Customer Reviews

Big Trouble (Thorndike Core)

5 star:		(137)
4 star:		(95)
3 star:		(46)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

Dave Barry certainly knows what buttons to push to get a laugh...from the goats on the highway to Elizabeth Dole trying to steal Arthur's soul, his humor ranges from low to high brow and stays funny all the way through. True, the flavor of some of the humor is unique but that's always been Dave Barry's signature. I enjoyed it, plain and simple. But I will say don't start this book thinking you're going to read a piece of literature to ponder about...read it with a bag of popcorn and a soda (well, scratch the soda - it might end up going through your nose).

The unimaginatively titled "Big Trouble" is an acceptable "practice run" novel for Dave Barry. He shows potential to be a good humor/suspense novelist: the characters are quirky and believable (in a cartoonish fashion), the pacing was done well, and for the most part, it was a really funny book. Unlike some critics, I didn't find the humor to be interfering with the story -- it seemed to come out of the situations naturally, and, well, it worked.

On the other hand, the "plot" left much to be desired. Sure, we ain't expecting Shakespeare here, but the story reads like fragments of an Elmore Leonard novel assembled at random and with no real logical progression; it's like a plot constructed by a 16 year old Leonard fan who's just messing around. But like I said, it's a practice run; his next one will likely be better.

The only thing I really dislike about the book is the use of profanity and the sexual assault scene. Dave seems to have been infected with a case of Tarantino-itis, believing that no dialogue can be "realistic" unless it contains multiple f-words. Similarly, the scene with the creep ripping open the woman's blouse was gratuitous and inappropriate for this kind of novel. What purpose did it serve? If Barry felt like he had to add a titillating scene, why couldn't he have done it in a comedic manner, instead of a disturbing rape-fantasy? Barry's been a successful writer without this kind of stuff before, so why does he think he needs it now?

Overall: a funny, light read that has its problems but shows potential. Just as long as he doesn't quit writing humor columns! In that area, Dave reigns supreme.

Dave Barry writes a very funny, 'tongue in cheek' murder story which had me laughing out loud... Dick Hill should applauded for his reading of the novel. The inflections of the tone of his voice makes you feel that you are listening to several character actors... He deserves an equivalent of an 'Oscar' for this reading! As for the novel itself...it is an uplifting, suprisingly funny piece of literature... It is reminiscent of 'Pulp Fiction' in a less offensive way... It is a great novel... I will be giving it as gifts this year for holiday season... HAT'S OFF MR. BARRY!

Like most others, I purchased this book on the reputation of the author. I LOVE Dave Barry. Ever since I was in high school and read DAVE BARRY SLEPT HEAR: A SORT-OF HISTORY OF AMERICA, I have laughed until I hurt more than once reading his works.

That endorsement not withstanding, I was dissappointed with this book. In the preface Barry states he was advised not to worry about the plot. He was poorly advised. Mind you, I was not expecting Barry to produce something along the lines of Pride and Prejudice I was expecting to read an extremely funny story.

While the book is extremely funny, the story part has much to be desired. It was an admirable first attempt at a novel, yet it is nothing more than that--an attempt.

Also the book contains what Barry terms as "Adult language." It contains A LOT of it. More than most novels. Like most televisions, movies, books, and teenagers, the book would have been better served without it.

Again, the book is very funny and in many ways mimicks his column. So if you like Dave Barry's humor your going to like the book. Just don't buy it in hardback; wait for the paperback. Or borrow it from someone like the idiot i am who paid too much for it.

There seem to be a lot of conflicting views about this book--evidently because its detractors expect Literature with a capital L. Wrong! It's fluff, pure and simple--in places laugh-out-loud-funny fluff. We're talking about Dave Barry, folks, not William Faulkner! No, it's NOT in the Carl Hiaasen league, but then, Hiaasen is in a league by himself, one he virtually owns. Nevertheless, Barry has written a fast, engaging, easy-to-read page-turner, the chaotic events of which owe something to the Marx Brothers for their frantic pacing and to Mel Brooks for their outlandishness. Lighten up and just enjoy it!

As a reader of everything Dave Barry has ever written, I can say this is at the top of the list! Hilarious twists and turns which are totally unexpected. His building up of each character, and their many faults, is neatly woven into a spider web of unbelievable adventure in Florida. His imagination runs wild between the good guys, the bad guys, the other bad guys, more good guys, and of course - the cops and the feds. I couldn't put it down. A must for any true Barry fan. I can only hope he continues to write more novels!

Big Trouble is written in the style of a good Elmore Leonard book. It has a variety of charecters that all mesh into one giant story eventually. It's a funny book (you will laugh out loud), so it definitely has "Dave Barry" written all over it. However..... Here's where I was dissapointed. The last chapter of the book seems rushed. I enjoy a complete ending, this one seemed to try to wrap up everything in the whole book in a few pages. I won't give anything away, but I feel that the last chapter was not consitiant with the rest of the book. The author could of spent a few more pages during the fianle. All in all I think it's a worthwhile purchase, especially if you like a comical crime novel. I certainly hope that Mr. Barry writes fiction again.

Okay - to begin I have to establish my perspective. There is something that Humor and Horror have in common: Different people think that different things are funny or scary. Not everyone loves Monty Python and the Holy Grail.... but for those who do, it is the absolute pinacle of film humor.

I bought this book just before boarding a plane, and I laughed until I cried the whole flight. I could see people turning their heads... craning to see what in the world could be making someone laugh so hard.

If this book were *only* funny - that would be enough. But there is a reasonably plausible thriller-crime story wrapped in there too.

The characters are bizarre. There is a bum who begins the book getting picked up in a van which ferries him around to different polling places in Miami where he casts votes in place of people who have died at 10 dollars a vote. At the end of the day the van deposits him in Coconut Grove where he decides to spend his 35 dollars - the most money he has EVER had - on beer. He finds out that beers in upscale CG are 5 bucks each - "which Puggy thought was way high, even for a guy pulling down ten dollars a vote". We meet renegade Russian arms dealers, crazy cops, poisoned toads and our hero - who amazingly was a Miami newspaperman like Dave Barry!

Unfortunately, Big Trouble was turned into a movie starring some very talented people which was as bland and humorless as the book was brilliant and hilarious. I mention it because if you saw the movie and thought "oh... that stinks" but you thought "hmmmm... I would have thought the book would have been better than that since Dave Barry wrote it" and you were thinking "should I read this book or not....." my recommendation is:

Read it. But only if you're ready to laugh your head off. It helps if you're already familiar with Barry's writing and already think he's the funniest American writer since Samuel Clemens.

I'm a fan of Dave's columns, but was skeptical of his ability to successfully pull off being a novelist.

I was pleasantly surprised.

His sense of humor remained intact, while he presented a solid, smoothly flowing and entertaining storyline, filled with wonderful characters. I'm looking forward to his next novel.

Lets start by saying that this book definitely doesn't qualify as "literature". If you are looking for something more refined, look elsewhere. But if you want a quick, fun, wild read you should pick this book up. The book reads a lot like one of Barry's columns, which isn't really a bad thing. The plot, while requiring suspension of disbelief, is interesting. And although the characters lack any real depth, they are also interesting, and funny. Expect rampaging goats, bumbling assassins; giant, dog tormenting toads, "killer" squirt guns, and much more. The only part that didn't work as well was the final scene at the airport which seemed kind of hurried. Overall, a very funny book that is a good way to spend an evening. Don't read it in public, however, or people may look at you funny when you fall over laughing.