The Gun Seller

By Hugh Laurie

British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie's first book is a spot-on spy spoof about hapless ex-soldier Thomas Lang, who is drawn unwittingly and unwillingly into the center of a dangerous James Bond–like plot of international terrorists, arms dealing, high-tech weapons, and CIA spooks. You may recall having seen Laurie in the English television series Jeeves and Wooster; Laurie played Bertie Wooster, the clutzy hero of the P.G. Wodehouse comic novels that originated those characters. The lineage from Wodehouse's Wooster to Laurie's Lang is clear, and, if you like Wodehouse, you'll probably love The Gun Seller.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781569478004

Reviews for The Gun Seller

[kcshankd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wait, that Hugh Laurie? Yes! I can't believe how good this novel is, more Elmore Leonard than Ian Fleming. I found myself flipping to the title page more than once, wondering 'when was this written?' - seems to anticipate the entire 21st Century from 1996. I can't recommend this pot-boiler enough.

[rgaryrasmussen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is based on the unabridged audio version of the book, which comes on 9 CDs, and runs more than 10 and a half hours. Other reviewers have provided good summaries of the plot, which I found to be good overall, though fairly unbelievable in places. My major complaint with the story, which is told in first person, is the flip personality of the protagonist. I found him to be very annoying, and that made it hard to get through the nearly 11 hours of spoken word. Fortunately, Simon Prebble, the reader, is quite talented and easy to listen to. For me, this audio book is not a keeper.

[michael.cox120 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although it can drag on a bit in some places, The Gun Seller is an enjoyable novel full of wit, sarcasm and humour that makes you smile. A well structured plot helps to keep the ball rolling, and it's protagonist is definitely one of a kind...

[bragan_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Americans are most likely to know Hugh Laurie as the star of House. Which, great as he is in that, is kind of a shame, because if that's the only place you know him from, you've missed out on his long, hilarious career as a comic actor. And it turns out he's just as funny as a novelist, too, because this crazy spy thriller is written with a droll, pitch-perfect wit that makes pretty much every page a delight to read. Mind you, the plot is completely ridiculous, being convoluted and contrived and based on an idea that's pure tin-hat conspiracy theory. Which wouldn't be a problem, really, except that it was written in 1996, and its flippant, dated depiction of terrorism reads a lot more uncomfortably now than it would have then. Rating: It's a little hard to decide how to rate this, but, hell, it's not Hugh Laurie's fault 9/11 happened, and even with some discomfort about that niggling in the back of my head, I still enjoyed it a lot. So I'm going to call it 4/5.

[ahs7wolfy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thomas Lang had been asked to kill a man. It's not something he generally does do it came a a bit of a surprise and aroused his curiosity. Thinking that he could warn the intended victim, an American indrustrialist named Alexander Woolf, but decides on a bit of snooping first. His look around Woolf's Belgravia house is interrupted by a large man whom Lang manages to disable but the struggle wakens Woolf's daughter Sarah. Lang manages to convice her he is not the one trying to kill her father so she backs him up when the police arrive to investigate the disturbance. For Lang there is an instant attrraction but does Sarah feel the same? The course of true love never runs smooth and from this point on it's a rollercoaster of events with a terrorism plot straight out of the pre 9/11 play book. Will Lang survive all that is thrown at him and if he does will he also get the girl at the end and which girl does he really want?I'm not totally sure the author knew what he wanted to accomplish with this book. It starts out almost spoof-like spy thriller but then changes to a more straight-laced espionage story about halfway through. The character development is not great but the dialogue is as fun as you would expect from Mr. Laurie. The plot is okay but now that the terror threat has moved on it has become a little dated. Not a terrible debut and so far only novel but it's probably a good job that his acting and musical efforts have been a tad more successful.

[martinbodek · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hugh Laurie is one of the most freakishly talented humans on earth. So talented, that he leaves some of it on the table while pursuing other interests. This is his only book, which makes no sense. The book itself is a scream, with a laugh-per-page quota on parallel with Douglas Adams. It's imperfect, however, as the second half is kind of a bore and the story is told poorly in comparison with the energetic, bullet-out-of-the-chamber first half. There's so much evident talent, however, that it was an experience to enjoy the rawness and promise of whatever comes next, if anything does come next. I hope to attend one of his concerts one of these days.

[cassandra2020 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie - ok

Hugh Laurie is a very funny guy, a good actor & a blues musician. I'm not sure that he's an author. Ok, that's a little unfair. He's written a reasonable spy thriller spoof. Trouble is that he seems to think he needs to include a quip in every sentence - it gets very wearing very quickly. Almost immediately. Having said that, it was amusing. It was an unchallenging read and it did pass some time fairly pleasantly. I won't rush to read anything else by him. All in all - he tried too hard.

[bensdad00 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

started well and then fizzled

[wishanem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a work of humor, this book failed me. However, as an occasionally-funny thriller it succeeded.

Think Bourne Identity rather than Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and you won't be disappointed. On the positive side the plot made a few sharp and dramatic turns, and the author did a great job of ending chapters on notes that made me want to keep reading.

I also appreciated the way that the characters had realistic motivations without all being fundamentally terrible or wonderful people.

The book does show its age (from the rarity of cell phones and internet), but I think it still holds up quite well.

[jimmaclachlan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thanks to Chris for turning me on to this fun romp. Every now & then I'd just bust out laughing & it kept me up past my bed time to finish it. Random, odd, & meandering as it seems at times, the humor was a constant thread & I found that everything really was spot on. If the story occasionally took the long way around the barn, it was only so we'd sneak up on something unexpected.

It's at least a 3 star thriller & is written so perfectly in Laurie's voice that I could hear & see him the entire time, which easily gains it another star in my book. I loved the early seasons of House & have seen him in a few other things where he's always shined. This is mostly written in his comedic voice - snarky & not so dark as his House character. IF you like that, it's a 4 star read. If not, don't read this.

There was quite a bit of grittiness to the main character, Thomas Lang, who narrates the story. Not quite noir detective, but close, & the first person POV is excellently done. That's not always easy to do & if you don't like the character, it ruins the book, hence my warning above.

For all the low-key, comedic quality of Laurie's observations, it wasn't just funny. While poking some fun at the genre & most everything else, it was also brought out a lot of good points on society & our current state of affairs in general. It had it all AND it's 15 years old, which surprised me. It could have been written last year. Wow!

The plot certainly twists & turns with the best of the genre - international conspiracy, murder & betrayal all baked into a mystery that Tom finds himself firmly embedded in. Laurie did a great job introducing & maintaining one of my favorite supporting characters, Solomon right from the very start. Like everything else, he seems kind of random & odd at first, but eventually gels into clarity. Actually, that's a good description of the plot. About half way through, I wondered how there could still be so much to read - I thought I was closing in on an obvious, if not great ending - but I wasn't. That was a bit disappointing, I expected the last half to drag, a puffed up section simply to make some publishers word count. It wasn't. Oh, no, it was great!

I highly recommend this to all my detective-mystery-thriller reading friends.

[sollimath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Spannend, mit vielen Wendungen und gut geschrieben.

[olegalca · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not familiar with the spy genre so I don't think I have the necessary background to fully appreciate this book - but it was enjoyable albeit confusing.

[branimal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I completely forgot that I read this until I was browsing around on here. I read it about 3 years ago, some of the details are a little fuzzy but I remember enjoying it quite a bit.

[frozenplums · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was really excited about this book as Hugh Laurie's humor already has a likeness to beautiful prose, but the plot of this book was just awful. I love silly, satirical, nonsensical things, but this was just so far beyond the scope it was practically hopeless. I found I had to force myself to pick it back up, and it just was not an enjoyable read. The sentences themselves were lovely, but the story line was utterly disappointing.If Hugh Laurie were to write another book I would definitely give it a go because his writing style really is very wonderful (very Fight Club-esque). I think this one was just an unfortunate miss.

[horomnizon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After watching all 8 seasons of House, MD, I decided to finally pull this from my shelf and dust it off and give it a try. Hugh Laurie is a veteran British comic actor, of course, and has done greater shows than House (although I did like that quite a bit) and that British comedy comes out here in his first published work of fiction. That being said, if you aren't up on your British terminology, you may need a dictionary close at hand. (There is actually a British to American slang dictionary available online.)The story itself revolves around a guy who gets mixed up in an international arms deal - or rather the set up of a weapon test that will likely kill innocent by-standers. He is not particularly interested in killing random people, but luckily there are other agencies who agree with him. At times it becomes a bit confusing as to whom he is really working with and who he is trying to double-cross. There's a bit of romance thrown in and overall a quite nice, intelligent, and funny story. At times it is a bit convoluted, but it's all in good fun and Laurie just has a way with words. If you like smart British humor (Jasper Fforde fans?) then give this one a try.

[.monkey.-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was amazing. I mean, okay, the writing was not award-winning prose, but it's not trying to be! I couldn't begin to count the number of times I laughed out loud or a huge grin spread itself over my face. It was just a riot. And it was a riot on top of a gripping suspense-thriller. I have to give this 5 stars. I maybe shouldn't, because the book itself is technically not that stunning, but I had such a fun time reading this, and I thought it started out fabulously and the end was perfect, so I just have to give it full stars!

[djrmel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Long on humour and a little short on cognitive plot, this is what a Naked Gun movie would be like if the writers were more literate...and British.

[jeremyfarnumlane · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this; it deserves to be turned into a movie. And that's not a backhanded compliment--it just seems like it ought to be a movie.

[shirezu · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'd been meaning to read this for some time now and I'm glad I finally got around to it. A twisted, confusing and funny tale of a man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time who finds himself stumbling into a much larger world.

The book has a strong start but towards the middle it really starts bogging down under it's own weight. I wasn't sure it would be able to lift itself up before the end but in the final few chapters it manages to get up and all come together.

A good novel from someone who does better as an actor this book could have benefited greatly from a trim. In the end I though it was still worth the read and if Hugh Laurie gets around to writing another book I'll give it a try.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly funny and over-the-top version of a spy novel, written by none other than the lovely Hugh Laurie. One of the back quotes in my copy compares it to the Naked Gun movies, and this is a fair comparison - with a good critique of the military-industrial complex thrown in.

[chancemaree · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Mr. Laurie's wit and dry humor. The plot was interesting enough to keep my interest. Overall, light reading. Not heavy on technical details or character exploration. I agree on the premise and have the same cynicism about the arms industry, so I wasn't blown away by the message. Good summer reading.

[jayble_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the descriptive writing style of this novel, and I received the audiobook version. I really do wish that it had been read by Hugh Laurie, but the voice actor does a great job, so I got over my disappointment rather quickly. This is a wonderful and fast paced novel with a lot of vivid imagery and description in it. I think if I had been reading it I might have glazed over during some of the rather descriptions, but as an audio book, I enjoyed it quite thoroughly.

[polymathicmonkey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was amazing. I mean, okay, the writing was not award-winning prose, but it's not trying to be! I couldn't begin to count the number of times I laughed out loud or a huge grin spread itself over my face. It was just a riot. And it was a riot on top of a gripping suspense-thriller. I have to give this 5 stars. I maybe shouldn't, because the book itself is technically not that stunning, but I had such a fun time reading this, and I thought it started out fabulously and the end was perfect, so I just have to give it full stars!

[prop2gether · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel was easier for me to "read" by hearing it than it was when I attempted to read it. Perhaps it's the style of story which belongs more entertaining, but this is a spy spoof in the tradition of some great spy spoofs (Graham Greene comes to mind), and is highly enjoyable. There have been reports since its original publication of a sequel, but these seem to be exaggerations since Laurie has not written one. I'd enjoy another episode.

[jolynnsbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The narration by Simon Prebble is excellent. As one would expect from Hugh Laurie, there is plenty of sarcastic humor. A spoof of the military/spy thriller novel, a bit over the top for my taste, but still fun.

[jldarden · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Picked this up from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers group. I was intrigued that Laurie had written a novel in this vein and decided to take a look. I quite enjoyed it. Not since HitchHikers Guide have I found that sense of straightforward (yet backhanded at the same time) humor that is displayed here. I have read international spy thrillers in the past but none with this enjoyably skewed sensibility. Recommended for a light read.

[juliebean_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook version read by Simon Prebble. I was really impressed by this book. I know some of Hugh Laurie's earlier comedy sketches and roles, and I enjoy his sense of humor. I started this book with some trepidation, fearing it would be one of those cases where a famous person who is not a writer tried his hand at writing, and failed miserably.That was not the case here. This book was brilliant. it was hilarious. The plot twists and turns kept me interested. (This would have been a real 'page-turner' for me, except that I was listening to the audiobook, and therefore found myself making excuses to keep listening instead of doing other things.)As the book was wrapping up, I was getting this feeling of dread, not only that the book would be ending soon, as I was really enjoying it, but also that I saw the pat happy ending on the horizon. I thought: oh, please, don't ruin it with that ending.And Laurie didn't. He changed what you thought was going to happen at the end. Sure, it was a bit of a happy ending (I'm not going to spoil anything here), but at the same time, it didn't end up quite the way one expects for the standard Happy Ending with all the Hollywood Trimmings.I enjoyed this story a lot. The audiobook version is worth a listen. When I first started listening, i was disappointed that Laurie wasn't reading it himself. But Prebble is so good that, after a few minutes, you're glad it's not Laurie reading it. Prebble really is outstanding.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thomas Lang somehow manages to get himself entangled in a high-stakes game of intrigue in this tale which comes across as almost a spoof of the spy genre. Lang himself is absolutely hysterical - I laughed aloud many times. His random commentary just tickled me. As for the story, I liked that I didn't always know what was going to happen next, without feeling like everything was being pulled out of thin air. And, as usual, I am having a terrible time thinking of things to say about a book I really enjoyed, except to say that I enjoyed it. I wish Laurie would write more fiction.

[jazznoir_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hugh Laurie's first book is a spoof to the spy novel.Though the result is rather clever, some might be annoyed by the tired old English cynicism used as it's narrative, as Laurie likes to drag out the punch line for all it's worth.The audio version is read by Simon Prebble, who sounds as if he's an expert lecturer describing hideous violence to polite society.At times, his smug delivery of minute details will have listeners wishing he'd get to the point. There are, however, a few suspenseful moments in the book; one just has to wait a while, and that while will become a long while.If you enjoy Robert Ludlum thrillers, but wished they were a bit more flippant, then don't let shadowy critics conspire to make you miss this one. After all, you might benefit from this very cheeky terrorist's plot.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thomas Lang is drawn into a web of intrigue as he tries to wriggle every which way to extract himself. When there is no other option, he commits himself, and now beware, said the fly to the spider. This was the audio version, read by Simon Prebble, who is superb.I'm not sure why one review called this a "spoof of the spy genre." I thought it a good mystery story with shades of noir and lots of laughs. Romance, intrigue, humour and action, a perfect blend! I could say I was offended by the portrayal of Americans, but no. With recent events it is all too believable. Please someone, tell me Mr. Laurie is going to write another book, and preferably one with Thomas Lang in it.