Customer Reviews

Elvis, Jesus, and Coca-Cola

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Another success from the Kinsta. A bizarre plot with even more bizarre characters told in the inimitable style of the New Yorxan(Texorker?). While reading it on the plane from Houston to Boston it had me laughing out loud. I had to give my copy to the lady beside me and buy another when I landed. Few things these days can bring such simple joy and so much fun.

Until three months ago, the only author named Friedman I'd ever heard of was Milton, which probably explains why I was slow to heed a friend's "You gotta read one of Kinky Friedman's books" advice. But after reading two K. Friedman tomes - "Armadillos & Old Lace", and now "Elvis, Jesus & Coca-Cola - I'm ADDICTED TO THE KINKSTER. So much so that I just got done ordering four MORE of his books from Amazon. And now I'M the one telling people that they "gotta read a Kinky Friedman book" - which is really saying something considering that I grew bored and uninterested in "run of the mill" fiction mysteries long ago. BUT THE KINKSTER IS DIFFERENT! His stories are absorbing and addictive. His style is refreshingly twisted and unique.His characters will take up residence in your brain (and stay there long after you finish the book). And his words run the gamut from profound to silly - from thought-provoking to bizarre - from intensely sad and moving to laugh-out-loud hilarious. In fact, my only complaint with Mr. Friedman is that his quips, wise-sayings and one-liners are SO DAMN GOOD - and they come so fast and frequently - that I'm constantly looking for a pen or pencil to write them down (so I can use them later). In short, the man is one great storyteller and wordsmith, and "Elvis, Jesus & Coca-Cola" is a darn good yarn and a VERY enjoyable read.

Beach read. That pretty much somes it up. The chapters are fast and furious, with several great lines that are worth highlighting. A few times I laughed out loud. The plot wasn't that great, and the ending was a bit predictable. The two biggest problems were the recap ending(this is how it was done, my dear Watson...) and the plot was flimsy. But, if you are looking for something to kill a few hours, you could do worse.

Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola might possibly be the least imaginative of the plot lines in the Kinky mysteries (at least up to that point). It involves two of Kinky's lady friends, cleverly dubbed Uptown Judy and Downtown Judy, who are unaware of the other's existence until one of them is killed and the Village Irregulars pounce on the case.

For fans of the series, however, the plot lines are secondary to the humorous anectodes of our hero and the everyday situations that he finds himself. Kinky's friends are all featured extensively throughout the novel, which results in a number of hilarious boozy gatherings in various bars, restaurants and a gay burlesque theatre. The infighting between Ratso, Rambam, McGovern, Brennan and Kinky's new neighbor and her two yapping dogs make up for any shortcomings in the detective yarn.

I always seem to read these out of sequence, but I remember this as one of the last great entries in the series. Soon, Friedman would start resorting to new twists (including a trip to Hawaii that would make the Brady Bunch writers cringe). These books are always the best when it's Kinky and his friends drunkenly stumbling through a new case, snapping off one-liners and stories from Kinky's Texas roots and days as a country singer. Good stuff.

I have read 4 of Kinkys books in the past few months, no one is better than the other, they all include very interesting characters and come bundled together with laughs a plenty. Kinky has a wonderful habit of making the extraordinary seem very ordinary, and he gives the ordinary an added twist of the extraordinary. This book is really harmless, and it is an easy read. As it is so laid back I found myself drifting and missing key moments but it really is a wonderful book for any depressed person who needs a laugh and a new outlook.

In "Elvis, Jesus & Coca Cola", Kinky Friedman has continued his entertaining mystery stories with jocular just plain fun. He is really Richard Friedman, who grew up on Nottingham in West University with a great group of friends. He has a memory that is better than an elephant, and he uses it in several of his novels in a vicarious way with humor and innocence. Richard is a very talented writer. His twists and turns in this book are reminicscent of " Musical Chairs" which also utilizes his memory of his boyhood friends. He has to solve mysteries of two different Judy's, a problem that many of us folks would probably enjoy just for the heck of it. He already has great reviews, but another will not hurt. Imos is correct in his brief review on the back cover of the paperback version. When this man becomes Governor of the State of Texas you will all wish that you had read his mini mystery. Be sure to read the bottom of page 82 in the paper back version of his book. He is a real artist with talent that is voluminous. Cheers to the man and his cigar.

Dale Haufrect, M.D., M.A.

Medical Director

Micro Light Corporation of America

Houston, Texas

As someone who hardly ever reads fiction-I'm recommending this book to everyone!! Thank You Don Imus for plugging it one morning. His observations make you appreciate this author who has the capacity to be an elevating human presence. Mr. Friedman is an antidote for alienation and cynacism without ever being saccaharine. With prose this good he might get me to start listening to his music.. In closing, I've taken to thinking up the cast for the inevitable film version-How about Leon Redbone as the Kinkstah! Julie Haggertey as DT Judy?

Country singer Kinky Friedman has become an author--and a
very very good one. He mixes suspense with jokes recalling
the best of Thurber, Perlman, Groucho Marx, and Woody Allen,
and then sprinkles in a heaping spoonful of masterful
pop-culture references.

The plot concerns a missing friend and his film of Elvis
impersonators. While the book is quite funny, Friedman
refuses to let the jokes obscure the story. Eventually, the
book reaches a comic crescendo, and the climax of the story.
As the readers gasp for air, Friedman ties up loose ends and
throws in a few jokes for the road.

This is Friedman's best work, and his best mention of his
Jewish heritage can be found in the first line.

My bad English is not able to explain how this book change my point of view about the Life. After that my awake in the morning is with the smile in my mouth...also on monday.

When a book is basically a series of one-liners, the one-liners need to be consistently funny to make the book a success. Friedman has some comedic talent, but the humor was wearing thin by the end of this novel. Some of it was downright lame. The pace is quick but Friedman litters the book with redundancies (he's endlessly brewing coffee and answering his twin telephones) that bog down his thin plot. Unfortunately, the novel left me with the impression that Friedman is completely fascinated by himself. Still, when the humor works, it works, so devoted Kinky Friedman fans are likely to get a kick out of this.