Wild Thing: A Novel (Dr. Pietro Brnwa) [Hardcover]

Josh Bazell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 8, 2012 | Series: Dr. Pietro Brnwa

It's hard to find work as a doctor when using your real name will get you killed. So hard that when a reclusive billionaire offers Dr. Peter Brown, aka Pietro Brnwa, a job accompanying a sexy but self-destructive paleontologist on the world's worst field assignment, Brown has no real choice but to say yes. Even if it means that an army of murderers, mobsters, and international drug dealers-not to mention the occasional lake monster-are about to have a serious Pietro Brnwa problem.

Facing new and old monsters alike, Dr. Brnwa's story continues in this darkly funny and lightning-paced follow up to Josh Bazell's bestselling debut.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This is a throwback to that time a decade ago when praise went to crime novels that “transcended the genre,” or tried to. Thus this promising story of a hired killer on the run from his own clients is constantly being stalled by digressions that are—depending on your point of view—fascinating or just mannered. We meet the killer after he’s taken a job on a cruise ship, and the descriptions of boat life are dead-on. We follow him when he’s hired by a billionaire to join the search for a mysterious sea creature in the northern U.S., and the narrative is propulsive. But the “transcend” argument believes it’s low rent to tell a story, so we have flashbacks, dream sequences, and endless footnotes. We get disquisitions on the Jewish state, the lives of trees, and the fallacy of cryogenics. One senses an author who can’t quite keep his mind on his book or maybe wishes he was writing a different book. Could be that’s why the intimate moments sound like scenes from an Adam Sandler movie. --Don Crinklaw

Review

PRAISE FOR WILD THING:

"[Bazell's books] are hard-boiled thrillers, written in one of the most distinctively entertaining new fictional voices I've run across in years, in any genre. There is a massive density of information in [Wild Thing]...but Bazell wields it with wonderful lightness. Reading him is like being able to monopolize the attention of the most interesting person at a party...It's so rare that you see a really brilliant writer who is committed, 100%, in every sentence, to giving you a good time. Bazell is, and he does."
(Lev Grossman, Time )

"Carl Hiaasen fans will relish Bazell's frenetic sequel to 2009's Beat the Reaper...Bazell expertly blends action, farce, and political satire, and his wide-ranging imagination bodes well for the future of the series." (Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) )

"The book is composed in Bazell's propulsive, profanity-laden style, peppering startling violence with detailed footnotes that cover subjects like tooth reinsertions and human cryogenics...Props to Bazell for not cranking out an idle retread of Beat the Reaper. A funny, unexpected journey for our hero that sets up the next installment with finesse." (Kirkus )

"Is this novel better than Bazell's debut? It's as good as and more. In addition to the mayhem and madness of the original, there's an element of ecoconsciousness and political satire (the long-delayed appearance of the government official is worth the purchase price) that will leave readers wanting still more. Bazell makes being smart sexy and footnotes fun." (Bob Lunn, Library Journal )

"Insanely funny...the work of a crackpot genius." (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review )

"A rousing, fast-paced sequel...Bazell's mix of violent lunacy and social commentary should appeal to fans of Carl Hiaasen...The novel is packed with witty footnotes, and when Brnwa isn't lusting after the paleontologist, he's a profanely trenchant social observer." (Washington Post )

"Bazell's inventiveness and a series of plot twists ensure that Wild Thing never lets up...For suspense, the monster plot sinks its claws in, blending the best of Jaws with the comic sense of your favorite episode of Scooby-Doo. At its heart, this book is wildly fun." (San Francisco Chronicle )

"A very thoughtful examination of the collision of rationality and superstition...Comes with the funniest footnotes and appendix (no kidding) ever written." (Daily Beast )

"The novel is violent, sexy and relentlessly funny." (Cleveland Plain Dealer )

"Wild Thing walks, talks, and squawks like a crime thriller, but it makes casual passes at left-field absurdity that aim for Hiaasen or Vonnegut...a fun, fast read." (Entertainment Weekly )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books; 1 edition (February 8, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316032190
• ISBN-13: 978-0316032193
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Lawyers & Criminals
  • #39 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Doctors & Medicine

More About the Author

Josh Bazell is a doctor and novelist. He has a BA in writing from Brown University and an MD from Columbia. He has worked as a screenwriter, and while in medical school investigated suspicious deaths for the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York. He is currently a resident at the University of California, San Francisco, and is writing his second novel.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 34 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Barely a sequel February 18, 2012

By CTMom

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved it's prequel- BEAT THE REAPER. The problem is that this book was really, just barely a sequel that I'm not sure why Josh Bazell bothered. In BEAT THE REAPER, Dr. Peter Brown was living a double life- medical intern/reformed hitman- trying to hide from the mob who wanted him dead. And it was FASCINATING! A book that went a mile a minute and refused to be put down.

In WILD THING, which takes place several years down the road, it's as if Bazell said, "I have a successful character, & since he's in WITSEC I can do anything with him" which is sort of true. But not. This book isn't about a man hiding from his past. It's about a monster in a lake. Every once in a while, there is a flash of the character that was so interesting before, but it's so brief (& frankly kind of out of no where).

This could be an interesting mystery if allowed to develop on its own, but it's reliance on the few characters from BEAT THE REAPER is almost a hindrance. I expected more from them than they delivered. It read more like a miniseries than a novel frankly. And the very strange inclusion of Sarah Palin as a character truly had me scratching my head.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Read. January 12, 2013

By EPAllman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A very solid read filled with lots of fun, colorful characters as well as adventure and suspense.
However, it's very hard not to compare this book to Beat The Reaper, which I found to be more entertaining and an overall better read.
It was enjoyable, and I would recommend this book to others.
Can't wait for more by Josh Bazell!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kick ass December 22, 2012

By Adam VanDyke

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Josh Bazell is my favorite new writer. I could not believe how fast paced and entertaining it was. I kept waiting for it to plateau and it never did. I appreciated all the research that went into the writing of this book. Also enjoyed the footnotes included through out the book as well made for a more Interesting reading experience. When finished with the book I didn't want it to end. It constantly delivered and left me with a hang over, that could only be cured with his next book. Loved this book I will be reading it again.