Strip Tease
Carl Hiaasen
Synopsis
No matter what you heard or thought about the movie version of Strip Tease, forget it. Film simply can’t catch the layers of humor, satire, and imagination that author Carl Hiaasen creates in each of his novels.
When a deranged Florida congressman falls for a gorgeous but virtuous stripper, he dedicates himself to pursuing this tasselled princess. Not only is she a real beauty, she’s a damsel in distress. The effects of his quest will ripple through the spotlights of the strip joint, the sugar cane fields of South Florida, and some powerful political careers. Fueled by innocent lust and dizzy miscalculations, this story will keep you howling with surprise.
Richard says
Hiaasen at one time was a serious reporter for a Miami newspaper. Then he discovered writing which proved to be more lucrative and a lot more enjoyable. He’s a humourist in the same vein as say, Dave Barry, not Erma Bombeck who writes pure laughter. Hiaasen writes humorous stories with plots which are off-the-wall hilarious. His dialogues are surprising twists and his Florida scenes will tickle your funny bone with the unexpected angles.
Strip Tease is a humourous page-turner that has you laughing on every page. The plot is about a single mother who is trying to regain the custody of her young daughter, 4 or 5-year-old Angela. To earn enough money to pay lawyers, her mother, Erin, becomes a strip tease dancer but one with principles and limits. She resists declining into pornography or prostitution though the temptation becomes almost too much as the story progresses and Erin needs more money.
There’s more to the plot with the twists that come in various aspects: from the bar in which Erin works and its owner, Orly, to her guardian at the bar, bouncer Shad, to the sex-fetished Congressmen, to the murder and cigar-chomping detective Garcia. The story never really lags. Surprisingly, it is almost suspenseful as you anticipate the upcoming events, hoping Erin extricates herself from another tight spot.
Hiassen has fun throughout the book giving readers an entertaining read with funny twists and turns that keep the reader’s attention throughout.
Strip Tease is a nice diversion for reading on a beach as the story is set in Florida again, as are all of Carl Hiaasen’s books.
