|
A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean: A Grump in Paradise Discovers that Anyplace it's Legal to Carry a Machete is Comedy Just Waiting to Happen (Travelers' Tales) | 
 enlarge | Author: Gary Buslik
Publisher: Travelers' Tales
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.81
You Save: $6.14 (41%)
New (22) Used (8) from $5.74
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 221298
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 1932361588
Dewey Decimal Number: 972.9
EAN: 9781932361582
ASIN: 1932361588
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
"If you look at a map, you will see that the island chain known as the Caribbean, or, to confuse you, the West Indies, lies between Florida and South America and resembles a string of gems or possibly drool." And so begins author Gary Buslik's tale of tropical adventure. Each chapter of this often hilarious and sometimes poignant travelogue recounts another island-hopping, culture-clashing crisis that pits the homesick author against falling coconuts, hospitals that remove wrong organs, insects as big and dangerous as stealth bombers, ticket agents that put him on hold for hours, mysteriously calculated currency exchanges, over-proofed rum, livestock, singing Rastafarians, garbage-bin sex, peanut-crazed children, Idi Amin, flesh-eating monkeys, dentists, cricket, steel drum bands, and the French. Fortunately, even when making fun of his West Indian hosts, the curmudgeonly author's essential good nature and devotion to his wife twinkle through, and in the end his stubborn geocentricity gives way to a heartfelt appreciation of his island hosts.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 not just funny July 24, 2008
Although these are billed as "true tales," the essays in this book have a fictional tension that keep you turning the pages. We care about the narrator and his wife, despite their mutual spite, with each essay-chapter pitting them against one antagonist or another--often themselves. What's more, the entire book has a novel-like structure, insofar as the narrator changes--for the better--from the beginning to the end. In the first stories he seems no more than the stereotypical "ugly American," mocking his wife and island locals, always managing to get the last laugh. The stakes are low at first--in the first piece he just wants a night of lovemaking, and in the second he wants nothing more than to get on a plane and come home. But as the book progresses, his stakes get progressively higher and less superficial, so that by midpoint he finds himself in the midst of real life-and-death geopolitical and even geological crises. More humbly now, he begins to express a greater and more sincere appreciation of his wife and local characters, islands, and customs. One middle piece, "Weed Killer," is a tragedy of Shakespearean dimension, and "Flow" is a monumentally moving tribute to the old-time West Indies. "Papa's Ghost" is a bittersweet portrayal of Hemingway's life in Cuba. At the very end of the collection, the narrator has come to a profound understanding of, and gratitude for, not only the differences between people and cultures but their--our--oneness. The collection ends with the narrator in a completely different mindset than at the beginning, with the author having brought him--and us--to that final epiphany slowly, seamlessly, and with great skill.
Some readers will enjoy this book only for its humor--which is a treat--but more literary-inclined readers will recognize the metaphoric tale of personal growth and how that becomes a call for tolerance in, to borrow from one of Buslik's own essay titles, "an uncivil age."
 A Rotten Person Reads About the Caribbean July 22, 2008
The back cover of a Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean says, "...screamingly funny. Gary Buslik plies the Caribbean with shark eye and barracuda wit." I'm not sure what that means but I can try to cite a few examples, using the author's words. After dazzling fellow tourists with his superior knowledge of the rum-making process, with ulterior hopes of `impressing' the tour guide, our `screamingly funny' author "... vomited all over her." That's sure to get a guffaw out of someone! (He pees too with requisite assurance he would never want to `cop a look' toward the next urinal!) Buslik's shark eye pierces people who are clearly above the rabble. Niquette is an example. "Niquette, who knew as much about the West Indies as Madam Curie knew about glowing in the dark..."
This style just isn't for me. I find such phrases forced and there are many throughout this book. I just don't like self-indulgence passing as humor! Then there is the hundred-page obsession with The Exorcist! I started to cringe turning pages in fear that another reference to the 35 year-old movie would turn up. I did enjoy the cock-fighting story. It seemed gritty and real, which was what I wanted but the other tales left me feeling like a sucker for having shelled out money for this book.
Two Thumbs Up. This is one Funny book June 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There wasn't enough room for me to thrash about the breakfast table as I read this book. Truly one of the funniest books I have ever read.
Beer spewing out of your nose funny May 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Writing funny stories is hard work. I know as I attempt it in my writing. My idols are Dave Barry, PJ O'Rourke and Carl Hiassen and now you can add Gary Buslik to that list. It is easy to sit in a bar and tell a story, everybody laughs and slaps you on the back. Bars have an endless supply of semi inebriated less than scholarly types, who will laugh at almost anything. Try writing the story down and you are faced with a cast of intellectuals who keep track of things like quotation marks and indents (whatever that is), they talk in terms of "first person" and "present tense" words that have never been uttered in bars. The point is humor is hard to write and seldom turns out funny. Every story in this book is, "beer spewing out of your nose" funny. You will find yourself laughing so hard; people will come up to you to find out what in the hell is so funny.
Some will take offense to the depiction of certain nationalities and religious groups. Get over it, it's humor, the over the top depiction of Europeans and local Islanders is intentional and adds to the humor. I don't think any intelligent reader finds the exaggeration of stereotypes anything more than amusing. I share Gary's love of the town of Plymouth on Montserrat and found the reference in the book to be quite touching. The story Papa's Ghost adds a great touch to the Hemingway legend. Pick up this book a bottle of rum and enjoy the trip, beats the hell out of the hockey playoffs.
If you can't afford a trip to the Caribbean, buy this book! May 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean is truly laugh-out-loud funny. Gary Buslik's ancedotes are so far-fetched, and the characters he depicts (including himself) are so over-the top you can't help but guffaw out loud--which is fine when you're reading in the privacy of your own home, but might earn you some strange looks if you're reading in a public place. So, if anyone asks you what's so funny, just read them a line or two from this book. They'll have to agree with you that this is really funny stuff.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
