Gone Bamboo [Import] [Paperback]

Anthony Bourdain (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: CANONGATE BOOKS; New Ed edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841951730
• ISBN-13: 978-1841951737
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,925,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anthony Bourdain is the author of the novels Bone in the Throat and Gone Bamboo, in addition to the megabestsellers Medium Raw, Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the New Yorker, and he is a contributing authority for Food Arts magazine. He is the host of the popular television show No Reservations.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bourdain Drops a Notch, March 14, 2001

By 

Jason Birkby - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gone Bamboo (Paperback)

Maybe three stars is a little low. However in rating a book by an author whose previous work was stellar you can't help but be biased. "Gone Bamboo" is an above average novel with strange characters, a good storyline and some great action. However Bourdain gets away from what made his first book so good. The gangster feel is not as pronounced in this book and the restaurant setting is nonexistent.

"Gone Bamboo" is about semi retired hit man Henry Denard and his wife Frances. In the begining Henry is hired for one last hit on a mob boss Charlie Wagons. After botching the job Henry and Frances are hiding out on a tropical island. When who moves in next door Charlie Wagons himself, also hiding from the mob in the witness protection program. Henry know the mafia will come looking for Charlie and realizes that he may be found too. Henry befriends the ex-mobster and when the time comes for conflict the action really gets jumping.

The major fault of this novel is that it is hard to like Henry or Frances. They are lazy,drug users, which when the actions starts makes it hard to believe their reactions. If you consider reading this book, I strongly suggest you read "Bone in the Throat" first. There are about a half dozen characters who cross over in this book including Tommy Pagano the main character from "Bone In the Throat".

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If Tony Bourdain cooks as well as he writes..., October 1, 2001

By 

Margaret Rovai (Warrenville, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gone Bamboo (Paperback)

I'll move to New York and eat at Les Halles twice a week. Mid-week, of course.

I loved "Bone in the Throat," and was delighted to find major characters re-appearing in "Gone Bamboo." I read it in an afternoon, and heck! I didn't think it was too hardboiled. In fact,I did cry in a couple of places. Like Elmore Leonard, Bourdain knows how to write dialogue. He also knows how to create characters, and write a pageturning plot. The sense of place, in this case St. Martin, is done so well that I could feel the sand between my toes, smell the barbecue shacks and want to run to the fidge hoping to find a bottle of Red Stripe.

Bourdain has a nice touch especially with creating strong female characters. Frances, the female protagonist, is now my idol and role model.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sophomore Slump, May 10, 2000

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gone Bamboo (Hardcover)

A rather disappointing followup to "Bone in the Throat," this mob caper never reaches the breezy good humor of the Bourdain's debut. There are some decently interesting characters (a crossdressing mobster and a legendary ancient French commando being two), and some offbeat happenings, but the climax is wholly unsatisfying (at least to me). One redeeming aspect is that Bourdain doesn't shy away from killing some of the characters you least suspect will die. Definitely read "Bone in the Throat," before this, as some of characters overlap, and this comes second chronologically.