TL;DR - Anthony Bourdain's fiction writing skills aren't quite up to the level of his memoir writing ability but his first attempt at a novel is fun and engaging despite numerous flaws.Anthony Bourdain is a fan of genre fiction. This is apparent to anyone who has read his non-fiction books or watched his travel shows on t.v. He frequently references noir film and pulp heroes in his writing and has mentioned more than once that writing was a hobby for him during off time while working as the head chef for Les Halles restaurant in New York.And, Anthony Bourdain is a fantastic writer. Of non-fiction. His memoirs are hugely entertaining, full of dry wit and snarky asides, and his voice comes across as that of someone who knows and wants to let you in on the secret.None of that voice, however, translates well to fiction. To be fair, the novel is fun to read. It's quick and has the same easy pace and readability of Bourdain's non-fiction. Unfortunately, there are a few plot holes, several stock, even generic characters, and the lush, tropical setting of the book could have benefited from the descriptive prowess Bourdain has developed in the later part of his career.The story is simple enough: a hitman accepts a job, botches part of it, and goes back home to wait for the inevitable backlash. When it comes, the hitman and his wife settle in to a siege of sorts where their desire to protect their lifestyle and home comes into conflict with their desire to live, period. It's good. Like I said, it's easy and fun to read.It's not perfect.The main character is an obvious stand-in for Bourdain himself and the reader can only imagine that this entire novel came into being as a fantasy that got written down while on vacation one week. The other characters exist mainly as someone for the Bourdain stand-in to talk to, drink with, or, occasionally, shoot. Several characters speak in New York / New Jersey dialects that read like a cliche pastiche of every mob movie ever written and their actions are, if anything, even more so.The plot moves fast and loose and the unlikeable characters appear in flashes and bursts of action that help the reader bounce over the more awkward elements. And it, too, is a pastiche of the noir and action films Bourdain loves.However, there is one single redeeming feature and it is this: the book is fun to read. For all its faults and cliches, the book is a lot of fun; it's as much an homage to the pulp and noir fiction Bourdain grew up with as it is lazy summer read and well worth it for that alone.
This book is much better than the other Anthony Bourdain book I'd read (Bone in the Throat). This is a continuation of the 1st book. Tommy & Cheryl have relocated to the Caribbean island as a guest of Charlie, a gangster, who is now a protected witness for the FBI. New thugs appear on the island such as Frances & Henry who apparently were agents for the CIA at one time, or that is what everyone suspects. Occasionally, Henry freelances with hit jobs and the last being Charlie (before he became an FBI witness). Oddly, there's no hard feelings between Charlie & Henry. Things get wild when an FBI agent doesn't trust Frances & Henry. Then there's a hit planned on Charlie & Henry. Apparently, when Henry shot Charlie previously, he didn't kill him, but he collected his full fee.Odd twists & turns in the plot which are interesting.
What do You think about Gone Bamboo (2002)?
I have just finished "Gone Bamboo", and was highly impressed with Anthony's mixture of humour and ultra violence. A dear friend suggested that I should check out his crime books and he is right, as usual. Anybody who cites The Stooges' "Fun House" as a desert island disc is always going to be a class act anyway. Great stuff. Quetin T would make one hell of a moviefrom this book.....
—Deena
This is another Bourdain novel, this time about an ex-spook turned mob hit man who lives in the Carribean and tries to carve out a meaningful life away from "work." Unlike other Bourdain novels, this one is without food nerdiness and instead focuses entirely on plot and characters. The Bobby Gold Stories were enjoyable, but not memorable. Bone in the Throat was both, but memorable for its utter ridiculousness. Gone Bamboo was riviting to the point that it could be made into a Jason Bourne-esque movie. This is probably my favorite of Bourdain's fiction.
—Brian
Naja. Ganz guter Kriminalroman, der im Serienkiller, Mafiamilieu auf der westindischen Insel St. Martin spielt. Spannend schreiben, sprachlich gut formulieren und Personen skizzieren kann er ja ausgezeichnet - der Bourdain - dafür, dass er eigentlich Koch ist. Aber der Plot ist eben sehr amerikanisch flach, kann man gleich mit einem Spezialeffekteteam und Bruce Willis in der Hauptrolle hollywoodlike verfilmen. Da bin ich eben von einigen Österreichern und Skandinaviern mittlerweile tiefergehendes und besseres gewohnt.
—Alexandra
