I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this, but I was pleasantly surprised and found it very readable! I was amused by the differences in the characters (esp their marital statuses) from the show. ( )

I listened to this novel that started MASH. It was a fun listen, and I mostly pictured the TV cast as I listened. There are differences between the novel and TV series. For example, "Hot Lips" was interested in a doctor but his name wasn't Frank Burns, although they seemed to have similar personalities. Klinger was not in it. Radar's role was minor. There was another doctor--Duke from Georgia--in the Swamp with Hawkeye and Trapper. It was hard to picture Father Mulcahey as "Diego Red" since the actor didn't have the red hair the book star had, but of course, when they called him Father Mulcahey, I had no troubles! It was fun. It reminded me while MASH is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, TV shows of all time. ( )

While no Pulitzer candidate, I enjoyed reading the story if for no other reason that comparing it with the film. As we get to know Hawkeye, Trapper, Col Blake and the rest, we get a sense of how well the film was made, including the casting. The other characters and situations that aren't in the film are welcome and I feel would have added more to the movie. Regardless, there's obviously parts where you laugh out loud so its a worthwhile read. ( )

I'm all over the place with this novel.

Being a fan of the movie, and a massive fan of the series, I wanted to go back to the source material. It's an interesting ride, but like I said, I'm a bit scattered. Let me see if I can untangle this knot...

First, yes, the known and loved are there. Hawkeye, Trapper, Col. Blake, Radar, Hot lips, Burns, Mulcahey, etc. And even some of those from the movie and the first few shows. Ugly John, Spearchucker Jones (and would we EVER have a name like that on television again?).

But wait...Hawkeye has brothers? In jail? And he's married with kids? Mulcahey is as warped as the rest of them? Trapper is the smarter and better of the surgeons than Hawkeye? Radar isn't so childlike and innocent?

And who the hell is this Duke guy that plays such a big role? And some of the other players? Okay, fair enough, this isn't the movie, this isn't the book. Let's enjoy the new friends.

And I did. I honestly did. I had a few laugh out loud moments throughout the book.

But something weird was going on in my head. It was in a constant struggle to reconcile the Alan Alda Hawkeye to the book Hawkeye, along with all the other characters. Likely a side effect of having seen the entire series at least three times, and the movie twice. So, through no fault of the novel, it was a bit of a schizophrenic experience.

Second, this isn't a novel. It's not a non-fiction account. Call it faction. Call it whatever the hell you want, but it's essentially a collection of anecdotes-as-chapters that all have the same recurring characters. Had Hooker been a better writer, some of the character introductions would have worked much better had he taken a few moments to just bring them in a chapter or two earlier so that, when they're needed, they're already known personalities.

So, the stories were fun, and often quite funny. The characters were...well, who they were. Blame the scriptwriters for changing them. The writing was, at best, workmanlike.

And still, I'm very glad I've read it. But god no, I will not read the other MASH Goes To... books. Hell no. ( )

When I was in grade school, my oldest sister worked the late shift at Pizza Hut to save money for college. Late at night, she would come home, turn the television on, and sit in the living room to count her tip money and unwind. I would sneak out of bed and join her, helping stack quarters and dimes and we would watch M*A*S*H together. We had to be quiet so mom and dad wouldn't know I was awake because I was not allowed to watch that show....it was on the "Too dirty for Julie to watch'' list. I was too little to get the sexual innuendo or most of the off-color jokes. I just thought Alan Alda and the rest of the cast were hilarious, and the situations were interesting. I never saw the original movie until I was an adult. It was in the credits of the movie that I found out the series was based on a book. I never thought about it.....never bothered to check if there was a source for the story idea behind the tv series. The minute I found out there was a book, it went on that list in my head. The "Wow, I'd really love to read that book!'' list.....the list I never actually get to, but always remind myself of when I see certain actors, authors, movies, tv series. Im sure most avid readers have a similar list. I started out the New Year with a plan to actually start reading books off that list! I'm going to take the time to read books that I want to read.....not just new releases and books that everyone else is reading.

I learned something new when I opened the old, yellowed paperback copy of M*A*S*H: A Novel about Three Army Doctors. MASH isn't just one book. It's a series of 14 books! Only the first one is set in Korea. The others are set in major American cities and several locations around the world. I'm almost embarrassed that I had no idea there were more books. Richard Hornberger and W.C. Heinz wrote the first book together under the name Richard Hooker. Hornberger was a former military surgeon and Heinz was a war correspondent in WWII. So they were writing what they knew, stating that characters in the book were loose amalgams of people they served with in the military. They spent 11 years writing the first novel. Hornberger wrote the second book, MASH Goes to Maine, to tell the story of what happened when the trio of doctors returned state-side following the end of the Korean conflict. The rest of the series was written after the television show gained popularity in the 70s. The later books were written by W.E. Butterworth, even though the pen-name Richard Hooker is also listed. I have read that the tone and realism of the later books is different from the first two novels. I can't verify that, as I haven't read them myself.....yet. The final book, MASH Mania, allegedly dumps the story lines created after book #2 and returns to the original characters, revisiting the three doctors in middle life. So, in my defense, I can see why I never heard about the other books. The movie and television series was based on book #1. Another television series, Trapper John M.D. was a spin off from the movie/first book, featuring Trapper John McIntyre later in life as a surgeon in San Francisco 28 years after his service in the 4077th MASH Unit. The show ran from 1979-1986. I never watched it. I was too busy watching Magnum PI and the A-Team to watch medical shows, I guess. :) MASH ran from 1972-1983 and is still one of my favorite shows.

Now....after all that wool gathering....I can finally talk about the book....ha ha.

MASH: The Tale of Three Army Doctors is about three talented, and irreverent, Army Surgeons serving in the Korean War. At times they spend days on duty, catching sleep here and there when they are too tired to stand anymore, working to save the lives of wounded soldiers. And when there are no wounded, they spend time playing poker in the dentist's tent, drinking martinis and breaking the rules. They get away with a lot because the M*A*S*H unit can't do without them, and they are dedicated, professional surgeons when it really counts. When a person has a job that is incredibly stressful and deals with death and illness on a daily basis, there has to be an outlet. Their outlet was to be outrageously over-the-top in their downtime. It makes for a wonderful book! I'm so glad I finally took the time to read it! The humor is dry and dark. The characters are dedicated to saving lives and doing their best to remain sane in a difficult situation.

I will read more of this series and see if I like the later books. If not, I can always skip to the final book in the series that returns to the original characters.
( )