Thank You for Smoking: A Novel [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

"Nick Naylor had been called many things since becoming chief spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies. But until now no one had actually compared him to Satan." They might as well have, though. "Gucci Goebbels," "yuppie Mephistopheles," and "death merchant" are just a few endearments Naylor has earned himself as the tobacco lobby's premier spin doctor. The hero of Thank You for Smoking does of course have his fans. His arguments against the neo-puritanical antismoking trends of the '90s have made him a repeat guest on Larry King, and the granddaddy of Winston-Salem wants him to be the anointed heir. Still, his newfound notoriety has unleashed a deluge of death threats.

Christopher Buckley's satirical gift shines in this hilarious look at the ironies of "personal freedom" and the unbearable smugness of political correctness. Bracing in its cynicism, Thank You for Smoking is a delightful meander off the beaten path of mainstream American ethics. And despite his hypertension-inducing, slander-splattered, morally bankrupt behavior--which leads one Larry King listener to describe him as "lower than whale crap"--you'll find yourself rooting for smoking's mass enabler. --Rebekah Warren -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

A breezy satire of political correctness, Buckley's third novel (after Wet Work, 1991) displays an undiminished appetite for current affairs and a talent for converting some of America's thornier social issues into light comedy. Less a novel than a series of glib one-acts, Thank You for Smoking chronicles the stress-filled days of Nick Naylor, chief propagandist for the tobacco industry and personally despised by cancer victims, the medical profession, talk show audiences, and most of Capitol Hill. Naylor's two best friends are equally maligned scapegoats, spokespeople for the alcohol and firearms industries respectively, and this lethal trinity's weekly lunches are the vehicle for Buckley's playful assault on American moral hypocrisy. Naylor and his pals are more or less ordinary folks who worry about losing their jobs, paying the mortgage, and raising their kids. Naylor's problem is that he is good at what he does; a matchless adversary on talk show debates, he deflates opponents with charisma and finesse. When he is kidnapped by mysterious militants who cover him with nicotine patches in the name of clean lungs, he becomes an instant hero, hounded by the press and pampered by Hollywood. As his fame and salary increase, he hobnobs with Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, Today show stars, and thinly disguised caricatures of familiar movie brokers and politicians. Meanwhile, the FBI seems to think the abduction was a deliberate publicity stunt and has evidence to prove it. Naylor goes to jail, a willing fall guy for a society obsessed with money and power. Topical allusions and a quick pace guarantee an amusing read, but Buckley's stereotyped characters, impassive prose, and pat ending limit his satirical reach to entertaining but inconsequential jabs. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

Since the titles of so many books are mysterious or ironic, it is pleasant to come upon one that says exactly what it means. Nick Naylor is chief spokesperson for the Academy of Tobacco Studies and as such has the dubious honor of defending and promoting the rights of smokers at a time when they are accorded the same treatment lepers once were. Like most good romps, this one is sportive and whimsical on the surface, but it manages to let loose a roundhouse punch at the advertising industry and the vacuum at the heart of power. At one point, the joke wears a little thin and imminent tedium threatens, but thanks to the author's inventiveness, the novel's earlier zest is soon recovered, and the plot starts spinning merrily along once again. Buckley's prose is well behaved and his dialog brisk and lifelike. All in all, an amiable and worthwhile work from the author of the best-selling The Whitehouse Mess (Random, 1986) who is now an editor at Forbes FYI magazine.
- A.J. Anderson, GSLIS, Simmons Coll., Boston
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

“A savagely funny satirical farce. . . . produces moments that make you laugh out loud at their inspired absurdity.”
–The New York Times

“Buckley’s caricatures of Washington politics, corporate power plays, media spin control, Hollywood pretensions and the human foibles of self-delusion and denial are appallingly right on the money.”
–San Francisco Chronicle

“Seriously funny . . . Forget apple pie. [Buckley’s] novel is as American as pork barrels and public relations.”
–The Atlanta Journal & Constitution

“The superior goofball plot, raffish cast and zany sex scenes make this the funniest of Buckley’s books.”
–Time

“Hilarious.”
–The New York Times Book Review

From the author of }Little Green Men{ comes this satirical novel which takes a wry look at the tobacco industry. Nick, a pro-tobacco PR man, finds himself in danger, as someone wants to prove just how hazardous smoking can be... -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .

Christopher Buckley is a novelist and editor of Forbes FYI magazine. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two children and dog, Duck. In 1998, he was inducted into the Légion d'honneur by the president of the Republic of France for "extraordinary contributions to French culture," despite the fact that his French is barely sufficient to order a meal in a restaurant. He has been an adviser to every president since William Howard Taft, a remarkable achievement, since he was born in 1952.