Thank You for Smoking

Buckley has a style that is hard to get a grasp of, after about 50 pages you manage it though and from there on in its fun! Simply, he switches between narrative, speech and character thought in the space of a few words, which is hard to follow, it takes an alert mind to note the quotation marks. But its possible and you get the knack.

The story follows Nick Naylor through the pursuit of his job. His job - keep tobacco sales as high as possible, the other characters jobs - either support him or trip him up.

He is one of the most hated men in the USA, a fact he tends to revel in at times, he is also pretty lucky with the ladies in a strange way. Despite seeming, acting and at times trying to be as evil as possible, Nick ends up being a good man. For that you are completely on his side, despite what he might have done in the past.

Some of the smaller characters are absolutely hilarious too, proper out loud chuckles.

The ending possibly comes too soon, and too abruptly, but that's mitigated by the fact that some of it is a complete surprise.

Everything is very clever, you cant second guess the author too often and the book twists and turns beautifully. In fact its almost an educational book, giving an insight into politics, big business and specifically the tobacco industry - while entertaining at the same time!


Picking up a bad habit   January 23, 2003
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I picked up this book because I liked the cover and I was pleasantly surprise. This is the story of a PR man in a puritanical modern America fighting for the right to smoke in the USA. He appears on Oprah and Larry King and he encounters a strangely familiar former female British prime minister who is in the pocket of the tobacco companies. Anti-smoking activists try to kill him in a very creative way.

This book is educational, sarcastic and funny. You will learn a lot about tobacco. Thankfully it hasn't made me start smoking.


Sick but very funny!   May 31, 2001
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

This has to be one of the funniest, most intelligent, but sickest books around. Buckley introduces us to Nick, spokesman for the tobacco lobby, and himself a committed smoker. He meets regularly with his opposite numbers from the gun and alcohol lobbies (known collectively as the MOD - work it out for yourself!). Nick is happy in his work,good at his job,well paid and secure. Until...... If laughing out loud in public embarrasses you, avoid this book.


Wake-the-dead funny   May 20, 2001
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

It is not normally a good idea to start reading a book late at night when you are tired. But by page 7 I had woken the entire family laughing out loud. It was the hero, Nick, being greeted by his receptionist, Maureen, as he makes his way to his office that did it... ' "Good morning," she said chirpily into her headset, exhaling a stream of smoke. She began to cough. No dainty little throat-clearer, either, but a deep, pulmonary bulldozer. "Academy of" - hargg - "Tobacco" - kuhhh - "Studies." Nick wondered if having a receptionist who couldn't get through "hello" without a bronchospasm was a plus. ' My own bronchial tubes were wonderfully clear by page 83. A seriously funny, satirical look at big business, advertising, PC and hypocrisy.