Customer Reviews

The Best Thing That Can Happen to a Croissant

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was quietly reading the first few pages of this book, at Brews and News in Boca, when a strange thing happened. I literally had to place my hand over my mouth to keep from disturbing my fellow patrons with uncontrollable laughter. My shoulders shook and I laughed so much I almost cried.

Do you know how long it has been since I have had this reaction? I don't, but I know it has been way too long.

Imagine the laziest person you know, add 300 pounds to him and then make him 100 times more apathetic and you get the lead in this marvelous book. Except when it serves his purpose or has the mildy interesting characteristic of involving his ultra rich family, Pablo "Baloo" Miralles is more concerned about feeding his face or making it to the bars before closing, than what is going on in the world until his next feeding time. It takes a possible attempted murder and kidnapping and a call from relatives he barely finds interesting to nudge him off his sofa and begin his bumbling attempt to find some answers.

The only parts that are a bit difficult to get through are the dream sequences but even they are so bizarre that you have to continue to see what this bizarre mind will come up with next.

If you like intelligent, funny, mysteries with bumbling casts then you are going to love this book.

I had a hard time determining the number of stars to give this one. I'd give five stars for some chapters and one star for others. The sexual episodes described are well done and there is some genuinely original comedy, but I sensed that some of the humor was lost in translation. Still, the thin story line kept me reading to solve the mystery. This book won't make it big in the States because the author is far too casual about the "hero's" use of narcotics. The book could've retained all the substance and humor, been kept under 200 pages, and would've sold far more copies and received far more reviews. The author is brilliant, but twisted. And I love the cover design as it actually prompted me to pick up the book. I would like to meet the model for that little piece of art and would consider purchasing a framable copy.

Summary = Existential Barcelona trust-fund baby has some adventure and settles into his ideal life, far removed from society.

The story itself is made up of a series of unfinished strings - you have the impression both that the author took on more than could be accomplished in a single book and that the decision to end the book was somewhat abrupt.

In some ways though, this fits well with the lead character, who is basically a more intellectual version of Gob on Arrested Development. He has a pretend job with his family company, spends most of his time and ego in an online development of an ultimate philosophy, and idolizes gluttony in its essence - a life filled with drinking, drugs, food, and sex. This comfortable existence is interrupted by an intrigue involving his brother, but luckily for the reader, the book continues to focus on his internal state and the intrigue primarily results in him having more money to spend on his excesses.

The book is very self-indulgent and is not recommended for anyone looking for a serious read or "proper" literary development. But for a beach, plane, waiting in the doctor's office read, this is definitely worth the $1 used fee on marketplace. But do watch out for the cover - it makes it a little awkward to read in public...