I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of Dave Barry, the author and humorist whose column for the Miami Herald appeared in more than 500 newspapers and won him a Pulitzer Prize. Since leaving his column-writing duties in 2005, Barry has still been writing -- concentrating on his bestselling YA series Peter and the Starcatchers with co-author Ridley Pearson.
He's written over thirty books throughout his career, the majority of which are non-fiction collections. But he's also penned three novels for adults: Big Trouble, Tricky Business, and Insane City (a fourth novel, Lunatics, was written with co-author Alan Zweibel).
When Big Trouble came out in 1999, it was an instant bestseller, popular enough to be made into a movie starring Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Janeane Garofalo, and Stanley Tucci. (The book's popularity did not transfer into a blockbuster film, alas.) Three years later came Tricky Business, which seemed less popular among fans than the first book, but which I, myself, found much more enjoyable and engaging than Barry's first offering.
I had to wait over a decade for Barry's third solo novel, which finally arrived in the shape of Insane City. I was, pun intended, insanely excited when my turn came up on the Library holds list, but as I started reading, it was with a slightly apprehensive question in mind: would the book turn out to be worth the 11-year wait?
I am so pleased to say that the answer is Yes.
Describing the comedy (and quirky action) of a Barry novel's plot is to always do the actual story a disservice. Centering -- at least at first -- around an upcoming wedding in Miami, the book takes unexpected twists and turns that alternate between hysterically funny and just seriously great action. There's simply no short description that could give justice to the fun of watching soon-to-be-groom Seth Weinstein and soon-to-be-bride Tina Clark get caught up in a series of whirlwind events -- events which include a orangutan, a Burmese python, an accidental robbery of a convenience store, and an only-in-Miami rehearsal dinner. Don't forget the gunfire, multiple car chases (including one with a stolen cop car), and the pirate ship.
As in his previous novels, however, there's more to Barry's tale than simply throwing wacky elements together for a good laugh. (Though, don't get me wrong: there's a lot of good laughs.) Introduced initially in alternating chapters to the pre-wedding hijinks, we meet a desperate family of Haitian refugees, whose plight ultimately forms the backbone of the novel. By the third act, the stakes are far more than whether or not Tina and Seth will ultimately make it down the aisle -- and it boosts the novel from being a collection of humor skits into a story that has something to say about relationships, ambition, and what it means to do the right thing.
The book is, at turns, funny, tense, engaging, suspenseful, always fun, and filled with rich characters (I particularly love Seth, LaDawne, Bobby -- and especially Meghan, who was probably my favorite character).
If there's any single downside to the book, it's that the audio version of the book is not as enjoyable. I really love audiobooks, and I was greatly looking forward to "rereading" the book by listening to the recorded version. I was doubly excited when I found out that Barry himself had read the audiobook; he'd done such a great job with his history-of-the-60s non-fiction collection Dave Barry Turns 50. Unfortunately, his performance was not quite as smooth with a novel. His reading of the narration is engaging enough -- but as he makes no attempt to change his voice for the dialogue portions, it becomes difficult not only to tell which character is talking, but also when a character is speaking at all. So in this case, I'd recommend sticking with the novel itself.
But that's alright: the novel version won't disappoint. I'm already looking forward to Barry's next book -- but, in the meantime, I'm excited simply to read this one again.
-- Request a copy of Insane City
-- Request the audiobook version of Insane City, read by the author
From that one time that somebody brought a live nurse shark onto a Miami subway train.
Because when you live in Miami, you don't have to make up the weirdness.
QUESTION: What is it about Miami that makes it such an "insane" city?
DAVE BARRY: People come here from all over the world -- to work, to party, to commit felonies, to seek elective office, sometimes to do all of these things simultaneously. So you have a wide range of residents, coupled with humidity and many large non-native snakes. And drugs. It is not a recipe for normality.
-- Post by Ms. B
