Voluntary Madness (A Five Star Title) [Paperback]

Vicki Hendricks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002 | Series: A Five Star Title

Punch is a beautiful man in his forties, slowly dying from alcohol abuse and diabetes. Juliette is his adoring girlfriend, willing to do absolutely anything for him. Together they have made a twisted pact: to live a wild life in Key West, collecting material for the book Punch is compelled to write before they end it all a year later.

Punch and Juliette's craziness quickly accelerates. She flashes at strangers; he pretends to be blind in public; they break into Hemingway's house to have sex. But the games quickly turn dangerous when a guard at the house interrupts them and dies in the assault. Way out of her depth, Juliette has to decide whether she'll keep her part of the pact. The inventor of white-trash noir, Hendricks has updated Bonnie and Clyde for the 21st century.

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Vicki Hendicks is the author of Iguana Love, Miami Purity and Sky Blues. An extreme sports enthusiast, she lives in Hollywood, Florida

Also available by Vicki Hendricks
Iguana Love
TC $23.00, 1-85242-590-3 CUSA

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mimicking the hard-edged cynicism of James M. Cain and reminiscent of James Haley Chase, Hendricks (Iguana Love) probes the psychosocial baggage of two outside-the-mainstream characters intent on creating art out of the wrecks of their lives. Against a pornographic Rorschach of unwashed sex fueled by marijuana and alcohol, the author offers up a quixotic, marathon Chamber of Commerce tour of the eateries and tourist attractions of Key West. Sexually abused by her father since she was nine, 22-year-old ex-Cracker Barrel waitress Juliette has had little happiness in her life. When she meets 44-year-old half-Jamaican, half-Italian, diabetic, alcoholic Punch in Fort Pierce, she falls desperately in love with the self-styled novelist. Using proceeds from Juliette's abusive father's life insurance, the ill-starred couple migrate to Key West and make a pact that they will live out the year (and their bankroll) indulging themselves sensually and instigating "experiences" that Punch will chronicle in a novelDart imitates life. The plot takes a more serious turn when Punch accidentally kills a security guard at the Hemingway House, where the two adventure-seekers are trying to have sex. Having squandered one-third of their remaining capital on a used motorcycle with a ruined engine, they become "Burrito Bandidos", holding up popular Island eateries for sustenance. Copious, steamy sex scenes; gritty, Bukowskiesque characters; and popular Key West hangouts definitely focus the book's appeal and make this a Leaving Las Vegas on a tight budget. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In Voluntary Madness, the doomed lovers, twentysomething naif Juliette and alcoholic writer Punch, are sympathetic in that antisocial, rule-breaking way typical of so many noir couples (see Sailor and Lula in Barry Gifford's Wild at Heart ). "It's hard to be unusual in Key West," Juliette complains, but that doesn't stop her from trying. The idea is to come up with outrageous pranks that give Punch material for his novel-in-progress and keep him entertained enough to postpone the couple's plan to kill themselves on Halloween. Unfortunately, the cavalcade of increasingly dangerous high jinks grows tiresome after a bit, and we never really understand Punch's motivation (he exists more as a plot device than a character). On the other hand, Juliette is a compelling if pathetic figure (gender aside, she's reminiscent of Sal Mineo in Rebel without a Cause ), and her obsession with Punch rings achingly true.Hendricks' talent is undeniable, but perhaps she needs to branch out a little. Her female characters could use a good night's sleep. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Serpent's Tail (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852427515
• ISBN-13: 978-1852427511
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,895,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a Florida writer, published mostly in the crime field over the last fifteen years, with five noir novels, MIAMI PURITY, IGUANA LOVE, VOLUNTARY MADNESS, SKY BLUES, and a collection of short stories, FLORIDA GOTHIC STORIES. In 2008, my novel CRUEL POETRY was a finalist for an Edgar Award. If you like the works of James M. Cain, author of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, you will enjoy my novels; however, they contain graphic sex that was not allowed to be published in Cain's era. In addition, my interest in the Florida environment and participation in adventure sports, such as scuba and skydiving, are prominent in the subject matter of my fiction.
I have just recently put up most of my books on Kindle in addition to DANGEROUS SEX: TWO STORIES, some potent erotica with a focus on the danger of women.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tart Noir at its Best, December 10, 2000

By 

Victor Gischler (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voluntary Madness (Hardcover)

Sexy, gritty and raw, yet at the same time intelligent and touching, VOLUNTARY MADNESS proves Vicki Hendricks is the queen of noir. The novel is the story of young Juliette and her relationships with the characters around her - especially her drunken, would-be novelist boyfriend Punch. Their plan is to defy the futility of the world by "living wild" in Key West, Florida for a year until their money runs out at which time they will unite in a spectacular, public double suicide. This is a hardboiled book, with vivid, tough prose and crime elements that build as the tale progresses, but the genius of the story is the novel's struggle to differentiate between art and life, and the conflict inherent when these terms become mutually exclusive. A quick and frank read with the ability to cull weak readers from literary herd.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tongue-in-cheek tour- de- farce of Key West!, October 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Voluntary Madness (Hardcover)

Wow! What a tipsy ride through town this was. Hendrick's has really captured the unsavory, but oh so captivating life in Key West. She paints such vibrant characters in this book: a failed flasher--ho!ho!(she can't seem to stun the KW gay guys with her exposed beaver); a pathetic but lovable, suicidal diabetic who is a Hemingway wanna-be; and a Lesbian witch who makes you want to race out and have sex no matter what your prefrences are...

The main duo in the book pull off the zaniest capers. They're literally all over town. If you know Key West you'll love the mixture of real and imagined characters. There's these robberies where the best of Key West food is the target. Chefs all over the island are hoping not to be left out. It's funnier than reading the Key West Citizen's crime report. It's written with more literary pizzazz than Hendrick's has ever shown before.

A parrothead's must. The perfect book to take with you when you visit. The perfect book to remember Key West life...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Us against the world, babycakes!, November 1, 2001

By 

Vena "Vena's Art Lounge" (South Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voluntary Madness (Hardcover)

I couldn't believe I actually cried through the last 3 chapters of the book! Ah, the bitter sweetness of true love. The characters were so unapologetically dysfunctional that it made the story that much more real and that much more beautiful. Hendricks makes you feel like you're watching a homemade video of a real-life couple's tragic story.