PUPPET SHOWS by Michael Frissore

Puppet Shows Synopsis

Puppet Shows by Michael Frissore A kindly organ grinder and his performing monkey adopt a young boy after his father spontaneously combusts; a barber living inside a whiskey bottle confronts the neighborhood nuisance who wields a dead squirrel like a pair of nunchucks; and an unruly gang of sock puppets are born in a basement dojo. Welcome to Puppet Shows, thirteen outlandish stories from a writer Tucson Weekly called “a very funny weirdo”. (Amazon)

BOOK REVIEW

If you enjoy bizarre absurdist comedy then the short story collection Puppet Shows written by Michael Frissore, with illustrations by Amy Frissore may just be for you. Check out the book trailer below for a taste of what is on offer.

What people consider humourous is a very personal thing.

While I find myself laughing at people tripping over of their own accord or being harmlessly duped (think old-style Funniest Home Video or Candid Camera TV shows), I do not enjoy traditional slapstick comedy (e.g. people hitting each other with furniture for the fun of it, Three Stooges style). I enjoy dark humour and can appreciate cutting sarcasm more than many I know (because really, the worst thing we can do in life is take ourselves too seriously, right?), but at times in this book it was a little too aggressively done for my tastes. For example, in one story a characters belligerent racism did not tickle my funny bone.

I admire Michael Frissore’s originality and bravery in going out on a limb with this story collection, and know it will be a real winner for some, but I only read 4 out of the 13 stories before deciding Puppet Shows was not for me.

BOOK RATING: DNF

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