So it's October, 2002, and I have just touched down in Moscow on a business trip. In the morning, I will be touring the city with Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris; but guess what, I have the worst case of jet lag I have ever had.Let me set the scene. Moscow was in a state of turmoil at the time, and crime was rampant. There were stories about gangs kidnapping American businessmen. I was not technically a businessman, but I was American and there was no way skittish Mr. Kent was going for a midnight walk.After tossing and turning on a moldy bed in an elegant hotel room overlooking the Olympic Stadium, I finally gave up on sleep and pulled my copy of Big Trouble out of my bag.Being mildly dyslexic, I am a very slow reader. Big Trouble is a relatively short read for most people. For me, it took all night. I began around 11:00 pm and finished at sun-up, with just enough time to shave and shower before going out to visit the electronics black market and make an absolute fool of myself.Back to point, Big Trouble is one of the best pieces of comic writing I have ever seen. Barry starts out strong and keeps it going through the entire book, doling out both a great storyline and one good gag after another.Talk about your sweeping casts of characters, Big Trouble is the tale of a divorced and failing advertising exec, his teen nerd of a son, a wealthy trophy wife with more to offer than just a body, her A-list high school daughter, a gangster, a homeless man, a lecherous cop and his female partner, two Russians selling illegal arms, a decidedly crooked contractor, and more. I picked this book up and I could not put it down. When I returned from Moscow, I issued copies to everyone in my family for Christmas--IN HARDBACK!This is a remarkable book and one of the best examples I have seen of comic novel writing.
I have always loved the humor in Dave Barry's writing - used to read his articles printed in the Washington Post Magazine. This was the first book of Dave's that I've read, and it doesn't disappoint. He writes in the Acknowledgements and Warnings chapter, that his editor told him he needed characters AND a plot. Well, the plot for Big Trouble is terrific! Loads of unexpected twists and turns which carry the reader along to a slam-bam finish that ties it all together. Such a fun, entertaining read. However, be warned - it is a mystery, there are some tense moments, and a difficult situation, but nothing that hasn't been written by other authors of similar genres.Don't let this deter you from reading, 'Big Trouble'. Dave Barry's wonderful sense of humor and personal style comes through again.
What do You think about Big Trouble (2001)?
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 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.
—Emily
This is one of the funniest books I have ever read! I have read most of Dave Barry's short comedy books, about 30 of them. I had no idea that he could make a novel be as funny as those books were! As I read this book, I was laughing out loud, both at the DMV and at home! I was so entranced by the plot, as well as amused by Dave's characteristic use of funny phrasing (such as, "intelligence as deep as mayonnaise.") He really hit the spot with this fast-paced, wonderful, and almost believable mystery spoof about Miami, Florida!
—Helen
Şimdi bu "okuduğum en kötü kitaplar" listesinde, en azından benim. Çünkü arka kapağa bakarsak gülmekten yerlere yuvarlananlar mevcut, okuyan hemen herkesin yorumu bu. Tüm günü dışarıda/otobüste geçireceğimi düşünerek eğlenmek, hafif bir okuma yapmak düşüncesiyle yanıma aldığım bu kitap resmen kabusum oldu. İzlediğiniz komedi filmlerindeki tüm klişelerin bir araya getirilmişi diye düşünün, bunu AHS gibi süper bir yoldan değil, yine klişe ve ucuz bir yoldan yaptığını. Anlatırken bile midem bulanıyor. Uzak durun, kesinlikle! Ve kim size, "çok eğlenceli cnm, muhakkak okumalısın!!!" derse koşarak uzaklaşın.
—Ludmilla
