Florence of Arabia

Finally. I've been reading this book off and on since Christmas. Once I finished with classes, I thought I'd take the time to catch up with Christopher Buckley and his oeuvre. At the time I hadn't read his most recent three novels and thought this would be a good time to catch up. However, library holds kept cropping up and in fact two more just arrived today. But I was able to squeeze this one in just in time to finish it.

FLORENCE OF ARABIA is probably the closest thing Buckley has written to a thriller or adventure novel. It is still a witty satire, but the action picks up in the latter third and does not let up. Buckley has a je ne sais quoi quality that makes his writing attractive and smooth flowing - almost like a nice tumbler of John Powers over ice. His mannered approach and cultural bon mots make even the sharpest satire a wonder to read. I almost think I learn more French from his writings than I do from the Rosetta Stone CDs I checked out. I don't know when I'll be able to pick up Boomsday or Supreme Discourtship, but I hope to read them before the seasons change or at least before Memorial Day. But first those library holds await.