Don't Stop the Carnival

You'll be humming "Carn-nee-val is very sweet, Please don't stop de Car-nee-Val" as you eagerly read this most enjoyable Herman Wouk novel. The amusing tale of New York public relations man Norman Paperman centers on a universal dream---quitting the rat race, escaping to the sunny Caribbean to loll about in the sunshine amidst scantily-clad beauties, and be the King of one's own alcohol-induced domain. Norman is swept into the realization of his mid-life crisis when exuberant Lester Atlas presents him with a fait accompli---money to become an island innkeeper, supervising one of the most charming money-makers on the fictional island of Amerigo. Norman soon discovers being an innkeeper is fraught with peril, but his misadventures will leave you laughing and longing for a quick trip to sunny Paradise. Many characters propel this book, each charmingly depicted as only a great storyteller like Wouk can. From the reclusive Iris Tramm, to the all-forgiving Henny Paperman and her nubile daughter Hazel, to the outrageous Hippolyte, and most especially the native Kinjans who give this novel a charm most realistic yet alarming, the reader is swept into life on an island paradise that is at once heaven and hell. Can Norman forget his successful New York career and make the transition to a change in latitude and attitude? Will phrases like "We be jammin', mon" erase the bitter cold of a New York winter and the thousand indignities a pr man must suffer? Will his penchant for extra-marital affairs be his undoing? Will a long-ago girlfriend's dark secret shock him? Put on the suntan oil and read while you bake for an experience everyone should have at least once.By the way, the book is not complete until you also listen to the CD from the musical that Jimmy Buffett and Herman Wouk collaborated on. It may not have been the toast of Broadway but it is the perfect accompaniment to a reading of this book.

I read this book as a teenager when it first came out in 1965, and then picked up a copy of it a while ago and reread it. Amazing what a few decades can do to one's perspective. How many mid-life crises have many of us gone through in which we dreamed of leaving big city stress to find the perfect, ideal life in some remote, exotic place? (This book, if you will, turns up the lights at closing time and lets you see what people really look like!) So, Carnival's Norman Paperman goes though his mid-life fantasy on a Caribbean island, and, predictably, things are not as perfect or as ideal as expected. That's why this book holds up so well after 40 years: it's entertaining and has a message. At nearly 400 pages, it moves amazingly fast, thanks to Herman Wouk's skill as a writer. Definitely worth the time, especially if you harbor any of the main character's desires for the perfect escape.

For a book that had its first printing about 40 years ago, DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL remains both fresh and plausible. The premise of a harried New Yorker dropping out of life in the Big Apple to take up inn-keeping on a tiny Caribbean island is virtually a universal fantasy in Manhattan, where everyone seems to want to do exactly that--if they're not heading up to the Berkshires instead.As hilarious as the adventures here are, they never actually cross that fine line into the implausible, quite a balance when writing fiction.DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL is a change of pace for Mr. Wouk, who usually writes more serious books. He probably is best known for MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, but his versatility is evident in works ranging from THE CAINE MUTINY to THIS IS MY GOD, as well as the important Holocaust work, THE WINDS OF WAR and its sequel, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. It is this versatility, combined with his elegant prose, that makes him my favorite author.For years now, it's been rumored that Herman Wouk and Jimmy Buffet are working together on a Broadway musical based on DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL. Personally, I can't wait!

This was certainly what the doctor ordered since I just returned from 10 days sailing and diving in the BVI and the sweetness of the tropics was just something I wanted to hold on to and not dissipate upon returning to the Rockies.Having spent years exploring the Caribbean, particularly the US Virgins, I could not help but laugh at the seemingly improbable but totally believable events and characters that one may easily find there, from escapist ex-patriots to the disappearing Mr. Church-type men to the completely annoying and in this case, deadly custom of stopping cars in the middle of the road to chat up a friend. I became completely enthralled with this book and had trouble putting it down. During the 5 days in which I read it, I became bedridden with a nasty virus and actually welcomed my time in bed eager to find out what next would happen to Mr. Paperman.Well-written and quick-reading, I highly recommend this to anyone who has experienced life in our neighboring tropics! But do keep in mind, it was written in the 60's and has some dated language. But it is a truly enjoyable read!!!!!

This is one of the best books I have ever read and I like to consider myself somewhat well-read. Herman Wouk has developed characters that truly come to life. You will not be able to put this book down. You will be compelled to keep reading wondering to yourself "What else could possibly go wrong?". Despite the moral of the story, you'll want to run right out and purchase a Carribean hotel. When you're done reading, listen to Don't Stop the Carnival by Jimmy Buffett. The CD doesn't make any sense until you read this book.