Truth in Advertising

A Novel

By: John Kenney

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

A wickedly funny, honest, and poignant debut novel in the spirit of Then We Came to the End and This Is Where I Leave You about the absurdity of corporate life, the complications of love, and the meaning of family.

Finbar Dolan is lost and lonely. Except he doesn’t know it. Despite escaping his blue-collar Boston upbringing to carve out a mildly successful career at a Madison Avenue ad agency, he’s a bit of a mess and closing in on 40. He’s recently called off a wedding. Now, a few days before Christmas, he’s forced to cancel a long-postponed vacation in order to write, produce, and edit a Superbowl commercial for his diaper account in record time.

Fortunately, it gets worse. He learns that his long-estranged and once-abusive father has fallen ill. And that neither of his brothers or his sister intend to visit. It’s a wake-up call for Fin to reevaluate the choices he’s made, admit that he’s falling for his co-worker Phoebe, question the importance of diapers in his life, and finally tell the truth about his life and his past.

First-time novelist John Kenney, a regular New Yorker contributor, mines his own advertising background to weave spot-on, compelling insider detail into a hilarious, insightful, at times sardonic, and ultimately moving debut.

©2013 John Kenney (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Good story

I had a difficult time getting into the story, but once engaged, I fell in love with Finn.

Entertaining enough

Would you try another book from John Kenney and/or Robert Petkoff?

Great narration, but the story didn't capture me. I found myself really starting to hate the protagonist for how self centered, whiny and cowardly he was. My biggest pet peeve of John Kenney's as a writer is that with long sets of dialogue the only introduction used is "he said," "she said," "I said." Maybe it works on the page, but listening to it is ridiculous!

Would you recommend Truth in Advertising to your friends? Why or why not?

It's an easy "airplane" read, but not a "must read."

For fans of "Silver Linings Playbook"

Would you listen to Truth in Advertising again? Why?

I would definitiely listen to this again, because I enjoyed how the author entertwined laugh-out-loud, wry humor with a very real pathos. This is the story of an advertising executive who looks at everything in his life thorugh the lens of television commercial, which allows him to distance himself from what's going on in his actual day-to-day existance. He wants the happy endings he creates in TV commercials. But he just doesn't know how to get there without a script, beautiful cinematography, great lighting, and a pitch-perfect musical acompaniment. It is the tale of how a man who makes a living orchestrating illusions learns at last to trust, even in what cannot be scripted.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Truth in Advertising?

I reallly loved the gentle friendship that develops between the main character and the never-been-loved son of a Japanese corporate magnate. And Petkoff does a spot-on Japaness accent that brought this character to life, without descending into parody.

I do have to say that the climactic scene in which the main character blows up in front of his boss should go down in the Memorable Moments in Modern Literature Hall of Fame. I laughed so hard. Then I backed the chapter up and listened to it again. So, so brilliantly funny. And what we'd all love to say to our boss, but never will.

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Petkoff did a fabulous job bringing all the characters to life. His timing is perfect and each character has a distinct voice. I especially loved his interpretation of the egomaniacl, once-famous Hollywood director trying to turn a diaper commercial into high art. It's a brilliantly written scenario, made better by Petkoff's narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

In a world of illusions, love is still the one real thing.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book because I read a previous review in which TRUTH IN ADVERTISING was compared to books by Jonathan Tropper. I've devoured everything Tropper has written and was interested to see if John Kenney was up to the comparison. Happily, I can report that the answer is "yes," and then some.

Like several of Tropper's novels, TRUTH revolves around a mid-life crisis, father-son estrangements, and family ties that strangle. I must admit it took me a little longer to get into the rhythm of TRUTH, but I quickly became a fan and found myself eager to see how this story would unfold.

My best barometer of how much I like any book is how many friends I've recommended it to. Where TRUTH IN ADVERTISING is concerned, the answer is "many."

It's well-written, thought-provoking, and a grand pot-shot at the weird world of advertising.

Such a Good Find

If you could sum up Truth in Advertising in three words, what would they be?

Funny, Touching, Interesting

What did you like best about this story?

Inside baseball about the ad world.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't want to give it away....

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh out Loud. Def

Any additional comments?

It was a great surprise. I would LOVE to hear more books exactly like this. I don't write many reviews but had to reco this one.

Slow starter, but don't give up on it.

Would you try another book from John Kenney and/or Robert Petkoff?

Yes, but not with high expectations. Within the first half hour of listening, I almost abandoned the book because I was so put off by the superficial topic and writing style. I'm glad that I stuck with it because it got better, and there were some moments when it was great.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I am ambivalent about the performance. Most of the time, I was more aware of the narrator than the story, but I attribute that to the writing more than the narration.

Was Truth in Advertising worth the listening time?

Yes, the good moments outweigh the bad. It is a much more substantial story than the beginning indicates.

Funny clever poignant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Listen to this if you ever laughed out loud at an episode of mad men.

What did you like best about this story?

The narrator is outstanding, great comic timing and you're really rooting for him to figure his life out..

Highly Recommended

A witty, well-written novel with romance. What sets this apart is its intelligent humor and its insights about working in the advertising industry.

Self Absorbed

What did you like best about Truth in Advertising? What did you like least?

I am certain the the PR firm responsible for this book deserves a promotion. Without the excellent reader, I might have just bailed on the book.

What was most disappointing about John Kenney’s story?

The slowness of his self actualization.

Which scene was your favorite?

When his boss gave him a second chance.

Did Truth in Advertising inspire you to do anything?

No.

Liked this Book, Really Liked the Performance

Any additional comments?

I liked the story as the ad team attempted to created a Super Bowl commercial for diapers. Some funny stuff. The book is more than just an inside advertising story and I found myself really caring for the protagonist. Kenney creates interesting multi-faceted characters.

I want to listen to more books from Robert Petkoff. Excellent performance.

entertaining

I thought this book was going to be an "insider" tell-all about the advertising world - but - it ended up being a real "story" - that just happens to be about a man in the advertising field.

Yes -it does give "tid-bits" into what goes on behind the scenes (at an ad agency) - but it is more focused on the main characters past "demons" and why he is the way he is.

It was a good - easy read - and if you are "stuck" as to what to listen to - it's worth the credit.