I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

Sex, Drugs, Guns, and Funny Names

Processed Cheese kept me laughing, not at the events or characters depicted, but at all the witty names. The book has a plot, but it's more of a meandering road trip with no particular place to go than a long weekend with a AAA TripTik. And that's quite all right.

Part sardonic satire and part like the literary interpretation of a Wim Wenders film, it's a mighty example of modern literature. I suspect I'll be thinking about it for years. Many scenes are hilarious, but there's a lot more in this book that's sad, ugly, and painful.

Despite Graveyard's and Ambience's apparent lack of depth of character and love of spending money, tying one on, and clubbing, they grew on me. They're products of a society plainly representative of the excesses and helplessness of our own, but are revealed to be essentially decent human beings.

It wasn't what I expected as I started reading, not at all what I expected halfway through it, and especially wasn't how I expected it to end. I'm glad I finished it, after being tempted to set it aside for something more my usual taste. I highly recommend it.

I read a free advanced reader's copy from the publisher and these opinions are my own, uninfluenced by the gift.

Stephen Wright is among the most talented and unsung practitioners of American fiction alive today. His past novels are hallucinatory, very dark, very humorous and always very well-written. Processed Cheese appears to take his narrative skills to their logical, if occasionally bewildering, conclusion. Some of his intended satire seems at times too on-the-nose, but the power of his prose remains undiminished. He's an author well worth reading. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy.

This book was not my cup of tea. Boring. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest book. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

This book was horrible. I thought the premise of how finding money would affect a couple to be intriguing, but the ridiculous names distracted me too much to enjoy this book. I think that this premise could have made for an interesting novel, but the author wrote 400 pages of crap that I had to force myself to finish.

Processed Cheese may be one of the wackiest books I have ever read. I will be honest, I skimmed the last third of it because I just couldn't handle another minute. The premise sounded promising and even exciting, but this satirical look at the American consumer obsession with money just wore me down. Though intended to be funny, the wacky names and nonsensical approach to describing characters and other names was too zany to make sense or be funny.

I really wanted to like this book, but I found myself avoiding it. Eventually, I had to claim defeat and acknowledge I was not going to finish it. It should be noted this was not a decision I take lightly - I like to finish what I start. I was intrigued by the concept, but in the end, I think I felt too disconnected from the characters and the story line to stay engaged. Perhaps I'll try this one again in the future, but for now, there are just too many exciting options on the self to force myself through something that wasn't grabbing me.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do but unfortunately I couldn't connect with the book and had to DNF. I'd be willing to read the author again in the future, but this title wasn't for me.

First, let me start with: I doubt I’m the intended audience. I usually like cozy fiction. Chick lit. Etc.
The whole premise of the book is a writing “no no” – many convenient coincidences – however, it works for this story.
Now, the odd naming of everything – (I mean, props to the author Wright for even being able to REMEMBER odd names like Mr.WhoisMenu and ThinkingThatWay) but, in an odd way, it works!
I don’t know that I love this book, but I’m giving it 5 Stars because I’m intrigued enough to keep going (and I usually steer clear of books that would be rated R) and I think there are readers that will recognize the genius in the pages.
It’s a bit of a tough read for me. I can usually read a book in a day, however, I find myself mentally drained after about 3 chapters and have to put it aside for a day or two.
I might be a prude, but I’m certainly open minded. And I honestly see this as being a Pulp Fiction type of movie if it’s ever brought to the “big screen” or a “streaming” network.
Read three chapters. If you don't find it intriguing, it's not for you. But I can assure you, the story unfolds at a great pace, the characters develop, and it's just a plain good interesting story told by using a kaleidoscope.

This is a rare DNF for me after 50 pages. Thus far four characters who are basically the same. Nothing distinguishing one from the other. All the ridiculous naming. Just not for me. Could also be that I just finished two John Irving books so my bar is pretty high right now.

A bag of money drops out of the sky, literally, into the path of a cash-starved citizen named Graveyard. He carries it home to his wife, Ambience, and they embark on the adventure of their lives, finally able to have everything they've always deserved: cars, guns, games, jewels, clothes-and of course sex, travel, and time with friends and family. There is no limit except their imagination and the hours in the day, and even those seem to be subject to their control.

Of course, the owner of the bag is searching for it, and will do whatever is necessary to get it back. And of course, these new riches change everything and nothing at all.

Well, pooh, I thought it sounded fun. It was not funny. It was just bizarre and I could not finish it. I just think it was way over the top in trying, but not succeeding.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.