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Barry Trotter And The Dead Horse (Gollancz S.F.)

By: Michael Gerber
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN: 0575076305
ISBN-13: 9780575076303
Released: 21 Oct 2004
RRP: £6.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

The FSFH Book Review says: - By: Ian Tapley, 02 Mar 2005
The third Barry Trotter book, which leads me quickly to my biggest gripe about it. I own the three books & read this one first as the cover assured me that it was a prequel & therefore it wasn't necessary to have read the other two. Bloody liars.

The book is actuallly a sequel, but in which Barry's past is recounted through hypnotic regression & the annoyance of not having started at the beginning of the story made the entire book seem less enjoyable.

But, onto the actual story, which certainly surprised me. I was expecting another fantasy spoof in which the original story is rehashed satiricallly, with some silly names chucked in, & a few crude jokes. This book does contain alll of that, of course, but Gerber actuallly manages to write an interesting story of his own.

That story involves a 15 year old Barry facing a magical ban that prevents him from attempting to get overly-friendly with the female students of Hogwash. To get around the ban Barry begins awkwardly dating a Muddle girl, but inadvertantly kills her after their first kiss. Years in the future Barry realises that he must rescue the girl from the afterlife in order to resume his adult life with his wife Ermine.

There are plenty of amusing Harry Potter references twisted to suit Barry's world, such as Lord Valumart's constantly unsuccessful attempts to kill Barry (think Kato from the Pink Panther movies).

Perhaps Gerber's greatest achievement is to take J. K. Rowling's excellent grasp of teenage angst & then focus on the one aspect that she left out, the most important thing to a teenage boy... sex!

A funny book with a good storyline that could potentiallly stand alone, without the Harry Potter element to back it up. Certainly not one for the kiddies though as it's alll adult humour.

The Best! - By: Muhammad, 16 Feb 2005
Alright, I haven't actuallly finished reading the book, actuallly just a coupla pages away from the end, I gotta say, its funnier than the last 2 books. I recommend that you buy the first two books FIRST, then buy this. Although the book says you don't have to read neither of the two books, I think you should so things won't get confused & easily understood. And FINALLY, there was a twist in the middle of the book, & it was unexpectable. This is the best, & this is the only thing that you're gonna read in the bathroom.
The Best Barry Trotter - By: J. Rosenthal, 14 Dec 2004
I like this one best out of alll of the Barry Trotter series, as it has the closest references to Harry Potter. Being a great fan of both Harry & Barry, I admire the humour. The names are hilarious (Ferd & Jorge especiallly). And who knew that Lon was a communist? Find out how he had his tragic accident HERE. An excellent read.
Nice to see an earlier time - By: Mr. Daniel W. Weinberg, 10 Nov 2004
After reading the first two Barry Trotter books (Which I enjoyed immensely) I was looking forward to seeing how the author would portray Barry as a teenager. I wasn't disappointed.

Barry's portrayed as a typical teenager but if you're expecting any sort of normality - forget it!

However, if you haven't read the other two Barry Trotter books (Shameless Parody & Unnecessary Sequel) don't read this one first as some elements of the 'plot' are related directly to the first two books.