Nature Girl, by Carl Hiaasen
Finished my vacation book yesterday. Nature Girl, by Carl Hiaasen. (Can someone please tell me how to pronounce his name correctly? I fear I'm getting is wrong.)
Oh! I should maybe explain first. Carl Hiaasen is a satirical writer who writes for the Miami Herald in Florida, and has been publishing books since at least the 80s. His books highlight various aspects of Florida living through the weird, wild, off-beat adventures of his characters. (That description really doesn't do his stuff justice, but . . . I guess the best way to describe it is you have to read it to know what I'm talking about.)
So, as I was saying, I have an odd relationship with these books, of which I've now read four. The characters are all extremely quirky, or find themselves in very bizarre circumstances. His villains often have some sort of weird physical deformity (often acquired through some bizarre accident or misjudgment on their part) that really reminds me of Geo's sense of humor. (That's actually how I got started reading these books. I read a synopsis and immediately thought, "That sounds like something George would write." In fact, I've read him passages and told him that exact thing.) Hiaasen writes strong, if flawed and troubled, female protagonists, and his male good guys are interesting and likable. His villains are pretty disgusting. And it's all wrapped in a distinct satirical style that just kind of leaves you bemusedly amused.
On the flip side, he writes a lot of what might be called "adult situations," which I tire of after a while. And you know how I said his villains are disgusting? Yeah, they are. Crude, crass, sometimes downright gross. And every once in a while, he'll toss something that I find personally uncomfortable or insulting into the mix, sometimes having to do with a character or topic, sometimes having to do with language (though this one seemed to be lighter on the language than another of his books I've read). So I occasionally reach the point wherein I ask myself, "Why am I reading this?" Then in the next section, he'll throw the characters I really like at me, or he'll give me a really interesting turn of phrase or bizarre turn of events or backstory, and I'll remember why I'm reading.
To whit:
There is a character in Nature Girl that I would be tickled to see Jensen have a shot at. Perry Skinner is the still-in-love ex-husband of the protagonist Honey Santana, and the father of Honey's 12-year-old son, Fry. I found myself really liking these characters. (Read the linked synopsis for a better idea of what these characters are like.) Perry has made some mistakes, but he's a good guy. Honey is a half bubble off plumb, but essentially a good mom. Fry is a sharp, protective kid who tries to keep his mom out of trouble and keep his dad in the loop. The character of Perry is older than Jensen actually is, but I could see him really rocking this role in a few years (or even now).
If you're looking for some light, quirky--nay, bizarre--summer reading, the two books that I've read that stand out in my mind as enjoyable are Skinny Dip and this one. He also appears to have co-written a couple mystery thrillers, which I think I might check out.
Now. Does anyone read Robin Cook? Got any suggestions regarding his books?
Oh! I should maybe explain first. Carl Hiaasen is a satirical writer who writes for the Miami Herald in Florida, and has been publishing books since at least the 80s. His books highlight various aspects of Florida living through the weird, wild, off-beat adventures of his characters. (That description really doesn't do his stuff justice, but . . . I guess the best way to describe it is you have to read it to know what I'm talking about.)
So, as I was saying, I have an odd relationship with these books, of which I've now read four. The characters are all extremely quirky, or find themselves in very bizarre circumstances. His villains often have some sort of weird physical deformity (often acquired through some bizarre accident or misjudgment on their part) that really reminds me of Geo's sense of humor. (That's actually how I got started reading these books. I read a synopsis and immediately thought, "That sounds like something George would write." In fact, I've read him passages and told him that exact thing.) Hiaasen writes strong, if flawed and troubled, female protagonists, and his male good guys are interesting and likable. His villains are pretty disgusting. And it's all wrapped in a distinct satirical style that just kind of leaves you bemusedly amused.
On the flip side, he writes a lot of what might be called "adult situations," which I tire of after a while. And you know how I said his villains are disgusting? Yeah, they are. Crude, crass, sometimes downright gross. And every once in a while, he'll toss something that I find personally uncomfortable or insulting into the mix, sometimes having to do with a character or topic, sometimes having to do with language (though this one seemed to be lighter on the language than another of his books I've read). So I occasionally reach the point wherein I ask myself, "Why am I reading this?" Then in the next section, he'll throw the characters I really like at me, or he'll give me a really interesting turn of phrase or bizarre turn of events or backstory, and I'll remember why I'm reading.
To whit:
There is a character in Nature Girl that I would be tickled to see Jensen have a shot at. Perry Skinner is the still-in-love ex-husband of the protagonist Honey Santana, and the father of Honey's 12-year-old son, Fry. I found myself really liking these characters. (Read the linked synopsis for a better idea of what these characters are like.) Perry has made some mistakes, but he's a good guy. Honey is a half bubble off plumb, but essentially a good mom. Fry is a sharp, protective kid who tries to keep his mom out of trouble and keep his dad in the loop. The character of Perry is older than Jensen actually is, but I could see him really rocking this role in a few years (or even now).
If you're looking for some light, quirky--nay, bizarre--summer reading, the two books that I've read that stand out in my mind as enjoyable are Skinny Dip and this one. He also appears to have co-written a couple mystery thrillers, which I think I might check out.
Now. Does anyone read Robin Cook? Got any suggestions regarding his books?