Review: A Fast-Paced Multi-Layered Plot, Hilarious Three Dimensional Characters, and a "Supernatural Rat."
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2012
Just finished The Bialy Pimps, man what a ride. I'm pretty sure I purchased the eBook immediately after reading The Universe Doesn't Give A Flying F*** About You, by the same author; which was brilliant.I've never been much of a blog reader until recently so I had no idea who this Johnny B. Truant guy was.The first thing I'll mention about Bialy is the note from the author that immediately follows the dedication page. After reading it I was like, wow, who is this guy? (complete admiration)Then I read Johnny's Epic series which led to his manifesto: How To Be Legendary. All incredibly AWESOME!Anyway, I really enjoy JBT's style and voice as a non-fiction writer; his personality leaps off the page. So I was curious how that would translate to his fiction.With this in mind, I started Bialy biased because I like stuff that's funny. And you can't hand out funny, you can't just give funny away because you like someone either. In my opinion you have to earn funny, especially as a fiction writer.So while circumspect, it was with high expectations that I started reading The Bialy Pimps.I was lying in bed with my girlfriend who was also reading. I'm about two percent in, getting to know Bingham's, a few characters and some background; settling into Johnny's writing style and rhythm, when I got blindsided with an incredibly hilarious scene. I began to howl with laughter. The attack lasted for 30 long seconds followed by another 30 of aftershocks. My girlfriend was like WTF?Hahaha, OMG, that was great. The point is that at that moment two things happened. First, my guard was completely down. And second, I wanted more.And more I got.As Bingham's Bagel Deli heads toward financial ruin, an unknown adversary initiates a covert plan to help facilitate its demise. Bingham's crew can only handle so much though and start taking their frustrations out on their customers as they rebel against "upper managements" crazy demands.Though thwarted again and again, their enemy--who's sanity starts to unravel--continues his campaign to close Bingham's down, but the Bingham crew could care less. Their retaliation knows no bounds as they decide to go down in a blaze of glory; the antics escalate as the onslaught on their customers--who can't seem to get enough--continues.Nothing is as it seems at Bingham's though and I had to hold onto my hat through all the twists and turns. The story--subplots included--charged on like a roller coaster to an amazing climax. In the shuddering aftermath, Truant wraps the story up nicely, leaving me completely satisfied and craving a cigarette.Funny was delivered in spades and I laughed my ass off, but the real gift for me were the characters. I anticipated a fun read, but I got much more than I bargained for. After all the thrills, excitement and laughs, I didn't expect the last two sentences to choke me up and make me smile. But they did.I was left contemplating human nature, success, my motives; as well as my own "Bingham memories" of long ago. What a great book! You can consider me a constant reader.