reading (Basket Case)

I was relieved to find that "Basket Case" breaks the mold that my last two Hiaasen reads were set in. There is no diabolically evil loner guy, there is no married woman waiting to be liberated from her husband, and the plot twists in entirely new ways. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists in the plot and the twistedness in the humor. Yes, Hiaasen writes it so that his readers will feel smarter than any of the characters. But everybody has to make a living, right? I have a soft spot for his cynical, inept heroes.

When I was a kid my family went to Disney World a lot. After a few times at the park I started striking out on my own. In the early afternoon when the crowds and heat were at their worst I'd hop on the train that circles the Magic Kingdom and ride round and round enjoying the breeze and shade the train provided. That train doesn't go anywhere, just around in a circle, but it's a fun ride if you watch the comedy provided by humans in an artificially created "native habitat". It can be an entertaining way to pass your time.

This book is a lot like that train. It's fun. Sit back, enjoy the ride, and laugh at the silly monkeys. I rate it higher than "Sick Puppy" and "Stormy Weather".

52. Carl Hiaasen "Basket Case"