From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: CLOWNFELLAS by Carlton Mellick III

Friday, July 24, 2015

Blog Tour: CLOWNFELLAS by Carlton Mellick III

Author: Carlton Mellick III
Publisher: Hydra (Random House)
Date of publication: July 2015

In a topsy-turvy world where clowns are killers and crooks, Little Bigtop is a three-ring circus of crime, and no syndicate is more dangerous than the Bozo family. From the wildly original mind of Carlton Mellick III comes the short-story collection ClownFellas—an epic mob saga where life is cheap and the gags will slay you.

For years, the hard-boiled capos of the Bozo family have run all of the funny business in Little Bigtop, from the clown brothels to the illegal comedy trade. But hard times have befallen the Bozos now that Le Mystère, the French clown Mafia, has started moving in and trying to take over the city. If that weren’t enough, they’ve got to deal with the cops, the Feds, the snitches, the carnies, the mysterious hit man Mr. Pogo, and the mutant clowns over in the Sideshow district. With the odds stacked against them, the Bozos must fight to survive . . . or die laughing.

So, when I was asked to read Clownfellas for this tour, I had never heard of the term "Bizarro Fiction". Wikipedia defines this genre as "a contemporary literary genre, which often uses elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works." It sounds cool and it seems like a lot of people are into this genre. I knew when I got about 4 pages into Clownfellas, I wasn't going to like it. I tried to get a little further, but I just didn't like the story.

Honestly, it's nothing against the book, author, or genre. It's just not for me. There are a lot of great reviews from fans of this type of book, so if you are interested in the genre, check this book out. In fact, check out the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Carlton Mellick III is an oafish gentleman with the stylishest of sideburns. He is one of the leading authors in the bizarro fiction genre—a booming underground movement that strives to bring weird, crazy, entertaining literature to the masses. Imagine a mixture of David Lynch, Dr. Seuss, South Park, and Troma movies. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Carlton Mellick III’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, July 13th: For the Love of Fictional Worlds

Wednesday, July 15th: PromoteHorror.com

Wednesday, July 15th: Wildfire Books

Monday, July 20th: No More Grumpy Bookseller