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Summary: Good book reading fun!
Review: I enjoyed the book more than the movie. But then, I only watched the movie because of having read the book. I enjoyed the entertaining plot and storyline. I thought think the book was written to make a deep political statement or draw a non-fiction audience-All The President's Men, it as not. But if you want to read something that will give you a couple of chuckles, while sitting up late chomping on popcorn, something that will make you shake your head, and say..."I bet this writer knows something about this kinds of stuff", then this book is for you.
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Summary: Stripping Satire
Review: I expected the worst, having seen the film. Carl Hiaasen's Strip Tease surprised me. It's a social and political satire with a feminist undercurrent. The mystery was full of laughter as well as serious themes. Strip Tease is a good mystery with some good themes. Hiaasen does some excellent work, and Strip Tease is a perfect example.
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Summary: My initiation to Carl Hiaasen
Review: I noticed no one has written a review of this. It must be because of the [poor] movie made from it. But, do not resist! Everything that has made Hiaasen is in Striptease. Wacky and eccectric characters pervade a poor working stripper's life as she tries to raise her kid.This was my first read of his many years ago. I have since reread it more than once since then, and it still cracks me up. Striptease stands up to other Hiassen classics.
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Summary: Very disappointing after skinny dip
Review: I ordered this book as the reviews said it was funny. I found Skinny Dip so funny that at times I could not see thru tears of laughter. But I am 3/4 thru Strip Tease and have yet to laugh.
The characters are so strange they are off-putting so I'm not going to finish the book.
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Summary: Teasing the Reader
Review: I probably would have enjoyed this more had I not previously read "Native Tongue." However, the similar ironic humor, not-quite-what-they-seem characters, and convenient plot devices make the writing seem familiar. The formerly outrageous implausibility now seems too deliberate, almost scripted for a series of five-minutes scenes (and "Strip Tease" did become an awful movie), the sleazy villains and virtuous heroes are now predictably offbeat, tenacious, and plain lucky. We can forgive the manipulations on a first encounter, he's a good and clever author taking you on a gravity-defying roller coaster. But we're a little more leery with this outing, and the farcical is supplanted too often by the expedient. Again, he's such a good writer that you want to go along with him, but after a while, it's a bit too felicitous. In "Strip Tease," the characters are, for the most part, either good people in unfortunate situations, or bad people in fortunate ones. The heroine, while appealing and feisty, is still somewhat of a cliche--the whore with a heart of gold--only she's not a whore, she's a stripper, and she's her own stripper too, refusing to do table or lap dances. And, if that weren't enough, she's doing this all to pay lawyer's fees to regain custody of her daughter. Here she is, a former FBI assistant, smarter than anyone around her, can type 70 words a minute, and only this job will pay the attorney? A job, no matter how how she limits it, that isn't likely to win many points in future custody battles. Makes for a fun novel, what with the easy target of a sleazy (but not too!) strip joint, a violent (but good-hearted) bouncer, and mostly good ole' boy customers, but not a very plausible one. Again, this might work better in a pure farce, but the multiple murders, child endangerment, and unexplored exploitation of women works against this. The author would have us believe that the strippers really have the upper hand, but why, in the epilogue, do so many of them leave the joint for such heretofore unimagined pursuits such as law school? OK, let's just take it tongue in cheek...but after a while it begins to read like a male fantasy, with the author rescuing the women and punishing the unjust. While exposing the corruption of Florida's sugar cane industry, there's very little comment about the lurid, potentially dangerous life of a stripper. (Oh, those must be the "BAD" strippers, not the ones described here.) 3 ½ * if you've never read the author before, he's funny, ironic, and writes an exciting conclusion, but I respectfully disagree with my Amazon colleagues who rate this a 5. Ultimately, the tease is on the reader.
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Summary: Excellent book!
Review: I read this just as a lark, but I was drawn into it more then any book I have read this year. The character of Erin Grant is one of the strongest I've seen. She's gone through hell and back, and will do anything to get custody of her child. Hiaasen paints a hilarious picture of the other characters to make sure that the book doesn't get bogged down into a "Poor Little Me" vibe, which admittidly could have happened. I would definitely recommend this, even if you've been put off because of the Demi Moore movie.
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Summary: Fabulous!
Review: I was raised and currently live in Fort Lauderdale and Hiaason's book had me in tears, I was laughing so hard. A wonderfully skewered portrayal of home in a way that readers will find funny, but locals can appreciate on an even higher level.
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Summary: This book is perfect.
Review: I would give it an 11 if I could. This book is flawless. From the first page, I was hooked. The characters were the best I had ever read in a novel. Hiaasen's humor was incredible-I found myself laughing often. Even though the movie didn't cover as much ground as the book, I think the movie was much better than most people have let on. READ THIS BOOK-you will love it. I have gone through 3 copies, I've read it so much
Rating: 
Summary: least favorite
Review: I've read a number of Hiaasen's books and this is my least favorite. It lacks the clever character development that Sick Puppy has. I barely got through it and I'm a big fan of his!
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Summary: Hiaasen hilarity
Review: I've read all of Carl Hiaasen's books, and although my favorites are "Native Tongue" and "Skin Tight", I choose to review "Strip Tease" because the film did not represent it very well. In all fairness to Demi and company, I don't think Hollywood could ever do Hiaasen's dark humor justice. By now everyone knows the plot line of "Strip Tease": Erin the reluctant stripper becomes involved with smarmy politicians, environmental despoilers, and slimeball ex and inlaws in her struggle for custody of her daughter. Sexploitation, murder, and blackmail ensue, but with the help of a good-hearted Cuban cop and a deranged but devoted doorman, our protagonist prevails. As in all Hiaasen's tales, the climax is upbeat for the heroes while the villains reap their twisted, greatly-deserved kharma. For those not already familiar with Hiaasen, reading this book is a good way to begin the experience. The characters are a little less wacky, the plot a little less zany than his other novels'. But the writing style is every bit as riotous. Warning: Hiaasen is addictive! Like tattoos and chocolate-cordial cherries, you can't stop with just one. And after the insanity of the recent Elian' Gonzales tug-of-war and the rigged election, the reader will realize where Hiaasen dredges up the loony characters who populate his Florida settings. But his genuine love for his home state -- along with his genuine frustration over the rape of its ecosystem -- is evident in all his writings. Those who appreciate Hiaasen's crusade against Florida's political corruption and development & tourism industries will enjoy reading his fine little non-fiction rant, "Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World".
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