Basket Case

Rating:
Summary: A Tisket a Tasket Cheers for the Basket
Review: Such an awesome book! I'm new to Hiaasen, and this was one to get me geared up to read the rest. The characters were so likeable, and I adored Jack Tagger! A true laugh riot that one! The story line moved fast, with plenty of sarcasim, humour and fun along the way.


Rating:
Summary: First Time Read
Review: This is my first time reading a Carl Hiaasen Novel. I've mainly read his columns at the Herald and found them insightful and entertaining. I loved Basket Case very much and reminded me of all the craziness that took place when I used to live in South Florida.

But I must say that the novel had a few gaps in it. I think the ending was too short considering that the novel took its time in establishing the scenario with Jack, Emma, Carla, Jimmy, Cleo, L'oreal and Co. The part where Basket Case talks about the Benadryl in Jimmy Stoma was far fetched and just plain bad IMHO. I found that a bit disappointing because Jack seemed to want to get the whole thing over with so he could start over with Emma. At least that was the impression that I had.

This doesn't take away from Carl Hiaasen's sense of humor and wit. I also think that there isn't more feedback coming from Emma as to why she wanted to be with Jack and why she loved him. After all, Jack is a man 20 years older and his journalism career is in the bucket. I also didn't see enough Public Interest in The Slut Puppies death. Maybe Carl Hiaasen wanted to show that this was the mission of one devoted fan. I understand that because the story was written in the first person, perhaps Jack didn't care about what the public might have been thinking in respect to Jimmy's death with the exception of Rolling Stone or Spin Magazine.

Since the story was written in the first person, I must say Jack's style sounded more like the attitude a third person writer would take. Typically when people speak in the first person they are not so hung up with proper punctuation or grammar. They emphasize their feelings and set the tone, even if it has an exaggerated effect. I know that Jack Tagger is a journalist and that would explain his choice of words, but the jargon in the workplace is different from the language you use in daily life. I would have been able to better relate to Jack Tagger if that distinction would have been made.

I give the story four stars because it was still an entertaining read despite the hole to the story which made it seem a bit fantastic. I took the story with a grain of salt and had no choice but to laugh because sometimes life really is that crazy.

Rating:
Summary: Not a Masterpiece Like His Other Work
Review: Recently I read two other sensational books by this author, Sick Puppy and Lucky You which were extremely enjoyable, fast paced light fun reads. Basket Case was very different in style to those books and I don't think was anywhere near the quality level that those two books were at.

Basket case is written as a through one character's eyes story, where with Hiaasen's other books there was five or six stories happening simultaneously where the characters ultimately come across one or other. That aspect missing from this novel made it rather mundane and boring. The lack of journalistic knowledge by Hiaasen for his main character Jack Taggart who was supposed to be a great journalist was something I immediately picked up on being a journalist myself as the articles written by the character weren't using journalistic style. The inverted pyramid was not followed, where the most important information is at the beginning with the story's less important information following so that editor can cut it anywhere with the story still making sense. The lead paragraphs were very weak and wouldn't have made readers read on. His stories would not have made it to print at any even average newpaper. That's just something I picked up upon and if you're not a journalist maybe it wouldn't bother you. I wouldn't have really cared about that if it was a light, entertaining read like Hiaasen's other work but to be honest I just found this book rather boring.

Definitely read Lucky You and Sick Puppy though, they are masterpieces.



Rating:
Summary: A Novel Approach to a Hiaasen Story
Review: Pardon the pun in this review's title, but this story is unlike anything Hiaasen has done before. Instead of tackling the mistreatment of the Everglades or other gem of the Floridian ecosystem, the author looks at another diminishing national treasure: the daily newspaper. While this subject is certainly near and dear to his heart (and it's likely most people who invest their leisure time reading will concur), it's just not as much fun as what he's done in the past. For one thing, Hiaasen is unable to develop the kind of bizarre characters that are the hallmark of his writing - death-obsessed obituarists, editors who can't write, profit-grabbing publishers can't hold a match to roadkill-eating ex-governors. For another thing it places too many constraints on his hero - while Jack Taggart doesn't completely follow journalistic ethics (not an oxymoron for Hiaasen), his hands are tied several times in how far-out he can get in breaking his story. Hiaasen also falters a few times in staging the story: The fight scene involving a freezer-preserved monitor lizard, for instance, should have been a highlignt of the book; instead it takes place in the dark, robbing it of a lot of its potential zing.

For all that though, the story is still well constructed, the characters engaging and the writing fresh and witty. The main story line, dealing with an investigation into the death of ex-rocker James "Jimmy Stoma" Stomarti, is handled well. The subplots dealing with Taggart's love interest and screwing over his publisher are presented less believably - they're enjoyable, but riddled with implausibilities and plot holes. Taggart is a likeable guy; I found his Rainman-like ability to tell you who died at a given age amusing. He's determined and resourceful - and apparently one heck of a lover. His fellow crusaders for justice, Emma (his editor) and Janet (sister of the deceased) have their quirks, but do a good job helping Taggart at crucial moments. The villains are a bit subdued for a Hiaasen book, likely due to the story's sole first-person POV - because they behave themselves in front of Taggart, we can't fully appreciate them for the wackos they undoubtedly are.

If your friends have been pushing you to read Hiaasen, this book may not give a proper representation of "his kind" of story. On the other hand, if you're just looking for an enjoyable mystery to take you from one airport to the next, Basket Case will do that, and do it well.

Rating:
Summary: A fun mystery...
Review: Basket Case is an amusing read full of offbeat, eccentric characters. Hiaasen has a breezy style that is easy to read; he's funny in a cynical and ironic sort of way. Once upon a time, Jack Tagger was a promising journalist, but he got into trouble with management and is now banished to writing obituaries, which he somehow manages to make amusing for the reader. He learns of the death of a former rock star... And that's when the fun begins. Tagger sees a story in the death and notices some inconsistencies surrounding rock star's demise. He digs deeper, believing that this may be his ticket back onto the front page. There are various fun twists throughout the novel.

Jack's experience makes an enjoyable, amusing read. His exploits kept me enthralled and entertained from beginning to end. I hadn't read this author's work until now. His whodunit style is both intriguing and funny. I shall definitely look to this author in the future. In the meantime, I highly recommend Basket Case.

Rating:
Summary: The one, the only
Review: Since reading Stormy Weather on a trip, I've been working my way through all of Carl Hiaasen's books. In the case of Basket Case, I was reading the book during a domestic flight. I noticed neither the take-off nor landing, and failed to be airsick for the first time in my life, I was so engrossed. I even managed to drop the book one time because I was laughing so hard. Despite a blatant misure of a reptilian, this is a fantastic book.