Tourist Season

by Carl Hiaasen | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0446343455 Global Overview for this book
Registered by deenbat of Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on 4/8/2005
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by deenbat from Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, April 8, 2005
upon the recommendation of miketrollstigen...

Journal Entry 2 by deenbat from Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, June 11, 2005
I read this entire book on a flight from Manchester to Phoenix. Perhaps it is a gender thing... I found Mr. Hiaasen's writing contrived and pretentious. The plot was cliched and predictable, from page 1. The characters are either stereotypes (such as The Haunted PI, Brian Keyes) or so badly portrayed/developed that they require even less effort than the stereotyped ones (such as Jenna, whose motives/personality/behavior are intended to pass as enigmatic but are in fact just sketchily written)
The writing is formulaic in style and tone: constant similes are intended to be witty and wry, but instead are a distraction from what is supposed to be going on, and not nearly as imaginative as Mr. Hiaasen seems to think. They were funny when I read the same sort of thing in Tom Robbins' books 25 years ago - now they're boring and absurd.
Another problem is accuracy & attention to detail. One example is Hiaasen's reference to a "windshield" on a motorcycle. Anyone who cared to bother could find out in 30 seconds or less that the proper word for that item is "fairing," either half or full. But Mr. Hiaasen cannot be bothered to ascertain such simple details despite the fact that they would lend credibility to his alliterative cliches.
I wanted very much to like this book... but I do not need to be concerned about a new author with whom to keep up.

Journal Entry 3 by deenbat from Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, June 17, 2005
sending to billsmith, in hopes that this quintessential gender writing will appeal more to him than it does to me.

Journal Entry 4 by billsmith from Mesa, Arizona USA on Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Sent by deenbat, who apparently hopes that my guy-ness will let me appreciate this book more than she did. I've never read Hiassen, so we'll see.

Journal Entry 5 by billsmith at Mill Ave in Tempe, Arizona USA on Sunday, December 3, 2006

Released 17 yrs ago (12/3/2006 UTC) at Mill Ave in Tempe, Arizona USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Well, I tried it. I really did. Got nearly halfway through it before giving up. Turns out that just being a guy isn't necessarily enough to like this book. The plot was utterly ludicrous and the characters all two-dimensional cardboard cutouts.

Still, Hiassen has plenty of fans who'd probably like this (and think that deenbat and I are either nuts or literary snobs), so I'll release it when I visit the Tempe Festival of the Arts today in hopes that it'll find someone who'll enjoy it.

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