Rating: 
Summary: A roaring good time!
Review: Dave Barry proves, once and for all, that he's not only funny, but a good novelist as well! He crafts a novel that manages to be suspenseful, funny, dramatic, touching, funny, sweet, romantic, funny... frankly this is better than most prescripted suspense books, most of which meld together into a bland glob.The story takes place in Miami, following the intertwined lives of many lowlife crudballs, teenagers, and ordinary businessmen. Oh--there's also an unpronounceable European country that is giving one one of the characters a nuclear bomb, which is promptly... oh, never mind. This plot is remarkably complex, much more complex than I expected Barry's book to be, and it's too complex for me to summarize properly. Those who are expecting a novelized composite of Barry's columns will be disappointed. Oh, there are DEFINITELY tangs of those columns, such as the stupid dog and hallucinagenic toad. Some of the situations are so ludicrous ("It's a SQUIRT gun!") that you'll roar with laughter. And Barry does an admirable job of tying up loose ends, making for a compact and enjoyable novel. And there's remarkably clean "trooluv." The only real sexiness is a lascivious henchman, and the rest is shy teenagers, middle-aged divorcees, and a lovable homeless man who meets the woman of his dreams. However, you shouldn't let your kiddies (as Barry warns in the first part) read this book, as it has some sexual references and many bad words. (Ought to be okay for the average teen, though) This book isn't particularly deep or original, but it's written with a funny spin that makes it the best book I've read this summer. It'd make a better-than-usual comedy movie! For Barry fans, this is a MUST-READ!
Rating: 
Summary: Big Trouble = Big Bore
Review: Okay, the characters are bad, the plot is bad, the dialogue is bad...and all is forgiven if it's funny. It's not. The last funny part was when one character, in contemplating suicide, thinks he'll jump from his balcony and aim toward the Firebird of a neighbor who always plays his stereo too loud. Dave Barry should have thrown his word processor at the Firebird. And if that didn't do the job, the guy with the Firebird should have driven over it a few times, until Dave is convinced to stick with columns.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Trouble in a Little Suitcase
Review: I've read, and really liked, most of Dave Barry's books that collect his newspaper columns. Not for nothing has he been called "the funniest man in America". But how would his work go over in the form of a fictional novel? Pretty darn well, it turns out. Dripping with the influence of Elmore Leonard, this tale of common folks and uncommon lowlives in South Florida also is infused with Barry's signature comedy. And it's only slightly less absurdist than in his columns. The characters are colorful, but the ending is somewhat telegraphed. No surprises on what the ultimate fate of any of the characters turns out to be. But I didn't care. The pandomeum of the plot twists may be wacky, but Barry manages to write them better and with more credibility than some professional action/thriller writers do in some of their books. ("Hannibal" is coming to mind.) It's a fun read, summer or no. At the end, one character's reaction to learning what's in the suitcase echoed my own.
Rating:
Summary: great read in the donald westlake tradition!
Review: dave barry, a favorite writer of mine, has now written a great novel - funny, wry, and joyfully readable. You might want to rethink a move to Florida after reading this book, but, then again, living in Barry's world could be great fun. I was somewhat hesitant about this book. Suppose I didn't like it - would it sour me on Barry? Heavens no! It just proves a great writer is a great writer. I can't wait until he tries his next novel. Go, Dave!
Rating:
Summary: Barry coasts - and looks good doing it
Review: This is a book that definitely needs to be read in the correct spirit to get anything out of it. If you take it seriously, you are doomed, because the characters are paper-thin stereotypes, the action verges between the merely ridiculous and the blatantly impossible, and the ending is about as surprising as a sunset in the west of an evening. Dave Barry is not a literary artist. What Dave Barry is, however, is a master parodist, an expert in the fine art of piling together absurdities (both in the plot and in the verbiage) until you laugh out loud. Although the laugh-out-loud per page ratio in this book is not as high as in some of Dave's better columns, that's understandable, because he had to cover a lot more ground here. It certainly is more entertaining than most more 'serious' action-adventure-caper type books. This book is an excellent choice for the beach, plane, or while babysitting.
Rating:
Summary: I laughed so hard I cried!!
Review: This is without a doubt the funniest book (with a real plot) that I have read in years. The story is extremly entertaining and the characters are wonderful, especially the dog. I found myself laughing out loud in anticipation of what would happen next. I could not put this book down. I wish it were out in paperback so I could mail it to all my friends. I only hope that Mr. Barry will write another novel soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Light Weight
Review: Big Trouble is light weight, a summer read, but fun. The only thing is, two weeks after I finished it I couldn't remember what it was about and checked here to remind me. But, if you are stuck in a airport for a layover, I can recommend it as fast moving!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing experience
Review: Let me say this first: I LOVE Dave Barry. I must have at least 90% of his books, and I rolled on the floor laughing with every one of them. But "Big Trouble" was a disappointment. Not once did it make me laugh - Barry's humor simply doesn't lend itself to a novel. Maybe I was expecting too much, possibly a storyline? (this one is far-fetched as a B-movie & very predictable towards the end), characters? (Barry doesn't waste time actually bringing his characters to life). Most of all, when writing dialog, one has to understand the HUGE difference between spoken and written word. "Big Trouble"s dialog reads as if cut from one of Barry's columns. Would have been funny there. Isn't funny as dialog. Anyway... if you are a Barry fan - don't expect too much here.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy of Barry Fandom
Review: When I learned Dave Barry wrote a novel, I had my doubts. I mean, this guy's a humor columnist, right? What does he know about creating a story? Obviously, he knows quite a bit. Big Trouble is wonderfully put together and just downright funny. I had some problem digesting the profanity, but as Barry says, "That's how some characters turned out." Many parts in the book are relevant to his articles, especially the dog and toad. Overall, this is a must buy for any Dave Barry fan (except maybe children--Dave warns).
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious Narrative of the Lunacy that is South Florida
Review: Big Trouble is fast paced; a quick read that is "laugh out loud" hysterical. Those of us who live in the South Florida area can truly appreciate the not-so-far-from-the-truth situations and adventures that are nonstop throughout the book. It is an interesting "thriller" with overlapping plot twists; nonetheless, it flows well and is consistently VERY funny. Enjoy!
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