Review of “The Absurd Life of Barry White”

By: Rob Harris

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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.

The Absurd Life of Barry White by Rob Harris and narrated by Iain Batchelor is an everyman story with a golden twist thanks to a punt on the races.

Iain Batchelor is outstanding in this audiobook. Perfect to tell the story of a man from a tiny village in Wales. The variety of voices is performed with heart and soul perfectly suited to each character and really captures the ambience and culture of small-town Wales

Barry has grown up in the shadow of his father, a famous local Rugby player, the sport at the heart of Wales since the dawn of the game (I am a HUGE Rugby fan so I jumped on tthis ARC!) Barry's father passed away many years prior, but still, he finds himself trying to achieve the same standard in his local team, but while he can drink just like his father, and has a great sense of humour, he is just not good at te game. Or so he thinks (the storyline with James is lovely I have to say, very heartwarming) It was a matter of the position he was playing and not his ability at the game that mattered

Barry's relationship with his mam was so sweet and this storyline was particularly poignant. It really touched my heart. There are a few hefty twists in the storyline and they just enhance what is already an awesome novel

I could wax lyrical about each of the characters, the storyline, the world description, but suffice to say, this audiobook made me laugh until my sides ached and smile with recognition of a different time. A perfect listen for anyone tbh, whether you like rugby or not. If you have a family, if you llive in a small community, if you feel you just don't meet the mark. This is absolutely wonderful

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, the author Rob Harris and narrator Iain Batchelor for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Rob Harris's 'The Absurd Life of Barry White' follows none other than Barry White- no not that Barry White- as he discovers more than he bargained for about himself and those around him. Propelled by an unexpected finical windfall, Barry sets out to maintain the homeostasis of his life, living with his mother and skirting by at his work-from-home job, and in the process, grows up.

I enjoyed the character development in this story, I freely admit to actively disliking Barry for at least the first third of the book. Harris's ability to change the reader's perception of Barry is masterful. I was lucky enough to review this book in audio format and found the narration to add to the experience of the book, with Iain Batchelor's deadpan delivery of Barry's inner monologue being a standout feature of my reading experience.

Thank you to Rob Harris and Dreamscape Media for the this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Absurd Life of Barry White.

Barry White Jr’s life is unusual for sure but at the heart of it all is love. Love for his mom, his friends, his rugby team and the town he lives in. I loved the growth of Barry’s character throughout the book. This book with an unusual main character is quite heartwarming in the end. Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review

Loveable Barry White, is your typical underdog, he has a job he doesn't particularly like but is good at, he's a good friend and a rubbish rugby player, who still lives at home with his mam at 44 years old, like he's doing her a favour. He just wants to do some good.

This is a hilarious story of Barry and his mates bumbling through their lives and how they're trying to deal with everything life has to thrown at them, from the sublime to the ridiculous, while trying to live up to everyone else's expectations of them and failing at every hurdle.

Some chapters had me laughing so much, it is so well written, but also some very tender moments too, including mild sexual content.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this when I requested it, but I'm so glad I did, it's been an absolute joy to listen to and the narration is spot on, with great characterisation and importantly for me being Welsh a good Welsh accent and pronunciation of Welsh names and places.

I would highly recommend this an audiobook, as it feels more like a stand up audio.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this ARC.
I will add links on Publishing day once posted.

Barry White, Jr’s life is fairly absurd, but luckily it is also pretty funny to read about. This is not the kind of book I often read, but I love books that are humorous, especially on audiobook. I’m glad that I gave this a try. It is genuinely funny, although also sad in places, and also thoughtful. I liked how things turned out, however, the actual ending seemed a bit abrupt. I learned a lot about Wales, rugby, and what life is like in small towns. I’d definitely recommend this on audiobook—the narrator is excellent. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of this audiobook.

I loved this book! It was so heartwarming and funny. I enjoyed Ove, Iona, and The Big Finish. If you loved these then you'll love Barry.

I think this was a lot of fun for me because I could identify with this character who's a bit of a slacker and people keep razzing on him, especially when it comes to sport. I also believed his journey, he filled out his own life the way he meant to, of course he'll never be a hero but I quite liked him. To me, the narrator sounded snarky sometimes, and I enjoyed that too. This is a light read, although of course it's sad when he loses his mom, but a nice glimpse into a guy who was a bit of a character. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

This one wasn't for me. The humor just didn't hit for me and I didn't find the plot interesting. I will not be leaving a review anywhere else our of respect for the author.

I tried. I really did. I wanted to like this one so much, but just couldn't get into it... The narrator is excellent. The snark factor is high and it has some great moments, but on the whole I felt confused and just not into the story. Maybe it's because I don't know enough about rugby. Maybe it's my inability to relate to the life choices of our fearless (ha!) protagonist. Regardless, I was just not the right reader/listener for this one...

Initially it was hard to feel empathy for Barry White Jr. He’s a 44-year-old virgin living with his mother and putting as little effort into his remote job as possible. He’s the son of the famous late Barry White Sr., a Welsh rugby superstar, but has inherited none of Sr.’s prowess on the field. He borrows and owes a lot of money from gambling. Yet, there’s something about Barry Jr. that drew me in. His indefatigable optimism, his loyalty, his love of online videos featuring a gorilla eating and farting….OK maybe not this last one, but Barry did grow on me. And when things happen in his life, Barry rises to meet the challenges. It’s a delightful story of friendship, love, family, and the rugby community that evolves in this former coal town.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. I recommend #TheAbsurdLifeofBarryWhite for its often funny, occasionally poignant story.

4.5/5 Stars

A slice of life story with a very engaging audiobook narration.
I enjoyed the humor, the characters and the storyline. A very breezy and entertaining listen. I definitely would recommend the audiobook for an enhanced experience.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.5/5 stars rounded up
The Absurd Life of Barry White is a cute, funny, light and easy read. This is a story about a man named Barry, a 44 year old who lives with his mother and has zero ambition, zero goals, zero plans, zero purpose. All Barry wants to do with his life is play his video games, play rugby, work the bare minimum, and drink his pints of beer. Suddenly something happens to Barry that would change anyone's life. The charm of this book is in how he handles this life-changing occurrence. The audiobook narration was exquisitely done and I believe played a big role in the cheekiness of the story. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for gifting me this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book about a grown-up Welsh man living with his mum who still looks after him. Due to Covid, he is living the life of Riley working from his bedroom in his pants while his mum cooks, cleans, and irons his clothes for him. Hilarious! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/Audiobook and the brilliant Welsh accent.