Patrick McManus is an outdoor humorist whose semi-fictional essays focus on the concept that wild places — and the people who inhabit them — are random, interesting, and potentially hilarious.
His latest book — Kerplunk!
His earlier essays chronicled his adventures as a young man, and while they were clearly fiction, they contained enough real world stuff that you knew he was writing from an autobiographical perspective.
McManus’ best humor is based on his mastery of the “unintended consequence” — where a simple, slightly skewed idea spirals out of control.
Disaster is the inevitable result, but this being humorous fiction, nobody gets hurt (too badly).
Some of his essays stay with me to this day; I remember reading his “The Deer on the Bicycle” story (about deer hunting as a kid, using a bicycle as transportation) and not being able to contain my laughter (in science class… yikes).
While his latest book — Kerplunk!
“Uh-Oh!” (and other things guides shouldn’t say) not only made me laugh, but made me think of the chilling phrases I’ve heard from guides along the way (“Uh, you seen the anchor?”).
Kerplunk delves into McManus’ modern-day exploits in the Pacific Northwest (mostly as an adult), focusing mainly on fishing and hunting trips that — trust me — you won’t want to duplicate.
Those who have never read his largely self-effacing outdoor humor essays might also want to read his earlier books, but Kerplunk!
See you in the bookshelves, Tom Chandler.
Click to buy a copy of Kerplunk!
Technorati Tags: kerplunk,patrick mcmanus,book review,humor,outdoor humor
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
c’mon….. really?
(Quote)
Yeah. The first time I read Deer on a bicycle, I near wet myself.
Perhaps it’s my perspective having grown up an outdoor kid in a family without an outdoor tradition to speak of. Or maybe it’s sunspots.
I think McManus is OK.
(Quote)
Tom… McManus is 2nd only to Ed Zern in my book.
( well, if I HAD a book )
“To Hell with Fishing” being my very favorite. Ed’s son Brooke (yes after the fish) lives in NYC and reviews flamenco guitar… doesn’t fish a lick, but he’s also a professional writer like you.
…now THAT’s funny!
(Quote)