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Published May 2008
224 pages
Genre: Other
Publication Information
Ever wonder how to retrieve a sunken golf cart from a snake-infested lake? Or which club in your bag is best suited for combat against a horde of rats? If these and other sporting questions are gnawing at you, The Downhill Lie, Carl Hiaasen’s hilarious confessional about returning to the fairways after a thirty-two-year absence, is definitely the book for you.
Originally drawn to the game by his father, Carl wisely quit golfing in 1973, when “Richard Nixon was hunkered down like a meth-crazed badger in the White House, Hank Aaron was one dinger shy of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, and The Who had just released Quadrophenia.” But some ambitions refuse to die, and as the years—and memories of shanked 7-irons—faded, it dawned on Carl that there might be one thing in life he could do better in middle age than he could as a youth. So gradually he ventured back to the dreaded driving range, this time as the father of a five-year-old son—and also as a grandfather.
“What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he’d never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here’s why I did it: I’m one sick bastard.”
"With the satirically skilled Hiaasen, who rarely breaks 90 on the links, this narrative is an enjoyable ride." - Publishers Weekly.
"For sheer entertainment, The Downhill Lie is a very good read. The author's fame and fans may drive demand." - Library Journal.
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Fenia Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. He is the author of a number of novels, including Native Tongue, Strip Tease, Stormy Weather and Lucky You. He has also written a few non-fiction books, including Team Rodent and The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport. His books have been translated into 29 languages, which he points out is 28 more than he can read or write!
Link to Carl Hiaasen's Website
Name Pronunciation
Carl Hiaasen: hi-a-sen
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