Customer Reviews

The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist: A Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One of the most gifted sport commentators out there, Texan Dan Jenkins practically invented the golf novel with Dead Solid Perfect. Now, a decade or two later, Jenkins returns to the genre with the episodic The Money-Whipped, Steer-Job, Three-Jack Give-Up Artist which, in its rambling way, basically details a year on tour with an outspoken, somewhat befuddled pro golfer who, though a veteran of the game, has never quite become a star. With most of his money going to his two ex-wives (who are both wonderfully entertaining characters), the narrator spends most of his time telling anecdote-filled stories of golf history, detailing his fear of lizards (a potentially humorous motif that never quite pays off), and telling us of his rivalry with a European, superstar golfer who spends most of his time cheating on his wife and speaking of himself in the third person. Though the European golfer is a character that most readers have seen a million times in the past, his character is still crudely funny and the passages detailing his buffoonish vanity are amongst the book's best. Jenkins shines with his characterization -- though the characters are all somewhat shallow, Jenkins still creates vivid portraits of them and his dialouge gleams with a razor's edge. The narrator is, like Jenkins, from Texas and he tells the book's story in a laid-back, rather self-effacing drawl that makes for entertaining reading. However, plot-wise, the book never comes together and seems to wander rather aimlessly over the PGA tour. As well, if you're not a fan of golf, this book won't change your mind and Jenkins makes little attempt to make the book, with its litany of technical detail, understandable to those who might not be familiar with the game. Still, if you enjoy golf (like myself), this book is a pleasant little diversion. It won't change your life but it'll keep you entertained for a day or two.

I eagerly waited on the release of this book, but it turned out to be not very good. Jenkins had me laughing once or twice, but not near as much as in You Gotta Play Hurt and Dead Solid Perfect. The narrator was 40, yet always made references to movies that a person would have to be 60 to remember. It was like Jenkins was too lazy to properly date his lead character and instead used references that someone in Jenkins' generation would connect with. I agree with the reader who said Missing Links is much better. Someone looking for a good golf novel will also enjoy Troon McCallister's books.

Between P.G. Wodehouse and Dan Jenkins comes nobody. Wodehouse helped explain golf to the ordinary person with his often silly short stories about the game among the upper class of society. Then Jenkins invented the comic golf novel with "Dead Solid Perfect,"which explains the game among the upper class of players---the touring pros. Jenkins inspired a mob of imitators but never a real competitor until now. That competitor is Jenkins himself with his hilarious new novel that starts off with two of Dan's favorite words---"Money Whipped."

I have read virtually every book written by Dan Jenkins -- one of my favorite authors. While some of his recent efforts have been slightly hit or miss, I am thrilled to report that Dan is back at the top of his game and his newest novel is truly a hole in one!!! Just like "Semi-Tough" and "Dead Solid Perfect", you will find yourself laughing out loud at a mulitude of hilarious passages. My only (small) complaint is that he wrapped the story up too quickly at the end -- I would have loved to have read more on the Ryder Cup. Nevertheless, many thanks and welcome back, Dan!!

As some have noted, Dead Solid Perfect was a dead solid hit among golfers and has been the standard by which other golf novels are judged. Unfortunately, the author who created the standard has failed to measure up to it. The story is mildly entertaining, but just not up to what we have come to expect from this writer. Having recently read The Green and A Mulligan for Bobby Jobe, I am aware of how good a novel can be woven about this enchanitng and maddening game. This isn't one of them.

I like Dan Jenkins' humor a lot. He seems like a guy you'd love to spend time with and I have enjoyed reading all of his work I've read. And, I enjoyed this book. But, I can't say I found it to be close to his best work (I really liked Baja Oklahoma, among others). It just didn't quite seem like Dan's heart was fully into writing this one. It took me quite a while to finish reading it, even though it's a short book stretched across 261 pages. The characters weren't all that interesting and there wasn't really much of a story, so all I had to savor was the humor and use of language. That's enough for me to read it, but it needs more to be a 5 star book.

So Dan Jenkins transcribes a bunch of not very funny observations about the PGA Tour and all his half-literate acolytes can't stop spitting their beer through their nose. What a con job this one is. Dead Solid Perfect slightly re-written to cash in on the "rising tide" of golf popularity. Don't be fooled. Try Reilly's "Missing Links" for the real deal.

I was generally disappointed. Dan is one of my favorite authors, but this is not Dan's best work. He seemed to have lost his spark on this one. I was very ready for a sequal to "Dead Solid Perfect," one of the funniest books ever written. But this one did not deliver. The golf history is interesting, but wears old. It seems that this effort might actually be a little too close to the boring truth regarding the touring life of a PGA tour member. The book goes from one tour stop to the next describing what everyone in Bobby Joe's party had to eat at the restaurant and describing what everyone was wearing. Then he describes every course Bobby Joe plays at and the history involved in its design. The humor is much tamer and not as funny as "Dead Solid Perfect." One note on the editorial review, probably just a mis-type, but his last book was 15 years ago, not 25. It was "Life its Ownself," a prequal to "Semi-Tough," and a much funnier book than this.

Don't let that thatch of white hair fool you. Dan Jenkins can still throw the high hard one. If you laughed at "Limo," "Bubba Talks," "Dead Solid Perfect" and the other Jenkins' gems, you'll split a gut at "The Money-Whipped Steer-job Three-Jack" or whatever the hell he calls it. This is the funniest book I've read since I was kicked out of Alabama AM&N for laughing out loud at "Semi-Tough" during a lecture on pantheistic hedonism. Dan Jenkins is funnier than Spinoza any day.

Dan Jenkins' new book..."Steer Job et al" was a major disappointment to me. The book was a slow starter, picked up pace early on and then ground to a halt.....It is basically a re-write of "Dead Solid Perfect" with a dash of golf History. Jenkins characters are slightly more urbane (hard to use that word on denizens of Ft. Worth Tx.)than those is "Dead Solid", however far less colorful. I have read every one of Jenkins' books and they usually have me rolling in the aisles, laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes. This book appears to be a rehash of some of his earlier "observations"....