A bunch of smiles, quite a few grimaces, and an occasional laugh out loud encompassed my reading enjoyment of Killing O’Reilly: A Parady (A Vintage Short Original) by Courtney Bowman and Nicholas Bowman. This tongue ‘n check play on the Bestselling Killing Book Series of Bill O’Reilly is a good way to spend an afternoon with a chuckle or two. It’s not surprising that an author from Harvard Lampoon’s Nightlight couldn’t resist poking fun at the straight laced O’Reilly who has put his own spin on historical events, interjecting his unique brand of commentary, even if it goes counter to the facts. So whereas O’Reilly’s Killing Books include Lincoln, Kennedy, Patton, and Jesus, this parady looks fifteen other deaths, both real and imagined, including Bin Laden (he started eating gluten again), Reagan (Alzheimer’s was on the loose), Hitler (Adolph got him) Dinosaurs (#PotKilledDinosaurs), Albus Dumbledore (J K Rowling needs to rewrite this one), and anybody else who has aggravated Papa Bear (shame on Sister Adelaide for the audacity of giving Bill a time out for talking), until finally it’s O’Reilly’s turn to meet his maker (although he has some conditions upon his entry into heaven). Although there were lots of little “insider” jokes, the funniest bit was the depiction of a meal Bill had with friends Rush, Anne, Hannity, Glenn, and other Fox Commentators. This eBook, short at about a hundred pages (many containing “supporting documents”) is a quick read with more smiles than laughs and a bit of intentional stupidity, but still entertaining. Three stars, despite the fact that fans of Papa Bear probably won’t like this one. The rest of us will have to pick up the slack.
A thank you to Netgalley and Vintage Books for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.
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