Nothing to laugh about
Certain terms put me off: “only” as in I only want; “just” as in I just mean; “fun” as in let’s have some; “hilarious” as in this book is. They are simply untrue. Hilarious, certainly, when critics use it for books. I have a good sense of humour, am ready to laugh at funny written and told jokes, animal antics, even embarrassing moments. But to paraphrase Tom Hanks: “Funny is as funny does.” No actor, I can’t force a laugh.
Which brings me to Razor Girl by yank scrivener Carl Hiaasen, set in the Sunshine State (Florida to the uninitiated), which has an ideal climate and pristine beaches the year round. It’s the hype that brings in an annual flock of retirees from the other 49 states.
The author, a Floridian, seems determined to set the record straight, albeit tongue-in-cheek. Alas, he’s not a comic. One truth he notes is that it’s cold in winter. Pack a warm sweater.
Another is that white beaches are history. Then there are creepy crawlies, lots of rats (kindly overlooked are the Burmese pythons in the Everglades).
The mafia has a strong foothold in the state, raking in a billion dollars a year from the drugs trade, plus lucrative investments in hotels. The improvements they make is repaid many times by the people showing up.
The twin plots of Razor Girl converge early on. One is about a successful TV adventure series. The popular star is inarticulate without a script and the producer has to babysit the hunk during public appearances. In the other plot, a wheeler-dealer has conned the mobster boss into believing that he can provide fresh sand for the beaches. What he comes up with is crushed gravel.
Eliminating the hustler is called for, a moll hired to lure him. But in a comedy (not hilarious) of errors she entices the producer.
The consequences take 400 pages to unravel, climaxing in Cuba in the penultimate chapter. Expect a few twists and turns.
While lacking the promised humour, the story is worthwhile reading for the truths told about Florida. And, in this reviewer’s favourite part, the lengthy description of Havana today. The populace is nice enough, but the capital and countryside are crumbling.