Customer Reviews

Condominium

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I hesitate to call Condominium John D. MacDonald's best novel, not yet having plowed through his entire canon. I will say, though, that it is the best of his novels that I have read to date.

The story's build and momentum is remarkable, simulating the steady gathering of storm clouds in a hurricane like the one that brings this novel to its climax. From page one, the reader knows that trouble is brewing, and after the introduction of several shady characters bent on exploiting the masses lured to the American Eden, you begin to crave a good comeuppance for the corrupt.

Only, life has an odd way of punishing not only the rotten, but the innocent who cross their path.

MacDonald is always true to the social reality of Florida and, make no mistake, this book is as timely as when it was first printed. Finely written and one of MacDonald's most engaging reads.

John D. MacDonald is ruthless. First, he pillories "community leaders" whose greed and self agrandizement victimize retirees who flock to the tropical paradise of the Florida keys. Then, just as ruthlessly, he describes the realities of the "golden years," years of disenchantment, boredom, paranoia, disease. Here the master (ask Hiaasen and other younger authors whom he as inspired) turns from his usual genre, the detective romp, to a disaster saga. His Hurricane Ella wreaks havoc on scam artist and mark alike. A very good read . . .a very illuminating expose. Never been disappointed yet with a J.D. MacD. novel

An awesome look at the reality of what they do to the old people here in Florida. MacDonald essentially indicts our entire society. This novel's more relevant today than ever, MacDonald was truly visionary. These characters are real people and they live here in Florida, except for the hero character, Sam Harrison, who might as well have been named Travis McGee. I haven't read all of Johnny Mac, but this might be his best one.

I read this book many years ago and I have told many people about it. I am going to purchase it now to give to my children to read. It is perfectly true even by today's standards. They actually made a mini-series of it back in the day when those were all the rage. I would be interested in seeing that again as well. Just as an aside--he also wrote a very astute book about all the tele-evangelists and this was BEFORE the Jimmy Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals. He was a true visionary. I love the whole Travis McGee series as well.

Living in Florida I read Condominium each year just to remember how fragile a peninsula it is we live on. The discipline helps me make decisions when hurricanes threaten. I've given this book to others to read as a reminder.

"Condominium" may be MacDonald's best novel. Much of it is still relevant after 20 years. No other book I've read captures the perils and paranoias of aging with such pithy eloquence. Here on the wet coast of British Columbia, this novel has new relevance, for we have leaky condos by the hundreds.

John D. MacDonald, a long time resident of Sarasota's Siesta Key, took a dim view of the proliferation of condominiums in Florida. Condominium, published in 1977, was inspired by this anti-condo mindset.

A lengthy potboiler of a novel, Condominium features greedy real estate developers, builders who routinely ignore safety codes, corrupt politicians and the guileless retirees who buy into the carefree condo culture. There are many interesting subplots, some quite salacious, and more than enough characters for at least 3 good sized novels. As the multifaceted narrative unfolds, a killer hurricane lurks in the wings ready to indiscriminately destroy saint and sinner alike.

MacDonald was a very talented writer and the books One More Sunday and The Last One Left show what marvelous things he was capable of when it came to writing complex novels with multiple interlinking subplots. Condominium is certainly a worthwile read but it's overly ambitious. There are far too many characters to reasonably expect readers to be able to keep straight. A shorter version with fewer characters would have been just as engaging and more satisfying.

This is one of my favorite books I have ever read. I have read it on four separate occasions since 1980 when the tv movie about it prompted me to read the book. The characters are wonderfully thought out and carry themselves throughout the novel. The plots are clever and more than interesting. It is one of those books you don't want to end. The harrowing suspense keeps one on the edge of their seat waiting for the furious hurricane to topple down all the substandard building materials the money manipulators used to line their pockets with. You want to punch out all the horrible people and you want to praise all the good people. There is a hodgepodge
of characters as only the great John D. Macdonald could bring to life. Everyone who likes to read and who likes suspense should love this book. The 1980 tv 2 part miniseries "CONDOMINIUM" based on the book was fun too. It starred Barbara Eden and Dan Haggerty and an amazing all star cast of veteran actors. As usual though, the book blew the movie away. The language and adult themes of the book could have never been aired on tv especially then or even now it would have to be made for cable. Read the book and if you are lucky enough for stubborn Universal to ever release the movie, watch that too.

My God, reading this book you can't tell whether it is 1977 (which is when it was written) or 2009. And, I'm reading it as two hurricanes are churning across the Atlantic. Condo boom in Florida? Check. Unsustainable home values? Check. Corrupt builders/bankers/politicians? Check. Shoddy construction? Check. People looking to fulfill a dream and being severely disappointed? Check. I can't speak for the all the marriage infidelity but I'm sure that's happening too. The book was extremely funny until it was extremely sad. But, you might say many of them got what they deserved. Nature (and life in general) has an uncanny way of turning things around.

Of perhaps half a dozen MacDonald books I've read, this one stands out a mile. I only wonder what kind of life he had, that drove him to create so many utterly despicable characters. The few likable ones are viciously scarred by tragedy even before the book starts--and things only get worse. The old folks here are mostly busy dying even before trouble comes, and the young ones are too busy jumping each other's bones to care if the old even die with any dignity. the righteous and the unrighteous alike mostly end up at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker, and none will be lamented--though many are unforgettable, even in their nastiness. I can't see the printed edition, so I don't know if MacDonald intended the characters Mcginity and Brenhamer in particular to use the dialect employed by the narrator in the audio edition. This is so much better than the Travis Mcgee series that it could have been written by a different man.