Insane City

By: Dave Barry

Narrated by: Dave Barry

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Seth Weinstein always knew Tina was way, way, way out of his league. Which is why he’s still astonished that he’s on a plane heading for their wedding in Florida. The Groom Posse has already pulled an airport prank on him - and he’s survived! It should be easy going from now on.

But Seth has absolutely no idea what he’s about to get into. A simple drink or two with the boys sparks a series of events that will pit Seth and his friends against everything and everyone imaginable, from his very powerful, very disapproving soon-to-be father-in-law to the federal government to a love-struck orangutan.

Seth’s hope for smooth sailing is turning into a trip on the Titanic. And the water is getting deeper by the minute...

©2013 Dave Barry (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Entertaining

I read alot, I mean alot. Plot was not great, you knew how it was going to end. However it was not a waste of time and did have humor, which I enjoyed.

Hated to hear this one end...

If you like Dave Barry's style as a columnist or if you have read his earlier novel BIG TROUBLE then this listen should be a good fit. Dave is the narrator and reads it straight, which actually sets up the laughs wonderfully. He doesn't do different voices for the characters but I don't think that in this instance it matters. I don't do voices in my head when I read a book but I still enjoy the story. And while a polished performance by an experienced actor often enhances a listening experience, a straight read by the author usually gets the point he's trying to make, across to the listener/reader. In this case, I laughed - a lot. Dave Barry's style is similar to Carl Hiaasen; although Mr. Barry's tales are not as long or as involved. Maybe it's something in the water in Florida? Anyway, I will listen to this one again and recommend it to anyone that wants an injection of good-natured silliness that results from the all too human foibles of the less than stellar characters in the general vicinity of greater Miami.

hilarious

Hilarious journey to a marriage filled with entirely different characters. The connection of the people is epic and the turns that the story takes are unpredictable.

It's funny

I tend to enjoy Dave Barry's books. This one didn't disappoint. The plot is hilarious. The characters are interesting and relatable. The pacing is quick but the backstop, thorough. Good stuff.

Hillarious!

Very funny. Great to listen to during my commute. It was easy to follow the plot, and the narration was easy to understand, and entertaining.

Another fun romp with Dave Barry characters

As with any Dave Barry novel, this one kept me laughing. While there's a chance that the characters and events all come strictly from Barry's vivid imagination, sometimes I believe that South Florida really is this insane. Check out this book if you need a laugh, are planning a Florida vacation, or are getting married soon. Okay, so maybe this book will not be such a great idea if you're doing the last two, but you'll enjoy it for the first reason

Best comedy book!

My husband & I listened to this book while on a recent road trip. We laughed from start to finish! It was hilarious! The narrator is the author and he does an excellent job. Looking for something light hearted and fun? This book is for you!

Best comic relief I’ve had in ages!

It’s a nice twist when the author narrates his own book. I was either laughing out loud or snickering throughout the entire audible book. Thank you very much, there’s nothing better than laughter to boost your mood and improve your outlook!

Dave Barry never disappoints

Usually I try to buy audio books which last several hours - by several I mean more than 15, and if an audiobook is only 15 hours it better be really good. The first time I ever heard a Dave Barry book (Tricky Business) was almost 10 years ago, back when I still used CDs to listen to them. I was driving from Miami (that's why I bought the Dave Barry audiobook) to Iowa with my teenaged daughter.

I had no problem with staying awake while I was listening to it. There were very few minutes of that book which didn't have us crying with laughter. I never thought that I would find a scene with people throwing up so hysterically funny.

But of course, when you haven't listened to an author for a while, you're not sure if it was really as funny as you remembered. Also, they're REALLY short.

But last week I needed something new to listen to while I exercise. Drawing upon past experience, and having faith in Dave Barry, I bought it and listened to it.

Oh, MAN!

Nobody, nobody writes books which have incredibly complicated and unusual plots and situations as Barry. And he is wise enough to keep most of his characters basically normal. Sometimes I wonder if he writes these books because someone dares him to write a novel including an orangutan, an albino boa constrictor, helicopters and a pirate ship.

If you haven't heard any of Barry's books, mazel tov! Audible has several more.

Oh and speaking of mazel tov, he's included retired Jewish parents with only one son and no other children. If my husband didn't have a brother I'd think he'd met my inlaws (they should rest in peace).

But I don't think they'd eat the brownies.

I liked Dave Barry's narration!

Any additional comments?

I'm surprised at the criticism of Dave Barry as a narrator. I thought he did a great job. Anyway, it's a fun story.