Empty Copper Sea

Rating:
Summary: My first taste of McDonald is delicious
Review: After hearing John D. McDonald's name mentioned often when people spoke of fine 20th century authors, I decided to give him a try. I didn't regret it. Travis McGee has to be one of the most memorable characters that I have ever read about. His witty banter with his close companion Meyer is always entertaining, and often enlightening. McDonald somehow manages to sneak in his own personal concerns over the destruction of the Florida that he loves so much, without disturbing the plot at all. Brilliant. The other characters in the book are also very well developed. You get a true feeling for everyone of them, and McDonald can make a character that you either love or hate, with surprising ease. The best thing about this book are the unforgettable characters and the intricate and detailed plot. Don't miss this book, or any other by McDonald. In fact, I just ordered 2 more Travis McGee books :

Rating:
Summary: Empty Copper Sea delivers
Review: Empty Copper Sea is one of MacDonald's best in the Travis McGee series. This novel, and the ensuing The Green Ripper, show Travis at his best, and his worst.

It is best to read the Travis McGee books in sequence. MacDonald wrote 21 books in the T. McGee series and there are pertinent details and chronological events as the series progresses. It's also a nice way to see the evolution of the character; the early McGee novels had no Meyer as a key figure in the books, and McGee grows physically and mentally in the later novels.

Travis obviously gets involved with women throughout the 21 novels, but Empty Copper Sea is pertinent because it depicts the true love of his life, Gretel Howard. A great read to see the development of this relationship and resolution in the following novel.

Rating:
Summary: McGee's Voyage Is Worth the Cruise!
Review: Ever since John D. MacDonald introduced his hero, Travis McGee in "The Deep Blue Good-by" in 1964, readers have looked forward to the next episode of this hero of hue--each McGee title contains a color--and the man Time magazine calls "a knight in tarnished armor." In "The Empty Copper Sea," we find Travis once again setting sail to right the wrongs of the oppressed, the downtrodden, the underdog in this, the 17th of the series. In this installment, we find the usual assortment of suspects, friends and other unique characters and it is up to Travis and friend Meyer to sort everything out. Hub Lawless is reported to have drowned after falling overboard at sea, but no one seems to believe this, especially the insurance company responsible for a $2 million policy payment and certainly not Travis McGee, whose good friend Van Harder is held responsible for Lawless' death. And Trav is not one to see his friends wronged. And wronged Harder is, especially when we discover an anonymously sent photograph of Lawless sipping beer somewhere in Mexico. Something is rotten in that state, as well! The plot and characters enter a convoluted trail, nevertheless, but MacDonald is a master at keeping everything in order and as the plot is revealed sense is made of all the comings and goings. The New Yorker has called MacDonald's books a "satisfying mixture of gentle sex and bloody violence" and "Empty Copper Sea" is no exception. MacDonald does not hold back on his violence (remember, he also wrote "Cape Fear"!) and the book cruises on course to its violent--and surprising--climax. It is the interplay between Travis and Meyer that makes the book more than just an action novel: Meyer, the renown economist, intellectual, and Travis's alter ego, and McGee, the Don Quixote of Ft. Lauderdamndale, working out of Slip F-18 in Bahia Mar aboard his houseboat "The Busted Flush." The McGee books have sold millions and continue to hold their own in bookshelves today, a fitting tribute to MacDonald's ability to capture themes, characters, and plots for all time. A number of attempts has been made to film McGee (the last was a dreadful version of "Empty Copper Sea" with an equally dreadful Sam Elliott as Travis, who just couldn't capture the essence of MacDonald's McGee, no matter how hard he tried!) but so far, these attempts have fallen short. MacDonald's prose, perhaps, is not to be transported to the screen. No matter. He's still worth the voyage!

Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: Over the years I've read hundreds of novels in a variety of genres, but for pure fun and enjoyment it's hard to beat Travis McGee. Some of the books are better than others, but they're nearly all worth a couple of lazy summer days. They are the ultimate summer time, quick-read beach books. At their core, they're good mysteries and this is one of the best. But Travis McGee is such a great character, with such a wry outlook on life, that often the mystery seems secondary to McGee's views on whatever topic author John D. McDonald has selected for his soap box. Most of them take place in Florida, (a Florida no one will ever see again given they were written mostly in the 60s and 70s) and all have a color in the title. Don't take them too seriously, just have fun in the sun.

Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: the book was great, the tv movie lacked just a little..

Rating:
Summary: Really gets under the characters' skins
Review: The Travis McGee series is among my favorite reading material. In this book I especially like all the permutations of the male-female relationships - Travis and the piano player, Mrs. Lawless and her husband, the two boat girls and how they view men. The plot twists are good too. You know something is fishy about Hub Lawless' drowning, but you don't (at least I didn't) know exactly how Travis will shake out the riddle.

One quibble about the synopsis posted above: Van Harder, the boat captain, isn't accused of murder, but of drunkenness and dereliction of duty.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite McGee_ Hope I Haven't Said this about his others
Review: The trouble with discovering John D. McDonald's Travis McGee series is that there will be no more. Mr. McDonald passed away several years ago. I find myself re-reading his books in order about every other year. They are still fresh, funny (at times) and insightful.

I like Empty Copper Sea best because Travis meets the main love of his life. Gretel Howard is all that Travis deserves and more. Meyer, the famous economist and chili maker extraordinaire plays a pretty big role in this installment as well. All the familiar elements of Travis' life are here in this book yet the presentation is still fresh. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite McGee_ Hope I Haven't Said this about his others
Review: The trouble with discovering John D. McDonald's Travis McGee series is that there will be no more. Mr. McDonald passed away several years ago. I find myself re-reading his books in order about every other year. They are still fresh, funny (at times) and insightful.

I like Empty Copper Sea best because Travis meets the main love of his life. Gretel Howard is all that Travis deserves and more. Meyer, the famous economist and chili maker extraordinaire plays a pretty big role in this installment as well. All the familiar elements of Travis' life are here in this book yet the presentation is still fresh. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Beach Book Extradinaire
Review: What could be better than a beach book where a large chunk of the action takes place--you guessed it--on the Beach? Travis and pal Meyer endeavor to clear the name of ship captain, Van Harder. His client, Hub Lawless, was lost at sea and Harder was accused of being passed out drunk at the time of the accident. Van claims he was doped, not drunk, and now has lost his license and means of livelihood. Meyer engineers a neat scam whereby he and Trav get access to all the powers-that-be in Timber Bay, the town where the unfortunate Mr. Lawless was a king pin. His disappearance has left the town holding the bag and severely depressed. There is a serious question whether he engineered his own disappearance, and the insurance company is holding up the payment of a $2 million policy to the widow.

The book is fast paced with excellent dialogue, and if that isn't enough--Enter the Girls! First Trav hooks up with the lady piano player in a bar. He and MacDonald dance around for a few pages trying to absolve Trav of taking advantage of the dreaded, non-sensitive One Night Stand. Then come two good-time girls, Mishy & Licia who were on the boat at the time of the disappearance. Licia, though lovely, has a teeth problem. Much to her dismay one crude fellow told her "with teeth like that, you could eat a Big Mac through a venetian blind." (Not our Trav, of course). Then, saving the best until last, Gretel who brings Trav to his knees in instant adoration. I always get nervous when Trav finds true love; they seem to have a very short life span.

"The Empty Copper Sea" is vintage Travis McGee with more turns than a corkscrew and surprises to match. MacDonald sets up one of his trademark scenes of macabre horror right when you least expect it. He wipes that smile off your face, just in case you thought this was going to be only a lighthearted ramble. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Beach Book Extradinaire
Review: What could be better than a beach book where a large chunk of the action takes place--you guessed it--on the Beach? Travis and pal Meyer endeavor to clear the name of ship captain, Van Harder. His client, Hub Lawless, was lost at sea and Harder was accused of being passed out drunk at the time of the accident. Van claims he was doped, not drunk, and now has lost his license and means of livelihood. Meyer engineers a neat scam whereby he and Trav get access to all the powers-that-be in Timber Bay, the town where the unfortunate Mr. Lawless was a king pin. His disappearance has left the town holding the bag and severely depressed. There is a serious question whether he engineered his own disappearance, and the insurance company is holding up the payment of a $2 million policy to the widow.

The book is fast paced with excellent dialogue, and if that isn't enough--Enter the Girls! First Trav hooks up with the lady piano player in a bar. He and MacDonald dance around for a few pages trying to absolve Trav of taking advantage of the dreaded, non-sensitive One Night Stand. Then come two good-time girls, Mishy & Licia who were on the boat at the time of the disappearance. Licia, though lovely, has a teeth problem. Much to her dismay one crude fellow told her "with teeth like that, you could eat a Big Mac through a venetian blind." (Not our Trav, of course). Then, saving the best until last, Gretel who brings Trav to his knees in instant adoration. I always get nervous when Trav finds true love; they seem to have a very short life span.

"The Empty Copper Sea" is vintage Travis McGee with more turns than a corkscrew and surprises to match. MacDonald sets up one of his trademark scenes of macabre horror right when you least expect it. He wipes that smile off your face, just in case you thought this was going to be only a lighthearted ramble. Recommended.