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Books: Florida fiction or truth retold?

6K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  utchuckd 
#1 ·
Here is an author that always includes something about, boats, the sea or the Florida Everglades in his novels.
Carl Hiaasen's Official Web Site - Home
I happen to find his books entertaining and thought I'd share.

Latitude: S. Florida
Attitude: Not so much liking what has been done there.
 
#2 ·
Caleb,
Have you read any James Lee Bourke ? I'm not knocking Hiassen but I think JLB is a better writer. Hiassen, I've read (and enjoyed) a few of his books though not recently. JLB otoh, is for me a must buy, must read.
Cheers
Andrew
 
#4 ·
Thoroughly enjoy James Lee Burke, but really laugh with Hiaasen.. Burke's daughter Alafair has written a couple too, not bad either.
 
#6 ·

Read AB's first, havn't made it to her latest. The Wombet read it recently and liked it. Guess I should have another look at some recent Hiasson.

Will check out Randy Wayne White, Jonesy. As you say, not much to laugh about in JLB writing. Damn he can be depressing. If I lived in Robicheaux's world I reckon I'd have kept right on drinking. :)

I've not been reading much fiction of late but I did read Jonathan Raban's "Foreign Land" recently. Again bleak. Wry sense of humour but overall bleak. I enjoyed it. Maybe that says something about my current head space. :(

Maybe I need to re-read some Wodehouse and lighten TFU ... :):)
 
#12 ·
It is nice to know that this is a place where a few people actually read books rather then all the bickering and posing that often gets posted on this forum.
Thanks for the suggestions of other authors. I have James Lee Bourke, Alafair Bourke, Randy Wayne Wright and throw in G.M. Ford to look forward to.
One of the things I enjoy about the Hiaasen (trashy/mystery) novels is they tend to be laugh out loud funny as well as pointed and thoroughly immersed in the bizarre head space and landscape of Floridians and Florida. I just discovered that Hiaasen does a (nearly) weekly column at the Miami Herald and that Knotty (bless his rigger's sinewy heart) is also a fan.
I've visited FL quite a few times over the last few years as my ancient Mum is down there, now with a broken hip at 93. The fact that every door of the hospital had a "No weapons allowed" warning is revealing of something. I posted a thread about this over at WBF and as you might expect it has gotten quite a few replies.

Anyone else like T.C. Boyle?
 
#14 ·
T Jefferson Parker is another lesser known but highly readable author with a series of novels based around a Californian Sheriff's department.
 
#16 ·
Love Hiaasen. Funny thing is while reading his books I keep imagining a what a great movie they would be. Then they went and made striptease. Now I find myself saying to friends, No, no, no, you need to read the book! Forget the movie.
 
#17 ·
Hiaasen is a long-term award winning journalist with the Miami Herald, a rather respectible newspaper.

And if you'd been reading and writing the FloriDuh! news as long as he's done, you'd come to realize that his books are not wild fantasies, but almos a pale reflection of what passes for normal in his corner of the world.

Some of his books, better than others. But definitely worth ordering up a random dozen at the library, Just remember: The characters and actions are not necessarily fiction.
 
#19 ·
I read GM Ford's 'Who In Hell Is Wanda Fuca' a few years back. I though the name saounded familiar. Nothing since though.

Have ordered a couple of Randy Wayne White.

Any of you read any recent Scandinavian crime fiction ? Jo Nesbo and Henning Mankel are good examples and well worth exporing. I know Stieg Larsson is flavour of the month but but but ...
 
#20 ·
What the heck! Randy Wayne White lives on Pine Island, where we recently bought our boat! After spending time there for nearly a week I can't wait to try out some of his books. Pine is a very interesting place, certainly different from any other populated island I've seen in Florida! Should be interesting reads. Thanks a bunch!
 
#21 ·
If you like Florida references in your fiction try John D. McDonald. His character, Travis McGee lives on a houseboat in Ft. Lauderdale's Bahia Mar Yachtclub. I sailed into Bahia Mar from Tortola a few years back and sure enough, two slips over from our assigned spot was a brass plaque commenorating John D. and his Hero, Travis McGee. If you like his stuff you'll not run out of material for quite some time, he's written over 100 books.
 
#26 ·
I just finished the John D. MacDonald Travis McGee series. It was about a 12 year project, reading 1 or 2 a year. Loved every minute of it, too bad he's gone. Also love the Doc Ford novels, since i went to Offshore Sailing School on Captiva I act like I know the area. :)

Big recommendation for the Dorsey novels too.
 
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