[.ca] The Bushwhacked Piano (ISBN 0394726421)

Terrific, offbeat,and interesting:
Complicated, challenging, endlessly entertaining and very amusing. Nick Payne is unpredictable and wild and hapless and completely his own person. The book is cinematic in a way a movie could never be, and McGuane's humor switches effortlessly between the dryest irony to outright slapstick. This is a good book by an inventive author with an impressive command of the language.

Schizophrenic Hero:
Nick Payne, McGuane's probably schizophrenic hero, is what we all (well, men at least) would like to be - someone driven by purity of impulse, who sees consequences as unimportant obstacles between his goals and his deeds. Payne's humanity is almost painful in its vulnerability, and yet Payne exhibits more courage and integrity than the ostensibly sane characters populating McGuane's work. The writing is original and unconventional, but for those of us who like to be challenged, entirely satisfying. This is the book that turned me on to McGuane's great talent (later confirmed when I read Ninety Two in the Shade). One of my favorite books.

My favorite book:
Nicholas Payne is one of the most memorable characters that's ever existed in American literature, and that goes for Huck Finn and Sal Paradise. A hilarious ride from start to finish, The Bushwhacked Piano combines side splitting humor with irony, satire, and reflection. The Bushwhacked Piano is funny, sad, and everything in between. But, most importantly, it's funny. Not many genius writers/masters of language have McGuane's keen sense of humor, which is what makes the book tick. Here's my formula for a good time: 1). Read The Bushwhacked Piano 2). Drink malt liquor 3). Talk to a pretty girl 4). Get smacked in the face, or, if you're lucky, get lucky! Nick Payne straddles the line between jackass and heroic visionary...if we could all only be so lucky. McGuane is the best living writer in America today. Non Serviam. Read this book to increase your vocabulary and mental health.

I guess you had to be there:
Nicholas Payne is one of those quirky, independent characters that I normally love, but Payne crosses over from eccentric to obnoxious. This book was published in the early 70s when rebellious youth triumphing over pompous members of the "establishment" (to borrow from the contemporary vernacular) was a popular theme, but looking back from the 21st century, Payne seems more of a spoiled brat than an iconoclastic rebel. McGuane is a good writer with an impressive command of the language, but at times, the obscurity of his words leaves one with the impression that he writes with an open thesaurus. Still, an interesting read with some funny moments.

Bushwhack attack:
Terrifically literate, and wildly funny. I'm from the Keys, and I have to tell you, there are many kernels of truth here. Everyone should read this book, if only to flex and tone their literary muscles.