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Small Beer Press

Couch

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Arrives Monday, Sep 15
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"Couch hits on an improbable, even fantastic premise, and then rigorously hews to the logic that it generates, keeping it afloat (at times literally) to the end." —Los Angeles Times"Delightfully lighthearted writing. . . . Occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, the enthusiastic prose carries readers through sporadic dark moments . . . Parzybok’s quirky humor recalls the flaws and successes of early Douglas Adams."—Publishers Weekly"The book succeeds as a conceptual art piece, a literary travelogue, and a fantastical quest." —Willamette Week"Hundreds of writers have slavishly imitated—or outright ripped off—Tolkien in ways that connoisseurs of other genres would consider shameless. What Parzybok has done here in adapting the same old song to a world more familiar to the reader is to revive the genre and make it relevant again" —The StrangerA Spring Summer Indie Next Reading List Pick: Top 10 Reading Group Suggestions "Couch follows the quirky journey of Thom, Erik, and Tree as they venture into the unknown at the behest of a magical, orange couch, which has its own plan for their previously boring lives. Parzybok's colorful characters, striking humor, and eccentric magical realism offer up an adventuresome read." —Christian Crider, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FLA January 2009 Indie Next List Pick"This funny novel of furniture moving gone awry is a magical realism quest for modern times. Parzybok's touching story explores the aimlessness of our culture, a society of jobs instead of callings, replete with opportunities and choices but without the philosophies and vocations we need to make meaningful decisions." —Josh Cook, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA"A lot of people are looking for magic in the world today, but only Benjamin Parzybok thought to check the sofa, which is, I think, the place it’s most likely to be found. Couch is a slacker epic: a gentle, funny book that ambles merrily from Coupland to Tolkien, and gives couch-surfing (among other things) a whole new meaning.” —Paul La Farge"One of the strangest road novels you'll ever read. It's a funny and fun book, and it's also a very smart book. Fans of Tom Robbins or Christopher Moore should enjoy this." —Handee Books "It is an upholstered Odyssey unlike any other you are likely to read. It is funny, confusing in places, wild and anarchic. It is part Quixote, part Murakami, part Tom Robbins, part DFS showroom. It has cult hit written all over it." —Scott, Me and My Big MouthBenjamin Parzybok on tour: this exuberant and hilarious debut reminiscent of The Life of Pi and Then We Came to the End, an episode of furniture moving gone awry becomes an impromptu quest of self-discovery, secret histories, and unexpected revelations.Thom is a computer geek whose hacking of a certain Washington-based software giant has won him a little fame but few job prospects. Erik is a smalltime con man, a fast-talker who is never quite quick enough on his feet. Their roommate, Tree, is a confused clairvoyant whose dreams and prophecies may not be completely off base. After a freak accident fl oods their apartment, the three are evicted—but they have to take their couch with them. The real problem? The couch—huge and orange—won’t let them put it down. Soon the three roommates are on a cross- country trek along back roads, byways, and rail lines, heading far out of Portland and deep into one very weird corner of the American dream.Benjamin Parzybok is the creator of Gumball Poetry, a journal published through gumball machines, and the Black Magic Insurance Agency, a city-wide mystery/treasure hunt. He has worked as a congressional page, a ghostwriter for the governor of Washington, a web developer, a Taiwanese factory technical writer, an asbestos removal janitor, and a potato sorter. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with the writer Laura Moulton and their two children. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Small Beer Press (November 1, 2008)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1931520542


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 46


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.5 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,812,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #43 in General Oregon Travel Guides #3,045 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books) #4,420 in Humorous Fantasy (Books)


#43 in General Oregon Travel Guides:


#3,045 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books):


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Monday, Sep 15

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • one of the funniest and most unpredictable books I've ever read
This book is brilliance hidden behind a seemingly simple story line. The words just flew off the pages of this epic journey about three roommates who are going nowhere in life. After a ridiculous accident floods their apartment they are evicted and with them they must take a massive couch. On their way to drop the couch off at a thrift store they find that this couch is incredible light when walking in certain directions and with nothing better to do they let the furniture lead them on a sprawling adventure. This book was completely unpredictable and kept me guessing constantly till the end. The whole story was very exciting and the characters were so relatable that you easily became attached to them. It has a perfect blend of hilarious comedy and serious drama that will stick with you after you put it down. I really can't recommend this book enough. If you like to laugh and read something very original that's unlike anything you've read before then you should definitely pick this up. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2013 by Tinkerbuff
    • Three man lift a couch, and so it begins
What happens when a great joke (three young slackers carrying an orange couch down NW 23rd Avenue) turns into a spiritual quest? This book happens, and it's a wacky, thought-provoking read, studded with philosophy, magic, battle, sickness and love. Thom, Erik and Tree remain throughout three young Portland dudes; the software guy, the ladies' man, and the fey artist with the mysterious money sources. But they accept that they've been chosen by the couch to cross continents and oceans in search of fundamental truth. If you can buy this premise and just...relax, you'll greatly enjoy this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2009 by Pasiphae
    • weird book
I really cant recommend this book to anyone. its just not normal and the ending was ridiculous. i dont even know why i am giving it 3 stars. save your money and buy another a book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2010 by VZI
    • Kind of brilliant
Oh man, was this a good novel: fresh, original, funny, smart, quirky, cool, philosophical, and whimsical. Couch begins with a simple premise: three roommates attempt to get rid of a couch; however, this seemingly mundane task soon spirals into an epic quest in which . . . . . . I can't tell you more here; I wouldn't want to give anything away. But trust me when I say that Parzybok has produced a wondrous debut here. It ponders big questions without being ponderous. It's intellectual without taking itself too seriously, and it's irreverent without being sarcastic. Plus, part of it takes place in Portland, Oregon and that's always a good thing. Bottom line: You need to check this one out. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2008 by W. A. Hockersmith
    • Save The Couch. Save the World.
Story: What if a feeling could manifest itself as a object? What if this object bounced around the world since the beginning of recorded history and could both cause and correct problems? What would happen if this object could pick the poor souls that would be tasked with moving it to its new location? Meet Thom, Tree, and Erik. Three 20 somethings that happened to come together in an apartment that they could barely afford before their lives got even more complicated with the loss of employment and a rent payment due next week. It would be safe to say that maybe their circumstances didn’t change much when an unexpected waterfall from an upstairs apartment deposited them on the sidewalk with nothing except what they could carry and big red couch that the landlord said they had to take with them. Except the couch wasn’t having it. It didn’t want to go to the thrift store. It wanted to go somewhere else and it wasn’t moving anywhere but in that direction. Any attempt to do other wise found The Couch plopping itself down like a stubborn mule. So what are three guys to do with a couch they can’t seem to get rid of and only wants to go where it wants? Well make a quest out of it that’s what! My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a pretty good story about three people, well two really, that are forced to go on a journey that makes them examine their lives up to their current point and figure out what they have been missing. About three quarters of this book is about two guys, Thom and Erik, that never really were forced to change their behavior because up until this point their actions got them by. Poor Tree on the other hand seemed to have gotten the short straw in it all and is the guide slash club that is needed to move Thom and Erik along. Which happens quite a lot since Thom and Erik for most of the book refuse to do anything other than what they have always done in any given situation no matter what The Couch drags them into. The only real problem I had with this story is that the ending kinda went off the rails, but I’m not sure how else a story about a magic couch that has to get someplace is going to end. It just felt rushed and meta-physical because you know the universe and balance and stuff man. But in the context of the story it makes sense even though I would have preferred a bit more in the way of what happens to the characters at the end. All in all a good read if your looking for a different\ take on the finding oneself genre that doesn’t take itself to seriously, but has that “wanna know how it ends feel” to it. Would recommend to any looking for a good adventure, coming of age story, or a quirky comedy. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2021 by Morgan Cahall
    • You Have to Read Couch
I've had a favorite book for 30 years, and that's "Vanity Fair," by William Makepeace Thackeray. It pretty much says it all. So, I've had little call to push books by other authors, beyond simply recommending them to a few friends. But now, I am on a mission to introduce as many people as I can to a wonderful little fantasy called "Couch" (2008), by Benjamin Parzybok. Take heed, all you geeks. Couch is an all-too-short glimpse into the depths of geek soul. I've bought two copies so far, and I lend them out to whomever will take them. If you liked "Lord of the Rings," but prefer a bit of modern irony, angst, and uncertainty, this is your ticket. I don't know how a book so small could dig so deep. Even Thackeray would have loved this one. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2012 by J. Rew
    • Not what you are expecting
If you purchase this book, someone probably told you about it. It was really odd but, I kept wanting to read to find out what happend to our main characters. I guess that means that it was at least well written. I got to where I really liked the story but, I didn't like the end. So much build up for it to just end the way it did. Could have easily been 50-75 more pages to this book. I thought the story was really cool because it seemed pretty original to me (at least I've never heard of/seen anything like this before). I did enjoy this book but, not the best I've ever read. Worth the read, in my opinion. Just be ready for a little bit of off the wall stuff. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014 by Eric

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