A Salty Piece of Land

Man, I love Jimmy Buffet. The man is a storyteller extraordinaire and his books just serve to bolster that reputation.

Take a cowboy from Wyoming, transport him to the Caribbean by way of New Orleans and Key West, throw in a Mayan shaman, a 101-year-old sailor with a schooner AND a country singer on a quest and you have one hell of a tale. Highly recommended.

This sat on my shelf for a long time but when JB passed I thought I should read it.
Imagine scattered pieces of brightly colored and bejeweled paper glued together in a kaleidoscopic manner. Wonderous to the eye but with very little depth. I love Jimmy Buffet and his thoughts and style, but his writing, though colorful, is too full of perfect. Perfect people and places and coincidences. But he does bring some of his life and wonderings and wanderings into these collection's of chapters that I do enjoy. The atmosphere and habit of spending a life on beaches and seas around the world and having this outlook occasionally made it into the book. RIP JB.

This is a wonderful read that reminds me more than anything of an extended Jimmy Buffett song. It is a wonderful romp through the Caribbean with a cowboy turned sailor, Tully Mars, who is seeking to avoid complications from the mistakes he has made in life. In the process he discovers a new life, wonderful friends and home. If you are a Buffett fan, this is a must read. If you are not a Buffett fan, you will still enjoy the book, and will likely become a fan in the process. The characters are realistic and well developed, the plot has some delightful twists and turns and the story is just fun escapism with a few deep thoughts along the way. Buffett will have you longing for a life at sea with the occasional beach party as you journey show more with Tully as he seeks his place in the world. show less

3.5 stars

When Montana cowboy Tully Mars looks to run away from his problems, a boat headed for the Caribbean seems like the perfect place to start his life over. The consummate cowboy, Tully brings his horse with him to the tropical island of Cayo Loco to get lost. Instead, he not only finds himself, but a quirky gang of expatriate friends who not only have his interest, but have his back. But it is the 101-year-old Cleopatra Highbourne at the helm of her 142-foot long schooner who will change Tully’s life forever – assuming his past doesn’t catch up with him first.

In the world of music, Jimmy Buffett requires no introduction. However, A Salty Piece of Land isn’t a song, it is a novel and the standards are much different. But show more someone forgot mention to Jimmy that this was something different. All he does is go out and write a funny, entertaining, insightful story about one man – Tully Mars – trying to get a fresh start in life and find some peace and happiness. Buffett creates a compelling character at the center of his story, who is all too human and prone to random acts of foolishness. But at his center, he is a kind person who looks out for those around him. This is Buffett’s biggest writing strength – creating compelling, interesting characters. From the rock star to the seaplane pilot, the treasure hunter to the quirky bad guys, everyone in this story jumps off of the page as a unique personality. Nobody is dull.

That’s not to say A Salty Piece of Land is perfect. The plot doesn’t always make sense. There are several “coincidences” that leave you going “uh huh, sure.” The story really could have done with some editing, too. There are sizable chunks of the beefy 480 page novel that slow down to a crawl. If Buffett could have tightened it up by about 100 pages, it might have been a real page-turner. Instead, at times I weathered page after page of scene setting or internal monologue to get to the next amusing section.

The quality of the writing isn’t Tolstoy. There is a pedestrian sameness to it – at least until you get to the dialog. That is where Buffett hits his stride and each character finds their individual voices. A Salty Piece of Land isn’t great writing, but it is good, fun storytelling. I have to make a confession that my enjoyment of this novel may have been fueled by it being the antidote to the bleakness of the previous novel I read, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. Whether because of this or in spite of this, I have to admit that I had fun reading a book that didn’t take itself too seriously. It’s not writing that will have me begging for more of the same, but it was a nice diversion. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the characters that Tully Mars crosses paths with. The story though is mostly about Cleopatra Highborne and the Lucretia. It's also about the restoration of the Cayo Loco lighthouse and all the people who help make that happen. Buffett often times lets the story go on tangents to explore the local tales. Enjoy these tangents and let the story lap over you like the waves on a tropical beach.

Even if you did not read the name "Jimmy Buffett" on the spine, once you read A Salty Piece of Land, you would probably guess he had something to do with it. Many of the scenes, in fact, seem to be lifted straight from his songs. The words have the same flowing quality as his song lyrics and the story, like his music, is pure escapism. This is not to say it is a bad thing. I completely enjoyed A Salty Piece of Land. Just don’t look for any deep meanings in the story, there aren’t any; it is pure mind candy.

The story is the merry misadventures of one Tully Mars, a cowboy fleeing Montana after a messy job-quitting scene, who makes his way to the islands. Buffett has fun with other characters Tully Mars runs into: a shrimp boat captain show more named Captain Kirk, a Mayan shaman called Ix-Nay and a singer turned adventurer named Willie Singer, to name a few.

The story line is completely improbable, but it is very entertaining. While summer is drawing to a close, this is good for reading on the beach while sipping on a margarita. show less

Jimmy Buffets’ latest novel. This one is about a farm boy who moves to the islands, gets involved with pirates and a crazy old lady who wants him to rebuild an old light house. a great read and quick. Enjoyed every bit of it. It was fluff, but it makes me want to leave right now.