A Review of The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie

When I first saw The Gun Seller on a shelf at Border's several years ago, I was intrigued. An avid viewer of the television series House, I thought that a book written by Hugh Laurie sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't have the money on me at the time to buy the book, but I filed all of this information away in my mind, intending to look for the book at a later date.

That later date came about a year and a half later, when I saw The Gun Seller on my girlfriend's bookshelf. I mentioned that I had wanted to read The Gun Seller for a while, and after I finished the last book I was reading, my girlfriend let me borrow Laurie's novel.

The Gun Seller is as much a parody of traditional espionage novels as it is a traditional espionage novel. It follows the exploit of British ex-military man Thomas Lang as he attempts to unravel an international arms conspiracy and save the woman he loves. Along the way, Lang meets a great number of people and goes numerous places, and I'll let those interested in the book read it to fill in the rest of the details.

What I will say is that The Gun Seller is written in a unique, enjoyable manner. Hugh Laurie's writing style is different from any that I've encountered before; it is witty, acerbic, and has a deadpan delivery, which is very hard to pull off when writing. Laurie has a way of describing situations, people, and things in a manner that is both creative and precise. He might waste a few extra words doing so, but the reader gets the point and The Gun Seller is richer for it.

All in all, the only criticism I have of The Gun Seller is that it is perhaps a little longer than it should be, and that the plot might be more convoluted than is necessary or desirable. Still, The Gun Seller is an enjoyable, unique experience and would be perfect light reading for almost any situation. If you are a devout fan of the show House or are a fan of Hugh Laurie in general, then you might want to consider this book required reading. And if you enjoy British humor, The Gun Seller is the book for you.

Have you read The Gun Seller? If you have, what did you think? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!