Misadventures in the (213)

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Summary: YOU CAN'T BE SAD WHEN READING (213)
Review: FROM THE SECOND PAGE TO THE LAST THIS BOOK WILL KEEP YOU LAUGHING OUT LOUD. NO OTHER BOOK HAS EVER GIVEN ME THE GIGGLES SO BAD. I RECCOMEND IT TO EVERYONE I MEET. IT'S ABOUT A GAY SCREENWRITER AND HIS ZANY CREW OF EVER SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS, INCLUDING DANDY THE SITCOM STAR AND MILES, WHO PARTAKES IN THE CELEBRITY DEATH GAME. IT'S A MILLION PLOTS IN ONE STORY OF GREGS SEARCH FOR LOVE AMID KOI PONDS AND MCDONALDS PLAYGROUNDS, AND A MOVIE DEAL IN THE 213.

Rating:
Summary: An extremely entertaining read!
Review: I am an avid reader and no other novel in recent memory has made me laugh out loud like Misadventures in the 213. It is the perfect mix of wit, satire and honesty. Dennis Hensley is an enormously clever talent. While the plot is, at times, outlandish, the characters are so likeable and quirky that the reader is easily able to go with the flow and appreciate the constant chaos that takes place throughout. If you're a person with an open mind and an interest in pop culture don't miss out on this literary treat!

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Summary: A RIOT! (Does anyone know Craig's telephone number?)
Review: I couldn't put this book down. I bought this book months ago after a friend recommended it to me. But I put it on my bookshelf and almost forgot about, until one night when I found myself looking for a book and came face-to-face with the flamboyant face on the cover staring at me. It seemed to scream: "Read me, dammit!" I flinched, and then I picked it up to read the first couple paragraphs...pages...chapters...(I completely forgot what I was looking for). It's been a while since I laughed through a whole book--I actually don't think I'd ever laughed through a whole book. MISADVENTURES cracked me up so much, I couldn' put the book down, and at one point I felt like a fool trying to hold back my guffaw on the subway--feeling like a bigger fool missing my stop (yet again). Dennis Hensley has a profound knowledge base of American pop culture; in fact, it's rather scary, in a "I-can't-believe-you-knew-that" sort of way, how entrenched this novel is in camp television/film culture. I loved it! You have to love Craig, the narrator of the story; and the supporting characters are all multidimensional...or should I say dysfunctional. The dialogue has got to be the best part of this novel. You can almost hear the characters talking. I'm going to get the audio version of this book just to hear Craig, et. al. This novel is too outrageous to be real, and just for that, it deserves to be read over and over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Kept me up three nights in a row!
Review: I had to stuff a pillow in my mouth to keep my guffaws from waking the neighbours. While the book jacket foolishly compares this book to Tales of the City (I enjoy Maupin, but he is chuckle-inducing, not laugh out loud funny) the true comparison is with Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven. Joe is still my fave, but it's a pleasure to discover a writer who approaches his genius. I just pray the Mr. Hensley is more prolific than Mr. Keenan. Keep writing--I can't wait for the sequel. (And for goodness sake put some beefcake on the cover of the eventual paperback release. You have to catch the attention of your readers somehow.)

Rating:
Summary: Did I miss the joke and Character development?
Review: I really like entertainment books and LA lifestyle. This one missed the mark. In fact, I kept struggling to finish it and was very happy to move on to my next book.

I didn't find the jokes overtly funny although there is some that are humorous. ON the bright side, the character development of Dandy is over the top and funny. The lead character's love life is casually developed with no real conclusion. Most of the other characters are just not funny.

Maybe I'm too old to get it. However, "Word" by Felske is a much better read of the Hollywood lifestyle. I also found "California Screamin" a better read than this one and it really qualifies as a gay romance novel.

Rating:
Summary: very funny
Review: I really liked this book. It's about a gay aspiring screenwriter in L.A. His best friend is on some teen sitcom and of course she is in her mid-twenties. They get caught up in all kinds of crazy schemes with celebrities like Ginger from Gilligan's Island and Heather Locklear. It is very funny, but twords the end it gets to be too much and you just want to finish already.

Rating:
Summary: You May Not Want To Read This One In Public
Review: I used to read the column in DETOUR magazine, by the fictional Craig Clybourn, upon which the novel is based. Every month found me at the newstand, waiting for read more of the misadventures faces by Craig and Dandy, and their slew of friends. I was more than surprised to find the hardback, with all the columns finally pulled together to show a great effort in fun story telling. When I lived in Los Angeles, also in the 213, everything seemed possible; it was refreshing to read a novel in which everything (and everyone) became possible. My favorite parts of the novel involved Miles and the watermelon, Claudia and the Lost Hope chest, and Godfrey and the playground. It took me one day to read the book cover to cover; I still find myself opening the book to any random chapter throughout the year, just to laugh once again. Great book, and I do wish that Dennis Hensley would take time to write another novel!

Rating:
Summary: Where are my misadventures?
Review: I used to read the column in DETOUR magazine, by the fictional Craig Clybourn, upon which the novel is based. Every month found me at the newstand, waiting for read more of the misadventures faces by Craig and Dandy, and their slew of friends. I was more than surprised to find the hardback, with all the columns finally pulled together to show a great effort in fun story telling. When I lived in Los Angeles, also in the 213, everything seemed possible; it was refreshing to read a novel in which everything (and everyone) became possible. My favorite parts of the novel involved Miles and the watermelon, Claudia and the Lost Hope chest, and Godfrey and the playground. It took me one day to read the book cover to cover; I still find myself opening the book to any random chapter throughout the year, just to laugh once again. Great book, and I do wish that Dennis Hensley would take time to write another novel!

Rating:
Summary: Lisa Kudrow is Dandy!
Review: I've read all 6 volumes of Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin and recommend them to anyone who enjoyed Misadventures in the 213. Dennis Hensley has clearly read his Maupin and has fashioned '213' in a similar style. I couldn't put this book down (like all 6 volumes of Tales) but I have to admit I started feeling like a Valley Girl the more I read it. If Hollywood comes around for the film rights I have 4 words: Lisa Kudrow is Dandy!

Rating:
Summary: I felt like I was in showbiz while reading this book.
Review: MISADVENTURES is a sort-of-fictional story based on the life of a gay and up-and-coming screenwriter, named Craig Clybourn, and his "misadventures" in the showbiz industry in Los Angeles with his own rather strange group of friend's. Dandy Rio, Craig's best friend since college and star of her own sitcom, That's Just Dandy, was my favorite out of the bunch. She was always self-reliant and didn't care what everyone thought of her. She was Craig's right hand and was always there for him during his good times and bad times, and vice versa. I think what really drew me into the story was the strong relationship between Craig and Dandy. I liked the fact that they always supported each other, even when they were separate. I also enjoyed reading about the rise and fall of Craig's relationships with his two boyfriends, Damon and Godfrey, the first one of which played Aladdin in the live Disney musical. I really enjoyed the fact that MISADVENTURES had an "all-star cast" with many famous names that you may recognize and how the characters in the book interacted with them. For instance, there was one incident where they were at the MTV Movie Awards and Craig sat next to Alicia Silverstone to ask her if she wanted to play the lead female character in Deck Games, his very first screenplay which he adrored so much. MISADVENTURES IN THE (213) is a really funny and entertaining book with a few suprising twists near the end. I enjoyed this story so much because of its characters that were so realistic, it almost felt like they were my own friends. I give a standing ovation to Dennis Hensley for writing such an entertaining novel. You just have to pick this book up!