Mark Honbo

For me, it's always fun to find a book that appears, at first glance, to be one thing, only to discover that it's actually something else. When you find something deeper, that blows your expectations away, or even reverses them entirely. Sometimes that's a genre-bender, and sometimes it's just how the author breathes unlikely life into a story.

My wife got an ebook for our son called "The Happiest Diarrhea." Yep, that's about what I thought too. I have only limited patience for poop books, even though my kid can't get enough of them.

Thankfully, I was rather shocked to discover that this picture book, ostensibly for poop-loving 5-year-olds, was referencing Henry David Thoreau, Archimedes, Plato...it was bizarre. And on top of that, it even was heartwarming. Definitely not what I was expecting.

I've had a similar experience with other books and movies. Have you? What books/movies/etc. have defied your low-brow/high-brow expectations, or combined both in interesting ways?

beesonosu

Maybe not a pure example of what you're asking for, but I'd highly recommend The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again, but I loaned it to someone years ago and can't remember who, man.

Mark Honbo

Thanks beesonosu, I haven't heard of The Fan Man, but I'll check it out.

funkyryno

"Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" by David Sedaris sounds like the type of book you're describing.

cgray

TGM

many of Chuck Palahniuk's stuff might fit. My favorite is probably "Choke", followed by "Survivor" and "Fight Club".

Strafe

fnord