Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
| Company type | Division of Simon & Schuster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
| Website | www |
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff is a 2018 satirical novel from the United States, authored by Sean Penn. The narrative is delivered by Pappy Pariah and centers on Bob Honey, an international assassin whose method of killing involves using a mallet on elderly individuals. The book was published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and became available on March 27, 2018.
Inspiration
Penn identified contemporary political movements as key influences, notably the activism of Parkland shooting survivors campaigning for gun control reforms. He highlights that the novel explores themes related to ethics and the fabric of contemporary American society.
Plot
Told through Pariah's perspective, the narrative weaves together elements of reality and hallucination. Bob Honey resides in Woodview, California, where he faces emotional isolation following his divorce. He voices disdain for the pervasive presence of advertising and the incessant cycle of news. His former spouse, now remarried to her divorce attorney, operates an ice cream truck; meanwhile, Honey harbors feelings for a younger woman named Annie.
Previously employed as a septic tank salesman, Honey transitions into a secret government assassin targeting elderly people labeled as burdens on resources. His missions span multiple locations worldwide—from assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to addressing sewage crises in Baghdad, Beirut, and South Sudan. Additionally, he pursues marine life in the Pacific Ocean. When an investigative journalist begins probing into Honey’s activities, he starts to reevaluate his existence amid media attention and pressure from his handlers.
The book concludes with a poem reflecting on incidents such as the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, escalating tensions with North Korea, Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico, and the MeToo movement. Within this poem, Honey composes a confrontational letter addressed to the US President ("Mr. Landlord"), advocating for assassination rather than impeachment: "We are a nation in need of an assassin [...] Tweet me bitch, I dare you." The poem ends with Honey murdering the journalist and escaping.
Characters
- Pappy Pariah – Originating from the fictional town of Summerton Feathers, Iowa, born in 1960, Pappy Pariah narrates the audiobook edition of Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. He functions as both narrator and alter ego for Sean Penn, who claimed to have encountered Pappy in Florida. According to Pappy, he has previously written articles under a pseudonym but this represents his debut novel. A serious case of appendicitis at age 13 inspired his writing pursuits.
- Bob Honey – The main figure of the story is a disgruntled, divorced man in his mid-fifties who has held various roles including sewage technician, carnival worker, Jehovah's Witness, government agent, and assassin. Disenchanted by a media-driven culture and grappling with post-divorce challenges, Bob is 56 years old and exhibits a violent skepticism toward contemporary messaging and societal mediocrity.
- The Landlord – Depicted as a "violently immature seventy-year-old boy-man with money and French vanilla cotton candy hair," this character receives a harsh letter from Bob Honey. Penn leaves it up to readers to interpret this "Trumpian" Landlord allegory.
Release
An excerpt from the novel was initially distributed as a complimentary Audible audiobook credited to Pappy Pariah as author with Penn narrating. At first, Penn denied being the writer, stating that the book was penned by someone he met at a bar in Key West.
During promotional appearances, Penn revealed his intention to cease acting and focus exclusively on writing novels.
Reception
Bob Honey was met with largely unfavorable critiques, with many reviewers pointing to the author’s erratic writing approach. Mark Athitakis of The Washington Post condemned the satire as lacking humor and described the prose as disjointed, overloaded with alliteration. Based on selected passages, Jonah Goldberg from the National Review characterized the writing as formulaic. Claire Fallon of the Huffington Post expressed particularly severe disapproval, asserting that "Sean Penn The Novelist Must Be Stopped." The novel was also analyzed on the podcast 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back, which focuses on poorly received literature. Mark Hill from Cracked.com labeled it "the worst novel in human history," criticizing Penn’s excessive reliance on thesaurus-driven vocabulary. Additionally, the book attracted reproach for containing racist and misogynistic elements. Sian Cain, writing for The Guardian, described the work as "repellent and stupid on so many levels."
Penn responded to criticism regarding sections about the Trump administration and the Me Too movement, claiming these passages were "taken out of context" and lamenting how fictional narratives are often mistaken for personal viewpoints. Media outlets widely interpreted the character "Mr. Landlord" as a symbolic representation of Donald Trump, whom BBC News depicted as a "violently immature 70-year-old boy-man with money and French vanilla cotton candy hair."
Despite the overwhelmingly negative reception, novelist Salman Rushdie offered praise for the book, suggesting that writers like Thomas Pynchon and Hunter S. Thompson might appreciate its style. Travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux also expressed support, describing it as "comic" and "crackling with life," viewing Bob Honey as a protagonist emblematic of Trump-era America. On Comedy Central's The Daily Show, host Trevor Noah referred to it as "a strange story that seems like a metaphor for real life." Penn shared on Marc Maron’s podcast WTF that composing Bob Honey was a way to manage societal negativity and personal burnout, serving as a humorous outlet amid difficult circumstances.
The Pearl Jam track "Never Destination," penned by Penn’s longtime friend Eddie Vedder, includes a reference to Bob Honey in its lyrics: "Thank you Bob Honey. Thanks Paul Theroux. If ever I die, to this place let me go."
Sequel
The follow-up novel, Bob Honey Sings Jimmy Crack Corn, was published by Rare Bird Books on September 10, 2019. It picks up Bob Honey's narrative as he is chased by law enforcement and journeys to Washington, D.C. to confront the Landlord.
See also
- The Assassination of Richard Nixon – a 2004 film starring Penn as Samuel Byck, who attempted to assassinate Richard Nixon