The Barber's Conundrum and Other Stories: Observations on Life From the Cheap Seats
3.5/5
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About this ebook
The Barber's Conundrum and Other Stories is a collection of thirty-seven short literary humor pieces that have been featured in the Worrall Newspaper syndicate and various websites.
Titles include "How Bananas Almost Destroyed My Marriage, "If We're Late Again for Church, I Will Kill You", and "The School Project: An American Tragedy".
If you are married, raise kids, go shopping, read magazines, watch television, go to the movies or secretly wish you could push a Congressman into a volcano and not get caught, I personally guarantee that you will relate to and benefit immensely from this book.
If you download the Barber's Conundrum today (actually tomorrow and the day after is fine, even next week, if you've got a note or good excuse), you will also receive absolutely free an unbiased review of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, unimpeachable proof that aliens already inhabit the Earth, and to the best of my ability, a somewhat plausible explanation for why weather reporters stand in the middle of raging hurricanes.
As my wife said to me just this morning when I threatened to leave her to go on the road and manage an up and coming pan flute band from Ecuador:
"What are you waiting for?"
John Hartnett
Before we get into personalities, here's my philosophy on life. I've always depended upon the kindness of strangers because as long as you don't know their names or where they live, you never have to spend money on thank you notes or gifts. My story? Not much to tell, really. When I was born, my parents placed me in a small wooden boat and pushed me out into the center of the Pulaski Skyway where I was rescued and ultimately raised by a pair of possums. Sadly, they died when I was very young. At least I think they died. From there I joined the Merchant Marines and was the only toddler in World War II to sink a Japanese battleship while being burped. When I returned to the States, I got a job at Gimbels Department Store and have been there ever since even though they went out of business in 1986. I have always valued loyalty over money and if that's wrong, talk to my wife. You'd get along famously.
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Reviews for The Barber's Conundrum and Other Stories
7 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5What were the main relationships explored in this book? Family, marriage and parenting. I would recommend this book for anytime you are having a family holiday or better still, ditch some of the self-help books and go with these stories. The experiences and results are real, who could ask for more? 3 things I liked about the book … It was hilarious, to the point and the pacing flowed well from one section to another. What I didn’t like was the use of page numbers in the text when there was none to follow in the ebook. For example, the book club was given a Kindle (mobi) version of the book to review. In Chapter 5, it makes a reference to page 43 and page 119. Page 43 touched on something completely different and page 119 doesn’t exist. When reading on my computer, I only have 112 pages so you have to figure out the author’s references by yourself and make the connection. Favorite character(s) … I liked Hartnett’s wife. She makes these low-key appearances in the stories he shares but is always a partner, friend and her snark is even funnier than his. Maybe they should write a book together. Imagine how funny that would be a he said, she said version. Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5What were the main themes of the book? Real life stories with a humorous twist. Much like Benjamin Wallace’s down to earth approach to life and parenting, John Hartnett shares the lighter side of life based on his experiences which weren’t always stereotypical but always flat out funny. This book was well-edited and I liked it A LOT. What was your favourite chapter? Here A Product, There A Product - This chapter focuses on product placement and drips with sarcasm. With the Internet and social media, people don’t always realise when they are being sold a product because of product placement. Were you able to connect with the main character and why? This is a non-fiction humour book based on the experiences of the author. Some chapters (experiences) were easy for the reader to understand and connect but some seemed out of place as if he was trying to ensure the book had a certain number of pages. Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Which did you find more appealing, the introduction or the conclusion? The book is broken up into 38 chapters so there isn’t a defined introduction or conclusion. This reader would have liked for the book to be a little shorter or split into parts. This way if someone is looking for a longer read, they can buy all the parts and if someone is looking for a smaller dose, they can buy one part. Why would you recommend or not recommend this book? I would recommend it for the first 10 chapters. After that it tends to drag a little bit. The humour is still very much felt but the tone of “I want this, I want that and I know everything” does not change and it sometimes feels a bit selfish. If you are looking for a light read you do not want to read in one sitting, then this is the book for you. Did the book description relate to the story? The description was spot on and you immediately know you’re going to have lots of fun. Anyone who has had to stay up finishing a child’s school project can relate to this book. Hopefully there’s a second book. Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book? I enjoyed this book a great deal and I didn’t for a single minute feel like I was forced to read it. While some chapters seem light, funny they do provide the reader with an opportunity to think, discuss and develop their personal character. This is a funny book one should not take lightly. Did the actions of the characters seem plausible? All the chapters are scenes from Hartnett’s personal life so their actions were plausible. I have read other “journal” like books but none so funny. I really didn’t want this book to end. Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set? More than experiencing the time and place, I was able to relate to Hartnett’s experiences and his reactions taught me how to better my own actions in the future. Very inspiring author. Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What I didn’t like … The usage of hyphens and exclamation marks were slightly annoying. There were too many exclamation marks and the spacing between hyphens was not consistent. You have some with a single space and others with more. One or two, even three are forgivable but multiple times and you start mentally correcting it and get distracted from what you are reading. Favourite chapter …. For this reader, “How Bananas Almost Destroyed My Marriage” was roll-on-the-floor-laughing material especially when he says, “Which one of us is right? Aha! All couples on the dance floor,please.” If you have lived with someone, you will know that it is the smallest sometimes most insignificant of habits that can be the most annoying and there is a point you snap. Loved the way Hartnett wrote this. Favourite quote … If you ever hear the automated words, “Your call is important to us,” that’s a company run by aliens from outer space. Hang up and don’t try again - The author points how “aliens” have taken over the entire customer service industry since the mid-eighties. This is a chapter most readers can relate with because hey, who hasn’t had to deal with customer service of some kind? Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.