It wasn't until I was about three-quarters of the way finished with Swamplandia! that I was even sure I'd like it as a book, which I suppose speaks for the quality of its writing. If I can make it that far into a book that I'm not sure of, then the prose itself must be pretty engaging.

Near the end, and definitely when I finished the book, I became quite sure that I liked Swamplandia!, despite the events within that, in any normal circumstance, might leave a bad taste in my mouth that's almost impossible to wash out.

The story revolves around the Bigtree family, proprietors of a sort-of theme park in Florida where they wrestle (or is it wrastle?) alligators to the amusement of thousands every week. When the matriarch of the family passes away after a disturbing bout with cancer, the entire production is thrown into the type of melancholy chaos that can only happen within a family. The rest of the tale sees the men of the family trying to save Swamplandia! while the young girls deal with their own struggles in dealing with the loss of someone so central to their lives. It's told with humor, with sadness, and with enough metaphors and similes to fill several Floridas.

My only disclaimer when recommending a book like Swamplandia! is to enter it without a single expectation. Read it for what it is, and if you can, try to immerse yourself in the story. You may come out changed, and it might not even be a good change, but sometimes that's the price we pay for good literature.