A Very Funny Collection
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For pure gags per page there is no one to beat John O'Farrell. This is a great book to dip in and out of - each column is about three pages long, some on news stories we remember, but others on those we have forgotten but where the observations still hold true. The routines are classy and come with a witty sceptical attitude which is a breath of fresh air in the stuffy world of politics and current affairs.
I found myself laughing out loud on the train to the annoyance of everyone else who had chosen the quiet carriage!
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Unbelievably unfunny
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These pieces of writing may have worked as newspaper columns - although I doubt it - but they certainly die a death collected together in this book. They are not in the slightest bit funny and remind me of some of the worst of the witless stand-up comedians I've heard who rely on half drunk young men in the audience laughing at the references to genitalia and excrement to carry the whole thing. A terrible waste of money.
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A very fun read.
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The previous reviewer's claim that O'Farrell regurgitates the same joke over and over is false. I have no idea what book he was reading. I Blame The Scapegoats is a compilation of O'Farrells Guardian columns. Mainly tackling current news and political issues, the book is clever, funny and stimulating. It isn't sublime, so it won't get 5 stars, but it has made me laugh on many occassions. I'll concede that the style is similar throughout, so you can learn to see what's coming. However, I think if you read this book every now-and-again, as you can given that the articles are each self-contained 3 or 4 pages of satire, you'll enjoy this. Note that you need a broad idea of what's been happening in current events in the UK for the last 2 or 3 years to maximise your enjoyment.
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what a load of tosh
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Having read John O'Farrell's novels and loved them (especially the best a man can get - read it if you haven't already, it's very very funny)I was excited when a friend gave me I Blame the Scapegoats but I have to say it is one of the worst books I have EVER read. There are about three jokes in his columns which he just regurgitates time after time after time and they don't get any funnier!
I have never read his stuff in the paper and now I know why. The thing I have problems with is why they ever paid him for this twoddle in the first place and why did someone pay him more to put it in a book form?
The message is clear - don't waste your money, don't bother with the walk to the library and I wouldn't even borrow it from a friend.... your time will be much better spent watching grass grow. In my ase I will be recycling the paper - I will not even inflict it on the charity shop....
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