I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook for this one. The narrator was fantastic and sold the story so well.

I was initially drawn to the book because of the Welsh connection and it didn’t disappoint at all. I thought it was going to be a humorous book with lots of laugh out loud moments.

In many ways it was - there was plenty of humour but there was also a lot of deeper content that touched on everything from gambling, mental health, family secrets. All of which were covered with humour and seriousness in just the right balance.

Overall I would say this book turned out to be more than I expected in such a good way. I would highly recommend.

Engaging, entertaining, and well-narrated. A recommended purchase for collections where offbeat litfic is popular.

Barry White is a loser. He drinks too much, he is over weight, lives with his mom, works a job he’s not good at, and gambles away every penny he can get his hands on. His life is going no where, and he’s already in his 40s. But one gambling win sets his life in on completely different path.

I will admit that I struggled with this audiobook at the beginning. The Welsh names and and accent were a bit tricky, and honestly Barry wasn’t all that likable of a character. He made me cringe! But as he began to transform, I began to really enjoy this story! Barry, at the core is a good person and was beloved by his community. It was so heartwarming, and I definitely recommend the story! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this one!

The Absurd Life of Barry White is a slice of life, general fiction book. It seemed like it was going to be kind of cozy and light hearted but actually had a little bit of tragedy in it. It wasn’t as funny as the blurb made it seem and also wasn’t as absurd as I was hoping. I kind of guessed what would happen and overall I wasn’t a huge fan of this. I felt like nothing really happened until the last 25% of the book, and the beginning was just a lot of set up for Barry’s character. I didn’t find Barry or really any of the other characters to be loveable. It seemed a little too long for what the book was trying to do. I thought the narrator did a great job with the character voices but there wasn’t as much to the story as I was hoping.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Rob Harris for this ALC

"The Absurd Life of Barry White" by Rob Harris is listed as general fiction, humor, and satire. I don't think I laughed once. Barry White's life is absurd, and it was a waste of time to listen to it. There is very little drama or story to it. I didn't like it.

He's an overweight, unhappy, drunk man about 40 living in Wales with his mother. He's also a gambler, and he hates his job. He is a kind person, and he loves his mother. He wins some money and gives it all away. That's it.

Characters - 3/5
Writing - 2/5
Plot - 2/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 1/5
Enjoyment - 1/5
Narration - 2/5 by Iain Batchelor
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 16/8 = 2 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Rob Harris for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I tried to get into this book, but I could not get through it. I did not like the narrator or the way the story was read, and it made it hard for me to listen to.

This book had me laughing so hard I almost peed myself!

Barry White does as little as possible, working from home doing the bare minimum while his mother takes care of him. He's an obese man in his 40s and still living at home. He has issues with gambling and spends all his money making the worst bets.

The narrator was brilliant, I could not have picked someone better. The things Barry gets himself into and his internal monologue had me in stitches.

I think it might just be the best audiobook I have ever listened to. The characters are all great and the storyline was simple but clever.

If you need a good laugh, this is your next book. It has to be. You won't be sorry

5 stars

Barry White Jr. is a down on his luck 44 year old man who still lives at home with his mother. He is a content creator for a logistics firm but to add a little spice to his life, he places bets. One day, lady luck is on his side and he wins big.

What would you do if you came into alot of money? Barry has to ponder this and figure what to do with all his money.

This was a light, fun read.

The Absurd Life of Barry White was such a charming tale.

I loved this story of an underdog. I loved that he was baffled when luck seemed to favour him, showering bounties he didn't want suddenly.

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I was smiling all through.

I truly enjoyed reading this one!

What a splendid book! Lighthearted, refreshing, and thoroughly funny. Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but want to shake some sense into Barry White Jr., all the while laughing at his antiques and those of his friend. If you are in need of good chuckle accompanied by a slight cringe at ridiculous situations Barry finds himself in, this is a book for you.

I listened to this and really enjoyed it only to find it is not set for publication in the US yet. I hope it does get published in the US. I think it could find an audience here,

I give the book 4.5 stars. I received a free ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I like fiction. I liked the idea of a character who's life isn't in order. Honestly, most of our lives aren't perfect.

The book started out slow for me. I thought it was a book about Barry's absurd life. The book turned into Barry's journey. I got to see how the character grows.

The narrator had a good voice. He changed his voice at times. You felt the narrator was with you

The book had good character development. It is probably a make or break for me, when I read fiction. Some of the silly characters became so real to me. I gained empathy for the characters, as the book went on .

The audiobook wasn't too long of a listen. There were a few times I did relisten to a part, because I was a little confused. When I relistened, I got it

I look forward to reading more from the author. I am thankful to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fun but important book.

The Absurd Life of Barry White is a funny, light-hearted story, that often times reminded me of Ted Lasso. Going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Barry’s character quickly grew on me; he’s endearing in his own quirky way. The plot is filled with humorous moments and absurd situations, creating an easygoing narrative that never takes itself too seriously.

As for the audiobook, the narration is solid and adds to the overall enjoyment of the story. However, I did find the pacing to be on the slower side. This wasn’t a problem for me, though, as I comfortably listened at 2x speed, which is faster than I usually prefer, especially when the narrator’s accent differs from my own. Even at this increased speed, the narration remained clear and engaging, making the experience enjoyable from start to finish.

If you’re looking for something that’s both entertaining and light-hearted, with a lovable but offbeat protagonist, The Absurd Life of Barry White is a great choice.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review of “The Absurd Life of Barry White”

By: Rob Harris

Available Now

Check it Out on Goodreads!!

Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

⭐⭐☆☆☆

“The Absurd Life of Barry White” by Rob Harris is a comedy that tries to deliver charm and humor through the story of Barry White Jr., a laid-back, video game enthusiast who stumbles upon a huge fortune. Even with all this money, Barry still wants to live carefree, which should lead to a bunch of funny and heartwarming mishaps, but to me, just missed the mark.

This book was more of a “read and then forget it” type of story for me. I found it difficult to stay engaged with the plot, which seemed to drift with little purpose. Perhaps reading the physical version instead of listening to the audiobook would have made it easier to stay focused, but the humor and narrative style just didn’t resonate with me. The main character, Barry, and his decision-making were hard to relate to, making it difficult to connect with his journey.

Overall, “The Absurd Life of Barry White” might appeal to those who enjoy quirky, offbeat stories, but it fell flat for me. The humor didn’t quite hit the mark, and Barry’s antics felt more perplexing than entertaining. It’s a book that may work for some, but unfortunately, it just didn’t click with me.

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The story is about a life-changing event happening to a person who does not want his life to change, really.
Small-town Welsh life is enough for him and he is reasonably happy despite being a chubby man in his forties living with his mum who likes to cook hearty meals for him. He just wants to bet on random sports (a bit too much), play Rugby despite being bad at it and drinking with his friends. Or alone. Very much too much, according to his doctor.
When one day he unexpectantly wins big, he hides his luck from everyone and just starts looking for ways to help out his friends and community. The constant lying is weighing on him, though.
The story feels cozy with the very ordinary and flawed MC and characters and their daily lives, conflicts and community.
I usually read romance books that follow a more structured plotline and found this less predictable but enjoyable.
The narration was nice but very slow. At 1.25x speed it sounded normal to me, but luckily most apps have speed regulatory functions nowadays!

No, not THAT Barry White! This one is 44 years old and lives in Wales. In his childhood bedroom, with his mother taking care of him: cooking, cleaning, etc. He’s what I would call a slacker - not sure of the British/Welsh word for it. He actually has a job, but he’s been working from home since the beginning of the COVID pandemic and has no intention of returning to the workplace if he can avoid it. When he does work, it’s as a “content creator” for a local logistics company with the silly name of LesCargo. (When he does write something for the company, it’s apparently pretty good.) He spends a lot of time playing video games, watching TV and TikTok videos and he gambles a lot. On all sorts of sports. He plays rugby but he’s really bad at it. And he’s overweight and has a drinking problem.

One day, he actually manages to win a lot of money and he doesn’t know what to do. His life was already starting to change a bit and now the changes have sped up.

This was a really charming story, and I enjoyed witnessing all the changes Barry eventually makes in his life. There are a lot of really funny parts as well as some very touching ones. His fellow villagers supply a lot of amusing moments, especially his best friend, Romeo.

The audiobook was delightfully narrated by Iain Batchelor. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Barry White has plenty of challenges in his life. First of all, he's not an American soul singer, but an overweight Welshman living at home with his widowed mother at age 44. His late father was a rugby hero in their small village, and Barry Jr. has tried to live up to his father's legacy his entire life. Unfortunately, despite a love of the game, his talents at rugby are decidedly underwhelming. So much so that he's often encouraged not to show up on game days, even when that leaves the team with fewer men than needed. He is comfortable in his life but going nowhere fast. He's "working from home" since covid, which involves writing the occasional article or press release for the logistics company that employs most of the town since the coal mines shut down. He drinks too much and has not motivation to do anything about his situation. Then he has an amazing stroke of luck that changes not only his fortunes but forces him to move outside of his comfort zone in every aspect of his life.

The narrator's lilting Welsh accent really helps to bring the sluggish Barry to life! I could picture the small village, where everyone knows your business and it's difficult to escape the box people have placed you in. Barry can be difficult to like -- lazy, drinking too much, doing just enough to get by, no plans for the future -- but you find yourself rooting for him all the same. He has quite a few ups and downs before he finally is able to figure out his place in the world. Barry and his best pal Romeo get into some amusing situations, so I hope to see them made into a series at some point!

Eh.. finished the book, but didn’t enjoy it at all. Barry is a 44 year old child. The story is him finally starting to “grow up”, only after coming into money.
It reads like a lazy Sunday afternoon movie that you will forget about by Monday.
The narration is fine, if you like listening to Welsh accent and vocabulary. There are very few moments of good humor.

I didn't expect to like "The Absurd Life of Barry White" by Rob Harris as much as I did. Initially, it took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the humour and, unexpectedly, in tears by the end. This book is a delightful and heartfelt surprise, earning a well-deserved four out of five stars.
Barry White Jr. is a loafer who is perfectly content with his unambitious lifestyle. As a content creator for a logistics firm, he’s a bit of an enigma in his Welsh village, where no one, including Barry himself, truly understands his job. His mundane existence takes an unexpected turn when he wins a huge sum of money from a bet. However, rather than embracing his newfound wealth, Barry hilariously struggles to get rid of it, only to find himself accumulating even more.
Rob Harris masterfully blends humour with heart, creating a story that is as funny as it is touching. Barry's journey from a self-professed man-child to potentially becoming Barry White In-His-Own-Right is entertaining and poignant. The absurdity of his attempts to squander his winnings and his eventual realisation of how to use the money to his advantage is brilliantly portrayed.
The novel’s charm lies in its ability to balance comedy with moments of genuine emotion. Harris's writing style is engaging and witty, making the reader laugh out loud one moment and feel deeply moved the next.
"The Absurd Life of Barry White" is a charming, hilarious, and heartwarming read that takes you on an unexpected emotional rollercoaster.

This is a funny and light read that will have you cheering on the main character - a man at 44 who has has not successfully launched into adulthood. A man with a history of failing - and being fine with that. Barry White wants to be better but just doesn't know how and I found myself cheering him on with each forward step he took. I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed the characters, I laughed out loud in places. His friend's out of character questions regarding his new position and some of the rugby games are just fun reading. Even the chapter titles are cute. The book goes by quick and you will find yourself reading portions aloud to those around you.

The story takes place in South Wales and the narrator - Iain Batchelor - is entertaining and does a great job of showcasing the different regional accents while still keeping it listener friendly for those of us without the accent.

'His ancestors fought and killed Germans so he could pass his days in such a blissful haze.'

'It was a strange feeling. He had thought about this moment all his life and now it was here he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure how to be a winner.'

'Or maybe if he really did get the urge for a couple pints later, he'd stick to stout because it was almost like fruit and veg and full of antioxidants.'

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.