Big Trouble

Rating:
Summary: Okay, but what I hoped from Dave
Review: Background: grew up in South Florida reading and loving Dave in the Miami Herald but I live many states away now. I found out after reading the book that it was made into a movie starring Tim Allen. I'm sort of a movie buff but still had never heard of the movie and to date I've never seen it.

Pretty good book, but not what I had hoped from Dave Barry. I guess this was his first foray into a full novel. The frog is the best part and it is pretty much what one would expect from a goofy, South Florida tale. It has lots of funny moments, but I really don't know if non-Dave Barry fans could enjoy it because the end story leaves alot to be desired.

Nonetheless, if you get if for cheap, it's a quick read and it's funny.

Rating:
Summary: a great humor/crime novel!!!
Review: I found Dave Barry's novel, Big Trouble, a very entertaining story down to the last page. The book is filled with action and witty humor throughout. The book is a light-hearted crime novel - a storyline of a robbery, with comic relief where it is needed.

Dave Barry creates a wall of characters in the story, which makes the book read a little faster, as he is jumping from character through character throughout the book. The only problem with this is that although the large amount of people in the story adds to the plot's depth, it is easy to get lost between the character's names and what's happening to whom.

Even with this mild flaw, though, the story still reads well and the plot flows brilliantly. Dave Barry takes completely different characters who have nothing to do with each other and then pulls them together through a series of events. At first, no plot seemed evident to me, but as you read on, everything begins to fit in, and then the adventure starts!

The story is a very original one involving a nuclear bomb, a game called killer, a large toad, a homeless man, a bar that's purpose is not to sell drinks, and two hitmen, two police officers, two high schoolers, two FBI agents, and two "veterans". It seems like it would be impossible to write a book incorporating such a wide variety of ideas and thoughts and yet still keeping it an interesting story, but somehow, Dave Barry manages to pull it off.

I find this story very hard to describe in a few short sentences, as there is just SO much that goes on in it. It takes place in Miami, where a victim of attempted murder tries to buy a bomb to get the attention of the feds in some crazy plan of his. It just so happens that two amateur robbers were about to commit their crime in the place where the bomb was being illegally purchased. When the robbers see all of his money they assume him to be a drug kingpin and take him hostage. As the story goes on more characters get involved, until they are all in one big dangerous mess.

I found the ending a little weak, though. Without giving anything away, I think Dave Barry could have added a couple more pages to sum it up just a little better, but my overall impression was still excellent, despite the short ending.

If you're the kind of person who looks for a moral, or the kind of person who wants to "get something out of a book", I think you DEFINITELY need to approach this book with a different attitude. This is the type of book involving hallucinogenic toads and squirt guns-you'll find no moral here, this book was written to make you laugh! Besides, too many books are too serious anyway, it's good to take a break from that.

I have read his newer novel also,(Tricky Business) and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this book. I have also noticed they made a movie from this book, but I have not seen it yet, so I'm not sure how accurately it really follows the book. I highly recommend this book to people who would enjoy a fun-to-read crime story. The only reason why I gave this book "4 stars" out of five, was for the confusing amounts of characters and the abrupt ending. Don't let that discourage you though, if this book sounds appealing to you, give it a chance, I'm almost certain you'll love it!!!

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, not funny
Review: I have been a fan of Dave Barry since his early books (Bad Habits). Therefore, I purchased this novel inmediatly, expecting the usual barrel of laughs.

Well, it is not. The book is a little painful to read. By example, Barry fills holes on the dialogue with the expression "Oh, Jesus" (not used by just one characther, but by most of them). He cannot keep a conversation flowing smoothly.

The other point is that the book turns into an action movie, as if Mr. Barry was thinking about the potential of selling movie rights. Dave is a witty observer of human nature and the cultural absurdities, but the story does not give space to these strenghts. An scene in which a woman is humilliated while some crooks expose and touch her breasts is unnecesary and ruins the "fun environment". Once again, it seems more concerned with giving Hollywood producers some skin.

Anyway, there are some funny characthers and situations, and Dave Barry is able to make a complicated plot easy to follow. I did not enjoyed "Big Trouble", but if Mr. Barry writes another novel, I am willing to give it a try.