I actually watched the 1940's film years ago so I wasn't quite surprised at the finale. However, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it for the first half. Monty was a likeable person, the romance was nicely done, the casual observations alternated between wise and humorous. And then there was that unfortunate episode that was utterly unnecessary.

The language was wrong, the characterizations were dehumanizing and heavily focused on stereotypes that don't really exist in real life and it just ruined the flavor and it never quite recovered.

With some editing it could be much better. In fact even the 1940's film knew enough to take that out. Without it, it would have been a solid 4.5. But it realllllly dragged the quality down.

The whole thing reads like a fever dream, plus some casual racism. (UGH) I haven't seen the movie adaptation, but I think its a fun concept for a piece of fiction. Maybe I'll try to work it out on paper for myself (always adjusting for inflation, of course!)

3.5 stars but minus 2 for the casual cruelty.

Story:
I had no idea this was a book! My knowledge of it was limited entirely to the movie starring Richard Pryor. For those of you who have seen the movie, the basic plot is pretty much the same, however, pretty much everything else is pretty different. This probably comes as little surprise, if you know that the novel was published in 1902.

Brewster receives an inheritance of 1 million dollars and is, unsurprisingly, incredibly excited. Then, soon after, he learns that he is eligible for a second, much larger, inheritance, but only if, within one year, he can spend the prior inheritance. If he fails, he will not get the money, and will have to survive on what remains of the million. Of course, he tries to win big.

As you may have guessed based on the synopsis, or the film, this a is a light-hearted humorous book. I found most of it to be pretty funny, and really enjoyed the story. Of course, the funniest part is how difficult it was for Brewster to get rid of one million dollars. He should learn from today's celebrities, many of whom have managed to dispose of hundreds of millions. Rich people make me mad sometimes.

Performance:
I am now entirely certain that Pinchot is a very talented narrator. I've listened to three audiobooks that he's done, and in every single one he has sounded like a different person. Although I hated the first one I listened to, I've really enjoyed the others. Here, especially, he did a great job of fitting his voice and pacing to that of the character. His narration is blithe and conveys the humor of the situation.

This is quite an excellent audiobook, and just the right length for a decent road trip!