Where Is Joe Merchant?: A Novel Tale

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Summary: Where is Joe Merchant? Who cares?
Review: Once again I am left dissappointed with Buffett's incredibly shallow writing. With no character development and constant, shameless self promotion (using song titles, lyrics throughout the book in an attempt to sell more of his music) I've found his writing to be the perfect cure for my insomnia. I wish he'd stick to song writing and give up trying to become a novelist.

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Summary: Shouldn't have left Margaritaville....
Review: Only the most blindly dedicated Parrothead (and I thought I was one) could truly enjoy this book. I had to work too hard at trying to find an interesting plot amidst the New Age mishmash. Buffett needs to return to the short story format (like the wonderfully entertaining Tales from Margaritaville) or just go back to singing and songwriting.

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Summary: Good luck putting it down!
Review: This book is one of my favorite re-reads. It's a great "get away from it all" book. You don't have to be a Buffett fan to appreciate the story or characters. Jimmy has done a great job of creating characters and situations that we can all relate to, in a setting that few of us will ever experience. In his own tasteful way, he has included just the right mix of action, suspense, humor, love, and of course, music.

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Summary: Outstandingly Funny
Review: Parrot Heads will enjoy this funny novel that uses all the songs that are known to you by heart.

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Summary: The only book better than 'Tales From Margaritaville'
Review: I read Jimmt Buffett's 'Tales From Margaritaville' several years ago. This book left me thirsting for more of his tropical influenced short stories, so I purchased 'Where is Joe Merchant'. To my suprise this full length novel was better than his short stories. The writting in the novel exceeded my expectations. For the whole first 3/4 of the book you are on a non-stop rollercoaster ride. Then in the final 1/4 of the book, Jimmy stuns you with a plot twist out of this world. It's a must read for all true Buffett fans!!

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Summary: Fun in the Caribbean Sun
Review: This was one spectacular romp through Jimmy Buffett's Caribbean. It certainly made me get more interested in getting a pilot's license to have an adventure such as Frank Bama's. Rudy Breno, the fat useless tabloid reporter, was a laugh riot, considering he wanted to spend so much money hunting down Frank's pal Blanton Meyercord for blowing up a Jet Ski commercial set. The only real problem was the constant perspective shift from Frank's first-person accounts to various third-person ones, but it doesn't detract.

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Summary: This is the must read book of the decade.
Review: For anyone who has ever heard Jimmy Buffett sing, this book will be a look at the lives of the people whom he sings about. From page one, untill page 382, this is a fast paced book that will leave wanting more. In reading this novel, you will find yourself drawn into the story, and feel as if you are flying copilot along side of the main character, Frank Bama. As he travels around the hot spots of the Carribean, in search of a long dead rock star named Joe Merchant. If you set out to read this however, you might want to keep your calander free. From start to finish, you will be so caught up in the story, and you won't want to put it down. This is, the must read book of the decade.

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Summary: A great winter relief tale
Review: When I feel down about the weather and staleness of life on the beaches of Lake Erie during the winter months, I like to crack open one of the best books I've ever read, Where is Joe Merchant? Flying around the Caribbean, getting caught in the seasonal torrential rains, relying on good friends, and dealing with what life gives you, sets my mind into that little latitude mindset. Basically, Frank Bama, Trevor Kane, and all those other wackos, releases the cabin fever which starts to set in as the days get shorter. Thank you Jimmy.

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Summary: The unexpected greatness.
Review: Jimmy Buffett is best known for his songs about life in the islands. Though many people enjoy he songs, they would not consider Buffett to be a major contributor to contemporary literature. However, Where is Joe Merchant? is a wonderful tale. It is a fabulous book that everyone should read. No one has come close to the intracy of story telling as has Buffett, and almost no one has been able to match the sheer likability of Frank Bama. Buffett does a masterful job of weaving the story around and through his audience. It brings back the idea of sitting around the hearth, listening to the great tales told by true story-tellers. Jimmy Buffett is the essence of story teller. There are many writers in the world, but we are running dangerously short of story tellers, take advantage of one of the best left around.

Rating:
Summary: Extreme Caribbean escapism.
Review: Jimmy expresses the wanton lust all Parrotheads share in the release of our boring day to day existence. Frank Bama gives us a chance to explore the ways & means of people we'd probably never get a chance to encounter (most of which we would probably never want to). The first couple of characters describe people I can relate to. As a native of Key West, I've run into more than my share. This book really brings me back home. I suggest to anyone who's wishing to start living in island time, this is the book for them. Whether they are able to make the journey down-island or not, this will definitely take them there.