Brilliant Brooker Book (Dawn of the Dumb - Charlie Brooker)

Member Name: alltruism

Product:	Dawn of the Dumb - Charlie Brooker
Date:	05/08/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's hilarious.

Disadvantages: Some may find it offensive

Charlie Brooker is a "marmite" kind of guy. You'll either love what he does, or hate it - there's no real middle ground.

I think he is fantastic, and have loved his work since I first read his writings in PC Zone magazine back in the 90s. He assumes an air of satirical pessimism, but isn't really the depressed misanthrope his writings suggest - his occasional lapses into helpless laughter on You Have Been Watching reveal his mean exterior is an act he can't always sustain.

Having moved on from PC Zone magazine (who remarkably failed to fire him after one of his cartoons got an edition pulled off the shelves) he has been writing various websites and newspaper columns.

Like most of his other stuff, this book is choc full of bitter rants, fueled to a large extent by the abject horror that today's world of shallow celebrity and vacuous idiocy afflicts him with.

His scathing put downs, often based on his seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge if 80s TV, are legendary.

If you are easily offended, this book (and the rest of Charlie Brooker's work), is not for you.

To see if you'd like it, consider this quote:
'"Spirituality" is what cretins have in place of imagination. If you've ever described yourself as "quite spiritual", do civilisation a favour and punch yourself in the throat until you're incapable of speaking aloud ever again'

If that annoys you, don't read this book. If it makes you smile, you're gonna absolutely love it.

If you loved the Screen Burn book you'll love this one too.

Summary: A scathing look at life, celebrity and idiocy in our culture