Ceci n'est pas une histoire d'amour

Set in a seedy, sun-baked Hawaii that most tourists don't know exists, Smith's frenetic second novel (after Moist) begins with a flash-forward to a Greek tragedy of a luau. Roasting human flesh was not on the agenda for Joseph when he set out to become a professional chef, but a battle to keep the family catering business from being ruined by a greedy rival gradually drives him to desperation. The battle begins when a gay TV producer flies to the islands for a film shoot, sparking a contest over who will provide food for the set. Joseph, his uncle Sid and dimwitted cousin Wilson have been the only game in town, but a nasty, horny, recovering stroke victim with Mafia connections has come to Honolulu from Las Vegas to take over the film-catering industry. Sid is not about to let his paradise dream be wrecked, but then hit men are brought in. Meanwhile, Joseph must decide whether to follow his culinary dreams to New York City, support his uncle's war against the outsiders or indulge a gay suitor to save the family business - all of which leads to that luau from hell. At once sexy and repulsive, the novel manages to plant sharp moral and cultural barbs in its gorge-feast of a plot. . Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Relié . . . Booklist. In this darkly comic novel, Smith writes like Carl Hiaasen's oversexed cousin. Gifted Hawaiian chef Joseph and his uncle run a successful catering business in Oahu, making custom meals for the production crews of movies and TV shows. Then the Mob-connected owner of a Las Vegas catering company, who is secretly addicted to lap dancers, sinks $20 million into an effort to take over business on the island, and Joseph and his family draw on their heritage and cooking skills to fight back in unique fashion. Caught up in the madness are a gay TV producer whose recent breakup has fueled a hedonistic frenzy that causes him to painfully overdose on Viagra; his homely assistant, who, on the advice of a local pimp, gets a wild haircut that turns her into an androgynous sex symbol; and a hit man who takes too much Ecstasy and paddles off into the sunset. Veteran screenwriter Smith, in his second novel after Moist (2002), excels at cooking up a supremely weird atmosphere and spicing it up with equally weird sex and violence. Joanne Wilkinson. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Relié . . . Voir tous les Descriptions du produitIn this darkly comic novel, Smith writes like Carl Hiaasen's oversexed cousin. Gifted Hawaiian chef Joseph and his uncle run a successful catering business in Oahu, making custom meals for the production crews of movies and TV shows. Then the Mob-connected owner of a Las Vegas catering company, who is secretly addicted to lap dancers, sinks $20 million into an effort to take over business on the island, and Joseph and his family draw on their heritage and cooking skills to fight back in unique fashion. Caught up in the madness are a gay TV producer whose recent breakup has fueled a hedonistic frenzy that causes him to painfully overdose on Viagra; his homely assistant, who, on the advice of a local pimp, gets a wild haircut that turns her into an androgynous sex symbol; and a hit man who takes too much Ecstasy and paddles off into the sunset. Veteran screenwriter Smith, in his second novel after Moist (2002), excels at cooking up a supremely weird atmosphere and spicing it up with equally weird sex and violence. Joanne Wilkinson. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Relié . . . Voir tous les Descriptions du produit

Miro Basinas, passionné de botanique, cultive ses plants avec amour. Il ne s'agit ni de fleurs ni de fruits et légumes, mais de marijuana. Comme c'est un artisan doué et consciencieux, il remporta la prestigieuse Cannabis Cup d'Amsterdam, une véritable consécration qui doit lui ouvrir les portes de la gloire. Dès lors, tout ce que l'univers compte de plus défoncé se met en quête de son produit. Gangsters, mormons, belle Portugaise enceinte, hommes d'affaires douteux : tous n'ont plus d'yeux que pour Miro. Et bien sûr, les ennuis commencent... " Sans doute le chef-d'oeuvre de Mark Haskell Smith. " (Jerry Stahl)

Mark Haskell Smith est scénariste à Hollywood. A bras raccourci est son premier roman.'Très noir et violemment drôle. Le premier roman de Mark Haskell Smith est une vraie machine de guerre dans le domaine de la narration. Cet homme sait raconter une histoire, aucun doute là-dessus."T.C. Boyle"

Turk, rock star obèse à la retraite marié à un top model, grand amateur de bière fraîche, découvre que pour un obsédé sexuel convalescent, la Thaïlande n’est pas exactement le meilleur endroit du monde où partir en vacances. Cerné par des foules de filles topless et des armadas de créatures lascives et complaisantes, Turk voit sa monogamie mise à rude épreuve. Mais ce n’est rien encore, car voilà que son épouse est enlevée par de mystérieux pirates thaïs dépourvus de bateau. Bien sûr Turk se lance à la recherche de sa dulcinée, mais comment s’y prendre quand les seules capacités que l’on a dans l’existence sont de jouer de la musique et de faire la fête ? Des bas-fonds de Bangkok aux jungles du Sud-est asiatique, touristes américains, commandos australiens et prostituées rivalisent d’initiatives et d’inspiration à la poursuite de valises de billets. Un thriller hilarant, grinçant et enlevé, qui distille discrètement une critique féroce de l’American way of life.Mark Askell Smith est également l’auteur de A bras raccourci (2004) et Delicious (2007), tous deux parus chez Rivages.« Mark Askell Smith écrit bien, surtout sur le sexe et la nourriture, et ses intrigues à tiroirs vont si vite qu’elles sont sacrément rafraîchissantes. »Los Angeles Times