Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls

by Robert Rankin

Book Overview

He becomes funnier the more you read him.' Independent

It has always been John Omally's secret ambition to become a rock star. In his youth he mastered air guitar and wardrobe-mirror posing, but he lacked that certain something. Talent. But at last an opportunity has arisen for John to get into 'The Industry'. A band called Gandhi's Hairdryer are looking for a manager, so all John has to do is persuade them that he is the new Brian Epstein...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0552147419
• ISBN13: 9780552147415
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers
• Length: 381 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

The Great Rock'n'Roll Absurdity

A solid number of Robert Rankin's books are centered in Brentford around the underachieving pair of John Omally and Jim Pooley. Chronically unemployed, the duo manages to find adventures that border on absurdity. As the title "Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls" suggests, this book is no exception. The good news is that the Beatles are back together, and Jimi Hendrix is alive. Even Elvis is still making music. The problem with this scenario is the means by which it was done. As John Omally tries to convince a mysterious local band named Gandhi's Hairdrier to let him be their manager, the world is changing. The band's lead singer's mysterious powers of voice only add an extra layer of peculiarity. Time has already ended, causing the people of the future to return to the past and change it according to their whims. The consequences can be staggering. Gags are cleverly placed like landmines throughout the book, often causing readers to laugh out loud. It is also amusing to see the rockers we miss, having a go in old age. These scenes almost make the book worth it alone. While I did not enjoy this book as much as his Toyland tales, it is a very entertaining book. Though I may be in the minority, I find his humor far more amusing than Terry Pratchett.

Out of time, out of place, anything goes

This is my first Rankin book. Clearly this guy has been around for awhile. He has a strong fan base and deserves it. This 5 star review is merely a reminder to myself to order more of his stuff. I don't think I'm going to add much to the discussion, really. This book disregards the confines of time and the 20the century. The characters can move in way that are not limited by the laws of physics, reason, or propriety. That's what makes it fun. He touches on pop culture, rock music and the strange way the brits seem to act. All worthy deviations from the old classic tales. In the end it is fun fast read. A super summer vacation book. I didn't think about the economy once while reading this book.

A pint of large at the Flying Swan

This was the first Rankin novel I tried, and I'm now chewing my way through the rest of them. The humour is about as zany as it gets, and there are some real laugh-out-loud moments. The premise of many of his novels is the same, and very british: Jim Pooley and John Omally live in Brentford and lack gainful employment. Their picaresque adventures could be interpreted as products of their overactive imaginations. In various novels they come face to face with the antipope, aliens from Ceres, time travel, and a host of other delightful oddities, always helped by their friend the Professor. Don't expect anything deep, but expect a riot of imaginative humour. Maybe I should just read you the first few sentences of this novel. `She does what?' John Omally looked up from his pint and down at Small Dave. `Reads your knob,' said the wee man. `It's a bit like Palmistry, where they read the lines on your hand. Except this is called Penistry and they can tell your fortune by looking at your knob.' It was spring and it was Tuesday. It was lunchtime. They were in the Flying Swan. `I don't believe it,' said John. `Someone's been winding you up, Dave.' `They have not. I overheard two policemen talking about it while I was locked up in a suitcase.' `Excuse me, Dave,' said Soap Distant, newly returned from a journey to the centre of the Earth. `But why were you locked in a suitcase?' `There was some unpleasantness. I don't wish to discuss it.'

The title says it all!

Very little sex though real or simulated but keep on reading and... you will laugh really hard twice on each page and chuckle to yourself in between. That said this book is best not to be read in public or in transit, for obvious reasons. This is my third Rankin read and I am continuing through his work but I think this will remain one of my favorite. It has: A Beatles reunion no less, although a Serbian SF/Horror writer had that on before Mr. Rankin. The reason why not to use the internet, demonic possession explained, the Terminator rip off (We all know James Cameron had to pay off Harlan Ellison for his rip off) Definition of Rock 'n Roll as it should be. And the extraordinary funny bit with stable boys, buckets and gene splicing!