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They Laughed at Me Kindle Edition

by David Kempf (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 53 ratings
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Jack Lively is an amateur open-mic-night schlock comedian—but there’s nothing funny about his life. He has drinking problems, hooker problems, legal problems, and wife problems. Despite all this, he’s willing to risk everything except his life on the woman he thinks he loves. But how far will he really go to get what he wants? Is he willing to murder his wife? Is the darker side of his comedy act really him? In the end, it could be that Jack doesn’t know Jack.
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  1. Print length
    178 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 2020
  5. File size
    3185 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"You'll hate yourself for laughing at this twisted journey into the black heart of a troubled comedian. And the ending will shock you."
—Tamara Thorne -author of Brimstone and Haunted

"Sardonic and daring. Kempf opens a vein and lets it flow, which is as art should be. Like Sam Kinison on a bad trip."
— Richard Alan Scott, Labyrinth Creators Journal at The Immortal Artist

"As a former stand-up comedian, I can tell you that David Kempf nailed the underbelly of the comedy biz."
— Michael McCarty author of Frankenstein's Mistress: Tales of Love & Monsters and Dark Cities: Dark Tales

"A devilishly satisfying work of twisted comedy starring the exploits of an unrepentant alcoholic joker."—Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08PH9C7PG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Graylyn Press (December 1, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3185 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 178 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B0972FCQXB
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 53 ratings

About the author

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David Kempf

David Kempf

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About the Author:

David Kempf has written over fifty short stories, many with themes of horror fiction. He has won several writing awards including first place in Millersville University’s Lemuria magazine’s short story competition. Two of his short stories were selected for the 2007 publication of (Chestnut Hill College's Magazine) The Grackle. He is a frequent contributor to the British website Masters of Horror U.K. He has written two children's books Tell Me More About Earth and The Wisdom Tree. The Wisdom Tree he wrote with his son Andrew to help families understand the issues associated with addiction. In 2014 he wrote The Horror of It All, featuring interviews with prominent figures in the horror community. All the proceeds from that book went to help those suffering from ALS. He is currently the author of six novels: Dark Fiction, The Petsorcist, Damned Fiction, They Laughed at Me, Travel Bug, and The Wager of Sin. David was a contributing author to More Modern Mythmakers (from Crystal Lake Publishing) where he interviewed some of the top names in horror. He's also had several of his short stories featured on Dead Airwaves, a horror story podcast featuring original stories from such writers as William F. Nolan, Elizabeth Massie, Gary Raisor, and Richard Matheson. David also contributed to the poetry book Venomous Words which made the preliminary ballot nomination for the Bram Stoker Awards. David is a returning guest on NBC Radio's House of Mystery, a popular talk show that interviews authors. The show has featured such authors as Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, and Dean Koontz.

In 2022, David wrote Four Murder Mystery Plays, which are four murder mystery one-act plays that revolve around the problems of addiction. That same year he published his last novel The Wager of Sin, which is the final book in his Dark Fiction trilogy. His latest work is Tales of Monster Madness, a short story collection featuring classic monsters from literary fiction.

PRAISE FOR DAVID KEMPF

"Prolific horror writer Kempf’s knack for deft characterization is on vivid display..." —Kirkus Reviews

"Dark, fast, and wicked fun..." —Jonathan Maberry, author (with George A. Romero) of Nights of the Living Dead

"I like where this series is going." —Lewis Schoenbrun, Editor--HBO's Tales from the Crypt

"...genuinely thrilling..."—Nicholas Grabowsky, author of Halloween IV and The Everborn

"A rich feast indeed."—William F. Nolan, author of Logan's Run

"...it all ties together beautifully..." — Lorraine Evanoff, Award Winning Author, and former CFO of National Lampoon

"Buckle up, buttercup!" —Gary Raisor, author of Less Than Human

"Genuine suspense with laughs in all the right places." —Meredith Bogard Brown, contributor-- Heavy Metal Magazine

"David Kempf looms large in the future of horror."—Tamara Thorne, author of Haunted and Candle Bay

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
53 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, ribald, suspenseful
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
Like its protagonist, They Laughed at Me is dark, funny, and compelling. The richly textured narrative of Jack Lively [aka Mr. Comedy] covers a lot of ground, in both its treatment of addiction and its fidelity to sometimes uncomfortable truths. The humor is unpredictable and the jokes ribald; these passages alternate with unflinching honesty and flashes of surprising pathos.
Jack has a lot to answer for—and he knows it. For reasons made clear early in the novel, he wears a mask to shield his identity from the comedy club patrons with whom he shares a close, if uneasy, bond. Underneath this physical barrier to the world are the many other disguises Jack uses to hide from himself and from others. He works intermittently as a comic, a magician, and a ghostwriter. Literally and figuratively, he embodies all three. Imprisoned by his own demons, Jack sees only one way to escape from the demons that plague him: to murder his wife. Expertly written, the suspense builds right up to the point that the curtain comes down.
The surprising ending is half-comedy, half magic trick, and completely unexpected.
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David Dalrymple
5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written page turner
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022
Verified Purchase
If you like dark humor and suspense, you’ll love this page turner by David Kempf. Like the Joker (Author Fleck), Jack Lively is a character you feel sorry for, yet know he’s a tragic, dangerous mess. Kempf does a fabulous job writing from the first person perspective, moving from Jack’s painful yet often humorous internal monologues to the present moment. The story depicts Jack Lively’s life of alcohol addiction, DUI arrests, horribly resentful divorce, and current house arrest (wearing an electronic ankle bracelet). Jack’s doing his best to further his career as a writer and, most currently, a comedian in a local bar while being tormented by his hatred of his ex-wife. Kempf has a wonderful ability to reveal Lively’s brokenness and often pathologic mental status while making the reader feel his character’s humanness, his longing for love, and his desire to be a good father. The dialogue is well written, often raw and edgy, and very believable. I read the book in two sittings because I needed to see what happened next! Kudos Mr. Kempf.
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Major T
3.0 out of 5 stars Oddly Compelling Fantasy ... Horrid Fun
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
The story centers around Jack Lively's house arrest for repeated DWIs and his obsessions with having to wear an ankle bracelet, killing his wife, encounters with prostitutes and open mic comedy sessions. His world is small and his feelings of being persecuted unfairly make his life miserable. He is unrealistically well off and really seems to earn very little income. His fantasy of murdering his wife has a surprise ending and I was pleased to see this small book end. Amusing in part, disturbing in part with much redundancy going over and over Jack's obsessions.
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Kichi Rsa
5.0 out of 5 stars Great plot and hero!
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2021
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I think fans of humorous novels should read this book now. It is original, well-written, and laughs out loud funny. The plot is brilliant and realistic, without being over complicated.
The characters are wonderfully drawn. They are fleshed out as real human beings in all imperfections and quirks. I have fallen in love with Jack Lively, despite all his craziness and never-ending problems... To top it all off, it’s full of delightful dark jokes and bizarre events, you'll remember them for a very long time.
They Laughed at Me is full of endless twists and turns, which are witty and exciting at the same time; it is so close to life, that you'll feel that it could happen to people around you.
Entertaining, dark, and clever novel; I just all-around had a great time reading it.
One person found this helpful
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Lyron
4.0 out of 5 stars Seeking stimulation in a twisted, darkly funny spiritual void
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
Jack Lively is learning to survive the yaw of voided meaning which made him an alcoholic. Now, as the Masked Mr. Comedy, he slips away from his home confinement to bait and stir the cold, drunken crowds at his nearby club's open mic as a stand-up. "How can I give love when I've never known love?" asked John Lennon- who suffered cynical bouts using his cerebral armor of sardonic wit and perception, like Jack, who finds himself in a desperate fantasy with his favorite call girl, after his wife becomes his venomous bane.

David Kempf takes us through the mechanics of stand-up comedy as his anti-hero Lively- well, why IS it that he keeps masking up in nylon to test his powers on the nightclub crowd? Jack's verbal agility is poured into professional ghost-writing, and for all his darkly-humored wit, he has a tremendous will to survive and assert himself in a cold, uncaring world, riddled with hypocrites and opportunists. But does his inner dialogue- advising his survival with oft-ignored good advice-contain an ever-stronger shadow?

The reality, as Jung wrote about so eloquently, is that we all must uncover the parameters of our own shadow selves; Jack's honesty in confronting his own is bracing, and set in contrast to the cynicism induced by the society around him. Yet, his torment is that he has love and goodness- even the desire to generate a laugh in the bitter crowd- while finding little outlet for genuine connection. There is a warmth that somehow sustains you through the loneliness of Jack's journey.

Kempf's ability to surprise you turning into the last stretch is echoed in these reviews, and he writes with an underlying sincerity. I actually think, the darker your situation while reading it, the more likely you are to find five stars shining in its bleak night.
4 people found this helpful
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Graymalkin
5.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly Funny
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2022
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Jack Lively is an alcoholic, estranged from his wife and son. Jack can't hold a day job, but pursues his dream of being a standup comic and magician, even though he knows his act sucks. But Jack Lively has a higher calling: to kill his wife . . . as soon as he's off house arrest.
The story is rife with groaners as well as laugh out loud jokes and dialogue, and enough twist and turns to leave the reader wondering if David Kempf is a brilliant writer, or a disturbed human being. Being a fan of dark humor (and completely unexpected endings), I'd say Kempf is an ideal balance of both. And more power to him!
I am enthusiastically looking forward to reading Kempf's other books!
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