Gone Bamboo
by Anthony Bourdain

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Book Reviews of Gone Bamboo

Book Review: Colorful characters make it good mob story
Summary: 4 Stars

The main characters, Henry and Frances, a couple that live in St. Martin, spend most of the time getting drunk, smoking dope, passing out, hanging around the beach, and fornicating in unusual places. When Henry isn't engaging in these activities with Frances, he's a hit man. Hardly the usual sympathetic characters one usually roots for, but in the world created in this book, that's exactly what I found myself doing.

I think Bordain uses a skillful touch. Any book with heavy set, cross-dressing mob boss could easily drown in the absurdity of such a character, but it doesn't here. The envelope is pushed, but the characters never seem to go over the top. Other characters are more convential, but I still found them unique. And we understand the motivations of each character without going into deep, heavy handed explanations into human experience.

This isn't compelling, page turning stuff, but has a breezy pace like a pleasant day at the beach. Before I knew it, I'd knocked off 80-100 pages at a sitting.

For those not particularly into mob stories, smart-aleck story telling, or characters with loose morals, try something else. For the rest of us, time well spent.

Summary of Gone Bamboo

Action & Adventure Books

• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure
• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery