Hunk City

by James Wilcox

A writer who Anne Tyler says has “real comic genius” returns with a brilliant new novel of the culture wars in the Deep South

James Wilcox’s novels, with their trademark blend of humor and compassion, have been lauded by critics and readers alike. In Hunk City, Wilcox takes us to southeast Louisiana, where Burma van Buren, thanks to a recent inheritance, is the wealthiest woman in St. Jude Parish. Still working at a bargain store, Burma is having trouble finding the right charity with which to share her fortune. As she tries to keep hope alive and convert the citizens of Tula Springs to a radical faith-based egalitarian democracy, Burma becomes entangled with a certain Dr. Schine, her landscape designer, though she hasn’t resolved her life-long passion for Mr. Pickens, who up and married a severe evangelical from a neighboring town. Meanwhile, Mr. Harper, Burma’s staunch Republican accountant with eyelashes to die for, works to keep her money out of the hands of the local Democrats. Will Burma find happiness with either Dr. Schine or Mr. Pickens? Will Burma ever find a suitable place for her millions? In Hunk City, James Wilcox brings his unique humorous touch to a topic that sorely needs it.

Genres: Fiction, Novels

208 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2007

About the author

James Wilcox (b. 1949 in Hammond, Louisiana) is an American novelist and a professor at LSU in Baton Rouge.

Wilcox is the author of eight comic novels set in, or featuring characters from, the fictional town of Tula Springs, Louisiana. Wilcox's first book Modern Baptists (1983) remains his best known work. His other novels are North Gladiola (1985), Miss Undine's Living Room (1987), Sort of Rich (1989), Polite Sex (1991), Guest of a Sinner (1993), Plain and Normal (1998), Heavenly Days (2003), and Hunk City (2007). Wilcox is also the author of three short stories that were published in The New Yorker between 1981 and 1986, three of only four short stories that the author has published. He has written book reviews for The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times, and two pieces for ELLE. He was the subject of an article by James B. Stewart in The New Yorker's 1994 summer fiction issue; entitled "Moby Dick in Manhattan", it detailed his struggle to survive as a writer devoted purely to literary fiction.

Wilcox, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1986, has held the Robert Penn Warren Professorship at Louisiana State University since September 2004. He is also the director of the university's creative writing program.

Reviews

[🐴 🍖]

...huh. tough one to evaluate here. like any james wilcox the comedy is on point (there's an org devoted to decreasing the avg height of louisianans, for the sake of the environment; a professional flosser has a run-in with some "godzilla glue" on a doorknob & ends up swallowing an amoeba that leaves him unable to digest 3 musketeers bars) but the moral seriousness that underlays the other tula spgs novels is absent entirely, & so as noted by another review infra, it winds up kinda appearing to lampoon the cast of chars. so yeah it's great to see mr pickens & burma & donna lee etc back, but there's a funny (not ha-ha funny) scornful note to the proceedings. should you read it? obvs, since it's james wilcox; but if your used bookery of choice has 4 books by him and you're only packing $$$ for 3, opt for the others

[Melinda Rachlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood or I'm not a southern Baptist but this is one of the few novels I have read in years that I couldn't recommend to anyone. I did not find it amusing. It did not hold my interest. I am just one of those people who cannot leave a book unfinished if you wonder why I persisted.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing, good for vacation reading, not too engaging but good enough that I remembered plot points when picking it back up after a week.

[Yofish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty quick read. A comedy. Full of coincidences and silliness. As usual, too much sex for me. Takes place in Louisiana small town. Main character is widow of lottery winner, so she's rich. Also the only left-y in town, but works as deputy manager of convenience store. Tries to do good. There's stabs at religion. Funny in spurts. Best line is that an SUV owner will join any club as long as there's a free t-shirt involved. (That's the thesis of an undercover sociologist gay Yankee professor, described as "Hunk City" by oversexed female lawyer character.)

Really 3.5

[Agatha Donkar Lund · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept putting this down to read other things I enjoyed more, but it wasn't a bad book -- reasonably well-written, had some interesting stuff going on, good sense of place. Just completely unmemorable.

[Jodi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would not recommend. Characters are annoying...and I'm sure there is some message in there but taking too much energy to get to what it is. Made it 3/4 through and have no invested interest in seeing how it ends. Bummer

[Rebecca Agiewich · Rating 2 out of 5]

His novel, Southern Baptists was one of my all-time favorites, but this one - even though it features the same characters and setting - struck me as mean-spirited and not that funny.

[Anna]

This book was okay - a decent story, pretty well written, but was just... bland.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as much fun as I expected from reviews.

[Janay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't learn that much - quick read, some funny parts but I probabably will not read again. Unless I need to grab a quick book for a plane ride...

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally didn't get into the rythmn of this book at all. Reminded me of Hiaasen in a way.. just weird. Probably very funny to someone, though.

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

rubbish