Lunatics proves to be a riot

Some books span 900 pages, involve vocabulary that only rocket scientists would use and read like more convoluted versions of War and Peace.

Then there are books like Lunatics.

The new novel from comedians Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel is a work that flaunts an incredibly brisk pace, hitting you with jokes page after page,  without room to take a breath.

In fact, Lunatics is so fast-paced that each chapter barely takes up four pages, and this relentless torrent of action keeps you on the edge of your seat like a thriller — but with all the triviality of a comedy.

Lunatics centers around two men living in Northern New Jersey, one Philip Horkman and one Jeffrey Peckerman. Philip, who owns a pet store called “The Wine Shop,” ends up getting into a massive fight with Jeffrey, a “forensic plumber,” over a kids-league soccer game that Philip refereed.

Though it might sound like a piece of unnecessary drivel, true hilarity ensues when their fight escalates to epic proportions.

After an unfortunate situation involving a lemur from Philip’s store, the two men get mistaken for terrorists: Cue hackneyed bonding moments as the two attempt to clear their name while running from the cops.

The novel takes some time to get invested in, as the protagonists are not exactly likable. Philip, supposedly the “nice one,” can come off as weak and annoying, while the rude antics of Jeffrey make you wonder why, in this case, murder is illegal.

As time goes on, however, the grating behavior of the two somehow grows on the reader, and Philip and Jeffrey transform from annoying strangers into the two weird uncles everyone laughs at during the holidays.

Lunatics is told in the first person, with Jeffrey and Philip’s perspectives alternating between chapters — a clever move, as the reader gets to hear both sides of the story without getting sick of either character. Right when you feel yourself getting angry with one of Jeffrey’s racist comments, for instance, the book’s narrative conveniently flips to Philip.

With any other writers, Lunatics would be, well, a little loony. But in the hands of Barry, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and Zweibel, a Saturday Night Live veteran, readers will find themselves genuinely enjoying the crazy ride of two schmucks from the Garden State.

The jokes are so matter-of-fact that confusion seems impossible. The writing is clear, allowing for even the most elementary readers to follow along. And though it is difficult in some novels to know how a piece of dialogue is supposed to be delivered, the intended meanings come across clearly in Lunatics.

After all, when a line is written as “PUT DOWN THAT LEMUR!!” one shouldn’t have a problem understanding the anger of the character.

For better or for worse, the two protagonists are two of the most immature fictional characters to grace literature’s presence in quite some time. Jeffrey holds a grudge against Philip for disqualifying his daughter’s soccer shot. Philip drives by Jeffrey’s house to try and steal back his lemur. There’s even a car chase on the George Washington Bridge.

For some, the immaturity of these two middle-aged men will be exhausting. For others, it will be refreshing. Then again, many middle-aged men are not as dapper and civilized as George Clooney.

Perhaps that is the point Barry and Zweibel are attempting to make with Lunatics: No one ever truly grows up. If that’s the case, the authors succeed here.

Though the novel features realistic portrayals of people, Lunatics is not for everyone. Along with the immaturity of the characters, the humor can be juvenile — the work reeks of the slapstick comedy Saturday Night Live used to be known for.

Lunatics manages to harken back to a different period of comedy, where “funny” could be genuinely lowbrow without risk of condemnation. The book is a classic tale of mistaken identities and silly travels and features an ending that seems wildly ridiculous yet somehow perfect for the characters.

Though Lunatics might not be the most sophisticated of novels, it certainly does entertain — and though the journey might be insane, the destination is a satisfying result.