Good Vibes

by Jay Cronley

"Jay Cronley is surely one of the funniest writers alive!" —Evan Hunter "Cronley has a dead-on ear for the American cliché." — Los Angeles Times Book Review “He is the kind of writer who, because there is no one else quite like him, could easily become an addiction.” — The New York Times Book Review Trotter never comes out ahead at the racetrack. But maybe that’s because his lucky day is still just around the corner.
One day, to the surprise of his down-and-out buddies, Trotter’s luck changes, and he finds himself in the boxes with the VIPs. But should he quit while he’s ahead? Or should he… LET IT RIDE  Another Jay Cronley title you're sure to enjoy is Funny Farm , a story of city folk who find that the dream life in the country can be a bit of a nightmare.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published July 17, 1979

About the author

Jay Cronley (1948 - February 27, 2017) was a former columnist for the Tulsa World and the author of many works of humorous fiction.

Many of Cronley's novels have been made into feature films including, Good Vibes, Quick Change, Funny Farm and Cheap Shot.

Reviews

[Joseph Cognard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally got the chance to read this. Wait was worth it. First time I ever read an entire book in a library. The book was as good as the movie though it started little slow.
Put this up there with Hitchikers, Vonnegutt, and Pratchett as comedies that just stand above the rest. It is real shame that this book is out of print and not available in ebook format. Sorry to see arthur died not to long ago, truely a book I will laugh about for the rest of my life.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever been to a race track, if you know anyone who likes to bet the horses, if you know anyone with a self-destructive passion, if you enjoy colorful characters, or if you like to root for the underdog to have just one good day, you will love this book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve seen the movie Let It Ride multiple times. It’s one of my favorite films. Richard Dreyfus and Terri Garr are pure magic. This book is not as good as the film. One man wrote this book that the movie is based on. Many creative hearts and minds worked on the movie and gave the story just what it needed. Read the book only if you want to know the full backstory. My advice is to watch the movie instead.

[Nate Hendrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my continuing effort to expose Evie to the great movies of my youth, we watched the Richard Dreyfuss movie, Let It Ride. I discovered it was based on a book, so I had to read the book. It was excellent and I added all the rest of his novels to my reading list.

[Lamoreaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasure to read: practically every sentence is a gem.

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I must say this book surprised me as it was better than I had thought it would be. And I am still a tad confused as how to classify it. I guess it's supposed to be humor? Its basically the story of a man named Trotter who likes to go to the track and bet money. He is a gambler. And this is the story of his one incredibly lucky day. And there are a few crazy events during that day at the track... Because otherwise he has always lost. Now he is winning. But what to do? Should he bet again to risk losing all the money or should he take the money to leave? Its a tough choice.

To be honest, I really don't know anything about gambling. I certainly don't understand why the various characters risk their money to maybe get nothing in return. I don't understand why they just cannot enjoy looking at the horses (which is what I would do if there was a track around here which of course there isn't so...) and see how incredibly fast they can run. But I know enough about horses to know that a 2-year-old can shatter their leg bone in a race. So it may be very exciting for the humans but it can be very bad for the horses.

A lot of the plot actually looks at the various ways people decide which horse to bet on. And Trotter does a few "studies" in here. Does a horse have the same name as your pet or maybe the building you live in? Or the name means something to you? Or you just like the number it was assigned? Anyway no matter what it is the book explores these crazy ideas.

It also looks at gambling. Why do people do it? How do you get them to stop?

I have never read a book from this side of the track before, and while a few things in here are clearly incorrect (horses cannot vomit) it was interesting.

I am amazed at how entertaining this was even though I could not relate to the gambling. And I think that is because of Trotter himself. He is certainly not your average boring character. He comes up with some crazy schemes. He is a tad wild. It certainly never was boring. That Trotter definitely was an oddball but he does have a decent heart.

This book was apparently also made into a movie.

I picked this book because the cover caught my attention. You better hope a horse never puts its hoof like that up against your head. If it does it probably means you are getting kicked. But yes the cover is supposed to show the horse is telling him secrets, secrets of who will win the race.

[TE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some people — and I’m dating myself here — might know this story best from the hilarious 1989 movie "Let It Ride," starring Richard Dreyfuss as the cynical, compulsive gambling addict Trotter, a cab driver who finds that, against all odds, he's “having a good day.” David Johansen plays his ne’er-do-well cabbie buddy, Looney; Teri Garr is Pam, Trotter’s long-suffering estranged wife; and a young Jennifer Tilly lights up the screen as Vicki, the girlfriend of a rich gambler Trotter meets at the Jockey Club.

While the film is a fairly faithful adaptation, the book is grittier and more grounded. You can practically smell the acrid cigarette smoke and stale beer wafting from its pages. Set in the '70s, the novel follows Trotter — broke, worn down, and half-resigned to a losing life — who overhears a tip on a sure thing at the track and decides to place one last bet. What unfolds is no ordinary day.

Cronley populates his story with a cast of wonderfully sordid, sharply drawn characters that keep the narrative lively and unpredictable. What I especially appreciated was the deeper character development in the book — something the movie glosses over in favor of a more cartoonish, madcap tone. Don’t get me wrong: the film is a riot. But the novel offers a richer, more textured glimpse into the gambling world and the mind of a man who just might be about to win… big.

As some other reviewers have noted, it's reminiscent of a Vonnegut novel, albeit without the sci-fi and farce, but it's equally cutting, acerbic and laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommended, as is the movie, which didn't do terribly well at the box office, but it's now become something of a cult classic for those in the know, like Office Space or Raising Arizona. Both highly recommended; enjoy!

[Coats07065 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! THIS was my Holy Grail. Until recently, I’d thought I’d never get a copy of this Out of Print book (which inspired one of my all time favorite movies, Let It Ride!). Be persistent, this became available through Print on Demand (thank you, Thrift Books and Ingram!). A literal adaptation, it was like replaying the movie in my head as I read. Filled with some of the most colorful, memorable characters I’ve ever met. I LOL’d a lot and now I have the urge to see the movie AGAIN (and I want to go to Monmouth Park next weekend!).

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took me maybe 4 hours total to read this one. It is the first book in about at least ten years that I have not bought on my own, but was gifted to me by a close friend with a purpose: to read about what happens to be one of the great movies of our time, “Let It Ride.” By the way, one of the few movies that transcends the book. In fact, it is so far better than the book that it is in another universe. The only reason this book did not get my one star rating is because it inspired such genius. Watch the movie, dont read this unless you are hardcore into racing and/or the movie itself.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slapstick delight.

[Joe Besserfan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Cronley's "Good Vibes" is probably the funniest book I've ever read. There are three or four good laughs on every page. It also clocks in at 233 pages. You can't beat that.

[Linda Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in horse racing, this one is for you. Trotter and his racetrack friends make for fun reading. The movie even uses dialogue directly from the book.

[Ty G. Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and fun read. A lot of great one liners and retorts.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOOD VIBES by Jay Cronley (1979) is a leisurely paced comedic novel, full of character sketches and digressions, that gets by on vibe rather than story as it follows a chronic gambler on a hot streak. It’s light and funny but Cronley’s attention to secondary characters gives it a deceptive depth.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story about a gambler involved with horse racing and yet is willing to give it all up to save his family!