The purported autobiography of a favorite character of the influential (and now defunct) Canadian comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall, by the actor who portrayed him and the troupe’s head writer. Charles Butterick “Buddy” Cole is a half-Scottish, half-Quebecois gay man raised in northern Quebec, who discovers his sexual identity and how to use it to his advantage at a very young age. His ability to seduce men at will, plus his innate theatrical talents, take him first to Toronto, where he immerses himself in the hardcore gay lifestyle, and then to Los Angeles, where he marries a lesbian named Tandy Cole (he takes her name, thus becoming Buddy Cole-Porter) and helps launch a television show. While there is much in Buddy Babylon to make gay readers and fans of the Kids in the Hall show laugh out loud, there is just as much that will go flying over the heads of those not familiar with the character of Buddy Cole. And members of the politically correct contingent of the gay community are likely to find much of what Thompson writes to be stereotype-affirming. They will have missed the point—Buddy Cole is meant to be a stereotype of the “extreme” gay lifestyle and, most probably, a character that typifies a certain aspect of the personality of the author, who is openly gay. Thompson does cross the line between funny and just plain silly at times, but this, again, is in keeping with the somewhat eccentric, audacious comedy style of the Kids troupe. (Dave Foley, a member of the group, has gone on to national success with the hit TV series News Radio.) Because of his openly gay stance, Thompson may have to wait to achieve Foley’s success, but Buddy Babylon should keep Kids fans smiling, and impatiently awaiting his next move. (Author tour)
Pub Date: May 15, 1998
ISBN: 0-440-50828-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Dell
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1998
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
