The Great American novelist

December 21, 2003 4:23 PM

In February, Robert Burrows' self-published book The Great American Parade was called the "worst novel ever published in the English language" by Gene Weingarten in the Washington Post. The insult has inspired a second print edition and an official Web site that includes the full text and political commentary by the author.
posted by rcade (8 comments total)

the plot sounds pretty interesting to me, I guess I'll have to read it.
posted by banished at 5:21 PM on December 21, 2003

I'm sorry, but Weingarten is mistaken. The worst novel ever published in the English language is Urshurak by Terry Nichols and Tim & Greg Hildebrandt. It's an interesting fantasy story in a Plan 9 From Outer Space fashion.
posted by SPrintF at 7:26 PM on December 21, 2003

I heard about this one a half a year ago, but, having read part of it finally, I have to say, even though I have a degree or so from this guy's school, and am as appalled at Our Great Leader's ideas as he is...what: is he on crack?

How can a professor profess his ideas in wooden prose like this? It's embarrassing.
posted by kozad at 7:33 PM on December 21, 2003

Gene Weingarten called Battle Mountain Nevada the armpit of America. I stopped in "BM" on the way to Burning Man ("BM") in August and spoke to a number of people there and everyone basically thinks being the armpit of America is the best thing that ever happened to the town. An underarm deodorant company had just sponsored a contest there a week earlier and Weingarten showed up to have objects hurled at him.

Being called the worst by Weingarten is the best thing that could happen.
posted by stbalbach at 8:48 PM on December 21, 2003

I refuse to believe there's a worse book out there than Battlefield Earth.
posted by salmacis at 3:12 AM on December 22, 2003

Sweet sanctified Mathlida--somebody else on the planet read "Urshurak."
posted by datawrangler at 4:11 AM on December 22, 2003

Ah, this is the same Gene Weingarten who interviewed our old pal Thomas Carder of the insane CAPAlert! The funniest/most pathetic thing is how Carder never realized that he was being interviewed by a humorist, not an actual Washington Post reporter.
posted by UKnowForKids at 8:48 AM on December 22, 2003

With the nationwide, passionate support for Governor Dean for the presidency, capped by Al Gore's staunch endorsement, the heavy-hitting critics of the right, especially Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post and David Brooks of the New York Times and NPR, have gone apoplectic.

This horrible, horrible prose makes baby jesus cry.
posted by psmealey at 12:37 PM on December 22, 2003