by mark…..
I simply hate Carl Hiaasen. Which, of course, is to say, I love Carl Hiaasen. I’m not a writer, Carl Hiaasen is a writer. And this is why I hate him. And love him. Who can do this? Who can conjure an absurd, laugh-out-loud, 336-page novel in the middle of a pandemic, amidst the fall of civilization as we know it, in the era of Trump — and capture it all? In what, four months? He had to have written this latest book of his, “Squeeze Me,” in like four months? Tops. Four months. This is why I hate Carl Hiaasen. Fuckin’ Carl Hiaasen. Who does that? And – AND – in the wake of the tragic death of his brother Rob, a newspaperman himself who was gunned down doing his fucking job. I love you, Carl Hiaasen.
Only Carl Hiaasen could absolutely destroy Trump – and, better still, those who adore him – in a story built around a bad-ass, female wildlife officer and a horde of man-eating Burmese Pythons set loose on a cabal of rich, elderly Palm Beach socialites. Naturally.
This was my salve, my escape, my antidote amidst the ongoing insanity. And it could be yours, too. This is not a book review. I have no intention of revealing anything more, the book doesn’t need me to explain it or summarize it or presume to get inside the head of a guy I’ve never met but whose mind is a marvel, to be sure.
This is simply an ode, an appreciation for being able to shut out all the noise for even just a few days. And just laugh.
So, Carl Hiaasen, thank you.
Wow. I guess I need to read this book. Just reading your post made me laugh out loud.
I love reading authors whose writings are so good that I am filled with envy and admiration at various points. Makes me feel good about the world.
Thanks to you I am reading Squeeze. It’s so original and amazing that it was written in such a short time. Thank you Carl. This is just what I need right now.
Whoa do I ever need this escape! After two very serious, dark but excellent books (Emma Donahue, “The Pull of the Stars “about nurses in 1918 Flu epidemic, & Ayad Akhtar,”Homeland Elegies a Novel” about being a Muslim in America today ) I need just pure laughter material! Thanks Mark!
Very good to hear that there is a good, funny book out there, and that it’s written by Carl Jiaasen. I’ve enjoyed his books in the past, but it’s been quite a long time since I read one.