Customer Reviews

Tales from Margaritaville

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jimmy Buffett's songs always have a the feel of mini-stories, so it was only natural that he would take a crack in the literary world. This debut book is a collection of short stories that was released as a companion to his cd Off To See The Lizard. The stories are expansions of the songs on the cd. They are delightful to read and are liberally spiked with Mr. Buffett's humor. You can almost picture sitting at some bar in Key West listening to Mr. Buffett spin these yarns. Light and breezy and good fun.

Every bar in the world will tell you it's 5 p.m. somewhere if you want to buy a drink at 10 a.m. in the morning and say it's too early-- many folks say that Jimmy Buffett is responsible for that line-- it's 5 pm. somewhere in the world!. The book I got had a new preface by the author whose tales are just amazing...cowboy culture from HEartache Wyoming to Graceland with Tully Mars...singer, songwriter/author Buffet is a legend in his own time. I like this one even better than his autobiography a pirate turns 50 -- his stories sing with romance, adventure and a sense of saltiness that goes beyond Lake Wobegon sameness. It's so much fun-- men and women will love this book. Not because it's full of insight or soul searching but because it's FUN. Great read on an airplane, Fun to keep in your closet for a guest visitor and maybe the perfect book to take on a cruise with you. Or a busride or train ride around the country. Fabulous tales....I wish he could tell one to me why I drink a Margarita -- you could be any age to read the book -- but if you're over 40 you may find a certain understanding of what it means to be moving on in life and still young enough to care about romance and the unknown. Good book to read when you're changing your life -- changing jobs, got fired, moving, or yearn to -- try this book for a break from the same old.

Margaritaville is Jimmy Buffett's biggest hit, and if your knowledge of him ends there, that's okay. This book of short stories, some fiction, some autobiographical, is excellent tropical escapism at its finest. Love, triumph, coming-of-age, you can almost pick the archetype, and in one way or another, he addresses it with a magnificent cast of characters, from the bizarre friends in our own neighborhoods, to good-natured scoundrels we'd love to emulate if we could, to the girl next door we wish we could reconnect with.

Buffett's descriptive style is reminiscent of Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon books, and it works so well, you can almost see exactly where the characters are walking to in their towns, smell the aromas, hear the townspeople in the street, etc. Rumor has it that a studio optioned the book... I can't wait to see the movie!

Jimmy Buffett is one of the few singers who can also write. Or maybe he's one of the few writers who can actually sing. Either way, he allows to the reader and listener into a sunny world filled with offbeat characters and humor.

This collection of autobiography and fiction is easygoing and a pleasure to read. It is filled with tales of wanderers and the places they wander to. For fans of his music, there are various references to his songs (particularly off of "Off to See the Lizard). But even for the non-musical fan, this book is still worth reading.

To escape from the grind of the real world, sit back and read a story or two from this book. It'll make things a little better.

A number of years ago, a friend gave me this book..a going away present. Finally I read it. Now I regret not doing so much sooner. This is a wonderful, lighthearted read and sparks my faith that the art of writing short stories has been not lost. I must admit to being a Buffett fan, not a fanatic, but never-the-less, a fan. These stories just add spice to listening to his music. Mr. Buffett certainly has talent. His writing certainly show cases his free spirit and attitude. Wish there were more like him around. I would highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a good time reading and recommend it to anyone searching for a good bit of writing thrown in. Trust me, you will enjoy this one.

Buffet really delievers once again with this collection of short stories. While some may seem a little unreal at times, they are very entertaining and you will find yourself reading them again and again, especially at the beach.

In this book, Jimmy Buffett creates an exceptional character in Tully Mars. As Tully travels across the United States with his horse, on his way to the tropics, he experiences some unique things along the way. Some of the people that he encounters are people from Jimmy Buffett's songs. I especially liked that! After reading this book, I went back and listened to most of my Buffett CDs again. By doing that, the songs took on a whole new meaning, because I had read all about these characters in the book! Now, I cannot hear the song "Cowboy In the Jungle" without thinking of Tully Mars! Jimmy Buffett has shown the world that he has a great imagination and a great literary talent, in addition to his musical talents. After reading this book, I now realize that Buffett is truly a great writer! This book is as entertaining as anything that I have ever read. I give this book top honors and my strongest recommendation!

This book is full of stories that JIMMY wrote himself using the ingenious imagination that we all wish we could have. The stories are fun to read, and if you are a PARROTHEAD, you'll realize that some of the stories are the prose versions of some of his songs. The stories are entertaining, and great to curl up with on a rainy day. I recommend this for PARROTHEADS, and anybody who just likes a nice short story. Happy reading!

Jimmy Buffett's "Tales From Margaritaville: Fictional Facts and Factual Fictions" is a wildy told and perfectly laid back book. Buffett's variety of short stories range from a cowboy from Wyoming seeking the good life to an Alabama high school football teams rise to the top. Every story in the book whether a true story or fiction seemed to capture my interest quickly with illustrious storytelling. Optimistic tales of the tropics along with humor, romance, and adventure reflect the style that Buffett is best known for. One of the better stories in the book and also the longest is called "Take Another Road". It follows the story of a Wyoming cowboy named Tully Mars, who decides to pursue his dream of a life in the tropics. He gathers his things, grabs his horse and hops in his truck as his travels across the country begin. Tully keeps a journal that you read from city to city along with the narrative and dialogue. Buffett shows the transformation of Tully Mars well as he makes his way to the Caribbean. A few of the other more interesting stories in the book are "Boomerang Love", "AreYou Ready for Freddy", and "Hooked In the Heart" one of the non-fiction stories in the novel. All of which have the same enjoyable read. You do not have to be a Jimmy Buffett fan to enjoy this smooth reading collection of stories. The imaginative places and offbeat characters make "Tales From Margaritavile" a perfect book to sit back and enjoy. You will realize that "Margaritaville" is not a place but a state of mind.

I loved this book! The first third is made up of a series of short stories that are linked together by characters and locations. They are also tied to Where is Joe Merchant?, a novel by Buffett that I highly recommend. The second third are stories that are probably somewhere between fiction and fact. The main character is clearly Buffett but the events don't add up or are presented as dream sequences. The final third are clearly non-fiction memories of Buffett. All of these stories are entertaining and fun to read.