Critical Evaluation

“Books of advice come in many forms: financial, spiritual, physical, philosophical. Novels too are books of advice, if read in a certain light. Eve Babitz understood, for example, that part of Colette’s greatness is that you can open her novels anywhere and “brush up on what to do.”

There are only two advice books I’ve read more than once. One is Tom Hodgkinson’s “How to Be Idle” (2004). Its title is self-explanatory. The other is J.P. Donleavy’s “The Unexpurgated Code” (1975). Its title is less so. Donleavy’s book is a sendup of the form that happens to be, possibly, the funniest book ever written.

“The Unexpurgated Code” turns 50 this year. It has dropped from sight, and yet here we are at a moment when the world could use it. It’s a book to turn to when you need a little pick-me-up. It is Bolivian marching powder for the spirit. Its table of contents alone is more happily anarchic than most books in their entireties. Here are a few of Donleavy’s 270 topics:

“Upon Placing the Blame for Venereal Infection,” “Upon Embellishing Your Background,” “Upon Being Unflatteringly Dressed in an Emergency,” “Upon Your Spit Landing on Another,” “Upon Fouling the Footpath,” “Upon Heaping Abuse on the High and Mighty,” “Upon Being Exorcised” and “Upon the Nearby Arrival of a Flying Saucer.””

Garner, Dwight. The New York Times Book Review. “Could This Be the Funniest Book Ever Written?” April 7, 2025.

 

First Excerpt

 

“Food Throwers: Begun usually by estranged couples, once this victual flinging starts, everyone will do it…Should your dinner party have b

ecome an out of control concussion match with opponents catapulting croutons and petits pois across the mahogany, don’t fight it, go with it. And when you have the desire to quell the uprising approach the original perpetrator from behind. There, slowly crown her with the contents of the fresh fruit salad bowl. But be warned. Although this immobilizes and rivits everyone’s attention it also gives them new ideas.”

Second Excerpt

“Upon Making the Contract for the Rubout:

Give clear directions to your roughnecks as to the area of your chap’s anatomy you want broken as this directly affects the duration of incapacitation. To stop him writing checks or his memoirs, the wrists can be smashed. In preventing him preparing his own favorite spaghettis, clean break fractures above the elbow keep him away from his chopping board.”