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Between the Bridge and the River

by Craig Ferguson

Between the Bridge and the River Cover

ISBN13: 9780811853750
ISBN10: 0811853756
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Bawdy, joyous, messy, hysterically funny, and guaranteed to offend — regardless of religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, or profession — Between the Bridge and the River is the debut novel by Craig Ferguson, host of CBS's The Late Late Show.

Two childhood friends from Scotland and two illegitimate half-brothers from the American South suffer and enjoy all manner of bizarre experiences which, as it turns out, are somehow interconnected — and, surprisingly enough, meaningful. An eclectic cast of characters includes Carl Jung, Fatty Arbuckle, Virgil, Marat, Socrates, and Tony Randall. Love, greed, hope, revenge, organized religion, and Hollywood are alternately tickled and throttled. Impossible to summarize and impossible to stop reading, this is a romantic comic odyssey that actually delivers — and rewards.

Review:

"A gallery of grotesques slogs through the sewers of the entertainment industry toward redemption in this exhilarating debut novel from the host of The Late Late Show. Leading the pack are Fraser, a Scottish 'phony TV evangelist... drunken, selfish media prick... gossip and sot' who has been disgraced in a sex scandal; his cancer-stricken boyhood pal, George; vapid sit-com star Leon; and Leon's 300-pound, sexually perverted Svengali brother, Saul. They make their separate but linked ways through a world populated by snake handlers, serial killers, dead-eyed whores and hack studio executives pushing formulaic action films, while they take hallucinatory side trips. The sprawling tale, with plenty of Scottish backstory, casts a jaundiced eye on media debaucheries and petty vanities, throwing in miscellaneous riffs on everything from Starbuck's to escort ads, but Ferguson is particularly sharp — and funny — on Hollywood proper. For every satire of organized religion or a Vegas that's 'as glitzy as a trailer park at Christmas,' however, he delivers an injunction to 'help others' or an ode to Paris in springtime that somehow sounds fresh. The result is a tour de force of cynical humor and poignant reverie, a caustic yet ebullient picaresque that approaches the sacred by way of the profane." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Profane on its surface, ethical at its core and always fun, this debut marks the arrival of an important comic talent." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"[S]trange, funny, profane, surreal, and surprisingly moving....Fond of deranged, slightly warped humor? Try this." Booklist

Review:

"...Ferguson knows how to keep people awake, and he does just that with his lively first novel." Library Journal

Review:

"Ferguson knows how to maintain an artful balance." Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Craig Ferguson, host of The Late Late Show, was born in Glasgow and worked his way through the entertainment industry as a drummer, comedian, actor, and director. He moved to America in 1995 and has written for television and film, including Saving Grace and I'll Be There, in which he also starred.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:

Cathryn, January 3, 2012 (view all comments by Cathryn)
Who knew that a Scottish talk show host/comedian could write a novel so amazing? "Between the Bridge and the River" intertwines the stories of several different characters, creating a tale that is altogether heartwarming, sad, disgusting, tender and hilarious. I highly recommend it and will read it again. I sincerely hope he writes more.
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Heidi Lovett, February 28, 2011 (view all comments by Heidi Lovett)
Witty, irreverant, yet so incredibly insightful in concise snippets -- it is really an amazing, rollercoaster read that is enjoyable at every twist, turn and headfall. There are no slow portions and every story within the story is captivating. I recommend it for all adult readers that like to think and 'read' outside the box. It is a book like no other that I can recall.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
CraigFerguson2008, September 8, 2008 (view all comments by CraigFerguson2008)
This title is really good because it explains what the book is about. I read this book and it was really good! Craig Ferguson is a good writer, actor, host, commedian, and singer. He is really talented! I love Craig Ferguson and I watch his show every night!
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(4 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780811853750
Author:
Ferguson, Craig
Publisher:
Chronicle Books (CA)
Manufactured:
Chronicle Books
Author:
Chronicle Books
Subject:
General
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
Publication Date:
20060331
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
329
Dimensions:
9.38x6.26x1.17 in. 1.31 lbs.

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Between the Bridge and the River Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$8.95 In Stock
Product details 329 pages Chronicle Books - English 9780811853750 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "A gallery of grotesques slogs through the sewers of the entertainment industry toward redemption in this exhilarating debut novel from the host of The Late Late Show. Leading the pack are Fraser, a Scottish 'phony TV evangelist... drunken, selfish media prick... gossip and sot' who has been disgraced in a sex scandal; his cancer-stricken boyhood pal, George; vapid sit-com star Leon; and Leon's 300-pound, sexually perverted Svengali brother, Saul. They make their separate but linked ways through a world populated by snake handlers, serial killers, dead-eyed whores and hack studio executives pushing formulaic action films, while they take hallucinatory side trips. The sprawling tale, with plenty of Scottish backstory, casts a jaundiced eye on media debaucheries and petty vanities, throwing in miscellaneous riffs on everything from Starbuck's to escort ads, but Ferguson is particularly sharp — and funny — on Hollywood proper. For every satire of organized religion or a Vegas that's 'as glitzy as a trailer park at Christmas,' however, he delivers an injunction to 'help others' or an ode to Paris in springtime that somehow sounds fresh. The result is a tour de force of cynical humor and poignant reverie, a caustic yet ebullient picaresque that approaches the sacred by way of the profane." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Profane on its surface, ethical at its core and always fun, this debut marks the arrival of an important comic talent."
"Review" by , "[S]trange, funny, profane, surreal, and surprisingly moving....Fond of deranged, slightly warped humor? Try this."
"Review" by , "...Ferguson knows how to keep people awake, and he does just that with his lively first novel."
"Review" by , "Ferguson knows how to maintain an artful balance."
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