Big Trouble

By: Dave Barry

Narrated by: Dick Hill

In his career, Dave Barry has done just about everything - written best-selling nonfiction, won a Pulitzer Prize, seen his life turned into a television series. And now, at last, he has joined the long list of literary figures, from Jane Austen to Tolstoy, who have made the transition from humor columnist to novelist - and done it with a style and inventiveness that establishes that, yes, he is very good at that, too.

In the city of Coconut Grove, Florida, these things happen: A struggling adman named Eliot Arnold drives home from a meeting with the Client From Hell. His teenage son, Matt, fills his Squirtmaster 9000 for his turn at a high school game called Killer. Matt's intended victim, Jenny Herk, sits down in front of the TV with her mom for what she hopes will be a peaceful evening - for once. Jenny's alcoholic and secretly embezzling stepfather, Arthur, emerges from the maid's room, angry at being rebuffed - again. Henry and Leonard, two hit men from New Jersey, pull up to the Herks' house for a real game of Killer - Arthur's embezzlement apparently not having been quite so secret to his employers after all. And a homeless man named Puggy settles down for the night in a treehouse just inside the Herks' yard.

In a few minutes, a chain of events that will change the lives of each and every one of them will begin, and will leave some of them wiser, some of them deader, and some of them definitely looking for a new line of work.

With a wicked wit, razor-sharp observations, rich characters, and a plot with more twists than the Inland Waterway, Dave Barry makes his debut a complete and utter triumph.

©2000 Dave Barry; 2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Caution: Vulgarity Magnified

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes/No It depends upon the individual. The vulgarity definitely defines the unsavory characters, but it can be very offensive. Sexual references about underage girls is really never necessary in a book geared to adults.

What was most disappointing about Dave Barry’s story?

While he defines his characters with witty dialogue, He could have created equally offensive characters with a less graphic vocabulary.

Big Trouble

Always fun to listen to; humorous yet so much of the analogies are true. Dick Hill is perfect as the narrator.

Just didn't get into it. Might try again later.

First of all I absolutely love Dave Barry's humor - he's my hero - and I am sure the writing and humor in this book is as skillful and professional as ever. But for some reason when I started listening to this, I just couldn't get into it. I think much of that could be to do with the fact that Dick Hill's voice just grates on my nerves. No offense to his narrating skills, but I just find him hard to listen to. I've had the same issue with other books he's done. (yes, I should have listened to the sample.) But I hope to go back and try this one again some day and perhaps once I get grabbed by some of the characters, I'll be back with a better review. Obviously I haven't really given it a fair chance but one you put up a star you're committed and I don't like it enough to give more than three.

couldn't stop laughing

as usual super funny storylines and characters with a suspenseful plot. loved Roger the dog

Entertaining but ultimately silly

What did you like best about Big Trouble? What did you like least?

Dave Barry is irreverent and screamingly funny. The plot and characters, however, are over-the-top, unbelievable and ultimately just ridiculous. However, it was funny and I listened til the very end.

Would you ever listen to anything by Dave Barry again?

Of course. Just about anything he writes is funny.