Tourist Season

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Hiaasen's best-selling novels are funny and sardonic. Hilarious postcards of south Florida, they also decry the lurid commercialism that is draining and paving the tropical landscape.

Tourist season is swinging into high gear in Miami. So are the activities of a bizarre terrorist group determined to keep the hapless "snowbirds" away. Armed with bombs, weed, and jumbled credos, they move toward their grand target, the Orange Bowl Parade, with plans to bring Miami and its tourist trade to a halt.

The cast, which includes a deranged journalist, a visionary ex-jock, and a lovesick detective, is just the kind of company Carl Hiaasen's fans love to keep. Narrator George Wilson's performance lures each quirky character out into the full light of the Florida sun. With over half a million copies in print, this is one of Hiaasen's most popular works.

©1986 Carl Hiaasen (P)1998 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Reading a Hiaasen book is always a high-speed boat ride where laughter can turn to horror and disaster at any moment. Hearing the story aloud adds a dose of realism and sensation....Wilson's narration is perfectly timed, laid-back, and salty." (AudioFile)

As a Floridian, Wonderful and Painful

As a third-generation Floridian, I absolutely adore Hiaasen’s books. His writing is laugh-out-loud funny and spot-on accurate. “Tourist Season,” though, is a bit out of his norm. Magnificent characters, outrageous descriptions and a wholly-credible plot line are all here. A tragic, cathect history of Florida’s development drives the underlying story of this book. While Hiaasen often deals with the conflicts of human encroachment on Florida’s environment, this book drives it in to the forefront of the readers’ conscience. At the end of the book, I was left wildly conflicted - cheering for the hero and shedding tears for my home state. It is a book no Floridian should bypass. The guilt it created for me is overshadowed by my renewed love for the land, and the glimmering hope that we are not beyond redemption. The Seminoles never signed a peace treaty with the encroachers. Neither should the land surrender to the bulldozers.

South Florida Fun

Took a few chapters for me to sync up with the flow of this one, but once I did, I enjoyed the story. I found the story to be more amusing than funny. But I will be listening to the next one in the series.

Witty and entertaining

This one kept me company on a road trip. I’m sure I had some looks as I laughed out loud alone. Forgot how fun Skinny Dip was. Narrator terrific too!

Enjoyable

I liked this book. I recently moved from my hometown in FL and wanted to read something that reminded me of my hometown. Albeit it's a bit dated (it was written, what? in the 1980s?) it still provides the feel of FL that I was looking for. the story is interesting and keeps you guessing. I recommend this one.

You have to try it and see

If you've never tried Hiaasen before, give him a shot and decide for yourself. If you like it, you can listen to them all without too much trouble, if you don't, it's your loss. Lots of fun for those who like his style.

Funny Strange Funny

This book is laugh out loud funny- but not for the easily disturbed or squeamish. For everyone else this book is so bizarre and funny you have to give it a try. Also has twists in the the plot that I didn't see coming

A funny and disturbing page turner

Looking back about 30 years at my home is a tale both nostalgic and prophetic. Carl Hiaasen creates characters who are both sympathetic and at times horrifying. In the words of this tale are the inexorably paths that have let to the fully developed Miami-Dade County. Hiaasen made me long again for the days of powerful newspapers and the Orange Bowl Parade. Thanks for the memories. How sweet it was!

A Disappointment

I have read many Carl Now seen books and this book slow moving and somewhat depressing. I had no feeling for the characters.

Not as good as others

Not one of Hiaasen's better novels. If you are new to Hiaasen, I'd recommend Stormy Weather over this one.

Please learn to speak Floridian

I love Carl Hiaasen. I've read almost every word he's ever written. As a native Floridian, I'm personally familiar with the places and issues he writes about. And therein lies the rub. Mr. Wilson does a great job of narrating this book -- almost. It's the Tammy-amee Trail, not Tam-eye-amee. And Eye-la-more-ah-da, not Izla.... Ask Mr. Hiaasen; he knows. Sure I'm being picky, but to me it's like nails on a chalkboard and I'm sure everyone feels the same way about the place names they love.