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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dave Barry meets Quentin Tarantino meets hyper-activity, July 24, 2003
Dorsey writes the literary equivalent of a summer blockbuster, a writers version of those new gravity and physics defying roller coasters where you strap yourself in, hang on tight and wonder "what the heck did I do this for??!?!" as you spin your lunch back out at 4 gees, and then you run right back to line up for more. This is fun, pure and simple and nothing else. Very little redeeming social value, it won't teach you anything you can use in life or business or camping. It will entertain you almost to stroke levels. Hugely. His books have the manic, non-stop pace of Nascar, the local Florida color of Carl Hiasson, and the kind of laughs that Jerry Lewis inexplicably gives the French. This is the 3rd or 4th Dorsey book I've read this summer, and I liked it the best. They are all very similar in style, tone, what have you. Like the others this one starts in the present, and then backs up a year or two to explain how 4 or 5 bizarre plotlines ultimately braid together. If you liked the movie Pulp Fiction, you'll like these books. They are definitely lighter than PF, but both combine the same blends of violence and humor. But much, much heavier on the humor in a Dorsey. One of the other reviews complained that there was not enough character development. This ain't Jane Austin. It is still well-written. Orange Crush actually has the most character development of any of the Dorsey's I've read. We watch Marlon Conrad, the spoiled rich privileged son of a Florida political power broker grow from a puppet Lt. Gov. to a Jimmy Stewart, Mr. Smith goes to Tallahassee-type. We see Serge make an impact on politics and soft tissue. We see Marlon's competitor for Governor stuff pigs in a blanket into his cheeks and pocket. We laugh. We wear stunned expressions. We buy the next book. Read it and laugh!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Orange Crush is Tim Dorsey's best book yet, July 25, 2001
Being a Florida native I had always searched for books that capture the true essence of Florida: the residents, the visitors, the violence, the history. When I read Tim Dorsey's Florida Roadkill I thought: Finally, someone is writing about the Florida that I grew up in and know. The Florida where we invented the Home Invasion Robbery and were proud of it. The Florida where even my paperboy carries a pager, a cell phone and a Glock. I went on to read Hammerhead Ranch Motel and loved it. Once again Tim Dorsey was able to capture Florida with all of its colorful characters and the you-have-to-read-it-to-believe-it crime combined with his amazing sense of humor. Add to the mix Serge Storms; sociopath and Florida history buff. To quote Serge "We're a twenty-four hour, dead-bolted, hair on the back of your neck, free continental breakfast deathwish vacation of a lifetime, not from concentrate..." I dont want to give away too much about his first two books except to say that if you are reading them for the first time you are in for an amazing experience. Serge rocks! Orange Crush delivers the same humor, mayhem, and true to life image of Florida. Tim Dorsey gives his book a notable and wonderful backdrop: a Florida gubernatorial race. Being a politcal junkie I had always thought enough was not written about Florida politics. With Orange Crush Tim Dorsey takes us behind the scenes of a Florida guberntorial race with all of its intricacies, corruption, humor, and of course Serge Storms who pops up in the least likely place. As I read Orange Crush I laughed out loud so many times that my roommate kept coming into my room to find out what was so funny. I would read the passage to him out loud and think to myself Orange Crush is truly Tim Dorsey's funniest and coolest book to date.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dorsey Getting Better and Better, September 8, 2001
I rarely find a new author that rockets to the top my must read list, at the speed Tim Dorsey has. Dorsey another master of the Florida Crazy fiction was knocked at first for trying to hard to be like Carl Hiaasen. However now that he is in his third book he coming into his own and has a style all to his own. Dorsey crams alot a characters and little quick storylines and sometimes it can get a little confusing to the reader, but by the end Dorsey brings everything together usually with some very funny results. "Orange Crush" revovles around the govenor's race for the great state of Florida. The incumbent Marlon Conrad is a a shoe in. Then Marlon has a political awakening and starts to be politician for the people instead of the politcian for big money. He buys a orange mobile home and starts visiting the lesser known parts of Florida looking for what the real people of Florida want. Along for the ride are his press secratary who is afraid of minorities and a speechwriter with amnesia. Gomer Tatum his opponent is being led by want-to-be first lady Jackie Monroeville. It the middle of this there is a killer loose. The story ends on election day and the result are pure classic Dorsey. Tim Dorsey has now put himself on my top five author list. He is a must read for any fan of this genre. Readers who have read Dorsey may wonder at first where Serge is?? Don't worry he is there and is up to his usual tricks. For the first time reader you can start with "Orange Crush" but I suggest reading "Florida Roadkill" and "Hammerhead Ranch Motel" in order first. One word of warning Chapter 39 is so funny you might split a gut.
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