Chris Rothe

***** Please note that I received this book as an ARC from Goodreads Giveaway******

Edited to add: After having even further time to reflect on this novel and after contacting the publisher to ask permission to use passages and to ensure their accuracy in the published version, I have an even more in depth version on my blog at http://midnight-orchid.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-dirk-danger-loves-life.html

Please note that the review there holds some very personal views.

My first impression after reading this is just, wow. The first line of this books sucked me right in and I didn't want to put it down. It had me scratching my head, laughing hysterically, and pondering deep thoughts. Any book that can do all three is great! I can't believe I let it sit on my shelf for so long, I really wish I had read this sooner!

It starts off a bit strangely and we meet the main character, later named Cheesebomb. He's down on his luck and having a bit of trouble with life when he decides to call 555 CHUB from a flyer he sees posted around town. This connects him with Dirk Danger. Dirk is a bit eccentric, maybe a little kooky even, but he means well. He gets Cheeseball sorted out through a series of life lessons, even gets him a job by doing the scouting and going into the interview with him as his lawyer!

The language and use of metaphor and simile in this are great. Particularly chapter 10. I'd never thought about word play quite like the way it's laid out in this chapter.

There are a lot of more serious issues within the novel as well, but Rothe manages to bring them to light in a way that's humorous yet still manages to have the intended seriousness as well. This novel deals with a number of things, like, suicide, homelessness, pornography, vulnerability, cultural shift, monotony in life...the list could go on and on, but there's a lot here, you just have to read between the lines for it.

One of the segments that sticks out in my mind, is the section where he discusses cultural export and import between Canada and the US. As someone who has lived in both places, this really stuck with me and I am glad to see that others share some of my same sentiment.

Rothe also makes great use of puns. His style reminds me of novels from the Xanth series. Less fantasy oriented and more realistic, but they're awesome. Plus he has random conversations with his eggs, and writes an epitaph for his fish. All of this might just seem strange but it's really quirky and well done.

After reading this I want a Dirk Danger in my life to help me out too, but I don't think that will happen. The biggest, most fun lessons I took away from this have to be the ones imparted in the chapter on keeping things fun and also the last chapter. Always pay it forward if you can.

Absolutely can't wait to see the next work from Rothe.… (meer)

Oh jeeze, I'm terrible. "Review to come" like a month ago. Sorry.

Ahem, this was a really entertaining read. Rothe writes in a voice that makes the reader instantly comfortable, which enables you to sink into the story.

I don't recall laughing as much as I did through Dirk Danger through any other book. If you can make me laugh, I'm a fan for life. I also loved that the story isn't purely entertainment, it's motivational. Now, I don't mean motivational in that nauseating, "you can do it" infomercial sort of way. It's subtle. You'll see when you read it. Go on, what are you waiting for. Buy the book.… (meer)

The plot of Dirk Danger Love Lifes is pretty straight forward, our protagonist is a young man who’s finding that he’s a bit rubbish at pretty much everything he turns his hand to. He’s lost countless jobs, is about to be evicted and can’t even keep his pet fish alive. So he responds to an advert that leads him to talk to Dirk Danger and agrees to meet with him and tell him just how much he sucks at life, and Dirk in turn decides he’s going to take on the he responsibility for fixing our nameless protagonist’s life.

The book then follows this plan of action through, and that’s when things really take a turn for the strange. Dirk Danger’s plan involves a series of lessons that seem utterly random, but as the story progresses slowly start to fall into place. There are bits of the story however that I still haven’t quite been able to make my mind up about, the fox and the walrus for instance, but after trying really hard to work them out I realised that it didn’t really matter.

Along with the two main characters in the book there are a number of more minor characters who appear throughout the book. I liked the way that even a character who only appeared briefly once of twice was created in such a way that I had a clear idea of them.

Whilst this book is in places rather bizarre, it is ultimately a rather positive, almost nurturing read. The final chapter in particular leaves you feeling really glad that you’ve read the book. I certainly felt entirely satisfied as I read the final page.… (meer)

The plot of Dirk Danger Love Lifes is pretty straight forward, our protagonist is a young man who’s finding that he’s a bit rubbish at pretty much everything he turns his hand to. He’s lost countless jobs, is about to be evicted and can’t even keep his pet fish alive. So he responds to an advert that leads him to talk to Dirk Danger and agrees to meet with him and tell him just how much he sucks at life, and Dirk in turn decides he’s going to take on the he responsibility for fixing our nameless protagonist’s life.

The book then follows this plan of action through, and that’s when things really take a turn for the strange. Dirk Danger’s plan involves a series of lessons that seem utterly random, but as the story progresses slowly start to fall into place. There are bits of the story however that I still haven’t quite been able to make my mind up about, the fox and the walrus for instance, but after trying really hard to work them out I realised that it didn’t really matter.

Along with the two main characters in the book there are a number of more minor characters who appear throughout the book. I liked the way that even a character who only appeared briefly once of twice was created in such a way that I had a clear idea of them.

Whilst this book is in places rather bizarre, it is ultimately a rather positive, almost nurturing read. The final chapter in particular leaves you feeling really glad that you’ve read the book. I certainly felt entirely satisfied as I read the final page.… (meer)