This book is not going to appeal to everybody. The entire concept is that a boy child is born with a penis so large the delivering doctor thinks he has been born deformed with three legs. Throughout his life, he is controlled by his penis. Not unlike way too many men, by the way.

Nothing about the book is believable, but it was lots of fun to read. It is not for the prude and not for those who take everything literally. The book is funny, but sad if you can relate to the protagonist. His penis is so large that it impresses both men and women, but unfortunately, it is also so large that he can't have normal sexual relations with any woman.

I often found myself laughing and from time to time, feeling rather repulsed by the whole thing. Read it with an open mind and let yourself enjoy the strange fantasy that is this book.

OK. So. Um...The thing is...Uh. This book is kind of like...Pay attention to the trigger warning because every word of it is true.

I'll start with the positive. The Tyranny of Desire is often very funny. Sometimes it is a little overdone. There were passages that made me wish I hadn't eaten dinner before I read them. The scene where a quicky lover poops on Puchy was the first one that made me wish I hadn't eaten a bowl of Cheerios before reading. (Yes, I eat Cheerios for dinner. Don't look at me like that.) Then she puts her poop in an insulted thermos. At that point I had to get some fresh air.

I never thought I'd say this, but there was so much sex on almost every page that I got tired of it, like eating way too much chocolate cake. (Or Cheerios. No wait. No one can eat too many Cheerios.) I also wondered how Puchy ever found a pair of pants that fit. I mean really, he'd have to have a codpiece the size of a parachute.

So , ok, there are disturbing things in The Tyranny of Desire. Some nonconsensual sex. Underage sex. (I mean, way under age.)

The idea of personifying something that is only figural, like personifying Death, goes way back in literature. The idea of Puchy personifying Desire is classic. Despite being based on a classic idea, it's unlikely The Tyranny of Desire will be taught to English majors anytime soon. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm an old fogie and this will go down with the likes of Shakespeare. But probably not.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flying Bed books for allowing me to lose my dinner over The Tyranny of Desire. (Really, don't eat while reading this.)

This book is different from what I normally read, but it sure was fascinating. It's raunchy, it's funny in a dark sort of way, and it's disgusting at times. The Protagonist is a failure in almost every aspect of his life, and when a epiphany hits him, he decides to kill desire, pretty much any desire. When an ex goes crazy, he leaves town, and luckily has an old college buddy who has a job and a place to stay for him to stay. Despite his lack of desire for anything, he finds himself being offered plenty of opportunities, though they don't always work out in his favor in the end. There are hijinks in which he is both the instigator and the victim. There are situations that will make you cringe. I will admit that at times the writing was beyond my intelligence. The character also tended to ramble on a lot. (His inner dialog was a bit wordy, getting to the point.) Throughout all the shenanigans that take place, the one constant is his struggle to fight desire. The book is taken from his POV. Due to the subject matter, this is suitable for mature readers.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

The publisher note said this book will be the most messed up thing I will ever read. I'm not so sure that's true. I've read and enjoyed a decent number of books that often get labeled as disturbing, and I think this one lacks the haunting quality that some of the others had. But, that said, even if it's not the most messed up, it would still be on the list.

It was alright. Entertaining enough that I finished it in less than a week, and certainly memorable, but probably not a story I'll revisit. And probably not one that I would recommend unless you have a strong stomach.

At the end of this “book,” the author, Morty Shallman asks the readers (many, who like me received this book compliments of NetGalley) to review it with “intensity”.

Loving it or hating it were the same for him, as long as we showed we cared.

I don’t care. I didn’t care. I was confused, never really repulsed (as was his intention). Tho is not a book for everyone (anyone?). It’s about a “man” with one BIG quality - that shapes everything around him.
He’s not a good man or a nice man. He’s selfish and gloating - again, his one “Big” characteristic is all he’s about - he was born with it, so not his fault, but it just makes him more… gross?

If you’re in the mood for a quick, derivative, “indie” kind of read, go for it. Otherwise….

PS. Why do I want to try one more of his books, though? So Morty, maybe you got me!

Yes, I read all the warnings and descriptions and still gave it my best effort. At 12%, I was forced to give up on this novel.

First let me say that I am not a prude, that I know what gay male sex can encompass, but that's not what made this book impossible to read. It was like being tickled to the point of pain. One can only laugh so much in each sentence before it gets to be unbearable. Yes, the Yiddishisms (like Puchy) were initially cute but OMG it goes on in the same vein until it is too unpleasant to continue. At first I thought that perhaps Morty Shallman was aiming at a specialized audience, but on further reflection, decided that no audience, relatively sane would go on to finish.
I know a number of .gay men but I cannot imagine any one of them liking this book. Ditto for any straight or cis person of any gender.I know. So maybe it's me. Judge for yourself. I hesitate to thank the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I am the perfect audience for Morty Shallman's The Tyranny of Desire. Why? Because I am that rare woman who likes to take it all in, every last lasciviously lubricious undoubtably dubious detail In fact I was delighted to devour this grandiloquent chronicle. Was I amazed, appalled, astonished? Indeed. Was I aroused, amused, absorbed? Absolutely!

The Tyranny of Desire is the epic tale of one man's attempt to save himself from disappointment by denouncing all desires. This book comes with a Great Big Warning at the start: if you are easily triggered or offended this is not the book for you. Although armed with an amazing talent to amuse, Morty Shallman is not kidding when he delivers this Warning. This book touches on many taboo topics all revolving around the star of the show which is the over abundant endowment of our hero Puchy Mushkin.

The Tyranny of Desire is certainly a one of a kind work of art. Although some of the content did bring about moments of deja vu from my virginal DM in-box of (any given) social media account. A riotous, rip-roaring ride of preposterous posturing of dirty, dark and dastardly deeds. In all seriousness you can not take this story serious. I did have wonderful moments of wondering. I also found a few fallen moments of fury and sorrow (always and empath). I would recommend this book to any brave reader who has flexible beliefs and is willing to be stretched and left in stitches.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher Flying Bed Books for the ARC of this book. And to the author, Morty Shallman, I hope my review paid proper homage to your witty work of art. I am leaving this review here voluntarily.

This novel reads like the love child of Holden Caulfield and Humbert Humbert grew up to be a sexual deviant, and then spiraled into a full blown existential crisis as the protagonist of the raunchiest Chuck Palahniuk story you could ever imagine.

It was a fast, wildly entertaining ride with a bizarre but likable cast of characters and a main character you’ll hate to love. Bonus points for all the jokes at Trump’s expense. I found myself highlighting so many passages, knowing full well the internet overlords aren’t going to let me quote them here. You’ll have to read it for yourself. If you’re easily offended, don’t read this. I’ve seen a few reviews criticizing this book for being juvenile and pornographic but like…what did you expect? It was exactly what it was held out to be. Don’t read Penthouse if you’re looking for Good Housekeeping. Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Well, I am not really sure what I just read. Whatever it was, it kept me wanting to read even though I was continuously saying to myself "what?" If you want something to kind of flip you out of your normal reading, this might be the one for you.

I would not have chosen the Tyranny of Desire by Morty Shellman on my own accord. What a loss that would of been if not for the ARC from Net Galley who gave it to me for an honest review.
Before the story begins there is a satirical warning about the content. Though it is satirical please be warned the content is raunchy. With that being said I became captivated with the main character Pauchy after the first two pages of shocking content. I enjoyed the flow of the book, the easy way the stories of all the characters combined and connected. Mr. Shellman's ability to write and use words creatively was amazing. Pauchy the main character is trying to figure out life like all of us. However, he gets into lots of messed up scenarios while trying to just get through the day. This is one of my favorite paragraphs, " The universal constant in all out lives is . . . wait for it . . . life itself! We don't choose it. We can't control it. We can't change it. We can only "ride it" like surfers in a tsunami or skiers on an avalanche, careening faster and faster to our inevitable crushing demise ob the shores or crevices of reality." Puchy learns to ride the tsunami of life whether the wave is at its peak or breaking. I was happy to surf the swell and ride it out.

The note to the readers came with a trigger warning, which intrigued me. Turns out the warning is well deserved. I felt a range of emotions reading this story that I did not think were possible from one book: shock, excitement, sympathy, horror, and laugh out loud moments. It was a fun read.

I fancied reading something different and this definitely filled that bill. A plot which is at times funny, erotic and unpredictable, it is mostly entertaining . There are warnings about the content before you begin on the book proper.... I can see why ! Not for the faint hearted
Now that I have finished, I am still wondering what it was all about !
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

So much "no" for this one. It was almost like a bunch of school boys got together and decided to write the most horrible book they could come up with just to see if it would get published.... and somehow it did.
Wait.... wasn't that a South Park episode?
I actually love South Park.
I loved nothing about this book except perhaps the cover.

Did not finish (DNF)
I found the book to be unreadable
I would not recommend this book but I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

I did not like this book. But, I did finish it, which is why I am giving it two stars. I never actually threw it across the room in disgust. Metaphorically, of course, as I read on my iPad and I’m hardly going to throw that. While reading this I wondered why I requested it. Maybe because I had been thinking of Chuck Palahniuk and his book, Haunted. The publishers “warnings” of this book being just so, so risqué intrigued me. I was wrong to be intrigued. To paraphrase Ebert, this book sucked. It was not risqué, it was juvenile, nay puerile and shallow. Every other sentence is some comment on how big this guy’s dick is. Spattered amongst the other word droppings is the protagonist’s desire to want nothing. Which he conveniently forgets whenever he runs off to have tons of boring sex and do drugs. <eye roll> Like some of the other reviews, I googled the author, because I could not believe a grown man had written this. Please do not do as I did and waste valuable life minutes on this. Read Palahniuk if you want something edgy and trigger warning happy. If you really want to read a book with every trigger warning and then some, read The Painted Bird.

I only read this because I saw it on Facebook. I am recuperating from carpal tunnel surgery so I couldn’t do much else. The story is about an unfortunate ? young man with na enormous penis. He goes to California to live with an old college roommate and ends up involved with a group of people that are equally messed up. What follows is an adventure that tells me why the leftists get so many votes. It was an interesting read, but if I had ad something else, there would have been more blood.

Within the first 30 pages, there's a whole lotta talk about the main character's schlong. And not in an attractive way, to be quite honest. I don't even want to recommend this to anyone in the name of "reading something different", absolutely not.

I'm not sure if I loved or hated this book, but I will say that it held my interest until the end! If you're in the mood for something different, I'd recommend it.

Courtesy of Book Whisperer and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Tyranny of Desire by Morty Shallman. There was some LOL humor amidst this raunchy and preposterous satire, some delightful Yiddish phrases, puns and political insight. Puchy:s search for meaning in his life involves his questionable choices, dealing with his parents, relatives, "friends", coworkers, physicians, and everyone else acquainted with him! A very contemporary escapade!

The Tyranny of Desire
by Morty Shallman
Well, it was not good. It was trying to be humorous but crossed too many lines. I have no idea what age this writer is, but it was just wrong in too many ways.