Sean Penn’s debut novel has amassed a whole lot of bad reviews. But instead of playing down the pans, Penn’s publisher highlighted them in a full-page ad in Tuesday’s print editions of The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Penn’s novel, “Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff,” was released by Simon & Schuster on March 27. The headline of the ad reads, “The Critics Agree!,” followed by negative quotes about the book. Reviews from high-profile outlets such as Marie Claire, Chicago Tribune and USA Today are printed on the ad (and yes, they’re real).
“Sean Penn the novelist must be stopped,” reads Huffington Post’s review, while Marie Claire wrote, “Honestly, shut your face, Sean Penn.”
However, the ad also bears the words “Instant National Bestseller,” and points to well-known authors who have praised the book. Salman Rushdie, Jane Smiley, Paul Theroux, Stuart Dybeck, Sarah Silverman and Bill Maher are just a few who are advertised on the spread.
“Comic, cauchemaresque, crackling with life, ‘Bob Honey’ is a hero of our Trumpian times reflected in the cracked mirror of Penn’s prose,” wrote Theroux.
Ultimately, the ad urges readers to “Read It and Decide For Yourself.”
See it here:
