He ain't Heavy, He's my Buddha

While I remain absolutely convinced that it is actually Joe's beautiful and talented wife who comes up with the incredibly funny material he takes credit for, I have to admit...this one is a winner!!!

Kovacs humor (he spells it 'humour') flows with a style that is certainly his own. His creativity is so unique I get the idea he must be sniffing paint or something before each time he sits down to write. I mean, just damn! Nobody could be generally this funny on their own without a stimulant or something.

Cats snatching pork chops....his addiction to sausage......thriller in vanilla - it goes on and on. Interesting the way Joe has wound all this into an actual story with an underlying theme of sorts....I think.

Sooner or later I get the idea Joe Kovacs is going to get his revenge on all the agents / pubs that have passed on his work. It's going to be like that story about the NY publishers / agents who passed on the big top seller (like Doom for instance) and Joe can laugh all the way to the bank when it happens.

Might I mention that Joe Kovacs demonstrates one very unique skill with each of his writings....he keeps improving each time!

My best, Joe.

Emmett

Came here with the intention of reading one or two stories, and ended up reading the lot! One of the funniest and most unique books on Authonomy; very well-written with extremely likeable characters and crazy story lines: Sergei, the Madge/Joe interactions, Betsy, Fatbusters... Loved every bit!

I've been trying to back you, but my Internet connection apparently has other ideas. I've given you six stars, and I'll hopefully back you soon
Isabel

Joe...I can see why you're nearly at the desk! You have an amazing imagination to come up with these tales. Your wit and irony made me smile. I am giving you six stars and adding you to my watchlist so I return to finish them all. Boy, would I like to peek inside that head of yours. (winks)

Linda
Daniel Simmons Journey
and
Children Walking with Jesus

Your writing has great rhythm, great flow, hitting on key things common, yet unspoken, that all of us know. I look forward to coming back and finishing the book. Backed!

Celine Zabel
Lives Shattered: One Mother's Loss at the Hands of the Legal System

It is exceedingly difficult to write this sort of comedy but you get it right every time. Just the right amount of sheer humour/farce and comic stuff, mixed in with an actual story line, which is often missing from this kind of writing. I see another 'hit' coming up. Well done, Joe.
Philip John

I just dipped into this book because I was curious after reading the HC review. I read "He ain't heavy" and "Ginger", both of which stories made me laugh out loud. This is definitely a book that I'm going to come back to and read more of. You have a great writing style that flows and is easy to read.

Is Buddha fat?

I can honestly say the humor in this book made my morning spectacular.

The comedy was refreshing and absolutely great with a universal truth behind each wry joke. Being a Buddhist myself, and not a very good one either, I appreciate this story.

I really love it.

I can honestly say the humor in this book made my morning spectacular.

The comedy was refreshing and absolutely great with a universal truth behind each wry joke. Being a Buddhist myself, and not a very good one either, I appreciate this story.

I really love it.

i just wanted to say i enjoyed your book

Awesome collection of stories, these had me hooked from the first one! Love the one about the cream jumper, the cat and Joe is the kind of guy people will like.

So many people will be able to relate to these, they're hilarious! You have a very unique, funny way of telling stories. Keep it up!

This is a scream and very relevant. I hope to see this in print soon!

These are ace! Made me laugh out loud. They're like caricatures, little sketches that have been brought to life and given movement. They're so full of colour and life and are so original, with such beautifully well drawn characters. I shall definitely be backing this and giving it lots of stars! Thanks for a fab read.

Well done you!!! Still rooting for ya!!!! x

Five hours left in 2012, I've decided this book should be the last book to carry me into the happy new year. I've started from where I left, which was chapter 11. The Time Traveller! What a perfect story for the year end! And I was certainly not disappointed.
Though my favorite to end the year happily, is the boy who thought he could fly. It's so short, but thrilling, full of tension, yes, I prayed that he could fly, and cute and funny. Thanks for writing such fun stories!

R

Don't know if it helps, but I came back to leave another comment because you're so close to ED and only one more day and maybe, just maybe this could help because of course I adore you. WHEW....Anyway, keeping fingers and toes cross but knowing if not this month, then next for sure. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. All the best in the New Year as well.
Sheri Emery / Crazy Quilt

I really enjoyed this and hope to read it in print very soon.
Good luck,

Anna

Came here with the intention of reading one or two stories, and ended up reading the lot! One of the funniest and most unique books on Authonomy; very well-written with extremely likeable characters and crazy story lines: Sergei, the Madge/Joe interactions, Betsy, Fatbusters... Loved every bit!

I've been trying to back you, but my Internet connection apparently has other ideas. I've given you six stars, and I'll hopefully back you soon
Isabel

Just started reading your book! So far it is great!

Thank you for lightening my day with your crazy humor! Love it and will read more. Best of luck spreading the joy and laughter.

I don't know how you write like this, but it sure was fun to read! I don't however, think that it is YA. I saw that as one of your tags. I will read further and see if I am wrong. Crazy stuff!

Hi wussyboy my friend,
You are making splashes again. I am so proud of you. Me ain't Heavy, me no Buddha, me no eater of sausages cause Joe scared me to eat them!!! I enjoy reading your books. period.

Fatly starred.

venkatarama
Ozoneraser

Love the cat book & this looks great so far. Good fun for the holiday period. Best wishes.

reading your stories, dear Joe, feels like sitting in front of a big fireplace with a grog and soft pillows and music and just slacking it. S L A C K I N G . Enjoying myself, feeling i just got a good hug. Maybe i did. Pour me another cocoa, james and i think maybe I HAVE to have a cat again.

This is sometimes really weird and sometimes hilarious. My favorite story is ‘Muhammad’s Cat’. It’s very sweet. It’s strange that the aunt sees Joe and Madge as fitting with no-one but each other. I think the couple that met by saying, ‘lose the beard! Lose the nose!’ as being for no-one but each other most. I kind of would have liked to read more about Joe’s true path to Buddhism, but this anthology is funny.

Aw, poor Joe. What's a Buddhist to do when he loves sausages so much? This is quite funny, as everyone has noted. It's much more difficult to be funny than it is to be morose, so I commend you for that. Looking forward to dipping into some of the other stories.

Mary

Great cover. Greqat opening chapter. I'm pretty sure this is not your first book It has style, good narrative and a very creative mind. I will come back and read the rst as soon as thingas calm down here. Five stars.

Back the Buddha.

Hi Joe!

This was a fun read! Got all the way to chapter 7 before taking a break. It is really easy to forget time passing. I love the format of short snippets, where each stands on its own but also builds on characters introduced in past stories. Easy to tell that you are from the U.K. ;)

Here is my more detailed critique:

1. Cover Design ****
Looks good but unfortunately the thumbnail shown by Authonomy does not allow one to see the detail of the cover image. Otherwise, it might even get a higher ranking?!

2. Short and Long Pitches ***
Maybe the weakest link in a VERY strong offering. I am not sure that your pitches do justice to your content. It was the comments from other readers that convinced me to read your book, not your pitch!

3. Content
Absolutely top notch content. If it were not for the fact that I deliberately limit myself, in order to get through my massive watchlist, I would definitely have read to the end to see what other zany antics were in store!

4. Readability
Again, first class. Although these are ostensibly short stories, they tie well together and one can read large or small chunks at a time and not lose out on readability.

5. Spelling and grammar
For my part, I found nothing to take issue with.

6. Overall rating ******
My second 6 star rating from about 20 reads so far. I really loved it

If you are interested in Amazon comment swap, I will put a version of this review on Amazon (see Amazon Comment Swap thread in the forum: http://authonomy.com/forums/threads/106998/amazon-comment-swap/)

Good Luck getting to the Desk this month ;)
I have backed your book!


Roy Wallace
w3junkie
EENY MEENY - Proof that the Gods MUST be Crazy!

Hi there,
Decided to give this a read, since it's almost at ED! woohoo! congrats :)

First suggestion, I'd drop the first paragraph of your long pitch... your short pitch is awesome, and really says it all. After reading that, i immediately want to know how one discovers they're fat by accident. So that first paragraph of the long pitch kinda takes away from that.

moving on to the story... first chapter - awesome. I think i died a little reading Joe's reasoning for loving sausages as much as he does. Hilarious!

- Joe and his ridiculous idea of the sausage (sans bun) diet, and showing up the next week in a loin cloth - it scares me that there's probably a ton of people in the world with this mentality

I like how supportive Madge appears, yet walks out of the meeting anyway

I need to get my hands on Sergei's notebook! - that's fucking ace... in fact this whole story is ace, and i'm a big fan.... will be back to read more... your humour appeals to me :)

cheers for now,
Jaclyn x
It Never Happened

Joe...I can see why you're nearly at the desk! You have an amazing imagination to come up with these tales. Your wit and irony made me smile. I am giving you six stars and adding you to my watchlist so I return to finish them all. Boy, would I like to peek inside that head of yours. (winks)

Linda
Daniel Simmons Journey
and
Children Walking with Jesus

I read this book twice because it was so funny. On the shelf.

Dear Joe,
Love, love, love Chapter 7. I'm growing quite fond of Joe and Madge. Doubtless, they feel the same about me. I suspect they'd be great fun to hang out with. Nothing much going on in my world. A little writing, a little sleeping, a little eating, a little mucking about (that's an English phrase, am I right??). Anway, hope this finds you well. You're a prince and always good for a laugh. Proud of you (number uno in highly rated books this week!)
Love,
Sheri
(Crazy Quilt woman)

A cracker. Well written with the comedy spot on. I enjoyed this so much. Big pat on the back for this one.

Sean

Hi Joe,
Really enjoyed reading a few of your short stories. Found them all funny especially the Polish plumber - I do like a story with a happy ending.

They are all easy to read and your personality really shines through - that's meant to be a compliment.
I thought chapter one and another one I read about the hotel in Delhi could have been perhaps expanded a little.

I've just eaten a whopper, a long chicken, large fries and a coke and am feeling rather fat too. It was on a promotion but I'm sure the promotion was designed for the American market - now I feel overly full and will not be returning to Burger King in a while. It back fired. Perhaps you should eat yourself so senselessly full you go off eating altogether - on second thoughts this could be a costly exercise and I doubt it would work.

Good luck with your dieting and the book

Allan Smith (The Divine Law . . . Love Awareness Wisdom . . . a spiritual journey)

Hi Jo,

This book is a fun and lively read. It had me chuckling quite a few times all the way through. It would make perfect light reading on a plane or in a doctor's surgery, as you could get through a few complete stories without having to put it down. Wish there were more collections in bookshops for this exact reason.

My only pick is that the final story, "The Cage", although it is chilling, horrific and thought-provoking, seems much too dark for the light-hearted tone of the rest of the collection. One thing I've noticed about published collections that I've read so far is that the stories are either thematically linked or share something similar in tone or setting. In this case all the other stories share a similar tone and "the Cage" is the odd one out. Also worth noting is that the convention for collections is to showcase the best story first. You do this well with the story, "He ain't Heavy, he's my Buddah," which sets the tone for the rest of the book perfectly. In contrast, the function of the final story is to act as a kind of conclusion, to sum everything up, to leave the reader with a lasting impression of everything that came before. "The Cage" therefore, did not do this for me. It just sort of came out of the blue. My suggestion is perhaps it belongs in a different collection with a different theme and tone, or alternatively, in a collection divided into dark sections and light sections showing both sides of life like the different sides of the same coin.

This is all just my opinion of course.

But having said that. Good job. Good luck with this book,

Bests,
Carol.
"Heart Fire"

Comedy is difficult to get right --- and you succeed! Great stories.

Joe, I enjoyed Rupee so stopped by to take a look at this one. Read 8 of the stories and would keep going if had more time. Lot of fun in it and so many laught-out-loud moments - like the partially sighted Joe and Ginger staring each other out with opposing eyes and the 'cat that got the cream.'

I don't normally like short stories; in fact I'd go as far as to say I loathe short stories, but these just make me smile. A lot. I haven't finished reading yet but I wanted to comment, in case I forgot. My only comment would be that the first one isn't as strong as some of those that follow. I'd be tempted to put the title story first. And, while I really REALLY liked The Cage, I'd put that towards the back, as it IS out of kilter with the rest of them. But really, such fun. Guess what? I think you may have cured me of flu. :)

Okay, Joe...Clearly you don't need my stinking help, comments or rating because you're doing very well on the site. But i've been off doing Nanowrimo for all of last month and now I'm getting back on the site because 1) I want 2) I'm hoping some folks will give me a read as well and help my little book get back on track. I was hovering around 234 but then haven't had time to babysit all month so at 260 at moment. Anyway, I'm putting my focus on books in the chick lit genre because that's what I like and I think my book appeals to women. But enough about me. Let's talk about you.
You certainly got my attention...I can't pretend to know where all these various threads will lead and how these characters will all fit into the bigger story, with Joe, Ruth, cats, reincarnation, but I will say, I laughed and certainly had my curiousity piqued. Your writing is very smooth and easy to read. I'll be back for more. I'll throw some stars at ya...i do have a couple of friends I've taken a blood oath to keep on my shelf until they make ED, but they're pretty close.
All the best,
Sheri Emery /Crazy Quilt

Everything went wrong this morning so I sat here wondering how to cheer myself up. Simple answer - read another chapter of this ridiculously funny book. This time I chose chapters 13 and 14 and - it's done the trick. I think 'Down in the Suburbs at Midnight' certainly kick started the recovery. Apart from the fact that it's very funny (which goes without saying) I can't help but think this particular story was based on me! So, good humour fully restored, I return to sort my pickup out from where I left it when the front wheel fell off! Thanks Joe, for keeping me smiling. Janet

Janet/Helen
The Stranger In My Life

Ha ha!! very funny. Has Madge read this?? Did you feel smug? :) I would have been claustrophobic for sure. Do you think they are actually any good? I could actually see the the whole thing in my mind..pictures and all!..excellent!!! (in the voice of Wayne and Garth) :) How clever to make a whole chapter out of one anecdote, without it being boring!!!

Your writing has great rhythm, great flow, hitting on key things common, yet unspoken, that all of us know. I look forward to coming back and finishing the book. Backed!

Celine Zabel
Lives Shattered: One Mother's Loss at the Hands of the Legal System

Your writing has great rhythm, great flow, hitting on key things common, yet unspoken, that all of us know. I look forward to coming back and finishing the book. Backed!

Celine Zabel
Lives Shattered: One Mother's Loss at the Hands of the Legal System

Hello you!! right, I have uploaded two opening, clean and shaven chapters. Just call me Speedy Gonzalez or an obsessive nutter, whichever you prefer. Please have a read when you have time. And you were absolutely right. I could see that the intertwining past and present was very waffle-ish. I wrote these so early on and had just edited them down a bit. I think as you go on, you become better and it does look far neater and to the point. The second chapter is a bit longer because it includes a few more anecdotes and references to my encounters with celebs. I still got rid or a load of mind numbing repetitive nonsense however and it is better. Can I just say that your support and advice has been invaluable. You certainly know what you are talking about and have a huuuuuuuuge generosity of spirit. Many thanks

I've read the first five chapters and it's very good and much of it is funny. It's very niche and with it being sliced into so many vignettes you may have a harder time selling it, but I think there would still be a market. I will be back to read some more and I am going to put this on my bookshelf. Some of the references like "Michelin Man" and Star Trek mean little or nothing to an audience younger than 35. While I have included "Star Trek" references in my own novel, I have prepared alternatives to slide right into those spots to make it more contemporary. If they release another Star Trek film and the franchise is revived, it will make those references more viable. If not, prepare to replace them with something that makes those bits of humor more relevant to an even broader audience. Good luck Joe!

Loved it! Fast and funny - just my kind of book. Writing good observational humour like this is hard and very clever but most readers can relate to it straight away and it draws them in. I will be back to read further. On my shelf - thanks. Teresa

Just read the first three chapters after a quick glance last night, Joe. The polish plumber had me in stitches.

I'll read some more at some point, but happy to back this one.
All the best
Sue

The cage is horrific and your writing built the images really well. Had to read a few more to forget that one, I prefer your funny stuff :)

Michelle ♥

Great book Joe. Well written and funny.

Okay, I'm in for a Zinger recommendation on this one. Made me laugh, amde me say hoorah for good comedic writing. Author has a funny bone in his hand for sure.

Comedy is hard to pull off, but this writing does it, and the author does not obfuscate the story with overly worked sentences.

JK

I read through the first five chapters. Funny stuff, a wry quality to it that I find most engaging. The exception of course is the prison chapter. As far as I've read, it doesn't fit with the rest of the chapters, but I'm sure you tie things together later on.

Oh, a minor glitch in the MS. "And we jump and down" ... I think you need an "up" after jump in chapter 3. Not much help to you, I know, but thought I'd offer it.

I enjoyed what I read, and am happy to give you high stars for this.

Mark
HELL'S SUPER

Joe, I've read the first seven chapters. Great characterisation and dialogue. I can hear all the voices. You have a very witty turn of phrase which makes for very entertaining reading. The writing is of the highest standard, error-free and well-edited.

I see that this is a collection of stories, but that Joe and Madge make regular appearances. My only comment - not negative, just based on personal preference - is that I would have liked the book to be just about their exploits and to have read your other stories in a separate anthology.

Helen
Glass Dreams

No prob, read some so far and it's pretty funny stuff. Will continue and put up some comments later when I have time. Thanks for the msg.

Hey Joe, I have just read the first three chapters. So, still chuckiling to myself all I can say is it's 'f***ing Ace' !!!

Very well done and highly entertaining. Hope you make it to the top 5 again, will be keeping an eye on it.

Sue - Lola's House

x