Mash Goes to Maine

"M*A*S*H Goes to Maine" is Richard Hooker's hilarious sequel to his classic book "MASH" and, for once, the sequel is better! Living a quiet life in Maine after the Korean War, doctors "Hawkeye" Pierce, "Duke" Forrest and "Trapper John" McIntyre are at it again, trying to establish a medical hospital while fighting the snobbiest doctors in America. Funny and very relaxing, you'll love "M*A*S*H Goes to Maine".

There are a lot of "MASH goes to..." books. This is the original and one of the best. The first sequel to MASH, this novel brings the characters from the original stateside. If you've read any of the other MASH goes to books (written by Richard Hooker and William E. Butterworth, though I strongly suspect except for lending his name, Hooker had nothing to do with) and were disgusted by how tedius and down-right horrible they were, don't let them put you off this book. This, along with MASH Mania, was written by Hooker himself and is every bit as good as the Butterworth books are bad.

I'm from Maine, and with only modest poetic exaggeration, Hooker gets it right. At least as it used to be. I knew characters such as he portrays--Hawkeye, the Simmons brothers, Wooden-leg Wilcox and all the rest. Only Marshall Dodge came as close to capturing the true old-time spirit of Down East.

This book is hysterical, factual and fictional at the same time. The original MASH author died a few years ago but had previously sold his series to another author. However, I can verify a lot of details about the book series because my father trained the author at a Veterans Hospital in East Orange, NJ and is referred to in the book as the "SOB chief of thoracic surgery" at the hospital. I am interested in getting a new copy so my kids can read it but don't have credit cards-maybe with other options-more people can enjoy this book-the MASH books are great as a collection or by the single book. The situations make for great reading, you can only benefit by rereading.

Without a doubt, one of the funniest and most original novels I've ever read. A brilliant mix of comedy and human drama with some throughly entertaining portrayals of Maine's "Down East" culture. Some entertaining 1950's - era medical insights as well. Read it -- if you can find it! You won't be disappointed.