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Running the Light

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About this listen

Debauched, divorced, and courting death, Billy Ray Schafer is a comedian who has forgotten how to laugh. Over the course of seven spun-out days across the American Southwest, he travels from from hell gig to hell gig in search of a reason to keep living in this bleak and violent glimpse into the psyche of a thoroughly ruined man. Ex-inmate, ex-husband, ex-father - comedian is the only title Schafer has left. Trapped in the wreckage of his wasted career, Billy Ray knows the answer to the question: What happens when the opportunity doesn't come - or worse - it comes and goes?

©2018, 2019, 2020 Sam Tallent (P)2021 Tantor Crime Fiction Crime Fiction Funny
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Great story. Gritty, bleak and engraving. About to go on my 2nd journey through it

Great story. Gritty, bleak and engraving.

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Loved this audio book, I'll be honest though, I wish Doug Stanhope read the whole thing, it feels like a man telling his own life story even though it isn't. I think he's the only comedian who didn't miss a beat either the "so-called" drunken shambles read it like a champ. Sam has a great knack for painting a picture and I look forward to his next offering!

Loved every second.

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Well worth a read. A new angle on the well trod path of drug-fuelled road trips although quite believable. Really enjoyed it.

Brutal (in a good way)

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First of all, this is a fantastic book - you won't regret purchasing it. I can't wait for whatever Sam comes up with next.
That said, the narration is quite poor. Initially, you may be excited by hearing the recognisable voices of Bert Kreisher, Doug Stanhope etc., but many of the comedians are not well-read and don't know how to pronounce some of the words. Sometimes they'll take another go at it and re-read a line, but the editor doesn't pick it up and remove the first mistake.
Having the book read by famous comedians is a huge thumbs up from the community, but really having it read by a professional narrator would have served the book far better.

Fantastic book, marred a little by the narrators.

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Tallent’s writing is fantastic, I loved the characters, ugly and reminiscent of Vonnegut. Only let down is the inconsistency of the readers. Some like Marc Maron were great, others like Bert Kreischer were hard to listen to.

Excellently written, beauty and the bleak

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