Customer Reviews

Please Write for Details

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Known world-wide for his Travis McGee detective series, author John D. MacDonald has written many more books that don't feature this "knight in tarnished armor."

In "Please Write for Details," the MacDonald wit comes to fore as he journeys south of the Border and sets his tale of American expatriates in a Mexican art colony known as the Cuernavaca Summer Workshop.

Indeed, the author has collected about the weirdest assortment of odd balls and thrown in even more zany "adventures" as we find him showing a terrific sense of humor. While, of course, this book is not a comedy, it does have its moments. Instead of "ars longa," it's more like "ars erotica" as these crazy Americans romp in and out of different types of "positions." There really is no basic character, but the entire workshop and a number of the locals feature heavily in this tale.

It's a great read, as much as to see MacDonald in another mode as anything. His great writing style is still there and basically nothing has changed in the author's literary swirl. It's one of the very few books I have ever read more than twice, and it's still a pleasurable read!

Billyjhobbs@tyler.net

This should be back in print. MacDonald's sly tale of the goings-on at a Summer art school in Mexico is utterly hysterical. I remember laughing until I cried the first time I read it, not once but several times. MacDonald showed he could write an extremely perceptive comic novel. Perfect timing throughout and quite different from his usual procedural crime thriller. This is what you might characterize as "middle-period" MacDonald, and as such there are the occasional infelicities of character development and dialog, but it's still a masterful outing. You'll love it.

To all film producers: this would make a truly hilarious movie!

I will admit I am not done reading this little book yet, but so far it is wonderful! The best mix of characters I have come across in a long time. There is not one in the whole group who I am not enjoying!
Each story gives a different and quite real, though funny portrayal of people as they are!
Since this is the first time I have read any of Macdonald's books I am happy there are so many more to choose from!

This should be back in print. MacDonald's sly tale of the goings-on at a Summer art school in Mexico is utterly hysterical. I remember laughing until I cried the first time I read it, not once but several times. MacDonald showed he could write an extremely perceptive comic novel. Perfect timing throughout and quite different from his usual procedural crime thriller. This is what you might characterize as "middle-period" MacDonald, and as such there are the occasional infelicities of character development and dialog, but it's still a masterful outing. You'll love it.

To all film producers: this would make a truly hilarious movie!

I'll keep this one short. Fellow reviewers have covered it well in my opinion. This is just a great fun book. I have reread this book over the years three or four times and will do it again! It has a permanent place in my library!