Romps, rollicking good yarns, flawed heroes, outlandish baddies, behaviour that sounds almost over the top in a novel but can be googled in Florida news sites: Carl Hiaasen has a sense of the absurd and a nose for corruption that shine through his novels.
Friday, 10 December 2010
Ross Thomas: The Eighth Dwarf
"Well sir, we might have to use the dwarf."
"Dwarf!" the Colonel said, spluttering the word in spite of his resolve not to. "Did you say a dwarf?"
"Yes, sir," Baker-Blake said, still smiling, "the dwarf."
If a novel written in 1979 still reads ok in these PC times despite having a villainous, double-crossing dwarf as one of its main protagonists then it must have been skilfully written in the first place. And this being a Ross Thomas work, you can of course guarantee the expertise of the writing.
"Dwarf!" the Colonel said, spluttering the word in spite of his resolve not to. "Did you say a dwarf?"
"Yes, sir," Baker-Blake said, still smiling, "the dwarf."
If a novel written in 1979 still reads ok in these PC times despite having a villainous, double-crossing dwarf as one of its main protagonists then it must have been skilfully written in the first place. And this being a Ross Thomas work, you can of course guarantee the expertise of the writing.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Audubon "Birds Of America" sells for £7.3 million
A book on birds became the world's most expensive ever when Sotheby's last night auctioned a copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America for £7.3 million. Those of us who buy paperbacks rather than hardbacks and who frequent charity shops and Amazon book sales will be a little taken aback at the price.
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