Florida Man

I really wanted to like this book. I did find some situations humorous, but it just wasn’t enough for me. I considered not finishing the book but did stick it out, hoping that it would get better. I haven’t read any other books by this author and will consider trying at least one more before deciding whether or not his books are for me.

I did find this book to be in need of more editing, as there were misspellings, missing words, and other errors that did make me have to read some sentences a few times before I figured out why they are not making sense. In one section, the main character is referred to as Gray instead of Gary. A bit more care with proofreading, as well as a good editor to help tighten up some sloppy sections would make this a much stronger book.

For those of you who have read the less supportive and critical reviews:
– The cover says it all. This book screams at you what it will deliver- the quintessential Florida man finally defined in all his outrageous adventures in one of the most bizarre states in the U.S. of A. The reading is deceptive- because so much happens visually in the sentences that unless you are really paying attention you just missed buckets of humor, social commentary and over-the-top mishaps.
– This book traveled with me and saved me from reality and boring encounters and a few conferences and flights.
– I am also a Florida native. I have lived in SOUTH Florida which lies south of where once you see the first Cracker Barrel sign on I-95 you are practically living in Georgia. The stories I have heard and experienced in real life have comparable merit to what I see in Florida Man- and reading this has some elements of nostalgia. So, perhaps I am biased, but I am also one who sees the humor in just about anything.

Go read the book 😛

Gary Duba might be having a bad day but I didn’t…this book was geat! This the first novel I’ve read by Mike Baron and I was thoroughly entertained. This book is a crazy ride that follows the living embodiment of every Florida-man story I’ve ever heard and then some. It’s full of laughs but has heart. What I enjoyed most were the completely unexpected decisions made by the main character. Mike’s writing style has an easy flow with a bit of gritty realism that reminds me of Elmore Leonard. I could easily see this book being picked up as a TV series for FX or Netflix. A fun and funny read.

Theres really no plot, just a series of adventures and misadventures as the hero tries to make money, makes it, then overspends it. Along the way, he runs into crazy characters and critters: toilet snakes, rabid raccoons and the ghosts thereof, pigs and pythons, geese and gators, lizards (on a stick and not on a stick).

Gary is a center-Florida redneck who does dumb things, but is basically a good person. He and his wife Krystal go – to quote the town mayor – from triumph to tragedy to triumph to tragedy to triumph…well, you get the idea.

The book is funny with good character development and dialogue. Reminiscent of Tim Dorseys early work, but without the plot.

I read this book on Kindle, and Im supposing that someone transcribes the authors submission. Thus, that someone is to blame for the misspellings, missing words, wrong words (auto-correct, maybe?) and erratic punctuation.

That said, there are mistakes that cant be blamed on a transcriber. Such as:

– Krystals bail is $500, then its $750 a few pages later (this is the first time Krystal is bailed out).

– Ludlow says he is going home, but in the next paragraph he orders iced tea (then disappears from the scene).

– Garys father, Frank, lives (or lived) in Pensacola, where Gary grew up. Later, Gary is in a boat that used to belong to his dad, Ron, who was killed in a swordfish accident. Earlier, Gary grows up in Belle Glade. Got that?

Mistakes aside, a fun book.

When I read the first chapter I seriously considered giving up reading about characters whom I thought I would not be able to identify with. Fortunately I persevered and by chapter four I was hooked. The crazy adventures of the ultimate Florida redneck and his friends are highly entertaining and one comes to love this unwise, but far from stupid character with a kind heart and a good work ethic. If it were not for the absence of any semblance of editing, I would have considered adding a fifth star as this turned out to be a very enjoyable read.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member