Berkley, 2001, $7.50, ISBN 0-425-18412-9, 317 pgs., paperback

Located in the discount book bin, Big Trouble should have been placed in a garbage bin. This is awful. Dave Berry's observational humor in his other books is hilarious. This, his first novel, is exactly the opposite. It's BORING in all-caps. By my count, and it's precise, the book contains exactly three laughs.

One of these occurred on page 2. For a moment, I thought I was in for typical Dave Berry humor, which by the way, I enjoy. Alas, it is not to be. The second chuckle was over 100 pages away and involved the word: "batshit." I really don't recall the third and final laugh, but I'm giving Barry the benefit of the doubt that there was a third laugh.

I actually remember they made a movie of this mess. Of course, you could look at the front cover for that. I don't think it lasted a week in the theaters. It may have gone straight to video. They probably burned the negatives.

You know how to tell a bad book? By the number of complimentary quotes coaxed from other writers, which compares the work to other writers'. Four, count 'em, four full pages of praise, plus half the back cover. It's the inverse, folks. Good books don't need such overkill. Big Trouble is far from a good book.

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