Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
If you can find it, try Condominium by John D. MacDonald published in 1977 and 2014. A novel, but very similar to what recently happened in Florida
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retiredguy123,
It has been several weeks since I took your advice to try
Condominium by John D. MacDonald, and I want to say thank you.
I had never read anything by MacDonald before. I had no idea what to expect. But now I know that MacDonald is a truly gifted writer.
I listened to the book on
Audible -- which I use when I walk or am doing jobs around the house. But after hearing MacDonald's words, I had to actually see some of them in print, too, so I ordered the paperback.
It is especially interesting to look at this book from the perspective of now. Because of the 1977 copyright, it is fun to hear the money talk about the prices of those condos and the numbers in the shell games the weasels play. Money-talk numbers sure have changed in the past 44 years. . .
MacDonald has a perfect grasp on human nature and all that entails. He makes his characters come through in a way that is just as relevant in 2021. Of course, human nature, unlike condo costs, never changes. There are only so many different types of us -- in fiction or in real life.
As a bonus, the intro to
Condominium was written by Dean Koontz who compares it to what Arthur Hailey did with
Hotel and Airport -- which I think I will download next. I think those two books are even older than
Condominium, but it is nostalgic to revisit the 70s -- the
1970s when we boomers were so daggone good lookin'. (sigh)
Speaking of
Hotel, a book was recommended to me by a hotel desk manager I happened to meet. The book is
Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky. . .
That book is nowhere near the quality of writing that we get from John D. MaDonald (or even Arthur Hailey) but it most certainly is an enlightening read.
Anyway, thanks again, retiredguy123, for introducing me to John D. MacDonald.
Boomer