assistant going to the press with her own accusations. The obvious defense is to discredit Hunta's accuser. Despite his nefarious accomplishments, Scott's never used his talents to ruin another human being before, and he doesn't want to start. So instead of getting nasty, he gets creative. One way to avoid a scandal is to create a bigger one - a grand and epic hoax that will dominate the news cycle, and eclipse the truth. It will be his greatest achievement to date, if it works...
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising, 5 Aug 2005
By C. Green "happily low brow" (Faringdon, Oxon, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Slick is not what you expect. A comedy set in the world of Californian mass-media, this is not a searing expose of the murky world of PR inhabited only by shady, disreputable and dislikable characters. Nor is it a farcical comedy of errors. It is altogether more thoughtful, subtle and clever than most books that inhabit this genre.

Narrated in the first person by the 'hero' Scott Singer, master of invisible PR, Slick recounts his attempts to save the reputation of a well known African-American hip-hop star and the chaos that ensues when his plans go awry. In the process it contains some sharp observations on subjects as wide ranging as the cult of celebrity, media manipulation, race relations, popular music, the treatment of those with disabilities, family life and the environmental movement. These are often witty, sometimes hilarious but when appropriate can be serious and sensible. There is a depth to this book that is suprising and welcome.

Equally surprising is the way that the author challenges readers' assumptions. In similar stories, for example, the character of Scott Singer would begin as a shallow, unconscionable and dislikable fool and go through a cathartic Damascus-like conversion to good during the course of the book. Instead, from the word go and despite some of his more questionable actions, it is impossible to dislike the man. He makes for an entertaining and welcome narrator who is drawn in shades of grey and is all too human. It is this and other unexpected twists on convention that help lift Slick above the hum-drum.

It is not perfect mind. As the story progresses it too often becomes blighted by an excess of setimentality, and when this happens it takes off the delightfully sharp edge it otherwise has. This mostly relates to Singer's dealings with a young Afro-American girl he chooses to act as Trojan horse against the media onslaught against his client, and is the only relationship that doesn't really ring true. Certainly it doesn't when compared to the gentle, adult and humorous romance that Singer falls into in what is a highly entertaining sub-plot and a highlight of the book.

Overall it is very difficult to give an accurate impression of what Slick is all about because it confounds easy description. It is however, a supremely well written, polished and intelligent book that deals with contemporary issues with heart and warmth.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Eagerly awaiting the next book, 24 Sep 2005
By A Customer
I'm in total agreement with strictlylowbrow's review. This is a very entertaining and thought-provoking book and the writing is snappy, funny and often brilliant, with phrases worth stealing. The two drawbacks are the extreme length--the result of quite a lot of repetition--and the sentimentality, especially regarding the character of Harmony. It's always unwise for a writer to fall in love with one of his own characters, and this one--who's willing to let another major character suffer for her own benefit--didn't strike this reader as nearly as perfect as the protagonist (and author) seemed to think. And there's always something deeply annoying about a protagonist going all noble and sacrificial--especially when the protagonist is also the narrator. In this case, it just makes him seem a bit silly. By the way, I'm a publicist, yet the scam confused even me the way it came going back and forth with such a "Who's On First?" complexity. But the book is such well-written fun, and raises such important issues that it's well worth the investment. I know I'll look forward to Price's next.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Colouring the world...., 21 Jul 2005
This review is from: Slick (Paperback)
Slick is dangerous. Slick is satire. Slick is clever. Slick is pacy. Slick is weird. Slick is slick.

I shan't detail you in on the plot; to do so would be to ruin the conceits but suffice to say this: if you enjoy a well written, witty, smart book that offers insights, angles, characters that are real and an unflinchingly optimistically cycnical take on people go for it. At a fiver, you won't regret!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 10/10 - an amazing, funny and thought-provoking read
This is an amazing book which looks at the way the media manipulates us as consumers. It's funny, intelligent and will make you think as well as being thoroughly entertaining. Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2004

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