Amazon.com: The Big Bamboo: Tim Dorsey: Books

Book Description

Publication Date: 2006

6"x 9" softcover.

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Tim Dorsey Page

Tim Dorsey was a reporter and editor for the Tampa Tribune from 1987 to 1999 and is the author of ten previous novels: Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, Orange Crush, Triggerfish Twist, The Stingray Shuffle, Cadillac Beach, Torpedo Juice, The Big Bamboo, Hurricane Punch, and Atomic Lobster. He lives in Tampa, Florida.

Customer Reviews

41 Reviews

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (41 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor for the Certifiably Insane, September 3, 2006

By

Gary Griffiths (Los Altos Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: The Big Bamboo: A Novel (Hardcover)

If you, too, are annoyed by the guy on the radio who pronounces jaguar like "jag-you-are", then Tim Dorsey's "The Big Bamboo" is likely the ride for you. Sure, Dorsey, like South Park, Family Guy, bungee jumping is an acquired taste, but go ahead and get addicted - he's the funniest thing to hit print since Gutenberg.

I've got to take issue with those reviews who'd rate "The Big Bamboo" a notch below "Hammerhead Ranch" or "Triggerfish Twist". I found "Bamboo" one of his best: a clever and biting parody that playfully skewers Hollywood's plastic pretentious culture and the movies it spews, reality shows, and pop thriller fiction. Back of course is the manic Serge A. Storms, the hyperactive front man set with Coleman, his near-comatose partner - Cheech and Chong for the 21st Century. Not that the plot really matters, but seemingly unconnected capers involving the abduction of a movie starlet, a big budget film disaster, Harvey and Bob Weinstein cloned into Ian and Mel Glick, and an Alabama oil scam mash together in the brand of black humor climax that's by now a Dorsey hallmark. And Dorsey again struts his Olympian command of useless facts and trivia, proving that should you ever show up on Jeopardy, Tim Dorsey is the last smiling idiot you'll want to see standing across from you.

So if you enjoy Carl Hiaasen's biting satire, and find yourself laughing out loud at Dave Barry's slapstick social satire - go demented, go rabid, get unhinged - read Tim Dorsey.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wacky, funny, loose, April 12, 2006

By

David Swanger "dave" (Auburn, AL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Big Bamboo: A Novel (Hardcover)

Serge and Coleman go to Los Angeles and invade the movie business. Murder, corruption, abduction, surprises and hilarity follow. The story isn't real organized and doesn't have to be. It mostly comes together at the end. Very funny.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Big Step Down, June 7, 2006

By

Bonner '62 (Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Big Bamboo: A Novel (Hardcover)

When I discovered this author I quickly bought all his books. I purchased this one in hard cover as soon as it came out. I shouldn't have bothered, this one is not up speed. The book is disjointed and hard to follow and thus, unlike his previous efforts, doesn't hold the reader's attention. I don't mean disjointed in a wacky way that is endearing, I mean disjointed as in bad writing. There are still some laughs but they are few and far between. Some of the evil forces at work are just background noise and you never really have any insight or interest in them. It just kind of limps to a tacky happy ending when the reader has long since lost interest in what's happening. Was the author being too clever by half or is he just running out of steam? I don't know but in the future I'll wait for the paperback version or just hit the library.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Serge v. Hollywood
Serge Storms and his sobriety-challenged companion Coleman travel from Florida to Hollywood in the hopes of convincing the studios to bring their movie-making machine to the... Read more

Published 22 months ago by Marc L. Tavasci

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Bamboo Rocks!
My favorite in the whole series. Lay back with a few cold ones, light up a fatty and hang on as you're in for a ride of your life!

Published on November 28, 2009 by Stephen R. Hancock

5.0 out of 5 stars Serge in Hollywood--Great Fun
We are used to Serge being on the lose in Florida. This novel in the series is mainly set in Hollywood. Read more

Published on November 22, 2009 by carol irvin

5.0 out of 5 stars A good addition to the collection
The book is another goood one from Tim Dorsey. He is a crazy insane writer with a wonderful imagination. I would recommend them all.

Published on October 8, 2009 by Normajean Atkinson

4.0 out of 5 stars Beware, California, Here Comes Serge!
A vacation isn't a vacation without bringing Serge Storms along. Tim Dorsey's The Big Bamboo is a novel that continues the lively Florida-centric antics of your favorite serial... Read more

Published on April 29, 2009 by Gregg Eldred

4.0 out of 5 stars Serge Strikes Again!
Tim Dorsey has a wonderful way of making you side with the bad guy--his subtle twists and turns keep you guessing right up until the end!

Published on March 2, 2009 by L. Snyder

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun book in a fun series.
I think "fun" is a good way to characterize this book and all in the series.

Please look for my review of Florida Roadkill, dated December 23, 2008, for a review of... Read more

Published on December 31, 2008 by Bertilak

4.0 out of 5 stars Lights... Camera... CUT! Someone get Coleman out of the props locker!
If you know Dorsey, you know what to expect from one of his novels, and this is little different... the biggest change being that the majority of the book takes place in... Read more

Published on December 30, 2008 by Matthew Farrell

5.0 out of 5 stars Tim's best yet!!!
For those unfamiliar with Tim Dorsey's work and his recurring character Serge... well then you need to crawl out from under a rock and climb back into you grave. Read more

Published on March 26, 2008 by Leigh Pierce

4.0 out of 5 stars Some big laughs
Good like most of Dorsey's stuff! I enjoy all the trivia, Florida and Hollywood triv....

Published on January 13, 2008 by L. White

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
props department, opening hook

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ally Street, The Fullback, The Tat, Ford Oelman, Grand Marquis, All That Glitters, Hollywood Tattletale, Los Angeles, Detective Babcock, Final Day, Tori Gersh, Alto Nido, Little Serge, Magic Fingers, Mel Glick, Buick Riviera, Chrysler Sebring, Don Adams, Gulf of Mexico, Nebraska Avenue, New York, Bel Air, Detective Reamsnyder, Jason Geddy, Polo Lounge

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