They Eat Puppies, Don't They? by Christopher Buckley

They Eat Puppies, Don't They? (William Lorimer)

by Christopher Buckley

In an attempt to gain Congressional approval for a top secret weapons system, Washington lobbyist "Bird" McIntyre and sexy Neo-Con wonkette Angel Templeton start a rumour that the Chinese secret service is trying to assassinate the Dalai Lama. Their outrageous scheme provokes a series of crises involving the White House, the CIA, and a strangely sympathetic and vulnerable Chinese president, with both countries veering perilously towards war.

Buckley has drawn his most convincing and outrageous characters to date: Bird, failed novelist of amusingly awful Clancy-esque thrillers; Angel, combination Anne Coulter and Ayn Rand; Bird's demanding, equestrian wife, Myndi; Bewks, his feckless but endearing Civil War re-enactor brother; the mild-mannered Chinese President Fa and his devoted aide Gang, manoeuvring desperately against sinister Politburo hard-liners Minister Lo and General Han.

Blending the skewering genius of Thank You For Smoking with Dr. Strangelove's dark comedy, They Eat Puppies Don't They? has something to offend -- and amuse -- everyone.

Praise for Christopher Buckely:

"One of the funniest writers in the English language." Tom Wolfe.

"A Benchley with WordPerfect." John Updike.

"An effervescent joy." Joseph Heller.

Reviewed by empressbrooke on

3 of 5 stars

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Funny as Buckley always is, but this one did feel a little bit "been there, done that" for him. I enjoyed the humor but wasn't laughing out loud like I had for many of his previous books. Still, if you're a Buckley fan, it's worth reading.

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  • Started reading
  • 17 October, 2012: Finished reading
  • 17 October, 2012: Reviewed