Raiders of the Lost Narrative Arc
A Literary Diversion?
In keeping with my current desire to not spend all my time and energy ranting about The Worst Person on Earth, his furniture-assaulting #2, and/or his ‘advisor’ and asexual Nazi goblin Stephen Miller, et al, I’ve been rereading this hilarious send-up of the twin cesspools of corruption that are Florida politics and the Dunning-Kruger Administration.
It’s great stuff. The political figures are never referred to by name, but by their Secret Service code handles. The First Lady is ‘Mockingbird’; the ‘president’ himself…
Mastodon.
There are plenty of other characters and sub-plots, as with all Hiaasen novels (the current Apple TV+ adaptation of ‘Bad Monkey’ is also a total hoot and well worth your time), but the action is centered around Palm Beach and the Presidential compound of ‘Mar-a…’, excuse me, ‘Casa Bellicosa’, home of, among plenty else, tanning beds that could envelop a manatee.
It’s a great read, and useful mockery of someone who should never be anything other than ‘mocked’. This time around, I have the hardcover version, which, I’m told, benefits from an additional 20 pages of material. I’m about halfway in.
[later that same day…]
Yep, the extra material is ‘way worthwhile. A word of warning: in his adult novels, Hiaasen is unafraid of profanity and sexual situations, ‘single-entendres’, if you will. These include speculation as to how Mastodon and Mockingbird were ever able to…
Well, you get the idea.
As with all satire and mockery, these are useful weapons against The Worst Person Ever To Hold Public Office and all his accomplices. It’s a fine thing to have a laugh and to know you’re not alone in your disdain.
Have a read before the Neo-neonazis decide to start bombing libraries for sport.