Rating: 
Summary: What a Margarita is to the '82 vintage of Bordeaux.......
Review: After completely enjoying the short stories in Tales From Margaritaville, I wasn't sure what to expect from Where Is Joe Merchant. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this book really was and how quickly I got wrapped up in it. I'm a big Jimmy Buffett fan, so this was a must read for me. His writing is surprisingly good. Mr. Buffett has a great ability to suck you into a story and make you feel like you are there with the characters. It's not Pulitzer Prize material, but is a very enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Winter Doldrums Escape
Review: Although a Buffett fan, this book will be a great read for anyone looking for an escape. From the tropical settings, to the colorful characters, to the incredible dialogue, it won't take long before our whisked off the couch and find yourself flying shotgun next to Frank Bama himself. Although I found myself asking, "where the hell does he come up with this stuff", I couldn't pull myself from its pages and giving it a full 5 star rating! Parrothead or not, kick off those boots, slip on the flip-flops and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Fans dig it, but is it good?
Review: Colorful characters and some excellent settings. The plot is weak and the ending was poor. Mostly read (and rated?) by his fans. If you love the music, you may be entertained by some of the references between the songs and the book.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
Summary: God, I loved it!
Review: I am not a "Parrothead" and I don't listen to Jimmy Buffet's music. The only song I can identify with him is Margaritaville. I am, however, an avid reader and an English teacher. My husband, some friends and I were camping at an annual Cajun Festival in Escoheag, RI a few years ago and I'll just say that everyone was having more fun than I was. I was alone at the campsite and bored out of my skull. This book had been on the table since the day before and I had not previously even thought of picking it up. Once I did, though, I read until I was finished -about 4am. The book had me laughing out loud. It was the best Cajun-fest I had ever attended! I've re-read the book more times than I can count and lost more copies than I can count to people who have borrowed and never returned them. This book is a pleasure to read -you learn, you laugh and it is well written.
Rating:
Summary: Fun Plot & Wonderfully Bizarre Characters
Review: I can honestly say that this book appealed to both the avid reader AND the avid Parrothead in me! This was interesting and entertaining, with a typically Jimmy Buffett exotic setting and some fascinating and bizarre characters. Characters such as Frank Bama, Trevor Kane, Blanton Meyercord (my personal favorite!), Rudy Breno, Charlie Fabian, Colonel Cairo and of course the amazing Desdemona all made this a hard-to-put-down story. A special note for Parrotheads: Although this is a book for anyone who likes reading bizarre love & adventure stories, Parrotheads will especially appreciate the subtle (and even not-so-subtle) references to your favorite Buffett songs. Pay special attention to the names of the chapters! :-> Anyone who has always wondered about Desdemona while listening to "Fruitcakes" and "Desdemona's Building a Rocket ship" should definitely read this book - all the answers are here!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: I really loved this book. It was action-packed, full of creative plots, delightful twists and turns, and colorful characters... it even has the unforgettable romance! Wish I could read this book for the first time again.
Rating:
Summary: Where is Joe Merchant?
Review: In my opinion, the book "Where is Joe Merchant" is a very interesting story about a rock star disappearing and the search to find the truth. I feel that Jimmy Buffett did an excelent job of creating his characters and thouroughly explaining their thoughts and actions. In all, I feel that "Where is Joe Merchant" was very well written and put together. I rate it 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Never thought reading could be this much fun
Review: Jimmy's story recreates the same characters he's been singing about for years, puts them together in a mad dash across the Carribean and brings them to an unexpected ending which cannot be anticipated. If Indiana Jones were a parrot head, this would be his story. I've been a fan of the music for years and I read the book in two days. The story line grabs you in the first thirty pages and builds all it's characters until you feel you know them all, not just the headliners. The same wit and wisdom in the music exists in the book and it's not just a good story, it's pure entertainment. You'd expect nothing less from Jimmy. Best book I've read in a long, long time.
Rating:
Summary: Misguided youth...
Review: Read it first when I was 16 or 17. Thought Jimmy was the dog's bollocks at the time. Owned every album to date, and almost every t-shirt. that level of fan-dom and my lack of exposure to "good" writing had me flippin through that book like . . . . like something you flip through very quickly.
But I put those things away from me for a while. Put the CD collection up, donated my t-shirts, started drinking something other than margaritas. Years later I came back to Merchant. I remembered the great story idea and plot twists and great characters and their development.
couldn't get past the first chapter. It actually seemed to pain me physically to read the book. Where before I thought it clever for him to allude to his myriad songs and personal memories, I came to see it as a cheap way to make a story. Write what you know.... yet it seemed that he just took his song lyrics and made them into novel form.....
well, it's a good example to use in the classroom to explain to students what a simile is... "Yes, class. Just turn to page... uh... page... well to any page in the book."
Summary: it turns out that I am disappointed. I like Buffett. I like the idea and basic plotline. Approach. It's all in the approach.
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