Back to Blood: A Novel
by Tom Wolfe, Fiction (Released October, 2012)
Bottom Line: Read it.
Summary: A Cuban cop and his hometown girlfriend become entwined in the racial dynamics, local politics, and high rolling society scene of present-day Miami.
My Thoughts: I liked Back to Blood a lot, but I didn’t love it as much as some of Wolfe’s others. Among Wolfe books, it was far better than I Am Charlotte Simmons, not as good as Bonfire of the Vanities (but, Bonfire is on my All-Time Favorites List, so is a bit hard to match) or The Right Stuff, and about on par with A Man In Full. Back to Blood is typical Tom Wolfe – both in the writing style (which is over the top at times with all the repeating repeating repeating repeating words) and in his satirical skewering of social phenomena. In Back to Blood, his poison pen focuses on cigarette boats (and their owners), the high end art world (particularly Art Basel Miami, the contemporary art show), TV doctors (“shloctors”), and reality TV. This book is a true caricature of a city – but is a little light on plot. However, Wolfe included a billionaire art collector and his psychiatrist, Russian oligarchs, and a Haitian brother and sister to what I described in the summary to spice things up. I personally didn’t mind the slim plot because I enjoyed learning about the political and racial dynamics in Miami, found the city caricature fascinating, and thought his character development was exceptional. Back to Blood would make a great holiday gift for Tom Wolfe fans (see Holiday Gift Ideas List) and selection for your book club (see Book Club Recommendations List).