When I first saw this book at the library, I thought it was Eat, Pray, Love. Then I noticed what the title really said and I busted out laughing.
Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man’s Search for Anything Across Ireland, Las Vegas, and Thailand by Andrew Gottlieb is the Eat, Pray, Love story told from the man’s side. After a failed marriage, the main character Bob Sullivan, decides to take a year off for himself. He kicks off his year by drinking massive amounts of booze in Ireland. Then he heads to Las Vegas for a few months of gambling and golf. And the final destination has him heading for the beaches in Thailand.
The first 50 pages of this book were enjoyable. It was funny, self-depreciating and felt honest. Then the story got tedious. The gambling section felt like it was written by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Our main character, who was recovering from a painful divorce, stopped being real. The reader is subjected to an 80 page love letter about gambling and golf. Not an ounce of humor or sincerity. I thought the last section in Thailand would save the book, but it was atrocious. The ending was more “chick flick” than any any “chick flick” I’ve ever seen.
Drink, Play, F@#k is the worst book I’ve read in years. It felt like it was written in one sitting. I do love the title though.
chuck
Jun 16, 2011 — 10:46 am
the title is words to live by. at least in one’s college years.
thomas
Jun 16, 2011 — 7:46 pm
If you want to really punish yourself read “The Da Vinci Code”. Every woman in the world has read (and loved) that book. Someone mentioned that I read it as a conversation starter to initiate with half of the world’s population.
It is truly an awful and awfully written book. Everything about it is hackneyed and simple. There was part in the book where they couldn’t read a note because the writing was illegible, I immediately thought please don’t just be writing that is backwards that can be read in a mirror, sure enough that was exactly what it was!! I couldn’t believe any adult writer would employ such a worn-out tactic. Oh, and the writing is like 8th grade level. jeez. it was truly awful.
MAS
Jun 16, 2011 — 8:15 pm
@Thomas – I will never understand the books that women read or why they all tend to read the same ones. A few years ago it was The Secret. Maybe I should stick to non-fiction? 🙂
Jenn
Jun 17, 2011 — 9:47 am
If it makes you feel any better, Eat Pray Love was kind of the same way in that it fizzled in the end.
@thomas… I have not read The Davinci Code and do not intend to. Nor did I read THE SECRET. I admit, a while back when I was young and foolish, swayed more my the mass public opinion, I did in fact read THE CELESTINE PROPHECY –which was dreadful.
The last totally awesome book I read was ABOUT A MOUNTAIN by John D’Agata. I highly recommend it. More lyric non-fiction than you’re probably used to MAS, but if you have any interest in the Yucca Mountain waste dump and the incongruity that is Las Vegas… then it is fantastic. The prose style is impressive.