Lucky You Mass Market Paperback – October 1, 1998

"Lucky You" is typical Hiaasen in that the good people win, the bad people lose, and there are satisfying endings all around. I have come to lower my expectations with Hiaasen books, so maybe that is why I have started to enjoy them a little more.One irritating quality of Hiaasen's is that he always writes stereotypical redneck /southern characters and religious yokels (or charlatans) in his books. It is a device that gets a little tired. But I will give him his due, he does write them well. One of the highlights of "Lucky You" is the city of Grange, Florida which is populated by people who exemplify my above statements.The most enjoyable parts of the text are when the villains of this piece, two fools named Bodean and Chubb, take center stage. Especially funny are the moments when the above mentioned characters talk politics. Their views on the Constitution, and especially heinous misreading of it, are a real delight.Hiaasen always does a very nice job of creating a large cast of characters who weave in and out of the central plot of the book. In "Lucky You" he does a masterful job of keeping the characters distinct and separate, and yet loosely connected in a pleasing and easy to follow manner.The main female protagonist of this novel is a black woman, and I was annoyed at how much Hiaasen made her harp on race. I feel it was more him exercising his white liberal guilt rather than a story enhancing plot /character point /trait. However, there were a few nice thoughts in the book about the irrationality of hatred and racist thought, so I can forgive his overzealous attempt to make a rather belabored point.The last 10 pages or so of this novel are not very good. However, the previous 430 are an enjoyable romp. "Lucky You" is a fun text, and since that was all I asked of it I was not disappointed.

Poking some light-hearted fun at present-day journalism, religious scam artists and conspiracy theorists, among others, the author takes us on quite a journey throughout most of Florida as we follow the exploits of a very colorful group of oddballs.There is a lot of greed, some crime, a few dead bodies, an unlikely heroine working as a waitress at Hooters, a histrionic, estranged wife dodging divorce papers and some turtles who become a star attraction.There is also some love and a little sex on the side, but mostly this is just a good fun read.In any case, here is my detailed review:Heroine: 5 starsHero: 5 starsPlot: 4 starsWriting style: 5 starsHumor: 3 starsAction: 3 starsSuspense: 5 starsRomance: 2 starsSensuality: 1.5 starsEnding: HEA.Would I read another book by this author? Probably.

What fun it would be to spend one day in Carol Hiaasen's brain!!! Where he comes up with his characters and the situations they put themselves in just makes my heart smile. His equation for a great book is Einstein-inspired.JoLayne Lucks, a black veterinary assistant has won the big lotto--14 million dollars! With her winnings, she is going to buy swampland that is being courted by a money launderer to purchase, raze and build a strip mall on...The other winners in the lottery are a couple of shiftless redneck neo-nazis with dreams of creating a militia---Bode and Chubb.A newspaper writer, Tom Krome, is assigned to interview JoLayne. He is coming off an affair with a born-again Christian wife of a local powerful judge. The neo-nazi's beat JoLayne up, take her lottery ticket and credit cards and she calls on Tom to help her retrieve what is rightfully hers.Now one things that makes this novel so fascinating the impact of religion and/or religious artifacts on normal people. JoLayne's hometown has a crying Madonna and a Jesus face in the asphalt with a worshiping devotee dressed in her wedding garb maintaining her pilgrimage at what she sees as her shrine. Crying Madonna's owners end up baby-sitting JoLayne's 30+ baby yellow slider turtles and how they utilize these critters in their mission is life-changing for Tom Krome's editor.This is just the tip of the dynamic iceberg that Carl Hiaasen creates in Lucky You. I found myself laughing out loud and then shocked at the next moment. I love the way he weaves his characters, history and Florida craziness into a delicious gumbo. Thank you Carl for offering such great respite!!!

Lucky You is a funny tale by Carl Hiaasen. What else is new? But it is also a tale of greed and power. JoLayne Lucks wins half of the Florida Lottery, a cool $14 million. However, the other half is won by Bodean James Gazzer, a white supremacist wanna be with a low IQ. His pal Chub is also at the low end of the IQ scale. Together, they hatch a plan to take JoLayne's ticket. They beat her up and believe they have the funds to start a well-armed militia.However, JoLayne won't go away quietly. She teams up with reporter Tom Krome, who was sent by The Register to interview her, to get her ticket back. Tom is having an affair with a judge's wife. Tom wants to divorce his own wife, but she is always on the move and his attorney can't get the papers to her. The judge, having an affair with both his secretaries, sets in motion a plan to get rid of Tom Krome.Bodean and Chub enlist skinhead Shiner and kidnap a Hooters waitress. That's one of their mistakes. Not going directly to Tallahassee and cashing in is the other. JoLayne and Tom track down the dimwitted thugs. Their solution is only possible in a Carl Hiaasen novel.

Lucky You reads like a good Elmo Leonard story - plenty of low life’s and con artists with a couple of low key hero’s.

Like all Carl's books, it's slyly funny. This happens to be the first of his I ever read and I was hooked! I grew up in Florida and believe me, this only borders on satire - it's that crazy there!I bought this copy as a gift, and it arrived exactly as promised. I'd buy from this seller again.

Read approximately 25 years ago and it stuck with me all that time, decided to have another read and it’s as funny exciting and just as enjoyable as first read.

not hiaasen's funniest but pretty good just the same. enjoyable with lotsa snickers. unlikely plot filled with unexpected heroines and folks just out there trying to make an easy buck (without working).

ハイアセンの作品の中でも好きなほうです。タフでしなやかな黒人女性、ジョレインが格好いいです。彼女を助ける新聞記者は、普通に考えれば二枚目ヒーロー役なんでしょうが、強いヒロインの前ではたまにお間抜けに見えて笑えます。それからジョレインに無償の愛を注ぎ続ける幼な馴染みモフィットのストイックな態度もいいですよ。お話はこのジョレインが当てた高額宝くじの当たり券をめぐる争奪戦。ハイアセン作品らしく、一癖も二癖もある登場人物たちが入り乱れ、フロリダの野生動物たちまで繰り出しての大騒ぎとなります。途中で出てきた人が話をとんでもない方向に持っていってしまったりと、ハイアセン節（？）満載で楽しめます。扶桑社から出ている邦訳版も、喜国雅彦氏の表紙イラストが内容とマッチしていて捨てがたいのですが、読めるなら原書で読むほうをお勧めします。このお話がかなり芸の細かい笑いに満ちているからです。例えば、新聞記者が職業病的に、殆ど反射的に考えてしまう見出し語（ヘッドライン）が邦訳ではいまいちそのおかしさが伝わっていないように思います（訳者はかなり努力したとは思いますが・・）。悪役二人組の会話の口汚さも、何となく無理やり感があって楽しめます（言葉の前にいちいちf***とかd***など挟み込むのも結構手間だと思うのですが・・）。難易度でいえば中の上くらいでしょうか？たまに固有名詞が何の説明もなく出てきたりして「え？」と思いますが、（例えばフーターズがどういうお店か知らないとそこのウェイトレスであることの意味もいまいちわからなかったりとか・・）話自体が分からなくなるということはありません。ちなみに例のあの人は登場しません。

All the usual Carl Hiaasen ingredients with a great heroine and some particularly 'colourful' (the shade is white, very white) bad guys. A very entertaining book, I recommend it.

I haven't read it yet, but I expect it will be up to his usual high standard. Wry smiles,and gentle chuckles. Long may he continue to write.