I'll preface this review with the ever so original "this is not a book I'd typically read", because it isn't. I'm not a fan of first person POV, yet I barely noticed it after the first couple of pages. The structure and style were something I've never encountered, and I was a bit concerned it would be distracting, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is so...weird, the characters so...rich, that you just can't stop reading. I LOVED the editors comments added as footnotes. Page 5 had me laughing so hard I made a mess of my computer screen. After that I learned not to consume beverages while reading.

I can usually predict an ending...or at least come pretty close to it and I had no clue how this would end. I like that.

I definitely recommend this for anyone with a funny bone. If you don't have a funny bone...well, it's a rough life, ain't it. :)

I look forward to reading more by this author. ( )

Madness? This book has it in spades. It is narrated by a journalist who decides to go undercover and sleep rough as that will surely allow him to find the story that will elevate his career to the lofty heights he dreams of. On the very first night he is approached by Ponthe, a man who has a life story or two to tell and wants the journalist to do so. Over the course of the book we get to discover these stories, and the effect hearing them and sleeping rough has on the journalist.

It’s hard to describe much of what happens in the book without spoiling the reading experience, this really is a book that needs to be discovered page by page. As I was reading it my feelings veered between feeling that it was downright outrageous and then all too believable, a somewhat unsettling read but one that’s near enough impossible to put down.

The characters in the book are vivid creations, I never felt like I truly got a handle on them but that actually added to the reading experience. Both Ponthe and the journalist come across as being somewhat unreliable in their narration meaning you find yourself questioning everything and trying to second guess where the plot may be going. I soon gave up trying to work things out and just enjoyed the ride.

I’m not sure that I’ve done a great job of reviewing this book, but that’s because I really want people to experience it for themselves. It’s a fairly quick read but it’s one that’ll stay with you long after you’ve finished. ( )

Madness? This book has it in spades. It is narrated by a journalist who decides to go undercover and sleep rough as that will surely allow him to find the story that will elevate his career to the lofty heights he dreams of. On the very first night he is approached by Ponthe, a man who has a life story or two to tell and wants the journalist to do so. Over the course of the book we get to discover these stories, and the effect hearing them and sleeping rough has on the journalist.

It’s hard to describe much of what happens in the book without spoiling the reading experience, this really is a book that needs to be discovered page by page. As I was reading it my feelings veered between feeling that it was downright outrageous and then all too believable, a somewhat unsettling read but one that’s near enough impossible to put down.

The characters in the book are vivid creations, I never felt like I truly got a handle on them but that actually added to the reading experience. Both Ponthe and the journalist come across as being somewhat unreliable in their narration meaning you find yourself questioning everything and trying to second guess where the plot may be going. I soon gave up trying to work things out and just enjoyed the ride.

I’m not sure that I’ve done a great job of reviewing this book, but that’s because I really want people to experience it for themselves. It’s a fairly quick read but it’s one that’ll stay with you long after you’ve finished. ( )