Native Tongue

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Ex-reporter Joe Winder had been working in the public relations department of a sleazy family entertainment park, The Amazing Kingdom of Thrills, when he chanced upon a news-breaking story inspired by the disappearance of two blue-tongued voles and the bizarre death of Orky, the killer whale.

©1991 Carl Hiaasen (P)1992 Recorded Books

Funny satire that forgot to be funny

I don't know why this ended up in my reading list - musta been on sale or something. It's not a bad story and does have some good parts, but there's a lot of "satire" in it that just missed the mark. And too much "aren't I funny" from the author. He isn't that funny. The story isn't that "biting" or insightful and there's WAY too much time spent harping on about environmental destruction... I got the point by the halfway mark.

Trimming out a couple hours would have made it more enjoyable. We could have skipped most of the story around Joe's porn girlfriend (still don't know what the point of her was), Skink's stupid panther shenanigans (oh-kay, what was that all about?), and the steroid-head's over-the-topness (maybe this guy was supposed to be funny? it was just dumb). I don't think I'll read any more of this author's stuff though... his writing just isn't as funny as he thinks he is.

The narration, however, was excellent.

Only in Florida

This is one of the more memorable of Hiaasen’s books. George Wilson is a solid performer. I lived in Florida for a long time so I’m quite biased as I can relate to the people and places Carl describes. Most humor is based on truth and “Native Tongue” is real funny. If you’ve never lived in or visited Florida, then I can see how much of satire is wasted on the reader of this book.

Sorry when it ended.

I had a little trouble getting into this book. But once I got going, enjoyed it a lot. Great and very funny dialogue. Great narration. Interesting plot. I hardly ever write a review but this was an unexpected delight. Give it a try.

Great Listen!

Terrific, fabulous Carl Hiaasen story. Fabulous narration by George Wilson.. A must read for Hiaasen fans. I laughed all the way through.

How does the narrator do it?

How can anyone read a Carl Hiaasen book out loud without laughing insanely! Yet, inspite of the over the top hysterical attributes of his books, there is a serious underlying message about what is being done to damage our natural resources. A great read or listen.

Hiaasen makes me laugh out loud

Having read or listened to many of Hiaasen's works, this one was about what I expected. Funny characters, funny situations, funny dialogue and funny outcomes. What I liked about this book is he made equal fun of developers and environmentalists. He even made me laugh at my own PR profession. If this were the only book that Hiaasen ever wrote, it probably would have earned five stars. But his books are like songs by the BeeGees; they're different but they sound the same. And if you like one, you'll probably like them all.

Makes the miles fly by.

Great listen when on a long trip. Typically strange Hiaasen characters. Great story. Lots of fun to hear. Wilson does a good job telling the story.

Hiaasen at his best!

So thrilled to find a “new” title from my favorite Florida author! So funny, so true!

Met expectations

Where does Native Tongue rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Compared to other audio books this was good - not great. The pacing felt a bit slow - although the narration suited the pace of the story so I can't blame the reader.

Any additional comments?

It was well read, and as it progressed the story became more engaging. Towards the end I laughed out loud at a few points. Overall, I'd recommend the book and urge patience as you wait for the story to kick into gear. The narrator did a great job.

What A Trip

A Florida fantasy worth reading. I laughed aloud. Unusual for an audio book. Hiassen is the perfect Florida satirist. Banned in Florida. A badge of merit.