Chomp

“Mickey Cray had been out of work ever since a dead iguana fell from a palm tree and hit him on the head.”

The narrative skill of any given author can often be judged by the quality of a novel’s opening sentences, and with this quote, Carl Hiaasen crafts a memorable image, raising a thousand questions that can only be answered by reading further. This initial line not only provides necessary exposition, but it also gives the author the opportunity to expound upon the environmental issues that underlie this bizarre event. Lastly, the quote sets the tone of the narrative—absurd, quirky, and humorous—a tone that is maintained even as Hiaasen goes on to address more serious issues.

“Mickey had insisted that eating the critter that had dented his skull would be a spiritual remedy.”

In keeping with the novel’s humorous tone, Mickey insists on eating the reptile that has so adversely affected his life. Although the iguana stew “tastes terrible,” Mickey imagines some kind of cosmic retribution or closure. There is also a hint of ancient spirituality to the notion. Greek warriors thought that eating a lion’s heart would give them courage, and Mickey’s unconventional solution to his injury suggests a link, however tenuous, to a time when humans had much closer ties to their natural environment.