I Want to Buy a Vowel
by John Welter
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Description
Kurt Clausen has worked as a salad girl, a porn salesman, and -- perhaps most reluctantly -- a journalist. In this terminally irreverent (Richmond News-Leader) novel, he finds himself taking on everyone from his editor and his girlfriend to the fundamentalists and vegetarians covered on his beat -- and along the way, learns some surprising (and hilarious) lessons about life, love, and the press.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
One of the funniest books I've ever read, but one with a good deal of substance to it as well. Eva is a little girl who learns about the mystery of God, illegal immigration, and coping with threats from an older boy (who pretends to be a Satanist to shock the town). Great writing.
a look at satanism, illegal immigration and the media. a good laugh at parts. I'd read other books of his if I saw them! makes you think about touchy subjects with a smile.
Impulse grab at the library - I thought it was going to be sweet, wry story of an immigrant's adaptations to America. Instead it seems to be an overly cynical view of America, presumably as seen through the eyes of children and outsiders. Just not for me, sorry.
The first fifty or so pages were funny and enthralling but the narrative took a quick nosedive and the rest of the book was a struggle.
I read this several years ago when living in Houston, so I can't give it a full review. But I still remember it being really funny and poignant.
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Author Information
4 Works 349 Members
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Dedication
- This book is dedicated to all of the people who founded America without visas or green cards.
This book is also dedicated to Betsy for reasons I don't have to explain. - First words
- "I want to buy a vowel," Alfredo Santayana said to the first American he met, a pleasant-looking old white woman standing outside of a convenience store in Waxahachie, Texas. It was one of the very few English expressions Alf... (show all)redo had memorized, one that might be followed by a wondrous gift.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"That's because they haven't found a house to go into yet," Eva said, explaining the world as usual, while the girls contentedly held their fishing poles over the fragrant lake.
- Blurbers
- Heller, Joseph
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 110
- Popularity
- 294,532
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.79)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
