Lunatics, (Chapters 33-46)

In this third quarter of the book, the action slows down just enough to accommodate a more complicated plot sequence.  It’s almost a relief when, for instance, both of the main characters go off on a tangent about their previous experiences on camera.  Unlike the moments when reading, say, The Brothers Karamazov, we think to the author, “Come on, get back the story already!” these asides continue to be humorously engaging and even closely connected with the action at hand; not at all distracting. 

The extremely unlikely plot twists and improbable accidents of fate that keep the story moving forward (and keep our heroes alive!) are not believable – they aren’t supposed to be!  They play a large part in maintaining the farcical quality of this impressive work.  Will there be readers who are put off by that?  Probably.  They will simply be missing the point.  No matter where the wildly veering zigzag plot leads us, this aura of a Farce (capital F) remains remarkably consistent.  This is harder to do, as a writer, than many might realize. 

Having pointed that out, there is still the pervasive feeling here that the authors are improvising.  In one of the Indiana Jones movies, Jones and company are in a very tight spot when he is asked, “Okay, what’s the plan?”  He answers, “Plan?  I’m making this up as I go!”  When Barry and Zweibel were writing the section early on in the story about the events on the Washington Bridge when the “Lunatics” were first thought to be terrorists, did they already have in mind the idea that our heroes would go on to accidentally solve some of the world’s most pressing international problems?  Or were the authors just “making it up as they go?”  I suspect the latter, though I wouldn’t be much surprised if that’s not the case. 

The addition of the special chapters depicting the news coverage which begins well into the book is a smart move.  We get a sense of how the events are being perceived by the world, and the routine of alternating first-person narratives is given some relief.  The newscasters involved in these exchanges keep making a point of using each other’s first names, just as real newscasters do; as if they’re close buddies in real life who routinely have drinks together after work.  It’s hard to tell whether the authors are poking fun at this or just using it to add realism. 

 

In one of the newscasts, an announcer mentions that there are already plans to make the story of these two Lunatics into a movie.  They even disclose the fact that top-draw actors have already been approached to play the two men:  George Clooney as Horkman and Brad Pitt as Peckerman!  I greatly admire both of these actors, and while I have no doubt that they could play these roles admirably, they wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice (I could be wrong!) to play these two particular gentlemen.  I have mentioned before that I like to mentally “cast” people (sometimes famous actors, occasionally acquaintances of mine) in the main roles early on in a book I’m reading, as it heightens the visual impact of a story for me.  If you want to know who my picks were for these roles, just message me!



Our book for December will be "A Holly, Jolly Murder" by Joan  Hess!  Copies should be easy to find at your library or used book store.