The Deep Blue Good-By

A Travis McGee Novel, Book 1

By: John D. MacDonald

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 6 hrs

Publisher's summary

He's a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He's also a knight errant who's wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: he'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.

Nothing that John D. MacDonald wrote is better loved and more enduring than the 21 books in his series about Travis McGee, the Florida-based “salvage consultant” who recovers property for a fee so he can take his retirement “a piece at a time”. Narrator Robert Petkoff, hand-chosen to narrate with the approval of MacDonald’s estate, brings McGee’s world of the Busted Flush (his houseboat, which he won in a poker game) and “Miss Agnes” (his custom Rolls-Royce pickup truck) to vivid life.

©1964 John D. MacDonald Publishing, Inc. Renewal © 1992 Maynard MacDonald (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[T]he great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." (Stephen King)

"[M]y favorite novelist of all time." (Dean Koontz)

"[W]hat a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again." (Ed McBain)

The psychology is dated

I've noticed some criticism of the narrator which surprised me as I found him excellent. He differentiated the voices well without going overboard, and didn't make the mistake of making the female voices all breathy as a number of male narrators do. He was easy to listen to.

The story itself was interesting but it felt quite odd to me as it unfolded, and certainly the psychological rationale was puzzling. I couldn't work out whether it was simply set in the 60s or actually written then, and because it's an audiobook rather than a hard copy I didn't have the option of flicking to the back of the title page to check. Eventually I checked by with Audible and the odd notes fell into place - it was written in 1964. The disappointing aspects of the story became easier to understand - expectations of characters and their motivations have changed a fair bit since then, especially with respect to women. I won't race to get the rest in the series but may try another one sometime.

What a fun read- you won't want to stop it!

Where does The Deep Blue Good-By rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I listen to a lot of stories, but it definitely rates in the upper group near the top. "If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage." It benefits from starting with a JDM story of course, and as a longtime Travis McGee fan I had very high expectations.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, Travis of course. He's the reason we read these stories.

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

To be honest at first his voice rubbed me wrong- it did not fit the image I had of Travis' voice... but... after a bit, the versatility of his voice, the way he could image the women of JDM with subtle vocal changes (please note in a McGee novel there are ALWAYS women and they are ALWAYS important), and so deftly and skillfully passed through accurate emotional undertones that as soon as I paused the reading and thought over the plot transformations to that early point I found I was thinking of McGee with that voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely, however, I used it on a trip and found it made me eager to get back behind the wheel when I was away from it for the usual reasons and interruptions.

Any additional comments?

This book is not the best written by JDM- he had not yet fully matured as a writer as he would in later McGee stories, so the orator was faced with challenges from that perspective, but there is not a moment from the time I started listening that I was not happy to have picked it up and found it well worth the price. I am now picking up every McGee audiobook in the series. I start Naked in Pink today... :)

Travis is one of my favorite kind of guys!

If you could sum up The Deep Blue Good-By in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, cynical, long.

Would you recommend The Deep Blue Good-By to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, I love the way the author has captured the personality of McGee; his cynicism, straight talk, indifference, masked emotion. The story is okay, rambles a bit, but the characters are worth the read.

Which character – as performed by Robert Petkoff – was your favorite?

Travis McGee

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

No

Sadly, didn't hold up over time

Back in the day, I could hardly wait for the next Travis McGee novel to be published, always in paperback. I'm not sure if he even published in hard cover, but I certainly couldn't afford those in any case. As a big fan I downloaded this book soon after it was available and just got around to listening to it. Sadly, it just did not hold up over time. He was clearly the model for Jack Reacher and other heroes with a soft heart, but this big tough guy just seems so dated. There is endless meaningless dialog that seems to go nowhere and the scenes with the several damsels in distress just didn't work for this day and age.

The reader was more than adequate, fitting voice to characters unerringly.

This is certainly not a bad book and like all McDonald novels short enough for a long plane ride. Give it a try, for old times sake.

I just bought Quick Red Fox on sale, I'll give you all an update on that one soon.

Surprisingly good!

I'm not sure exactly when this story is set, but it is sometime post WWII, but pre-sexual revolution. I found it very captivating and entertaining.

Dated but worth it

Gritty and real. Ham-handed aspirations to literary greatness here and there but I'm picky and I still recommend it.

Good read

I really enjoyed this story! Trav is quite the character and I loved listening to his thought process even though the story was sad!

The Beginning novel in a master-piece series

Would you listen to The Deep Blue Good-By again? Why?

This is John D. MacDonald's opening to his 21 series Travis McGee novels. Deep Blue is tight paced following an excellent story line. The series is more than that. The Travis McGee novels are a time machine transporting you back to the sunny Florida of the early 1960's and then taking you forward novel after novel. Every couple of years I take the journey back through the books.

What did you like best about this story?

I'll stay away from the plot. If you haven't read the novel you are in for a treat. What I like best is MacDonald's description of Florida. His placing McGee on a houseboat with McGee's philosophy of taking your retirement now and enjoying your life.

Which scene was your favorite?

The opening scene with Chookie McCall doing dance routines on McGee's Busted Flush Houseboat. This opening sets the scene for the novel and the series. By the way Chookie is the one constant female in an every changing cast of girls. She is the first girl mentioned in The Deep Blue Good-by, has a leading role in Bright Orange for the Shroud, and the last girl mentioned in the final novel The Lonely Silver Rain.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You will find your self binging the entire series and vacationing in the Florida Keys. Enjoy the trip.

Any additional comments?

One small ding. While Robert Petkoff is an excellent narrator for Audible's unabridged versions my first listen to Travis McGee was the abridged cassettes read by Darren McGavin. McGavin is the voice of Travis McGee. If, after listening to audibles unabridged books, you find yourself hooked then you should check out the Darren McGavin abridged versions.

Another fine Travis McAfee PI story

Edgy, fast, vivid language and images. Mature insight into human frailties, needs, and morality. Perfect villain & imperfect hero.

Very very noir

Hits every noir note: cynical white knight, two rescued damsels, bittersweet ending, memorable similes, and a jaded view of the American scene. Also, a page turner.