Rating: 
Summary: go ahead, judge a book by it's cover
Review: Duncan Delany is an aspiring artist, son of a rich Wyoming rancher, who gets an ultimatum from mom (get a real job). Instead, he flees to Los Angeles, lives in a run-down apartment, and has adventure surrounding the strip joint across the street, and multitudes of characters in the neighborhood.
I had a hard time getting through the first third of this book. It seems to open up and just dump characters at your feet, without a lot of set up, and I found that somewhat difficult to absorb. As the book settled in, I was able to keep track of all the characters, but by my count, there is no less than 20 secondary characters which seemed to overwhelm the story, and this is all packed into 180 pages. There's a good story in there, that has its share of outrageous moments peppered throughout. I would give it 3 ½ stars but the ending is quite imaginative and rounds it up to 4. When I finished it, I was glad I stuck with it and read it.
Not that is should matter, but the title and the cover are awesome....
Rating: 
Summary: Duncan Delaney a great read
Review: Enormous fun. The characters are fresh, the dialogue sparkles. The book is extremely funny, sometimes laugh out loud funny yet still manages to be also tender, and touching. It creates then sustains a wonderful rhythm; the plotting is clever with plenty of twists and surprises. Above all there's a freshness and exuberance to the writing that made me very sorry to see the book end.
Rating: 
Summary: ???
Review: First off, I've never been able to get past ten pages whenever I've sat down to try to write a novel. Consequently, I automatically have tremendous respect for anyone who can actually stay the course. Nevertheless, I found this novella to be very disappointing. I'm not sure why all these other reviewers seem so amazed by it. There was a story, sure, but it wasn't at all clear to me WHY there was a story. In other words, I couldn't see why there was a story worth telling here. Maybe I'm a snob, but I expect a little more depth to a story than just a chronicle of the sexual misadventures of an adolescent twentysomething. It was kind of funny sometimes, but ultimately it was pointless.
Rating:
Summary: A BRIGHTLY WRAPPED JEWEL
Review: Haskett's debut novel is a brightly wrapped present, mixing numerous conventions--road trip, love story, coming of age, portrait of an artist, dark comedy--into a multi-layered celebration of life. That this melange is successful, leaving the reader with the feeling of discovering a shiny, perfectly crafted jewel, is a testament to Haskett's craft: the sure, fluid, and precise writing of an author confident of his voice and his vision of what makes us all tick. Beginning in Wyoming, the story takes Duncan Delaney, the hero cowboy painter, and his fiercely loyal Native American side kick, Benjamin Lonetree, to the streets of Los Angeles, where they meet with a cast of other unforgettable characters--bikers, strippers, cops, robbers, agents, hobos, convenience store owners, and personal injury lawyers--in a melting pot of adventure, comedy, love, crime, art, tragedy, sex, and violence. On its surface, this highly entertaining story drives the novel through a series of scenes, some hysterically funny, others so touching as to make one cry, that would make this novel a worthwhile read for anyone. At the same time, however, Haskett deftly weaves into his plot a complex exploration of appearance and reality, the necessary joys and sorrows of human relationships, and the value of cultural diversity, that serves both as an uplifting reminder that life should involve excitement, discovery, laughter, and tears, and a timely warning about the dangers of stasis, assumptions, and prejudice. This novel serves as an introduction to a serious and very talented new author.
Rating:
Summary: Compared to Hiaasen
Review: I bought this book after seeing it advertised after searching for books by Carl Hiaasen. the ad said, "better than Hiaasen? you decide." The humor is similar, though not as dark as Hiaasen. Gentle at times and hard at others. Very well written, fast paced, interesting and likable characters, all like Hiaasen. Better? Not as good as Striptease, but better than Stormy Weather. I very much liked the book and hope to see more by Hasket in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, quick and quirky read
Review: I bought this book because of the reviews that associated it with Tom Robbins work, only to find few similarities. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book entirely! I found it a quirky, fun, and interesting read and I am glad to have found another author that I hope will produce much more in the years to come! (It'll make the wait for Robbins books more bearable...)
Rating:
Summary: A great vacation read!
Review: I do a lot of reading but I really gauge my books on how much I would prefer to sit and read them vs. doing something else (e.g., watch television, go to the movies, see friends). This is one of those books that call on you to read them when ever time allows. It's a hard book to put down and I was really engaged by the storytelling and the variety of characters. Take this book to the beach and relax and get caught up in the world of Duncan Delaney.
Rating:
Summary: A great vacation read!
Review: I do a lot of reading but I really gauge my books on how much I would prefer to sit and read them vs. doing something else (e.g., watch television, go to the movies, see friends). This is one of those books that call on you to read them when ever time allows. It's a hard book to put down and I was really engaged by the storytelling and the variety of characters. Take this book to the beach and relax and get caught up in the world of Duncan Delaney.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Read! I couldn't put it down!
Review: I found "Duncan Delaney and the Cadillac of Doom" to be highly entertaining. I was hooked on page 1 and I found myself unable to put the book down until I was finished.Haskett deftly develops each character even while he moves from scene to scene at a rapid pace. He fills the story with colorful characters, witty dialogue, and humor that had me laughing out loud. He explores the full range of human behavior in this book, with sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, but always entertaining results. A thoroughly enjoyable book! I recommend it highly!
Rating:
Summary: Of Course It's Not Robbins!
Review: I get a little ticked off whenever someone gets a favorite author and decides that no one else is worth reading. Like some others, I too bought this book because of the comparisons to Tom Robbins only to find it's really not so much like one of Tom's books. Thank God! I love Robbins, I've read every one of his books, but hey-zeus creesto, just because I like pistachio doesn't mean I can't enjoy a little rocky road every now and then. Robbins always makes me smile and makes me think long after I've put one of his books down, but Duncan Delaney and the Cadillac of Doom made me laugh out loud in more than one place. I will not be forgetting Duncan or his best friend Benjamin Lonetree for a long time, even if neither had me thinking particularly deep thoughts. This book is about feelings, love, jealousy, and maybe a bit of redemption. Don't expect Tom Robbins, cuz you won't get it. But you will get a good, satisfying read.
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