I See You've Called in Dead - by John Kenney (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life's story.

Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a "far more interesting" man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company's system has him listed as dead. And the company can't fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.

As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.

Thurber Prize-winner and NYTimes bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.

Review Quotes

Praise for Truth in Advertising

"With wry humor, always on point, Kenney guides us through the maze of work, family, love (elusive) and friendship (a lifesaver). This is an outstanding debut." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A masterful blend of wit and seriousness, stunning in its honesty. A novel sure to appeal to fans of Nick Hornby." ―Booklist (starred review)

"With wry wit, excellent pacing, and pitch-perfect, often hilarious, dialogue, Kenney has created something remarkable: a surprisingly funny novel about an adult American male finally becoming a man. Highly recommended." ―Library Journal (starred review)

"Framed around a surprisingly sweet romance, as well as Fin's eventual confrontation with his painful family history, this debut offers a pleasing lightness-to-heart ratio." ―New York Times

"You'd expect that a man who writes humor pieces for the New Yorker would be funny - and he is. John Kenney, who also worked as an advertising copywriter, knows that world and skewers it mercilessly and hilariously in his debut novel. . . . It would also be safe to say that amazing things will most likely be happening in John Kenney's literary career right now. Truthfully." ―Cleveland Plain Dealer

"[Kenney's] insights are dead-on. . . . [His] plot is perfectly balanced between the insanity of both work and family, and the ending is satisfying without being saccharine. . . . Engaging and entertaining . . . The joy is in the journey of spending time with a character that is, at times, annoying and thoughtful, arrogant and scared, childish and mature -- in other words, someone like the rest of us." ―Dallas Morning News

"This debut novel reads at times like a laugh-out-loud standup routine. What sustains it, though, is much more substantial: an engaging, believable plot, a fascinating if jaundiced view inside the contemporary world of New York advertising, and most of all, a lead character you're glad you get to know. . . . It's a measure of Kenney's writing talent that the regular gusts of delicious, smart-alecky ad agency banter among Dolan and his witty comrades and the painful-to-read scenes depicting the toxic relations among siblings feel equally real in this novel. . . . [A] smart, cinematic story." ―Associated Press

"We're sold on Kenney's trenchant, quick-witted debut." ―Entertainment Weekly

"In this Nick Hornby-esque fiction debut, midlife crisis and family tragedy force a 39-year-old ad man to reevaluate his priorities." ―O Magazine ("Ten Titles to Pick Up Now")

"Here's a smart one. . . . Lovers of the city will find much to love in this relatable, redemptive, and sometimes very funny story." ―Denver Post

"The comedy sparkles [with] mordant one-liners, snappy banter, and hilarious workplace scenarios." ―Boston Globe

"An honest and insightful novel about a business and a life that have both been anything but . . . . Wonderfully entertaining and elegantly written." ―Shelf Awareness (Best Books of 2013)

"It's the stuff of Jonathan Tropper novels and Judd Apatow films and every Zooey Deschanel fantasy." ―USAToday.com

"The rare novel that's truly cinematic. It is sexy, the plot twists in just the right places; simply put, it's untamable. You will laugh almost as much as you will relate to the plight of the protagonist.. . . This book might just rouse the creative genius in you, too." ―Interview.com

"What really amazed me was the unexpected depth and subtleness of the rest of the book, which showcases writing that, in terms of talent, puts Kenney in a league with the best of American writers of his generation." ―Lurzer's International Archive (UK)

"It will make you laugh out loud at times and it will also touch you deeply. . . . This is the sort of book where you really care about the characters. . . . " ―Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"A snortingly funny debut ... Although Nick Hornby is the obvious reference -- humor and heartbreak of ordinary life -- this wonderful book is more J. Alfred Prufrock." ―The Phoenix (Boston)

About the Author

John Kenney is the author of two novels and four books of poetry. His first novel, Truth In Advertising, won the Thurber Prize for American humor. He is also the author of Talk to Me, which received a starred Kirkus review, and the New York Times bestseller Love Poems for Married People. He is a long-time contributor to The New Yorker.