The Banana Massacre

De: Jim Yoakum

Narrado por: Pavi Proczko

Wilt Fusarium, a clueless American ad executive, unwittingly finds himself in the middle of political intrigue and revolution on the tiny island of Costa San Rica, while trying to save the ad agency's Choad Banana account. Complications and misunderstandings abound, as the island's despot leader thinks Wilt is a revolutionary, the revolutionaries think he's a government agent, the banana company thinks he's CIA, and the CIA, well, they don't know what to think. As the dead bodies begin to pile up around him, and with his ad agency breathing down his neck, Wilt is forced to take extreme action to save his life, his job, and the Choad Banana account.

© 2012 Jim Yoakum (P)2016 Jim Yoakum

A Clever, Interesting Ride

Any additional comments?

Note: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed the story and Pavi Proczko's narration in this unusual story. I think fans of 'Comedy of Errors' will find a lot to like here. If you listen to the audio sample, and like the type of delivery and humor there you'll probably enjoy the whole audiobook.

The writing is quite clever, and delights in it's own absurdity. The pace is a fairly quick, and the crazy situations continue to stack up as the novel goes on. Personally I enjoyed the comedy quite a lot.

Like some of the other reviewers have mentioned, the last chapter almost feels like a different book. I do wish that there was a little more comedy in the message, and a little more message in the comedy rather than being so starkly separated. Still, it was an enjoyable listen. Will check out Jim Yoakum's work in the future.

A Modern Twist on a Classic Theme

Any additional comments?

This is the first of Jim Yoakum's books that I've had the opportunity to experience. From what I read ahead it time, it seemed like a short humorous novel that would be enjoyable regardless of the quality. With this knowledge in hand, I was impressed with how much I actually enjoyed the book. The protagonist, Wilt Fusarium, is the classic straight man thrust into an endless torrent of absurd interactions and facetious situations. The story has all the charm, suspense, and intrigue of a classic spy novel with layers of dark humor and dramatic irony that recaptures the spirit of campy 80's comedies. It's not hard to imagine Chevy Chase or Bill Murray portraying the same interactions that Fusarium experiences throughout the story. As a satirical commentary on the heartlessness and encroachment of US industry within the fictional nation of Costa San Rico, The Banana Massacre comes across in a way that even those without knowledge of these situations will be able to understand. All in all, Jim Yoakum has done a tremendous job of creating a comedic novel that makes for an enjoyable read.

Absurd and funny but doesn't really go anywhere

A fun listen for most of the story, as the pieces are laid out. But ultimately the novel stalls in the final chapter with a deus ex machina ending that is too cynical by a half.

An agency man in over his head...

Wilt Fusarium is a advertising agent on a business trip to the tiny island of Costa San Rica. Unfortunately for him, the island is on the cusp of revolution and he is continually mistaken for a 'secret agent' and the ad agency he works for is mistaken for The Agency, the CIA. However Fusarium is oblivious to all this, with all these issues going straight over his head.

The book is very amusing, with most of the comedy coming from Fusariums absolute cluelessness. There is some great satire in there too, poking fun at American and her politics.

A quick read, with an interesting story. Highly enjoyable.

Narration by Pavi Proczko was good. His pace is quick though, so I had to slow down my playback a little to make him match most other readers. Possibly because of the reading pace I felt that early on he missed some of the comedy beats. This certainly improved over the course of the book.

Proczko provided a variety of voices and emotions and was generally very engaging. Overall I was happy with the narration work, really enjoying it towards the end.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Fun to listen to

What did you love best about The Banana Massacre?

Light and funny as well as witty

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I couldn't wait to get back into the car to listen to more