Lunatics

Dave Barry · Alan Zweibel

Jan 2012 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Philip Horkman is a happy man, the owner of a pet store called The Wine Shop, and on Sundays a referee for a local kids’ soccer league. Jeffrey Peckerman is the proud and loving father of a star athlete in the girls’ ten-and-under soccer league, and he’s not exactly happy with the ref.

The two of them are about to collide in a swiftly escalating series of events that will send them running for their lives, pursued by the police, soldiers, subversives, bears, revolutionaries, pirates, and a black ops team that does not exist. Where all that takes them you can’t even begin to guess, but the literary journey there is a masterpiece of inspiration, chaos, and unadulterated, well, lunacy. And they might even learn a lesson or two along the way.

Ratings and reviews

A. I've read most of his books, including his novels, so when I saw this one on the shelf for new fiction at the local library, I grabbed it and read it in about three days. Q. And what's your assessment of this new writing team? A. I know absolutely nothing about Mr. Zweibel. As for the book, it was funny in the beginning but as the story unfolds, the gags get stale and by the end of the book there's very little humor left. Q. What are some of the gags you're talking about? A. Well, like Jeffrey's messing in his pants or losing control of his bladder. He does this several times. It's funny the first time but by the time he's urinating on stage at the Republican convention, it's pretty stupid, I thought. Q. Who is Jeffrey? A. He and Philip are the two protagonists, two average New Jersey Jewish fellows who happen to hate each other. The scenario is not that creative, either. This is Felix Unger and Oscar Madison of the Odd Couple writ large. Philip is like Felix, the nice guy. Jeffrey is like Oscar, the messy jerk. Actually, it looks like Jeffrey was abused as a child and developed a definitely sociopathic character. So the chapters alternate, first Philip telling his side of the story, followed by Jeffrey. Honestly, I thought Philip's chapters were dull. Although Jeffrey was a sociopath, I looked forward to reading his side of the story. Q. But it held your interest? A. Yes, it did. It's not difficult reading and there was nothing technical about it. That was part of the charm of having Jeffrey tell his story: he's the most nontechnical person you can imagine, though he presumably makes a living as a forensic plumber. Philip is not technical, either, rather he's a giving type person, almost an altruist, even though he detests Jeffrey. So, yes, it's easy reading and goes fast. Q. Do you recommend reading the book? A. Well, for those who have time on their hands, as I do. I'm retired. If you're pressed for time, you'll probably want to skip this one.

First!

Dave a master

About the author

Dave Barry is proud to have been elected Class Clown by the Pleasantville High School class of 1965. From 1983 to 2004, he wrote a weekly humor column for the Miami Herald, which in 1988 won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. He is the author of some thirty books. His most recent bestsellers include his Peter Pan prequels, written with Ridley Pearson; his Christmas story The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog; Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far); and I’ll Mature When I’m Dead. Barry lives in Coral Gables, Florida, with his family and a domestic staff of forty-seven.

Alan Zweibel is an original Saturday Night Live writer who the New York Times said has “earned his place in the pantheon of American pop culture.” He is the winner of lots and lots of Emmy Awards for his work in television, which also includes It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, Monk, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and PBS’s Great Performances. He won the Thurber Prize for his novel The Other Shulman and collaborated with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award–winning play 700 Sundays. Zweibel and his wife, Robin, live in Short Hills, New Jersey, because they enjoy paying exorbitantly high property taxes.