I once discussed my frustration and incredulity that Wes Anderson’s movies were considered comedies with a friend (mind you, this was just around the time that The Life Aquatic was released), as I was horrified by the suicide attempt in The Royal Tennenbaums. As she described the plot of The Life Aquatic as a similar “quirky, charming, adorable, EXISTENTIAL HORROR, 70s music b-sides, the end” I started laughing as I could not believe that was a description of a comedy. Basically the only thing funny about the movies was the idea that they could be funny.
This book is exactly like that.
This was on my to-read list because it was at a friend of the library sale for next to nothing; I read part of another Joe Meno book which I liked, and to be honest, the man has a way with titles. I judged this book by its cover and its title, and that was not my best move. If only there were some adage cautioning me against doing that.
The premise is interesting enough – what if the hardy boys grew up? – but the problem is that everything is coated in a thin film of anhedonia. The lack of joy seeps out of every page. What if the hardy boys grew up and had depression and one of them KILLED THEMSELVES? What if the survivor worked a dead end job as a telemarketer SELLING WIGS TO DYING PEOPLE? What if he joins up with the two most depressing children in the world to solve a new case ABOUT DECAPITATED ANIMALS.
Yeah, no thanks. It was on my to-read list. I read it. Now I’m sending it to the resale pile to inflict it on someone else.
