Katzenjammer: Soon to Be A Major Motion Picture

by Jackson Tippett McCrae

Book Overview

Book Description Katzenjammer is the story of a first-time novelist struggling in New York. The book's main character, Max Perkins, feels cursed by having the same name as that of the famous editor to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0971553637
• ISBN13: 9780971553637
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Enolam Group
• Length: 359 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant, dark, cynical, full of literary and movie references

Katzenjammer is a whirlwind of a novel about the bizarre characters and situations young author Max Perkins encounters when he moves to New York to attempt to publish his debut novel. All he wants is a place to stay and a way to earn money to eat, but his search for roommates and jobs turns into a never ending series of Mormon missionaries, Devil worshippers, unbalanced pet owners, hermaphrodites, overweight bosses who forbid conversation, a foray into male prostitution, and more. The novel is full of dark, cynical humor and outrageous plot twists. Throughout Max's trials to bring his book to publication, there is an on-going mystery of cryptic packages and messages. The novel is full of insights into the publishing world, including a brilliant decoder ring of what certain literary buzz phrases mean when they are applied to new works. McCrae concludes his novel with dozens of weight discussions/essay questions comparing Katzenjammer to Faust, Rosemary's Baby, Drugstore Cowboy, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and more. For anyone looking for an off-the-wall change from the usual literary fare, look no further. Also recommended are Paul Ford's Gary Benchley, Rock Star and Julia Slavin's Carnivore Diet.

Sex sells

This book had me laughing-out-loud for days. Well, it's not a long book, so about three days. The plot just flies along at a rapid pace and I honestly had no idea where the author was going at time. I'd be thinking, "What's this going to be all about" and WHAM, things would twist out of control. Probably the most intriguing aspect of this novel is that it's "character driven." Not a lot of books do this nowadays, and McCrae is a master at getting into his character's hearts and heads. The thing that may be a turn off to some people is that "Katzenjammer" is considerably more commercial than the author's first novel. But it sill has a good, solid, and somewhat complex structure. On another note, the epigrams (which the author is fond of using in his other works) are funny and tie in well to the chapters that follow. For instance the initial one at the beginning of the book: "I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific"-Lily Tomlin. What's great about this is the fact that the protagonist, Max Perkins, obviously hasn't given this much thought when he lands in New York in 1989. As a result, he gets taken in by everyone. For a while at any rate. Then he begins to turn the tables. But just when you think you've got it figured out-what's going to happen to Max, the author introduces a new idea or person. Or does he? At least that's the way it seems, but the thing or person was really there all along. If you want entertainment, some educational material thrown in, a warning for those considering writing a book, a look at New York, or just a quick and easy read, "Katzenjammer" will not disappoint. I highly recommend this compelling tale of "trying to make it" in the worlds most difficult and unusual city. The sexy cover doesn't hurt things either, and this is all part of the tie in again to the world of publishing, marketing, and promotion in the book, along with the subtitle.

Best of the Best

Our book club recently picked this novel, and all I can say is that we were NOT disappointed. We found ourselves howling with laughter all the way through this bright and funny look at insanity and all that goes with that area. Anyone who has ever been slighted or not give their due will find something to love in Katzenjammer. At one point, the protagonist is apartment hunting in New York. (Anyone who has ever done this will appreciate the author's description of what the ads "really" mean in the New York newspapers): If the ad says "quaint" the actual living space will be so filthy that you will need a spatula to scrape the dirt from the walls and floor. If the ad says, "cozy" you will not be able to open the refrigerator and the front door at the same time. You may also have to sleep standing up. Note: Cozy and quaint often go together. If the ad says "reasonably priced," someone was murdered in the apartment, no one bothered to clean up the crime yet, an outer wall is missing, and the landlord has now decided to charge you five hundred dollars a month more than the previous (deceased) tenant. If the ad says, "pets okay," this means that the rat and cockroach populations in the hallways are so extensive that Fluffy won't be noticed. The list goes on, and McCrae gives us some of these same gems as they relate to getting a book published. Suffice it to say that this novel is entertaining. It will either offer up some comfort for those who have been through the same thing, or give those who've never lived in New York a glimpse into "the other side." As a result, our book club has now gone back and taken on McCrae's entertaining and complex first book, and, while it is darker than Katzenjammer, it is ever bit as well done. If you have to read one book this year, I can only suggest that you make it Katzenjammer.

Hysterical look at the world of publishing

I bought this book because I had read McCrae's other works with great interest. As usual, he didn't disappoint with his latest. Told through the eyes of Max Perkins (a writer who is, unfortunately, named after the famous editor to Hemingway, Wolfe, and Fitzgerald) we travel through corporate America, the land of insanity and hilarity, and find out a good deal about the publishing industry and what it takes to sell a book nowadays. This book is unlike McCrae's first novel (Bark of the Dogwood) in that is has none of the dark underside and disturbing elements. That is not to say that "Katzenjammer" doesn't disturb on some level, but it is mostly funny where as "Dogwood" was a mixture of different styles and ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed this witty and "off-color" book. With short chapters, the plot flies along at a rapid pace. It's a bit like speeding along in a car with no breaks, but knowing that in the end, you'll come out all right. And the ending is brilliant--the way the author ties everything up. Not to be missed, this one.