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The Franchise Babe: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Dan Jenkins
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.47
You Save: $12.48 (50%)
New (28) Used (12) from $12.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 8255
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6 x 0.9
ISBN: 0385519109
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385519106
ASIN: 0385519109
Publication Date: June 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The legendary Dan Jenkins returns with another bawdy, over-the-top novel of hijinks on the links – this time, the LPGA gets the treatment
Jack Brannon, a golf writer in his forties who has been bunkered more than once in the marriage game, covers the sport for the big-time magazine SM. Lately he’s been bored out of his mind writing about the PGA Tour, which he says has become “Tiger and a bunch of slugs playing pushover courses.” So he decides to check out what he calls “the Lolitas,” a new breed of young chicks on the LPGA Tour. Jack chooses as a magazine subject Ginger Clayton, a fiery eighteen-year old with flowing blond locks, legs up to here, and a personality that combines mischief with confidence. With her killer looks and killer game, Ginger looks very much like the kind of star who can take the LPGA to the next level of excitement and acceptance. She is, indeed, The Franchise Babe, and everyone seems to want a part of her.
Jack’s interest in Ginger’s career might have something to do with her mother, Thurlene Clayton, a knockout herself who looks plenty okay in a jacked-up mini-to use Jack’s description of her outfit. As Ginger shows her grit on the ladies’ tour, the greedy hordes looking to benefit from the kid’s talent and personality aren’t the ones who worry Thurlene-and Jack-the most. Someone is trying to knock Ginger out of the competition-permanently.
Jenkins captures the growing buzz around the Franchise Babe and all the insane and hilarious things that happen when the sports world anoints someone new to the throne of super-stardom. Along the way, Jenkins issues bawdy, dead-on takedowns of selfish sports moms, gasbag corporate sponsors, adventurous promoters, sleazy sports agents, point-missing magazine editors, and all the other modern annoyances that make life hard for a guy who, as they say in Texas, is just tryin' to get by without gettin' hurt.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Jenkins in Funny Form Again August 23, 2008
When one reads a book by Dan Jenkins, one does not look for any comparison to Dostoyevsky or Cervantes - one looks for sheer entertainment and hilarity.
This book didn't disappoint me - Jenkins' Jack Brannon is a solid character with a notebook full of funny lines to use in any situation and his coverage of the women's pro golf tour gives him a chance to haul them all out. Sports action, a mild love story, some protest marchers, some outrageous rich people... what more could you ask for in a Jenkins skewering?
Is this book politically incorrect? Come on, it's Dan Jenkins! Might some readers be offended by it? Only if they have zero sense of humor.
Simply, I laughed aloud a few times and continue to think Jenkins is a comic (and golf writing) treasure. I found it far better than some of his recent novels, but this pales in comparison to his wonderful "Baja Oklahoma" and terrific non-fiction "Dogged Victims of Inexorable Fate."
 Easy and Enjoyable Read August 6, 2008
This is the third Dan Jenkins novel I have read. It wasn't quite as funny as Dead Solid Perfect and didn't have as much golf action as Slim and None. Still, it was easy to read and I enjoyed it. As with all Jenkins' books, the language is colorful.
 Disappointing July 30, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
As an old Dan Jenkins fan, I found this one disappointing. His protanganist, a witty, sophisticated golf writer keeps lapsing into moronic red neck political commentary that is totally out of character for him. He includes a scene of a group of leftie's picketing against the FRENCH, as if that were some kind of liberal cause as opposed to a Bill O'Reilly obsession.
Aside from playing out his fantasies of animal magetism with the sexiest woman in sight, an understandable indulgence for an aging writer, a good bit of the plotting is predictable and boring.
Sorry to see such a weak effort from the old pro.
THE FRANCHISE BABE- DAN JENKINS REVIEW July 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Franchise Babe: A Novel
I feel most qualified to be reviewing the latest novel by Dan Jenkins: the Franchise Babe. I became hooked on Mr. Jenkins pants-wettingly funny prose back in 1980 when my Daddy passed on his copy of BAJA OKLAHOMA to me. Since then, I have read every new piece of fiction Jenkins has produced, as well as most of his older novels.
Let me start by saying that Baja Oklahoma is the funniest book EVER WRITTEN- bar none, by Jenkins or anyone. That said, The Franchise Babe is a C+ work of fiction. I give it a B- for funniness.
We have met characters like these before in Jenkins fiction.. This tome is pretty much identical in form to other novels in which an over the hill pro athlete and or writer, thrice divorced, finds true love and happiness with a give slack dirty leg in 217 pages. (If you don't know what a give slack dirty leg is, you don't know your Jenkins-isms).
If a really funny golf novel, served up with some golf history, is what you are looking for, skip this and instead read Dan Jenkins THE MONEY- WHIPPED STEER-JOB THREE-JACK GIVE UP ARTIST.
If you are looking for Jenkins' best work ever, read BAJA OKLAHOMA.
lost a little off the fastball July 5, 2008
Dan Jenkins is the funniest writer I've ever read, as well as being an insightful commentator on the foibles of our sports obsessed culture. He continually draws characters that we either know or know about if we are fans. Almost every Jenkins book contains at least one passage where I have to stop because I'm laughing so hard I'm crying and my side is splitting open and, oh by the way I have to read it out loud to someone in earshot. This has gotten me into trouble on occasion because Jenkins will never be accused of being politically correct.
Which leads us to The Franchise Babe. It is a pleasant read, the jokes are funny but not side splittng. Its thee story of a golf writer who has had his fill of Tiger destroing the mediocrities. He decides to cover the ladiestour, in particular the lovely Ginger Clayton. Of course he hooks up with mom. The social commentary is still dead on. This is an enjoyable read, and written by anyone else would be considered really good work. However in comparison to Jenkins best work this one doesn't hold up.
I'd still recommend buying it because its better than most of the drivel being printed
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