Human Amusements

By Wayne Johnston

Offering further evidence of his astounding range as a novelist, the bestselling author of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams and The Navigator of New York crafts a hilarious and moving paean to the dawn of the television age. Henry Prendergast grew up on television—not merely watching it, but starring in the wildly popular children’s show “Rumpus Room.” Cast in the roles of Bee Good and Bee Bad by his mother Audrey, the show’s creator, Henry came of age along with the new medium—one that would soon propel his family out Toronto’s middle-class life and into the tabloids.

Henry’s father Peter, a would-be novelist, refuses to have any part in his wife’s burgeoning television empire, but commits himself instead to the task of being a walking, talking—mostly scathing—reminder of the family’s “humble beginnings.” Then, on the heels of Rumpus Room, Audrey dreams up The Philo Farnsworth Show, loosely based on the life story of the young teen credited with inventing the tube and starring Henry in the lead role. Rapidly amassing a cult-like following of “Philosophers,” the show challenges the Prendergasts anew. Forced into increasing isolation by a fervent media, they must work harder than ever to not let success get the best of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 31, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307486103

Reviews for Human Amusements

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Meet the Prendergasts: Audrey who becomes a successful TV personality and producer. She plays Miss Mary, host of the Rumpus Room (if you grew up with Romper Room, you'll be familiar with it). Her son, Henry, plays Bee Good and Bee Bad, wordlessly illustrating how children should/shouldn't behave. Husband/father Peter is an aspiring author who isn't really a fan of TV as a genre. His tongue-in-cheek comments are so funny throughout the book! Rumpus Room in a great success, but pales in comparison to the success of Audrey and Henry's next program: a show about Philo Farnsworth, the teenager who invented television. Henry plays the title role and develops a cult-like following. All this puts a strain on Peter and Audrey's marriage and on Henry's relationships at school and at home.This is a highly entertaining story about the early days of television and tabloids and how they affect our lives. Often funny, but with a darker message about the underside of fame.

[mynovelthoughts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wayne Johnston is a new-to-me author and I'm glad that I came across him. I thought that Human Amusements was both a fun and thought-provoking read. The family dynamic in this novel was really interesting and throughout the narrative I was curious to see how it would play out.Audrey, the unhappy housewife, changes her family's lives when she produces her script for "Rumpus Room" and following that "The Philo Farnsworth Show". It is touching and heartbreaking to watch Audrey's attempts to include her husband, Peter, in "the family business", a husband who constantly uses sarcasm and wit to make light of the Prendergasts' new found fame. For the most part I enjoyed Peter's sense of humour, though at times it wore on me.Henry, the lead character in Audrey's productions lives a life of isolation because of his fame. Henry experiences a wide range of emotion as he grows up under the spotlight, allowing the reader to view the negative side of fame through it's victims eyes. I recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in tv culture, or who just wants a good read.