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DEPENDENCE DAY
Dependence Day Newman, Robert
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Robert Newman
71 books27 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Robert ("Rob") Newman (born 7 July 1964) is a British stand-up comedian, author and political activist. In 1993 Newman and his then comedy partner David Baddiel became the first comedians to play and sell out the 12,000-seat Wembley Arena in London. He was born to a Greek Cypriot father and British mother.
Newman's first speaking appearance was with Third World First (now known as People and Planet), the student political organisation. In addition to comedy and writing, he has also worked as a paperboy in Whitwell, Hertfordshire, farmhand, warehouse-man, house-painter, teacher, mail sorter, social worker, mover, and broadcaster.
Robert ("Rob") Newman (born 7 July 1964) is a British stand-up comedian, author and political activist. In 1993 Newman and his then comedy partner David Baddiel became the first comedians to play and sell out the 12,000-seat Wembley Arena in London. He was born to a Greek Cypriot father and British mother.
Newman's first speaking appearance was with Third World First (now known as People and Planet), the student political organisation. In addition to comedy and writing, he has also worked as a paperboy in Whitwell, Hertfordshire, farmhand, warehouse-man, house-painter, teacher, mail sorter, social worker, mover, and broadcaster.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 21, 2008
Unusual...that is all I can say about this novel...unusual and a lot to think about afterwards...
January 7, 2011
Genuinely the oddest book I have ever read in my life. Ever.
December 9, 2016
The author is a really creative and funny person (a highly successful and very humanist comedian who sold out Wembley Stadium for a comedy gig) with a very thin skin who takes criticism personally but I have to be honest (don't read any further Rob) and say this is probably the worst modern book I've ever read. It's a let-down on so many levels. It's not only about drug dependency but it reads as if the writer has been dragged into his subject. However, Robert Newman's 'The Fountain at the Centre of the Earth' is exceptional, so he can be a pretty keen and enlightened story teller when he's in the right frame of mind. I suggest you go and buy that instead because this is disappointing and the other is glorious. I was supposed to review this for The Sunday Express when it came out but I read it and just couldn't. The author is a really great bloke but it would be better if this one book had dropped off his long list of creativity because it is the clear exception.
July 26, 2014
A wonderfully dark and intricate look at the intertwined lives of lovers, drug dealers and a woman running for her life. It has Rob Newman's sharp humour throughout, but it is drama at its best. To read it is to love it.
February 20, 2026
I wanted to see what Robert Newman had written since I last saw him on the TV in about 1993 so started with his first novel.
It brought back memories of being in my 20's in the 1990s; smokey pubs, dealers, Prozac, mums on step stools, Athena posters, C&A, Top Man/Top Shop, Walkmans & ringing people at work.
One of the main characters is Karen who has to deal with being witness to a murder. The writing of a female point of view is quite convincing. The trial scenes are good but I suspect a lot of the legal stuff was made up for creative purposes.
A lot of the book is told in the first person by a character called Kevin, in the form of a letter to Kenny Rogers about Kevin's relationship with his girlfriend Svetlana. Amazon states that the book is semi autobiographical, Rob may have put some of his own experience into the character of Kevin.
Rob Newman himself appears in the story too, as one of the friends!
There are lots of unusual concepts and ideas, sometimes explored in conversations with quirky characters.
The swallows drug mule part was quite bizarre but amusing & I liked the snippet of Shaun Ryder woven into the story!
Rob Newman's sense of humour and intellect runs through the book, which I enjoyed.
A few dark themes but overall a funny & thought provoking read.
It brought back memories of being in my 20's in the 1990s; smokey pubs, dealers, Prozac, mums on step stools, Athena posters, C&A, Top Man/Top Shop, Walkmans & ringing people at work.
One of the main characters is Karen who has to deal with being witness to a murder. The writing of a female point of view is quite convincing. The trial scenes are good but I suspect a lot of the legal stuff was made up for creative purposes.
A lot of the book is told in the first person by a character called Kevin, in the form of a letter to Kenny Rogers about Kevin's relationship with his girlfriend Svetlana. Amazon states that the book is semi autobiographical, Rob may have put some of his own experience into the character of Kevin.
Rob Newman himself appears in the story too, as one of the friends!
There are lots of unusual concepts and ideas, sometimes explored in conversations with quirky characters.
The swallows drug mule part was quite bizarre but amusing & I liked the snippet of Shaun Ryder woven into the story!
Rob Newman's sense of humour and intellect runs through the book, which I enjoyed.
A few dark themes but overall a funny & thought provoking read.
April 9, 2023
I'm a big fan of Rob Newman so thought I'd give this a go..
It got better as you went along but I found it tough going to be honest.
Very dark but odd and a struggle to pin down a plot.
I think alot of it was a stream of consciousness but the ending is good.
It got better as you went along but I found it tough going to be honest.
Very dark but odd and a struggle to pin down a plot.
I think alot of it was a stream of consciousness but the ending is good.
June 12, 2020
The poster-child of r/menwritingwomen but an otherwise enjoyable read, particularly (emphasis on the particularly), the prelude
June 8, 2012
What?!
September 19, 2013
Superb dark humour - a must for all fans of dark comedy
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews