Collection
Genres
Publication
Berkley Pub Group (2001), Mass Market Paperback
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:Dave Barry makes his fiction debut with a ferociously funny novel of love and mayhem in south Florida. In the city of Coconut Grove, Florida, these things happen: A struggling adman named Eliot Arnold drives home from a meeting with the Client From Hell. His teenage son, Matt, fills a Squirtmaster 9000 for his turn at a high school game called Killer. Matt's intended victim, Jenny Herk, sits down in front of the TV with her mom for what she hopes will be a peaceful evening for once. Jenny's alcoholic and secretly embezzling stepfather, Arthur, emerges from the maid's room, angry at being rebuffed. Henry and Leonard, two hit men from New Jersey, pull up to the Herks' house for a real game of Killer, Arthur's embezzlement apparently not having been quite so secret to his employers after all. And a homeless man named Puggy settles down for the night in a treehouse just inside the Herks' yard. In a few minutes, a chain of events that will change the lives of each and every one of them will begin, and will leave some of them wiser, some of them deader, and some of them definitely looking for a new line of work. With a wicked wit, razor-sharp observations, rich characters, and a plot with more twists than the Inland Waterway, Dave Barry makes his debut a complete and utter triumph.… (more)
Language
Original language
English
User reviews
LibraryThing member coffyman
Fast paced, fun book to read. Dave Barry is a clever, funny guy. I couldn't put this book down because I wanted to see what would happen next. Very enjoyable and will have you laughing all the way through.
LibraryThing member EmScape
This is the hilarious story of a group of South Florida "wierdos," who are (most of them accidentally) embroiled in a rather life-threatening escapade. The writing reminds me a little of Buffy, and the book actually references Buffy a couple of times. I was literally laughing out loud on several
You should go read this now.
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occasions. I know there's a movie made from this book, but it probably isn't as funny because the funniest thing about this is the descriptions of the background and the characters' internal motivations. You should go read this now.
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LibraryThing member mikedraper
This zany novel is one of the most enjoyable that I've read,
It takes place outside of Miami, Florida. Two high school students are playing a game of killer - where they shoot another classmate with a water gun and the other student confirms the kill.
The target is Jenny Herk the step-daughter of
When the real and pretend hits occur at the same time, it creates a hilarious mix-up. The only damage was to the family's TV screen which one of the real hit-men shot by accident when the family dog buried its head in the man's crouch.
The police investigate and when they see Mr. Herk's cowardly action from a high schooler with a water gun, he's made a mockery of.
Herk goes to a bar that is a front for weapons, in order to buy a missile. He wants revenge on the student who make him look bad in front of everyone.
One thing leads to another and culminates in a wild chase to the Miami airport.
The humor comes out on almost every page and is a story that the reader shouldn't miss.
It takes place outside of Miami, Florida. Two high school students are playing a game of killer - where they shoot another classmate with a water gun and the other student confirms the kill.
The target is Jenny Herk the step-daughter of
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Arthur who is an embezzler and a gambler. He picks the wrong people to steal from and a hit is placed on him.When the real and pretend hits occur at the same time, it creates a hilarious mix-up. The only damage was to the family's TV screen which one of the real hit-men shot by accident when the family dog buried its head in the man's crouch.
The police investigate and when they see Mr. Herk's cowardly action from a high schooler with a water gun, he's made a mockery of.
Herk goes to a bar that is a front for weapons, in order to buy a missile. He wants revenge on the student who make him look bad in front of everyone.
One thing leads to another and culminates in a wild chase to the Miami airport.
The humor comes out on almost every page and is a story that the reader shouldn't miss.
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LibraryThing member kayceel
A very large cast of characters gets caught up in a race against time - the timer on a nuclear bomb, to be exact. This was amusing, though a bit overly silly at times. Very much a comedy of errors.
LibraryThing member dickmanikowski
A classic Dave Barry tale of a bumbled crime in Florida.
LibraryThing member sdave001
I had been a fan of his columns for years so I snapped this up as soon as it came out. I was not disappointed - this book was great. Actually, it was better than I expected. I knew Barry was great at short stuff but I didn't know if he could pull off a novel. He certainly can as this book is
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engaging from start to finish. Show Less
LibraryThing member carolcarter
The funniest book I have ever read. Too bad the film was not.
LibraryThing member Jim53
Very much what you'd expect from a Dave Barry novel, if you're familiar with his columns, of which I own several collections. He brings together quite a motley crew of mostly cardboard characters, throws them into funny situations, and ties the various stories together better than I thought he
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might. Some very funny scenes, a fair amount of filler, but overall a very enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member nesum
I've been a Dave Barry fan for a while, so I was curious to see what he would do with an actual novel. The result was pretty fun. The plot was interesting, and he had some nice jabs on society as a whole in there.
My only real complaints were that the gags were so visual that they didn't come across
Still, it was quite entertaining, and I'm anxious for another. If you like Elmore Leonard or the like, give this one a try.
My only real complaints were that the gags were so visual that they didn't come across
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as well in prose. You could tell what he was trying to describe, but the timing of it just didn't work out. The other complaint was that I really had trouble keeping all the characters straight.Still, it was quite entertaining, and I'm anxious for another. If you like Elmore Leonard or the like, give this one a try.
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LibraryThing member littlegeek
Dave Barry tries a novel. I like his juvenile yet funny essays, but we already have Carl Hiaasen.
LibraryThing member camarie
This was an awesome book. It was really funny and entertaining. It is a very fast read as well. The plot ends up being a mix up between two CIA officers, two policemen, two underground hit men, two illegal Russian arms dealers, and two suburban families.
LibraryThing member twrona
this book is about the wacky adventures of a homeless man and how his life intersects with the mob and the crooked government in Florida.
i only read the first 150 pages because the plat did not really hook me.
i only read the first 150 pages because the plat did not really hook me.
LibraryThing member kaelirenee
Great funny book with lots of threads tied together.
LibraryThing member alv
Predictable and forced as it was I couldn't put it down.
LibraryThing member kishields
Competently written, but not the sort of humor I usually go for. I prefer Dave Barry's essays, which I've always found funnier than this kind of plot-related humor. Tight plot, though! Complicated for a first effort.
LibraryThing member bookwormteri
The book was okay, but I have to say that this is one of the few books where I will say that the movie was better.
LibraryThing member magst
This was my first Dave Barry book. I never laughed so hard @ a book in my life. Really good mystery with lots of twist, turns, & hidden connections.
LibraryThing member dawng
I enjoyed the book. Kind of fun and quirky, just like his column.
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
A fun and deeply silly thriller of sorts, full of disparate plot threads that come together at the end. The movie was decent but as usual doesn't do the book justice.
LibraryThing member wcath
Funny romp in South Florida. Some violence and adult language. Reminds me - in a good way - of Carl Hiaasen's novels. A fun, quick read with lots of outlandish characters and crazy situations.
LibraryThing member Clueless
Chock full of tired cliches, give this one a pass. Not terribly clever, original, funny or entertaining - just plain terrible.
LibraryThing member Shivam.read
I loved it!! Very hillarious ride with crazy characters and situations. A must read.
LibraryThing member ecw0647
I believe this is Dave Barry's first novel, and what a beginning! Barry has been described as a mutated combination of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard. His writing is hysterical and this book will have you falling out of your chair or wetting your pants. The plot is simple: what do a hallucinogenic
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toad, two hit men, an embezzler, two teenagers who want to play a game called Killer that uses squirt guns, two FBI agents, Special Executive Order 768 dash 4, a very strong homeless man named Puggy and a Spanish-speaking maid named Nina, two lowlifes named Snake and Eddie, two Russian Mafia types who who a bar that makes no money, a herd of goats, a boa constrictor loose at the Delta Airlines counter, and a suitcase nuclear bomb have in common? Every page almost has a good belly laugh as Barry skewers Miami's finest corrupt institutions. The rollicking story gets right off to a good start as almost all the parties meet at Arthur Herk's house for a variety of reasons. The Herk family has a family dog, the product of generations of unplanned dog sex. Roger, the pet, had "the low-slung body of a Beagle, the pointy ears of a German Shepherd, the enthusiasm of a Labrador Retriever, the stubby tail of a Boxer, and the intelligence of celery." Eliot Arnold, who's son has the hots for Herk's step-daughter and wants to "kill" her, has been fired from his job as features writer at the newspaper after putting his left foot through his managing editor's computer monitor. He had been asked to contribute the ethnic viewpoint on the paper's most recent "megaturd" article; you know, the one's that always begin, "Crisis in . . ..." This article in question concerned day-care," pointed out the editor, "Everyone is interested in day-care." To which Eliot replied that everyone had an a..hole too, but one didn't often see articles entitled, “Crisis in Rectum." You get the idea. Show Less
LibraryThing member wareagle78
Okay, this one was funny. Not as funny as Dave Barry's columns (at least not to me) but hugely drawn comedy. Its fantastic plotlines and over-the-top characters reminded me of the movie "A Fish Called Wanda."
LibraryThing member Jiraiya
Big Trouble reminds me of the movie Scary Movie, due to the strict policy of making jokes while keeping the plot moving. The first half of Big Trouble was very funny, the latter half not at all. The book is very entertaining, though sometimes it loses its lightness and there is not a total lack of
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expletives and/or nudity(twice). It was a bit sad how the young lovers of Matt and Jenny decided to forgo their love - though not their friendship - for the benefit of their elders. Altogether, I'm glad to have discovered this book...which I did through IMDB. The movie doesn't do justice to the book, but I still want to rewatch the former. Show Less