Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody

Inhoud

150,000 copies inexplicably sold in hardback.
Hogwash is the most famous school in the wizarding world and Barry Trotter is its most famous pupil. It's been that way ever since J. G. Rollins' Barry Trotter and the Philosopher's Scone broke publishing records worldwide.
So important has Barry become to the school's bottom-line that it has been agreed that he can stay at Hogwash for as long as he likes. Barry Trotter is 22.
Groupie-laden and scholarship-free, life has been good for the perpetual student, but now disaster looms. The movie Barry Trotter and the Inevitable Attempt to Cash-in has gone into production and the Marketing Dept. at Wagner Bros. is going into overdrive. Hogwash will be submerged under a tide of souvenir-crazed Muddle fans, torn apart and sold on eBuy, stone by mossy stone.
The movie must be stopped. Forget Lord Valumart - Barry, Ermine Cringer and Lon Measly must try to defeat the most powerful force of grasping sleazoids the world has ever known: Holywood.

Bespreking

Not hilarious, but still quite funny

Barry Trotter is 22. Hogwash School for Wizards is a safe haven for its most famous student, because no one dares to tell Barry to bugger off just because that would mean that the unstoppable flow of new student will be cut off. Yes, Barry Trotter is the reason why twenty candidates applied for every open spot at Hogwash School. In the meantime Barry is constantly busy not following his courses and not studying for the exams. Why should he? The arrangement he has with Alpo Bumblemore simply made studying unnecessary.

But then something wicked disturbs the relaxing contemplation Barry was in: finally the first Barry Trotter movie, based upon the bestsellers of J.G. Rollins, goes into production. This would mean the end of Hogwash School for Wizards, because only a movie has the strength to appeal to the brainless part of the Muddles. And everyone knows what happens once that part of society gets its teeth into something: death by overexposure. Only Barry, Ermine Cringer and Lon Measly can save the day. or make it just that little bit worse.

Is it allowed to be brazenly exploitative if you admit to it on the cover of your book? Is it allowed to fill your book with fart-jokes if in that same book you admit that it is a cheap trick at trying to be funny? Well, I guess opinions will differ on this.

But let's admit it: sometimes being a little bit simple can be a lot of fun! That's exactly what Barry Trotter is all about. So, do not expect any mind bogglingly funny jeux-the-mots, but be satisfied with "Lon Measly" instead of "Ron Weasly". Don't expect Barry to safe himself and friends from an awkward situation by using a hilarious spell, but be satisfied with Measly who saves everyone by letting his body gasses flow freely. Nevertheless do expect some critical messages concerning the whole Harry Potter hoopla. Do expect some shooting at modern publishing and merchandising. And that's ok, because it is exactly what a good parody should do.

In the end I am not so sure if true Harry Potter fans will like Michael Gerber's novel, because in fact it will show them that at least part of their behavior fits in a marketing strategy devised by the evil Lord Valumart. Not something you can be proud of, not?

If you like a good book, read Harry Potter. If you want to read some silly stuff, read Barry Trotter. If you like to be taken advantage of, buy some Harry Potter merchandise.