Tourist Season, All Done- Jake

I would like to apologize for being so late to reply, I have been finished with the book for quite some time. I am also thinking of editing my bio to reflect the lack of free time that was once so abundant. Moving on, I will skip my review of the second half of Tourist Season and comment on what Matt and Ryan have said.
First, I agree with Ryan, I missed the symbolism of Viceroy meeting his maker in the end zone. I was too enthralled in the air boat action involving Tommy Tigertail, the Shriner's, and Kara Lynn. However, I don't think that there is much more than irony and it happens to be a convenient way for this character to meet his demise. I have to admit that I agree with Ryan, allowing Keyes and Garcia not to consider that the Orange Bowl Queen is to be at the football game does them a big disservice. In fact it kind of pissed me off that it was so over looked. On a side note I like how Hiaasen casually allowed Keyes to hook up with the beauty queen, I mean, I saw it coming,  but it wasn't over played. I know that being the last to post means that you two will not comment on this publicly, but do you think that Hiaasen is Keyes??
Has Carl Hiaasen done damage to his own cause?? No, I don't think so. Despite his many novels and popularity, I bet if we were to poll 100 20-35 year old only 15% would know anything about Hiaasen, and Striptease the movie does not count. I would argue that he has done more to raise awareness and increase activism than excite the greedy developers.
Despite being published more than twenty years ago, I do believe it has been the most topical novel to date. I have to admit that at times I had to agree with the desired outcome of the Nachos, although, their methods were a bit off. As a born and raised Mainiac, that is some one from Maine, I remember times when the area was not so developed and it makes me nostalgic for the past. Being that Maine has an entirely different climate zone, I know that we are in no imminent danger of turning into a megalopolis of say, Miami, but it is a habitat loss all the same. Hiaasen reminds us that our increasing population has to occupy a finite space and some of that space has been occupied by others for a much longer time than ourselves. How we chose to resolve these spacial issues will come to define us for eternity. To echo Ryan's thoughts mentioned earlier, the plot is outrageous and the characters are crazed, I find myself laughing out loud and looking around wanting to share the last line or scene with anyone who will listen. Hiaasen finely blends his politics with his comedy and what we get is a superb novel worth reading again.

Tourist Season - through the end - Ryan

As far as the significant's of Viceroy's demise - to be honest it didn't really dawn on me, in part because I was a bit dismayed by the fact that Hiaasen dropped the ball on the one yard line, when having Keyes and the rest of the Miami police department conveniently forget that the Orange Bowl queen made one last brief appearance during the game.  A bit far fetched for me, particularly given that both Keyes and Garcia were such compelling, competent figures, but given that it was the only minor gripe I had with the entire story, let's move on.  All in all, the ending, like the book in its entirety, had style, and I'm not trying to take anything away from that.

Hiaasen is a wonderful, inventive writer and I appreciate his environmental bent - and I'd agree that his works draws you in - although I'm not prepared to lay any blame at his doorstep in connection with the continuing exploitation of Florida...I recently spent some time in Key West (a business trip of sorts), and being that I was far more sober than during my last visit, it got me thinking about how much better Key West probably was before it became the spring break destination for coeds, but then again it wasn't all that long ago that we were the drunk coeds down there, not giving much of a thought to things like this.

I suspect that Hiaasen probably doesn't get the credit, but I'm not ready to give him the type of accolades Matt's been advocating.  I like that his novels are fun, easy to read and well-crafted, but also littered with important messages that I can get behind.  For me, that's what sets him apart from some of the other writers who you might be just as talented, but stick to some contrived who-dunnits or my current bete noire, those involving terrorists.   

Tourist Season, In its entirety- Matt

I loved it, again, as expected, from start to finish. 

Hiaasen is at once uplifting and cynical.  Keyes and Garcia are the clear good guys, and nobody wants to see the beautiful, yet equally down-to-earth, Kara Lynn Shivers come to any harm.  Bert and James are lovable too, and in the end, you are happy to see the Las Noches de Diciembre lose, but at the same time, Florida loses too.

Skip Wiley, we can assume, dies a bizarre but ultimately heroic death, trying to save a bald eagle from the dynamite of developers.  I suppose for glass is half full folks, we can assume the eagle flies, and we can assume the death of Skip Wiley brings about some more publicity to the plight of Florida.

This is the only Hiaasen book in which the bad guys are the ones fighting to protect what is left of wild Florida.  In his later efforts, the line between the good guys and the bad guys is clearer.  I have to say I like the ambiguity.  My guess is that in later efforts it was just too much for Hiaasen to kill of the people he was really rooting for.  As a home grown Florida guy, Hiaasen’s views on the development of Florida are largely the same as Wiley’s, though his views of terrorism and murder differ.

I have several questions for your consideration.

Do you attach any symbolism to Viceroy’s demise on the same football field that was home to his past glories?   It makes sense until you consider he doesn’t seem to like football or the Dolphins all that much.

Do you think Hiaasen, through his spectacular writing, has done damage to his own cause?  Every time I pick up one of his works, it makes me yearn to be in the sunshine state, no matter how insane his criminals or how random and egregious the violence.  Even through the greed and madness, Hiaasen’s love of the sunshine state is evident and contagious.  I have spent a good chunk of my life in Florida, and though that probably has more to do with the weather and the availability of gamefish, Hiaasen’s works certainly contributed.  Has Hiaasen inadvertently contributed to the demise of the Florida wild that he holds so dear?

To answer my own question, I would say no.  The allure of Florida is strong with or without Hiaasen; nothing can be done by Hiaasen or Skip Wiley to stop people from coming.  What could stop it are the developers and the greed-heads getting their hands on all of what makes it wonderful in the first place.  Hiaasen has alerted his readers to the problem, and done a significant service by influencing Florida’s citizens and visitors to behavior more appropriately and be respectful of the fragile South Florida environment.  When considering how to behave, everywhere, but particularly in Florida, everybody should ask himself or herself the following question: What would Hiaasen do?

In fact, that may be the first piece of official Guys Who Read merchandise: What would Hiaasen do? Bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc. 

Finally, I would like to hear your take on the literary merit of Tourist Season.  It is sort of a pop-literature book and genre, but with a message that is clearer, more important and more applicable than that of any of the other works the Guys Who Read have tackled so far.  In my eyes this is clearly the best book of any genre we have read, and it pains me that nobody is rolling out Pulitzers and Nobel Prizes for my man Carl Hiaasen?  What are your thoughts on that?

Tourist Season - through 256 Ryan

So in a few hours here, a few there, I've blown through about three quarters of the book.  This is my second go round with Hiaasen; I read 'Nature Girl" awhile back, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  This is no different.  The characters are crazied, the plot is outrageous, and I too have found myself giggling out loud.

Keyes is very cool customer.  You can't help but love him.  Wiley is clinically insane, and yet despite his murderous rampage, you kinda feel drawn to him too.  Truth be told, there is not one character that Hiaasen doesn't draw you to in some way - even a sap like Richard Lancelot Bloodworth has me pulling for him in a weird so of way - particularly once his fries his little member in the one and only bombing Jesus doesn't royally screw up (even if the intended target Garcia escapes unharmed).

But nobody beats Daniel "Viceroy" Wilson - what a contradiction!  Former pro football player, sexual gladiator, junkie, philosopher, petty thief, burgeoning terrorist and car enthusiast.  I assume he won't get his own spinoff, as Keyes will ultimately end up getting the best of him and his gang, but I can't wait to see how it plays out.  I'm pulling for a big finish from him.

I had to check back to see when this was originally penned - 1986 as it turns out - because Hiaasen is killing me with all these comical Cold War references about commies, right wing Cubans, and the like.  He makes the Florida of yesteryear sounds like quite a concoction...I can't imagine what the cocaine filled 80's were like down there.

I've got just over a 100 pages yet, and there are a lot of plot lines hanging out there - can't wait to see how weaves these together.  Kudos to Matt on the selection
     

Tourist Season Page 141- Jake

I love it!!! This has been a complete 180 degree turn from the last book. Being born and raised in a tourist town, I can easily relate to the relationship developing with the locals and the tourists, not to the extent that our Nachos de Deciembre feel. Keyes on the other hand is a character that I am fully behind. I appreciate the way that Hiaasen has slowly and craftily developed each character, giving you enough relevant information and loosely weaving each of them together. I must admit that I have laughed out loud several times and I am especially tickled by the Darmouth educated bomber, who can't seem to get his timing down. WTF? I am also finding the boggling of the case by the Miami PD true to form. Not that I have much experience with the Miami PD, it just seems fitting.
I am not so sure that Matt is correct on the topic of Jenna, I think she may just be torn between two lovers and is trying to end up on the winning side. I understand that she makes a very sexy nurse.
I have read many Carl Hiaasen novels and I have enjoyed them all very much, but what I remember the most is how he manages to pair dissimilar criminals and force them to work together. I enjoyed the last interaction between Wilson and Jesus on the way to apply for the security detail for the parade. I can see the destruction of this duo in the near future.
For now, one page at a time.

Tourist Season through page 95

I opened it last night, and what an absolute pleasure it has been.  The only difficult thing about this book is having to put it down to share my thoughts here.  It has been quite some time since I read Tourist Season, and the much of the plot has become a mystery again.  I believe I remember the ending, but the possibility that I have remembered it wrong is enough to keep me racing through the pages.

As is my usual with Hiaasen, I am often laughing out load.  If you plan to read in bed, next to snoozing significant other, keep that in mind.  It will be difficult to keep silent.

I have no recollection of Jenna and her role.  To this point, I think it fairly obvious that she set up Keyes, and is in cahoots with Wiley to some degree more than she is letting on, but I feel she also stops short of a full and knowing acomplice.

The interesting thing about Tourist Season is that the bad guys are good guys.  Our protagonist Keyes is a good guy, certainly a compassionate, honest, and of sound morals.  Stabbing the public defender with a shrimp fork is great, and Hiaasen’s way of divulging that information to us via newspaper report is masterful.

Keyes is beyond reproach, but Las Noches do Diciembre, especially Skip Wiley and Tommy Tigertail, are fighting the good fight as well.  Obviously, their methods go a little beyond the pail.  Feeding board of commerce directors, Shriners, Canadians, and retirees to a massive American crocodile is brutal, though you can see the beauty of Wiley’s logic.  It will be interesting to see if some of the bad guys with good causes come out alright.

I am going to get back to reading, and I look forward to hearing from you.  I wonder if my absolute adoration of Hiaasen and his works will be adopted by all the Guys Who Read, or whether you will find fault where I have found none.

Until Next Time,

Matt

The epic failure of 'City of God' - through the end Ryan

I've been caught up with some issues that required attention, and so my posting on this book with be short and to the point, particularly given that it was obviously NOT a fan favorite, as both my fellow travelers barely made it through the entire read.  Personally I was impressed with the Doctorow was trying to accomplish with this novel - although I will grant you that the varied tracts and voices made it challenging to say the least.

With simultaneous voices offering contemporaneous as well as historical perspectives, Doctorow spoke to the varied impact of life, death and religion on the trajectory of the characters of Pem - a confused minister, and Sarah , a female rabbi who he meets under peculiar circumstances.  Overall I found it to be ambitious and unique...that much would be tough to argue.  As far as its merit, I enjoyed the read - others did not.  Given my inattentiveness on this one, we'll leave it at that.  From what I gather, the guys are moving on to some much needed lighter fare, per Matt.  Moving on...

Ryan