Rating: 
Summary: unable to put it down
Review: I read this book straight through and than had my friend read it. The next time he came over he read some pages out loud that he really liked, we were laughing so hard we were in tears. If they was a follow up book to this one, I would be first in line to buy it. Great Book!!
Rating: 
Summary: "Six Feet Under" it ain't...
Review: I really disliked this novel, and as a major "Six Feet Under" fan, I can say it has nothing to do with belief in the sanctity of death care. I was mystified to read other reviews saying they laughed -- where? I didn't laugh once. The book has some strong images -- the narrator becomes obsessed with the death care industry after he watches his parents die in a plane crash (actually, that scene is very similar to a death scene in the movie "Final Destination")... the funeral director's daughter has an apartment that is a creepy Freudian homage to her family business (including an embalming machine that dispenses Kool Aid)... but the narrative bored me, and I had difficulty keeping the characters straight. Natalie, the aforementioned Kool Aid fan, is probably the most vivid. Overall "Final Arrangements" was a disappointment. The author includes a note that his editor culled this book from a 800 page manuscript. On behalf of readers like me, thank you!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Engaging and Informative
Review: I was prompted to read this book because I have a deep fascination with the cultural aspects of death. Little did I realize it would turn out to be a great story with interesting characters, an intriguing plot, and LOTS of really amazing behind-the-scenes detail about what goes on at a funeral home. Like the show Six Feet Under, much of the plot stems from the conflict between the independent funeral home and the big conglomerate. The way in which the independent guys deal with this problem is suspenseful and exciting (I don't want to give anything away, but it's cool). My only real complaint with the book is the relationship between Casey and Natalie, which seems somewhat simple and contrived. Other than that, the book is really good: atmospheric, clever and really, really funny. Of course, if you are sensitive about death or just don't want to know the things that are going to happen to your body when your gone, you probably shouldn't read it.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, Engaging and Informative
Review: I was prompted to read this book because I have a deep fascination with the cultural aspects of death. Little did I realize it would turn out to be a great story with interesting characters, an intriguing plot, and LOTS of really amazing behind-the-scenes detail about what goes on at a funeral home. Like the show Six Feet Under, much of the plot stems from the conflict between the independent funeral home and the big conglomerate. The way in which the independent guys deal with this problem is suspenseful and exciting (I don't want to give anything away, but it's cool). My only real complaint with the book is the relationship between Casey and Natalie, which seems somewhat simple and contrived. Other than that, the book is really good: atmospheric, clever and really, really funny. Of course, if you are sensitive about death or just don't want to know the things that are going to happen to your body when your gone, you probably shouldn't read it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read in years
Review: I've never written review for a book before, at least not here. The reason is simply because I have never before come across a book that I enjoyed as much as Final Arrangements by Miles Keaton Andrew. When I first picked up the book, I admit it was the author photo that intrigued me. It's an overhead shot of the author lying in an open grave. Seeing this gave me an idea of just how original and jaded the author's sense of humor would be. It was nothing compared to the story and the characters. The story gets into your brain. When I finished the book, I started it again. It's just that good. Miles Keaton Andrew is definately an author that we will be hearing a lot from in the future. This book has become one of my all time favorites. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Laughed Till IT HURT
Review: In this wacky side-splitter, Miles Keaton Andrew has established himself as a great writer of comedy - black comedy - verrrry black. You can't say there's a funnier book out there until you read this one. It's a book about the ultimate dysfunctional family - the family that owns Morton-Albright Funeral Home. Highly recommeded for 6 Feet Under Fans!
Rating:
Summary: Frightfully Funny
Review: My family read this book for our family book club. We picked it based on its Amazon reviews. In general, I found that this book lived up to what the reviewers said about it. It was funny, poignant, and very different from anything else I had ever read. It was a good, light choice for our book club, as it brought up numerous subjects for discussion. Thanks to Final Arrangements, we have all decided we would rather not die. Especially in the 1970s. Seriously, if you have a weak stomach, some of the contents of this book will no doubt be disturbing. But this book is a fine page-turner, and when it is over, you will find yourself better off for having read it. The characters, for the most part, are dynamic and interesting, and the subject is more fascinating than I would have imagined. As a side note, this book takes place in a fictional town by St. Petersburg, Florida. Many local places are mentioned. For those who have ever visited or lived by the Tampa Bay area, these details give the story an extra spark.
Rating:
Summary: Frightfully Funny
Review: My family read this book for our family book club. We picked it based on its Amazon reviews. In general, I found that this book lived up to what the reviewers said about it. It was funny, poignant, and very different from anything else I had ever read. It was a good, light choice for our book club, as it brought up numerous subjects for discussion. Thanks to Final Arrangements, we have all decided we would rather not die. Especially in the 1970s. Seriously, if you have a weak stomach, some of the contents of this book will no doubt be disturbing. But this book is a fine page-turner, and when it is over, you will find yourself better off for having read it. The characters, for the most part, are dynamic and interesting, and the subject is more fascinating than I would have imagined. As a side note, this book takes place in a fictional town by St. Petersburg, Florida. Many local places are mentioned. For those who have ever visited or lived by the Tampa Bay area, these details give the story an extra spark.
Rating:
Summary: Big Laughs, Twisted Plot
Review: Not only is Miles Keaton Andrew a great comic writer, he also tends toward the bittersweet. Mr. Andrew's strong points are character and plotting. The plot turns at 90-degree angles, which pull the reader through the book so quickly, you're sad to see it end. The characters are marvelous. Casey Kight, an orphan who has found his home, or funeral home in this case, blesses us with sympathy at his hilarious misadventures in embalming. Natalie, Casey's love of his life, is a bratty, sarcastic foil to Casey's naiivete. Don't miss this one!!
Rating:
Summary: taking it in the end
Review: There is, for many people, myself included, an interest in death. This is the first book I have ever read that gave me the DETAILS of what actually happens to the body after death in a funeral home. I was especially intrigued by a disclaimer the author wrote stating that if this book fell into your hands after a death of a loved one, he apologized and gave his sincere regrets. I was fairly certain that what I was going to read about how a body was processed after death was realistic. By the time I made it to page 21, I had read most of it out loud to my medical colleagues. There was no way I could contain myself and NOT share exactly what occurs during body embalming. Like most things uncomfortable, it was imperative to share, and quite frankly, laugh out loud in the response to the characters. The novel itself is quirky fun, and it is not without respect for the dead. As with all things that are distasteful, to inject humor makes the topic much more palatable. The novel introduces Casey Kight, who suffered the loss of his parents in a plane crash and found sincere comfort in the funeral home of Morton-Albright Funeral Home and Memorial Chapel in Angel Shores, Florida. Circumstances happened that as a small boy the day of his parent's services, he was gifted a key to the Funeral Home by the funeral director as an attempt to distract the young, distraught boy from his grief of his parents horrible death.
The boy, Casey, never forgot the generosity. Nor did he ever let go of the key to the funeral home. It became a symbol to hold on tightly during moments of insecurity and fear. Casey and the key managed to bring him through puberty and to age 21, when he qualified for application in a position at the Morton-Albright Funeral Home. On the day of his 21st birthday, he went to the home and sought employment, laying carefully the key wrapped in the giver's handkerchief that the director, Jerry Stiles had given him on the funeral day of his parents onto to the man's desktop. This act was in response to the question from Jerry as to what brought Casey here to apply for the position. Casey's sincereity insured admission. The funeral home stood for the highest ethics and respect for death. Aside from such respect, the many characters that worked for the funeral home were all family, and these people provided the humor and sincereity that bonded the place together. Part mystery, part love story, part reality, the novel is a revealing and entertaining story from a relatively unknown field. Fresh, (if you pardon the reference) and quite delightful, it is an original peak at what happens when our lights go out.
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