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I See You've Called in Dead
“Razor-sharp, darkly comedic, and emotionally piercing. With the satirical bite of Richard Russo’s Straight Man, the introspection of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, and the reinvention of Andrew Sean Greer's Less, Kenney’s vivid prose transforms the mundane into unexpected hilarity.�
�Booklist (starred review)
An Indie Next & LibraryReads Pick for April
The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.
Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting� man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.
As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.
Thurber Prize-winner and New York Times bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.
�Booklist (starred review)
An Indie Next & LibraryReads Pick for April
The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.
Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting� man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.
As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.
Thurber Prize-winner and New York Times bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2025
842 people are currently reading
34742 people want to read
About the author
John Kenney
76books204followersJohn Kenney is the author of three novels and four books of poetry, including Love Poems for Married People. His first novel, Truth in Advertising, won the Thurber Prize for American humor. He is also the author of Talk to Me, which received a starred Kirkus review. He is a long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine’s Shouts & Murmurs. He lives in Larchmont, NY, with his wife, Lissa, and two children.
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April 30, 2025
4.5-5⭐️ Obituary writer, Bud Stanley, is a man afraid to live. But when he drunkenly pens his obituary one evening, the newspaper that already has him in its crosshairs for poor performance suddenly cannot fire him. After all, you simply cannot fire a dead person. Using this glitch as an opportunity of a lifetime, Bud begins to visit the funerals of strangers in hopes of learning how to really live.
“‘𝘏𝘦𝘳� 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦…𝘢𝘭� 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?”�
While I’m not usually a fan of satirical novels laced with dark humor, it is very hard not to find Bud, his whacky situation, and the characters that surround him all insanely charming. This character-rich novel focuses on just what it means to truly live, and to live truly, even in the face of hardship and adversity. It also showcases the beauty of unlikely friendships and how out of our grief, something wholly new and unexpected can grow.
🎧 As I am apt to do, I am reading this one with both my eyes and ears. Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins plays up the satirical nature beautifully, and I have found myself chuckling more than once. But more so, he strengthens the emotional connection between the reader and the characters. For this reason, I highly recommend reading this one with your ears. And at only seven plus hours, this is a very quick listen.
I’ll end by saying that this is one of those books that is worthy of the time it takes to tab and notate. I’d like to leave you with the one quote that completely blew me away and left me with tears in my eyes.
“𝘖𝘶� 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧𝘴…𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘭� 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘶𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘒𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴' 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯. 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.�
Read if you like:
▪️character-driven stories
▪️satirical novels
▪️emotional reads
▪️quirky and relatable characters
▪️dark comedy
▪️slow burn
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Thank you to Zibby Publishing and Libro.fm for the advanced copies.
“‘𝘏𝘦𝘳� 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦…𝘢𝘭� 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?”�
While I’m not usually a fan of satirical novels laced with dark humor, it is very hard not to find Bud, his whacky situation, and the characters that surround him all insanely charming. This character-rich novel focuses on just what it means to truly live, and to live truly, even in the face of hardship and adversity. It also showcases the beauty of unlikely friendships and how out of our grief, something wholly new and unexpected can grow.
🎧 As I am apt to do, I am reading this one with both my eyes and ears. Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins plays up the satirical nature beautifully, and I have found myself chuckling more than once. But more so, he strengthens the emotional connection between the reader and the characters. For this reason, I highly recommend reading this one with your ears. And at only seven plus hours, this is a very quick listen.
I’ll end by saying that this is one of those books that is worthy of the time it takes to tab and notate. I’d like to leave you with the one quote that completely blew me away and left me with tears in my eyes.
“𝘖𝘶� 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧𝘴…𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘭� 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘶𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘒𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴' 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯. 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.�
Read if you like:
▪️character-driven stories
▪️satirical novels
▪️emotional reads
▪️quirky and relatable characters
▪️dark comedy
▪️slow burn
▪️unique books
▪️I Hope This Email Finds You Well
Thank you to Zibby Publishing and Libro.fm for the advanced copies.
April 30, 2025
This.Was.Brilliant. I absolutely loved it. I laughed out loud, and wiped several tears. Not many books can do both to me� but this did. Mr Kenney writes in a similar way to another one of my absolute favorite authors, Mr. Fredrik Backman. Both these authors write in a way that resonates with me. It’s an art� it’s subtle and not in your face. You’re reading for a while and then they deliver a line that sends goosebumps up your spine. This book may have resonated with me because our main character, Bud, is a middle aged man (like myself), but Bud is really struggling. With his love, his job, and like many of us� finding purpose in his life. There are themes of death, and life, and friendships and what they all mean. I loved this. So much, I loved this. I’ll think about this for a while.
February 26, 2025
I received this ARC from the publisher, Zibby Publishing -- so, thanks Zibby! I always laugh when people say that they are providing the review voluntarily as if the publishers generally have henchmen with garottes standing behind ARC readers until they click "post." If that does usually happen, I attest that no garottes were used in encouraging this review. I did get a few lovely emails from a Zibby employee named Sarah Fradkin when I had some issues with the PDF, and I think she should get a bonus.
This is the kind of book I usually avoid like the plague. It is more than a little syrupy and "life-affirming", but I still liked it a whole lot. Some of my affection may be time-specific. I find myself thirsty for anything that affirms the existence of decency amidst this daily parade of coarseness and the death of empathy. Some of the good feeling might be place-specific. When I first moved to New York in 1986 (I know!) I lived basically where this book took place. I lived a few blocks away in Boerum Hill but my BFF (then and still) lived on a block that seems to be the very Cobble Hill block where the book is centered. I ate several times a week at Sal's Pizza on Court St. (RIP) and drank wine on my front stoop with my neighbors. Brooklyn is a really good place to live, and that area is particularly lovely. Kenney writes beautifully about Brooklyn, and nicely about Manhattan as well. He especially gets the love affair between those of us who arrived in NYC as adults and to whom the city gave lives and experiences we never imagined possible. All of that is relevant to the central story, but also, this helps make for a funny and touching book that is a pleasure to read.
I understood Bud well. I share a few things in common with Bud, and I feel like I know most of his friends (other than Tim, who was too perfect.) Kenney is funny, but he also knows and acknowledges the costs of using humor and sarcasm as defenses. He gives us a relatable view of grief, over the deaths and estrangements of friends and family, yes, but also over the loss of a marriage, and of a seemingly inevitable future life. He frequently gets too cute for my tastes. Making Bud an obituary writer seemed gratuitous. Making the potential love interest a manic pixie dream girl with a history of suicidal ideation was unfortunate. The adorable quirky and wise kid next door could have stood some toning down. Still, I liked this. It had a Jonathan Trooper/Matt Haig feel to me, but I liked it better than I like work by those two writers. All of these writers offer central characters who are sad sacks. Kenney though gives us an interesting nuanced sad sack (which I never see in the work of those other writers) and, as already mentioned, Kenney lets us see how deploying humor to avoid vulnerability comes at the cost of real connection. Also worth mentioning, this is a celebration of male friendship, real friendship with real conversations about real things, not let's grab a beer and watch the game friendship. This sort of friendship among men is underrepresented in media of all sorts, and it was a pleasure to see not just in the central bromance between Bud and Tim, but also between Bud, Howard, and Tuan.
If you are looking for an emotional read that celebrates human connection and generosity with humor and without guarantees for happily ever after this is a great choice.
This is the kind of book I usually avoid like the plague. It is more than a little syrupy and "life-affirming", but I still liked it a whole lot. Some of my affection may be time-specific. I find myself thirsty for anything that affirms the existence of decency amidst this daily parade of coarseness and the death of empathy. Some of the good feeling might be place-specific. When I first moved to New York in 1986 (I know!) I lived basically where this book took place. I lived a few blocks away in Boerum Hill but my BFF (then and still) lived on a block that seems to be the very Cobble Hill block where the book is centered. I ate several times a week at Sal's Pizza on Court St. (RIP) and drank wine on my front stoop with my neighbors. Brooklyn is a really good place to live, and that area is particularly lovely. Kenney writes beautifully about Brooklyn, and nicely about Manhattan as well. He especially gets the love affair between those of us who arrived in NYC as adults and to whom the city gave lives and experiences we never imagined possible. All of that is relevant to the central story, but also, this helps make for a funny and touching book that is a pleasure to read.
I understood Bud well. I share a few things in common with Bud, and I feel like I know most of his friends (other than Tim, who was too perfect.) Kenney is funny, but he also knows and acknowledges the costs of using humor and sarcasm as defenses. He gives us a relatable view of grief, over the deaths and estrangements of friends and family, yes, but also over the loss of a marriage, and of a seemingly inevitable future life. He frequently gets too cute for my tastes. Making Bud an obituary writer seemed gratuitous. Making the potential love interest a manic pixie dream girl with a history of suicidal ideation was unfortunate. The adorable quirky and wise kid next door could have stood some toning down. Still, I liked this. It had a Jonathan Trooper/Matt Haig feel to me, but I liked it better than I like work by those two writers. All of these writers offer central characters who are sad sacks. Kenney though gives us an interesting nuanced sad sack (which I never see in the work of those other writers) and, as already mentioned, Kenney lets us see how deploying humor to avoid vulnerability comes at the cost of real connection. Also worth mentioning, this is a celebration of male friendship, real friendship with real conversations about real things, not let's grab a beer and watch the game friendship. This sort of friendship among men is underrepresented in media of all sorts, and it was a pleasure to see not just in the central bromance between Bud and Tim, but also between Bud, Howard, and Tuan.
If you are looking for an emotional read that celebrates human connection and generosity with humor and without guarantees for happily ever after this is a great choice.
January 23, 2025
Protagonist Bud Stanley, an obituary writer, is my kind of guy—funny, funny, funny, even as he's so depressed and removed from his life that were he not so funny, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near him.
And author John Kenney is my kind of writer—a pro.
The story of sad sack Bud, who sabotages his life with a really dumb but hilarious "mistake," is perfectly paced between humor and almost lyrical passages—I say "almost" because "lyrical" often connotes a self-conscious effort and there is none of that here. The narrative flows. The humor erupts just at the right time for relief but there is no showing off or manipulation in the writing. And the observations come so organically that you could miss them if you weren't slurping this up with appreciation for every carefully chosen word:
Not since E. B. White's Here Is New York (which Kenney obliquely references by an early explanation of New York City that echoes White's) have I read my city so honestly portrayed.
The book is full of life and death—and since that's all there is, it's about everything. It's moving without being sentimental, funny without guile, an absolute joy to read.
***
I requested an ARC of this book after I read a Shouts and Murmurs piece by Kenney in the New Yorker and I had a collision of jealousy (that magazine has been turning me down for 50 years), admiration, and eventually larceny.
Larceny because once you drop jealousy, there is in Kenney's work an ocean of inspiration and structural and character brilliance to nip and transform into whatever it becomes in your muse's hands.
A note at the beginning of the e-ARC says that it was made from the writer's original manuscript. This is a daring and dangerous thing for a publisher to do. It can [and has] result[ed] in a galley with so many glitches and structural problems (that hopefully will be ironed out by an invisible editor's magic) that I think no ethical reviewer should publish anything about it. But in the case of Kenney's work, even through formatting problems, the writing is so good that it is easy to intuit where line and paragraph breaks should be. The story flows, the characters are full and consistent, and the structure is rock solid.
And author John Kenney is my kind of writer—a pro.
The story of sad sack Bud, who sabotages his life with a really dumb but hilarious "mistake," is perfectly paced between humor and almost lyrical passages—I say "almost" because "lyrical" often connotes a self-conscious effort and there is none of that here. The narrative flows. The humor erupts just at the right time for relief but there is no showing off or manipulation in the writing. And the observations come so organically that you could miss them if you weren't slurping this up with appreciation for every carefully chosen word:
A kind of theatre, a play, this unending parade of humanity. Pio Peruvian food next to Jalisco Tacos next to China House next to El Viejo Puerto Rican Café next to Famous Original Ray's Pizza next to Fat Albert and Hollywood Discount Furniture. It made no sense. The history of the world is tribes banding together behind large walls, going to war against one another, rejecting other religions, other ways of life. And yet here, on these crowded streets, the world came together. A bit of Spanish overheard here, a bit of Mandarin over there. Farsi, Yiddish, Italian. And yet somehow it worked. Food was ordered, diapers were bought, a flange was sold from a picture someone brought to a hardware store, neither person sharing a language. A neighborhood, a city, held together by a kind of societal duct tape, a New York shoulder shrug, a who-am-I-to-judge? [page NA]
Not since E. B. White's Here Is New York (which Kenney obliquely references by an early explanation of New York City that echoes White's) have I read my city so honestly portrayed.
The book is full of life and death—and since that's all there is, it's about everything. It's moving without being sentimental, funny without guile, an absolute joy to read.
***
I requested an ARC of this book after I read a Shouts and Murmurs piece by Kenney in the New Yorker and I had a collision of jealousy (that magazine has been turning me down for 50 years), admiration, and eventually larceny.
Larceny because once you drop jealousy, there is in Kenney's work an ocean of inspiration and structural and character brilliance to nip and transform into whatever it becomes in your muse's hands.
A note at the beginning of the e-ARC says that it was made from the writer's original manuscript. This is a daring and dangerous thing for a publisher to do. It can [and has] result[ed] in a galley with so many glitches and structural problems (that hopefully will be ironed out by an invisible editor's magic) that I think no ethical reviewer should publish anything about it. But in the case of Kenney's work, even through formatting problems, the writing is so good that it is easy to intuit where line and paragraph breaks should be. The story flows, the characters are full and consistent, and the structure is rock solid.
September 17, 2024
This is one of those books that I’m going to tell people about until they either read it or stop asking me what I’ve read lately. I loved it.
I had heard it was funny, and a story about an obituary writer who accidentally publishes his own obituary� I was hopeful that it would be funny enough that I smirked a few times or at least thought to myself that something was funny, but I actually made the noises of laughing out loud repeatedly throughout this book.
And it was also an emotional, engrossing narrative about recognizing life as it happens everyday, filled with a magnetic cast of characters that warms the soul.
I’d recommend this to folks who enjoy Matt Haig or Marianne Cronin.
I had heard it was funny, and a story about an obituary writer who accidentally publishes his own obituary� I was hopeful that it would be funny enough that I smirked a few times or at least thought to myself that something was funny, but I actually made the noises of laughing out loud repeatedly throughout this book.
And it was also an emotional, engrossing narrative about recognizing life as it happens everyday, filled with a magnetic cast of characters that warms the soul.
I’d recommend this to folks who enjoy Matt Haig or Marianne Cronin.
April 2, 2025
A dozen years ago, John Kenney’s debut novel, “Truth in Advertising,� began with an anecdote about a high school kid who concocted a paraplegic Vietnam vet and passed him off as the hero of his term paper for modern history. Fittingly, that fraudulent young man went on to become a depressed advertising writer.
In Kenney’s new novel, “I See You’ve Called in Dead,� the body drops just a few feet away, at a slightly different angle. This time around, the narrator, Bud Stanley, is a depressed obituary writer at the world’s largest wire service, and the hero he invents is himself.
One cold night, while circling the drain that’s become his life, Bud writes his own ludicrously spectacular obituary under the headline, “Bud Stanley, 44, former Mr. Universe, failed porn star, and mediocre obituary writer, is dead.� After noting that Mr. Stanley was killed in a hot-air balloon crash, he highlights his accomplishments as one of Gladys Knight’s original Pips, the first man to perform open-heart surgery on himself, the inventor of toothpaste and a member of the Jamaican bobsled team. It’s just a lark, a morbid way to get drunk on his own fermented despair. But then � oops � he accidentally publishes his little gag on the wire service, which sends the fake obituary to news organizations around the globe.
That’s a genuinely funny premise, though it chills the already withered heart of any journalist to see how quickly a career can be cremated in a moment of carelessness or rage. Naturally, Bud’s employer is furious. What he’s done might be a felony. His editor likes him � pities him � but this juvenile prank puts Bud beyond salvation. “You know what the crime of it was?� his editor asks. “It wasn’t a very good obit.�
An investigation is launched; he’s suspended without pay. Kenney gets off some easy shots at the usual HR inanity. He’s so cool with the retorts that he never even messes up his hair. As Bud takes one more walk through the newsroom, his officemate notes, “You look well for a dead man.�
Versions of that witty line recur across these pages like gravestones in Mount Auburn Cemetery � the rich variety somehow redeeming the repetition. Which is fortunate because there’s....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
In Kenney’s new novel, “I See You’ve Called in Dead,� the body drops just a few feet away, at a slightly different angle. This time around, the narrator, Bud Stanley, is a depressed obituary writer at the world’s largest wire service, and the hero he invents is himself.
One cold night, while circling the drain that’s become his life, Bud writes his own ludicrously spectacular obituary under the headline, “Bud Stanley, 44, former Mr. Universe, failed porn star, and mediocre obituary writer, is dead.� After noting that Mr. Stanley was killed in a hot-air balloon crash, he highlights his accomplishments as one of Gladys Knight’s original Pips, the first man to perform open-heart surgery on himself, the inventor of toothpaste and a member of the Jamaican bobsled team. It’s just a lark, a morbid way to get drunk on his own fermented despair. But then � oops � he accidentally publishes his little gag on the wire service, which sends the fake obituary to news organizations around the globe.
That’s a genuinely funny premise, though it chills the already withered heart of any journalist to see how quickly a career can be cremated in a moment of carelessness or rage. Naturally, Bud’s employer is furious. What he’s done might be a felony. His editor likes him � pities him � but this juvenile prank puts Bud beyond salvation. “You know what the crime of it was?� his editor asks. “It wasn’t a very good obit.�
An investigation is launched; he’s suspended without pay. Kenney gets off some easy shots at the usual HR inanity. He’s so cool with the retorts that he never even messes up his hair. As Bud takes one more walk through the newsroom, his officemate notes, “You look well for a dead man.�
Versions of that witty line recur across these pages like gravestones in Mount Auburn Cemetery � the rich variety somehow redeeming the repetition. Which is fortunate because there’s....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
June 3, 2025
the setup�
Bud Stanley is stuck. He’s a middle-aged obituary writer living in Brooklyn, divorced from a woman who left him for someone unremarkable. Bud is going through the motions of life and even his writing has gone stale. One night after too much to drink, he pens his own obituary and accidentally publishes it. His newspaper wants to fire him but because their records now list him as dead, they have to wait until the system makes him “undead.� While he awaits his fate, Bud embarks on a journey with his friend, Tim and a young woman he meets at a funeral where they attend the wakes and funerals of people they don’t know…learning how to find a way to live again.
the heart of the story�
Bud has a wicked, self-deprecating wit, especially when he’s with Tim, his wheelchair-bound friend who was a former art dealer, and his acerbic colleague Tuan. But they also offer him perspective in those exchanges. As Bud immerses himself in the lives of strangers’s at their wakes, he slowly revives himself, rediscovering his own life. I was inexplicably drawn into this story, finding parallels in my own life and asking myself similar questions. Yes, it’s funny and strange but there’s sunstance to it all.
the narration�
Sean Patrick Hopkins made me believe he was Bud and captured that incredible wit. I loved his performance, funny when it was intended and tender in the right moments.
the bottom line�
There’s an eloquence in the journey, transitioning from the quick comic jabs to self reflection and awareness of the world. Bud represents everyone who’s reached a certain age and been a little broken in the process. His search for meaning touched me deeply and I loved this little gem of a story that wormed its way into my heart.
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(Thanks to Zibby Publishing and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Bud Stanley is stuck. He’s a middle-aged obituary writer living in Brooklyn, divorced from a woman who left him for someone unremarkable. Bud is going through the motions of life and even his writing has gone stale. One night after too much to drink, he pens his own obituary and accidentally publishes it. His newspaper wants to fire him but because their records now list him as dead, they have to wait until the system makes him “undead.� While he awaits his fate, Bud embarks on a journey with his friend, Tim and a young woman he meets at a funeral where they attend the wakes and funerals of people they don’t know…learning how to find a way to live again.
the heart of the story�
Bud has a wicked, self-deprecating wit, especially when he’s with Tim, his wheelchair-bound friend who was a former art dealer, and his acerbic colleague Tuan. But they also offer him perspective in those exchanges. As Bud immerses himself in the lives of strangers’s at their wakes, he slowly revives himself, rediscovering his own life. I was inexplicably drawn into this story, finding parallels in my own life and asking myself similar questions. Yes, it’s funny and strange but there’s sunstance to it all.
the narration�
Sean Patrick Hopkins made me believe he was Bud and captured that incredible wit. I loved his performance, funny when it was intended and tender in the right moments.
the bottom line�
There’s an eloquence in the journey, transitioning from the quick comic jabs to self reflection and awareness of the world. Bud represents everyone who’s reached a certain age and been a little broken in the process. His search for meaning touched me deeply and I loved this little gem of a story that wormed its way into my heart.
Posted on
(Thanks to Zibby Publishing and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
May 23, 2025
A middle-aged divorcee and obituary writer has been stuck in a phase of comfortable mediocrity for most of his career. After a bad date where she shows up with her boyfriend, Bud gets drunk and tells the internet he’s dead, which kind of gets him fired and further fuels his state of self-deprecating indifference. We all have a little Bud in us, and if we're not careful, disengagement while going through the motions can become an accepted existence. I'm not saying you should drunkenly publish your own obituary or attend funerals of strangers to snap it of a funk, but I'm also not, not saying that? This book may have prompted me to brainstorm potential gravestone epitaphs for when my time comes. So far, “it was a run-by fruiting� and “how your email finds me� are up there. 4-stars for Esther smacking men when they say something dumb and the crisis hotline that tells you to just leave a message if no one answers. I learned a lot of random facts about death, which was more fun than it sounds, and that Embalmers Monthly was once a real publication. I also cried twice during two objectively happy moments, so I wonder what the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has to say about that?
April 20, 2025
An interesting story about a journalist going through an introspective phase.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Stream of consciousness
Dark Humor
Introspective look at life
Friendship
Slow Burn
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Stream of consciousness
Dark Humor
Introspective look at life
Friendship
Slow Burn
April 10, 2025
I didn't expect to fall for the book as completely as I did. I knew I'd like it because of the whip-smart satirical voice of the main character, but around them mid-way point, it hit me that I wasn't going to be okay until I knew Bud would be okay.
Open, honest narratives about death are really hard to write, but John Kenney deals with the subject with a wonderful mix of morose humor and heart. Tim has to be the BEST character with a physical disability that I've ever encountered. I loved every scene with him and every scene with Bud's young neighbor.
I listened to this one on audio thanks to @libro.fm. The performance was perfect and I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Open, honest narratives about death are really hard to write, but John Kenney deals with the subject with a wonderful mix of morose humor and heart. Tim has to be the BEST character with a physical disability that I've ever encountered. I loved every scene with him and every scene with Bud's young neighbor.
I listened to this one on audio thanks to @libro.fm. The performance was perfect and I highly recommend this book to everyone.
April 23, 2025
4.25 stars � A hilariously awkward dive into death, grief, and learning to actually live
I See You’ve Called in Dead follows a wonderfully endearing disaster of a human who stumbles into the oddest job imaginable: writing obituaries� and being absolutely terrible at it. He’s that guy you just know has amazing stories if he could only figure out how to tell them without tripping over his own feet � but somehow, that’s what makes him so weirdly likable.
The tone is exactly what I needed: not too heavy, not trying too hard to be deep. It walks that perfect line between heartfelt and self deprecating humor. The banter is sharp, the dialogue is packed with awkward charm, and instead of dumping loads of backstory, the author breathes life into every character through voice and personality.
At its core, the book is really about someone working in the business of death who has to figure out how to start living. There’s grief in here � not the loud kind, but the kind that hides in the background, that subtle disengagement we all feel when we’re afraid of really connecting or being hurt. But don’t worry � it’s never overly cerebral. The book delivers emotional weight through quirky, real moments rather than long introspective monologues.
If you love dark humor, socially awkward protagonists, and stories that sneak up on your heart, give this one a shot.
Thanks to Zibby Publishing for an ARC of this book.
I See You’ve Called in Dead follows a wonderfully endearing disaster of a human who stumbles into the oddest job imaginable: writing obituaries� and being absolutely terrible at it. He’s that guy you just know has amazing stories if he could only figure out how to tell them without tripping over his own feet � but somehow, that’s what makes him so weirdly likable.
The tone is exactly what I needed: not too heavy, not trying too hard to be deep. It walks that perfect line between heartfelt and self deprecating humor. The banter is sharp, the dialogue is packed with awkward charm, and instead of dumping loads of backstory, the author breathes life into every character through voice and personality.
At its core, the book is really about someone working in the business of death who has to figure out how to start living. There’s grief in here � not the loud kind, but the kind that hides in the background, that subtle disengagement we all feel when we’re afraid of really connecting or being hurt. But don’t worry � it’s never overly cerebral. The book delivers emotional weight through quirky, real moments rather than long introspective monologues.
If you love dark humor, socially awkward protagonists, and stories that sneak up on your heart, give this one a shot.
Thanks to Zibby Publishing for an ARC of this book.
May 25, 2025
Lots of dry humor and I enjoyed the friendships, but it was kind of a mixed bag for me. It left me a bit melancholy.
I voluntarily listened to an ALC courtesy of the publisher and Libro.fm. These are my thoughts and opinions.
I voluntarily listened to an ALC courtesy of the publisher and Libro.fm. These are my thoughts and opinions.
May 4, 2025
I hardly ever rate, let alone review books on here. Even if I didn't quite like something, I just log it and move on. I'm just some asshole, who am I to judge? This book, however, moved me.
You could replace every third sentence in this book with a wet fart noise and you'd end up with a funnier and more poignant final product. I was about a quarter of the way through the novel when I thought, "This could have just been an essay in The Atlantic." Then I noticed Mr. Kenney writes for The New Yorker. Close enough.
Our hero Bud Stanley is a thoroughly mediocre person. Not just a 'mediocre white man,' which turn of phrase I'm sure is the germ of Kenney's next book after he read it in Jonathan Haidt or whatever, but a mediocre person who cannot have a conversation without inserting some smirking bit of self-deprecation. It's one of those out-of-body experiences that makes you question your relation to the world around you, like "Fuck, am I this annoying?" Reading Bud's thoughts, one starts to understand how much Orson Welles hated Woody Allen. Bud is a younger GenX/elder millenial who failed up into a plush gig writing obits for a wire service, and after his *bitch wife* left him for some *chad*, he got real, real sad about it. And so some 20 years late, he has to have himself a nice little Fight Club meets American Beauty meets what I imagine Tuesdays with Morrie was-type of experience about it to learn *how to really live again, maaaan*. Add that up with a manic pixie dream girl who is at least 15 years late and some pronoun jokes that are at least 10 years late, and you have a book that is the perfect symbol of neoliberal nihilism in this country. For as much as Bud wants to find meaning, this book is fucking meaningless. This book reminded me of that joke about how libertarians stop with their crap when they take hallucinogens for the first time and realize that other people exist and have feelings, except Bud Stanley goes to the same funeral for different people instead of dropping acid.
This is one of those wonderful books where tHe CiTy oF nEw YoRk iS aLmOsT a ChArAcTeR. This is a book where every single conversation has the same start and end point. This is a book where character voices change constantly, as if they know the light is dimming around them and the spotlight is coming up and it's time for a half-baked monologue. This is a book about death in New York City published in 2025 that somehow never mentions Covid (check Kenney's browser history, I will bet you anything he's got a trove of articles saved about how remote schooling was the *real* mass casualty event). I truly don't understand how educated people have given the author awards for humor. This is the unique kind of humor that is absurd without aspiring to be so, a work that I'm sure has Nathan Fielder and Tim Robinson punching the air, saying "Shit, why didn't I think of that?" This is the kind of book Brian Griffin would write.
I truly hated this rotten little book. I think less of this community for giving it a 4+ star average. I cannot wait for this piece of shit to start winning awards. Enjoy your slop, dipshits.
You could replace every third sentence in this book with a wet fart noise and you'd end up with a funnier and more poignant final product. I was about a quarter of the way through the novel when I thought, "This could have just been an essay in The Atlantic." Then I noticed Mr. Kenney writes for The New Yorker. Close enough.
Our hero Bud Stanley is a thoroughly mediocre person. Not just a 'mediocre white man,' which turn of phrase I'm sure is the germ of Kenney's next book after he read it in Jonathan Haidt or whatever, but a mediocre person who cannot have a conversation without inserting some smirking bit of self-deprecation. It's one of those out-of-body experiences that makes you question your relation to the world around you, like "Fuck, am I this annoying?" Reading Bud's thoughts, one starts to understand how much Orson Welles hated Woody Allen. Bud is a younger GenX/elder millenial who failed up into a plush gig writing obits for a wire service, and after his *bitch wife* left him for some *chad*, he got real, real sad about it. And so some 20 years late, he has to have himself a nice little Fight Club meets American Beauty meets what I imagine Tuesdays with Morrie was-type of experience about it to learn *how to really live again, maaaan*. Add that up with a manic pixie dream girl who is at least 15 years late and some pronoun jokes that are at least 10 years late, and you have a book that is the perfect symbol of neoliberal nihilism in this country. For as much as Bud wants to find meaning, this book is fucking meaningless. This book reminded me of that joke about how libertarians stop with their crap when they take hallucinogens for the first time and realize that other people exist and have feelings, except Bud Stanley goes to the same funeral for different people instead of dropping acid.
This is one of those wonderful books where tHe CiTy oF nEw YoRk iS aLmOsT a ChArAcTeR. This is a book where every single conversation has the same start and end point. This is a book where character voices change constantly, as if they know the light is dimming around them and the spotlight is coming up and it's time for a half-baked monologue. This is a book about death in New York City published in 2025 that somehow never mentions Covid (check Kenney's browser history, I will bet you anything he's got a trove of articles saved about how remote schooling was the *real* mass casualty event). I truly don't understand how educated people have given the author awards for humor. This is the unique kind of humor that is absurd without aspiring to be so, a work that I'm sure has Nathan Fielder and Tim Robinson punching the air, saying "Shit, why didn't I think of that?" This is the kind of book Brian Griffin would write.
I truly hated this rotten little book. I think less of this community for giving it a 4+ star average. I cannot wait for this piece of shit to start winning awards. Enjoy your slop, dipshits.
April 8, 2025
What an incredibly unique story! 🤩
Thank you, Zibby Publishing, for the gifted copy of I See You’ve Called in Dead {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 4.1.2025
Pages: 304
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
“Aren’t we all more than our resume? Aren’t we more than the college we attended and the places we’ve worked? Aren’t we a million things that are so subtle and nuanced that most people never see them or experience them?�
It gave me major Backman vibes, where you don’t just get to know the main character but also fall in love with the supporting cast. Death of the Author was full of wonderfully flawed, relatable humans, and I found myself connecting with so many of them—yes, even the side characters! They helped remind the MC (and me) what it truly means to live and face the realities of death.
The story started off a bit slow for my taste, and I wasn’t sure about the MMC at first, but by the end, I was completely hooked. There were definitely tears but also plenty of laughs, making it the perfect balance of emotion. It was exactly the book I didn’t know I needed.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆�
The audiobook is narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, who also narrated A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Happiness Falls, The Astrology House, and The Days I Loved You Most. I think Hopkins was the perfect choice to narrate I See You’ve Called in Dead, as it seemed to fit exactly how I imagined the MMC’s voice. Thank you, @librofm, for the gifted copy!
Read if you enjoy:
🤭 Dry, Witty Humor
🫶🏼 Lovable Supporting Characters
📖 Slow Paced Stories
👏🏼 Character Development
I recommend reading I See You Called in Dead if you’re looking for a heartfelt read to help you see things in a new light.
______
Follow me on Instagram:
Follow me on ŷ:/chaptersofc...
Follow me on StoryGraph:
Thank you, Zibby Publishing, for the gifted copy of I See You’ve Called in Dead {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 4.1.2025
Pages: 304
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
“Aren’t we all more than our resume? Aren’t we more than the college we attended and the places we’ve worked? Aren’t we a million things that are so subtle and nuanced that most people never see them or experience them?�
It gave me major Backman vibes, where you don’t just get to know the main character but also fall in love with the supporting cast. Death of the Author was full of wonderfully flawed, relatable humans, and I found myself connecting with so many of them—yes, even the side characters! They helped remind the MC (and me) what it truly means to live and face the realities of death.
The story started off a bit slow for my taste, and I wasn’t sure about the MMC at first, but by the end, I was completely hooked. There were definitely tears but also plenty of laughs, making it the perfect balance of emotion. It was exactly the book I didn’t know I needed.
Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆�
The audiobook is narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, who also narrated A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Happiness Falls, The Astrology House, and The Days I Loved You Most. I think Hopkins was the perfect choice to narrate I See You’ve Called in Dead, as it seemed to fit exactly how I imagined the MMC’s voice. Thank you, @librofm, for the gifted copy!
Read if you enjoy:
🤭 Dry, Witty Humor
🫶🏼 Lovable Supporting Characters
📖 Slow Paced Stories
👏🏼 Character Development
I recommend reading I See You Called in Dead if you’re looking for a heartfelt read to help you see things in a new light.
______
Follow me on Instagram:
Follow me on ŷ:/chaptersofc...
Follow me on StoryGraph:
January 12, 2025
I See You’ve Called in Dead
What a read! This was a breath of fresh air. Funny, relatable, and deep all at the same time.
Loved it! Full video review on my socials!!
What a read! This was a breath of fresh air. Funny, relatable, and deep all at the same time.
Loved it! Full video review on my socials!!
May 1, 2025
Liked it. Not sure what I was expecting but it was lighter than I thought it would be and I appreciated there wasn’t a trite ‘Hollywood ending� or meaning to life squeezed in uncomfortably.
April 7, 2025
I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney. Thanks to @zibbybooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bud Stanley writes obituaries as his job until he gets drunk one night and accidently publishes his own obit, which causes chaos in his life.
I loved the dry witty humor of this one, which of course you can tell from the title is also dark humor. I also enjoyed that this is a coming of age tale for an older individual. We are never too young to grow! This one is not only funny but also emotional and meaningful.
“You are an obituary writer who does not understand the first thing about life. Wake up.�
I See You’ve Called in Dead is available now.
Bud Stanley writes obituaries as his job until he gets drunk one night and accidently publishes his own obit, which causes chaos in his life.
I loved the dry witty humor of this one, which of course you can tell from the title is also dark humor. I also enjoyed that this is a coming of age tale for an older individual. We are never too young to grow! This one is not only funny but also emotional and meaningful.
“You are an obituary writer who does not understand the first thing about life. Wake up.�
I See You’ve Called in Dead is available now.
Read
May 1, 2025I almost gave up on this one early on but am glad I stuck with it.
April 23, 2025
I picked up this book because the title was clever.
The writing is also very clever.
And deeply, deeply profound.
This is a book that will stay with me and that I will share with everyone I know.
The writing is also very clever.
And deeply, deeply profound.
This is a book that will stay with me and that I will share with everyone I know.
Read
May 9, 2025loved the absurdity of this book's premise. It left me hoping for something amusing and perhaps a little bizarre that would make me think about how the story of our lives should be edited as we go along and not submitted as a first draft on our deathbed.
Click on the YouTube link below to see how this book was pitched.
The premise was intriguing, but I ended up setting this book aside almost as soon as it got started.
My problem was that this is a story told in the first person by a person I have no desire to spend any time with.
An hour into this seven-and-a-half-hour story, I'd reached the morning after the night before when Bud (now there's a zero-charisma name) had accidentally uploaded his own obituary to the paper he works for. I should have been relishing watching Bud's life implode and then seeing if he can, as our politicians like to put it, Build Back Better. Instead, my inner pedant was shouting, "PLEASE make it stop." I knew what he meant. I realised that I didn't want to listen to another minute of self-indulgent whining by this 44-year-old man-boy.
Poor Bud. His life has no meaning. So he drinks and self-depricates. Woe is him.
I understand that I was supposed to feel sorry for Bud and I was probably supposed to admire the humour he used to distance himself from his own life as he wallowed in his depression but all I wanted to do was to tell him to shut up, suck it up and get real.
You can see why I didn't choose to make a career as a psychotherapist.
Click on the YouTube link below to see how this book was pitched.
The premise was intriguing, but I ended up setting this book aside almost as soon as it got started.
My problem was that this is a story told in the first person by a person I have no desire to spend any time with.
An hour into this seven-and-a-half-hour story, I'd reached the morning after the night before when Bud (now there's a zero-charisma name) had accidentally uploaded his own obituary to the paper he works for. I should have been relishing watching Bud's life implode and then seeing if he can, as our politicians like to put it, Build Back Better. Instead, my inner pedant was shouting, "PLEASE make it stop." I knew what he meant. I realised that I didn't want to listen to another minute of self-indulgent whining by this 44-year-old man-boy.
Poor Bud. His life has no meaning. So he drinks and self-depricates. Woe is him.
I understand that I was supposed to feel sorry for Bud and I was probably supposed to admire the humour he used to distance himself from his own life as he wallowed in his depression but all I wanted to do was to tell him to shut up, suck it up and get real.
You can see why I didn't choose to make a career as a psychotherapist.
May 15, 2025
A sarcastic obituary writer muddles through the consequences of his drunken actions and gets a sobering wake up call about life. I was laughing at how unserious Bud is in spite of his big screw up. But behind the nonchalant facade and dry humor, we see Bud slowly start to peel off the mask and open himself back up to honesty and vulnerability.
It’s a little earnest for me, and this book had two of my least favorite character tropes: the way too insightful child and the manic pixie dream girl. However, I love books that explore death and the attention to detail was great. I just wanted it try a little less hard to have every line be quotable.
It’s a little earnest for me, and this book had two of my least favorite character tropes: the way too insightful child and the manic pixie dream girl. However, I love books that explore death and the attention to detail was great. I just wanted it try a little less hard to have every line be quotable.
January 26, 2025
Touted as “The Office meets Six Feet Under�, this tells the story of Bud Stanley, a divorced, middle aged, lonely, on the down slide writer of obituaries who, one drunken night, writes and files his own obituary, greatly exaggerating his accomplishments. His newspaper wants to fire him but is prevented from doing so because the company’s computer has him listed as dead, and they can’t fire a dead man. Dismissed pending a hearing, Bud learns some life lessons from both the living and the dead.
I had to think a bit about how I felt about this read and then realized how much I really liked it. Well written by a Thurber prize winning author, there are witty lines, laugh out loud moments, and profound observations. It is also poignant and at times sad, but, ultimately, an affirmation of life. I also loved Kenney’s vignettes of life in New York City.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @ZibbyPublishing for the DRC.
I had to think a bit about how I felt about this read and then realized how much I really liked it. Well written by a Thurber prize winning author, there are witty lines, laugh out loud moments, and profound observations. It is also poignant and at times sad, but, ultimately, an affirmation of life. I also loved Kenney’s vignettes of life in New York City.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @ZibbyPublishing for the DRC.
May 4, 2025
Bud Stanley writes obituaries for a living. When he gets drunk one night after a disastrous blind date, he writes and publishes his own obituary. He's not dead. and the obit isn't factual - but his employer would fire him, except now according to their system he's dead. Divorced, lonely , and a little unmoored even on his best days, he finds himself unsure what to do with his new free time. As he finds himself going to wakes and funerals for people he doesn't know, he finds some new connections, and with the help of his best friend, learns a little something in the process. This novel is full of razor sharp humor and satire. you will laugh out loud - a lot. You might also cry - it's such a wonderfully funny, touching novel that I am so glad I found.
"Maybe we're all obituary writers. And our job is to write the best story we can now "
"Maybe we're all obituary writers. And our job is to write the best story we can now "
May 5, 2025
5🌟 This book! It made me smile and lol so many times. It definitely has The Office vibes. A much needed break from some of the heavy books I’ve read recently, but also somehow a profound commentary on all of life. I really loved it.
May 12, 2025
Bud Stanley, the protagonist of I See You've Called in Dead, is going through a rough patch. Although writing obituaries isn't his dream job, he's disappointed to be suspended from work. John Kenney's brand of dark humor appeals to me, and I enjoyed this--and had some good laughs.
April 14, 2025
“Life prevails. How strange and wondrous. In the midst of death, life prevails, calls to us, begs us, says ‘come, please, don’t you dare waste this precious gift.’�
I absolutely loved this one!
Bud Stanley, a divorced obituary writer, is feeling unmoored and depressed when he accidentally (and drunkenly) writes and publishes his own obituary.
Put on leave by his company for the offense, Bud begins to attend the funerals and wakes of strangers.
Along with his unlikely friends: a cultured man with paraplegia, a quirky, Lorelei Gilmore-esque woman, and an earnest 8-year-old neighbor, Bud confronts his past and purpose.
I laughed out loud several times while listening to this, and got teary-eyes quite a few times as well. This book would make for an amazing book club discussion!!
I absolutely loved this one!
Bud Stanley, a divorced obituary writer, is feeling unmoored and depressed when he accidentally (and drunkenly) writes and publishes his own obituary.
Put on leave by his company for the offense, Bud begins to attend the funerals and wakes of strangers.
Along with his unlikely friends: a cultured man with paraplegia, a quirky, Lorelei Gilmore-esque woman, and an earnest 8-year-old neighbor, Bud confronts his past and purpose.
I laughed out loud several times while listening to this, and got teary-eyes quite a few times as well. This book would make for an amazing book club discussion!!
May 21, 2025
4.5 stars. What a great story. I loved the main character Bud and often found myself laughing out loud. Highly recommend!
May 26, 2025
I’m surprised how touching this was. Another lovely and real meditation on grief and friendship. You really are rooting for Bud the whole time, such a relatable character.
April 27, 2025
I finished it because I listened to the audiobook and it wasn't bad or anything. But the first 15% was so much more promising than the rest of the novel...like I just could not find myself caring about a main character who was just kinda pathetic and unlikeable all the way through. The love interest was a boring manic pixie dream girl which was terribly tedious. This just wasn't it for me.
May 15, 2025
The group chat was shocked when May’s hostess sent everyone an obituary honoring the passing of our dear book club and inviting us to its wake. We all showed up last night in our funeral blacks to mourn only to find out that our book club was still alive and well! The reports of its death were greatly exaggerated.
For May, book club discussed I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD by John Kenney.
“We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom.�
Book club loves a theme, so our hostess threw book club a funeral, demanding that everyone dress is black. The food was your typical parish hall spread of honey baked ham, potatoes, coleslaw, green bean casserole, and rolls. Cookies were tombstones, coffins, and flowers from a funeral bouquet.
Book club members were ready to dive deep with this novel, some members bringing extremely annotated and highlighted copies of the book. We had some deep conversations about death (a topic commonly avoided by society) and grief and mourning. We shared our experiences of writing obituaries for loved ones. But we also talked about the importance of living with intention and purpose and making a conscious effort to soak up life rather than just moving through it. This novel offered so many great conversation starters. Steven Rowley said it best, “John’s book is so poignant and funny and a deep exploration of what it means to be alive at a time when we may feel very disconnected and alone.� So, we were honored to connect.
For May, book club discussed I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD by John Kenney.
“We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom.�
Book club loves a theme, so our hostess threw book club a funeral, demanding that everyone dress is black. The food was your typical parish hall spread of honey baked ham, potatoes, coleslaw, green bean casserole, and rolls. Cookies were tombstones, coffins, and flowers from a funeral bouquet.
Book club members were ready to dive deep with this novel, some members bringing extremely annotated and highlighted copies of the book. We had some deep conversations about death (a topic commonly avoided by society) and grief and mourning. We shared our experiences of writing obituaries for loved ones. But we also talked about the importance of living with intention and purpose and making a conscious effort to soak up life rather than just moving through it. This novel offered so many great conversation starters. Steven Rowley said it best, “John’s book is so poignant and funny and a deep exploration of what it means to be alive at a time when we may feel very disconnected and alone.� So, we were honored to connect.
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