This week's review is of Anthony Bourdain's Gone Bamboo. First, a bit of background on Tony Bourdain. If his name sounds vaguely familiar, but you can't quite place it, he's the professional chef that travels around the world on shows like A Cook's Tour and No Reservations. He also wrote the novel Kitchen Confidential, which spawned the (short-lived) TV show of the same name. He's an amazing chef, and was the executive chef of Les Halles in New York. He's wickedly funny, swears up a storm (so far as I know, everyone who works in a professional kitchen swears like Gordon Ramsey, some of them just clean it up for the camera), and is a pretty smart guy, from what I can tell. And in addition to all that, he's written a few novels in the mystery/crime genre.
I absolutely loved Gone Bamboo. Granted, I'm a bit biased, as Bourdain hasn't done anything that I haven't loved, but even so, I think it's well worth a read for anyone with a (twisted) sense of humor.
Essentially, Gone Bamboo is about a professional assassin and his wife. They live the Caribbean as expats (hence the title), and from time to time, Henry takes a job. He's hired this time to kill a mob boss, one he's worked for before and likes, but money's money. Unfortunately, he misses, and the mob boss who hired Henry is pissed (he paid upfront, and now Henry is gone). All is fine and dandy, until the guy Henry failed to kill is relocated to a home on the same island Henry lives on...
I'll leave the plot there (read it yourself!) but it's incredibly funny, sad in places, and smart. Also smartass--one of the reviews on the back says "Bourdain establishes himself as a new master of the wiseass crime comedy." And that sums it up in a variety of ways. It really does have a solid plot, and the characters are charming and (mostly) believable. Which works really well, because generally, when you read, you want a character who is slightly larger than life. Bourdain does that very well. His characters are ultra-smart, freakishly good with guns, and can survive being shot with a combination of skills and luck--but they have to have the luck. They aren't invincible. But they are sexy (and naked fairly often).
Part of what makes this book so great for me is that I can hear and see Bourdain in it. If you've watched his shows, or even seen him as a judge on Top Chef, you know what he's like. His voice and sarcasm and humor are all there, and I think some of his fantasies are in Gone Bamboo as well. Because of his talent, he's managed to leave his mark on the book without it being self-aggrandizing.
The only downside I can really think of is that some of the characters--especially early on--get confusing. In a sense, though, even this works; when you're dealing with a ton of mafia guys who all have nicknames, it can get more confusing, rather than less. And you work out the important ones pretty quickly. It does start a little slow, but it picks up rather quickly.
In short: tight plot, great characters, really witty, funny writing. Some sex, a lot of violence, and not an idyllic, perfect ending. Fairly realistic, in that way. It's a light, fun and easy read, and one that I think is well worth it. Besides, who doesn't love a fabulous chef who can also write a great pulp novel?
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