Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse by Lee Goldberg

[katekintailbc]

Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse
by Lee Goldberg

My love-hate relationship with Lee Goldberg has officially turned to a hate-hate one. Lee has spoken out about how he thinks fanfiction (fiction that fans write based on tv shows, which I write) is awful. I was MORE than willing to look past that in the light of more Monk stories now that the series is over. The problem is, this was horribly written.

It's got all the elements of Monk--the characters, the mystery, the obsessive compulsive detective, and the reveal--but the way those elements are presented is NOT Monk. For Monk to only drink a particular brand of water is one thing... for him to constantly name drop (Natalie KNOWS the brand by now; you've said it a gazillion times) is just plain annoying. It wasn't until I looked up Lee's bio and saw that he wrote the Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico episode that I realized that he was trying to bring details from an episode he wrote into the story so it seemed more true to form. The problem is, the Monk in that episode was under unusual stresses/situation and behaved differently. The Monk in this book was just out of character enough for it to totally stand out.

Speaking of out of character... much like the Hawaii-based Monk book that I read of his, this one is told from Natalie's point of view. However, I'm not sure who Lee thinks this Natalie is. His characterization of her is so painfully bad and full of the typical problems you see when men try to write women--obsessing about their breast sizes, for example. Most appalling is that she genuinely seems to dislike Monk. Um, no. She seems to hate her job and thinks Monk is a good detective but totally crazy. And Stotlemeyer and Disher back her up on that. It's one thing to write that, knowing how an actor will deliver the line (so the audience knows they still have affection and respect for the character they are insulting). But in a book, it just sounds like Natalie hates him. Which couldn't be further from the relationship Natalie and Monk have. She might get frustrated with him, but she doesn't insult him. Natalie is one of the nicest people in the world and would NEVER say the horrible things Lee has her thinking and saying. That's just unforgivable.

The mystery itself was loads better than the one in the Hawaii book, and it followed typical Monk style. However, it felt like the author was working too hard in bringing in elements to trigger Monk's OCD (like throwing him into a trash dump to sift through garbage). And there were plenty of details that actually went AGAINST Monk canon, which is absolutely inexcusable. For example, in this book, Monk is allergic to cats. In one early series episode (before Natalie even comes onto the scene) there is a whole plot line revolving around cats & cat hair. Monk isn't allergic in that episode but Randy is. In the book, Randy is fine, but Monk is allergic. And when aspects of the case rest on this fact, it is not only copying an existing mystery-solving element but also WRONG.

The differences between fanfiction and books based on shows are many (including receiving authorization and getting paid). But in fanfiction, it's perfectly okay to throw canon out the window and make Monk allergic to cats and Randy fine with them. In a novel based on a show, however, you can make up facts but you CANNOT totally change established facts so that they suit you. That's just sloppy, lazy, and unfaithful.

I enjoyed the mystery, and kept reading to find out whodunit and how. But that's where the enjoyment stopped. With absolutely CRUCIAL things like characters and canon elements so wrongly done, even this die-hard Monk fan couldn't get on board with this book.

I have the next Monk book on Mount To Be Read. I think I'll take it off and give it away instead. I can't stand to read anything else that does such a poor job with a show I love.

Comments

Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse

[ianludlow.livejournal.com]

I'm disappointed that you didn't enjoy MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE or MR. MONK GOES TO HAWAII. And although you may think the characters are off-base or that the story veers "off-canon," the creator of the show, Andy Breckman, does not. He reads and approves every story, and every manuscript, that I write. In fact, he liked MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE so much that he asked me to adapt it into an episode of MONK...it became the show "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing." The fans seems to disagree with you, as each MONK book does better than the one before. The tenth book in the series, MR. MONK IS CLEANED OUT, comes out in hardcover in two weeks. Perhaps you will like that one better.

Lee

Re: Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse

[katekintailbc.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's comforting that so many people do enjoy your books and good to know Breckman approved of them. I still don't find the novels feel anything like the show and still think the characters are wildly OOC. Everyone has different opinions, tastes, and things they look for in books; clearly the things I like are not what your books focus on, and that's fine. The literary world would be pretty darn boring place if all books were the same, wouldn't it?

And though it's not my favorite episode, I did definitely like "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing" though the elements of that episode I liked most are nowhere in Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse and things I disliked in the book are not in the final version of that script. The television show will always have a special place in my heart because my grandfather watched the first episode with us while visiting and it was something my whole extended family could bond over & talk about. On the day after my grandfather died the episode where Natalie's character debuted aired and my family all over the country watched the episode at the same time, in my grandpa's honor.

But after two not enjoyable experiences with the Monk books, I am sure I will not try another any time soon. Happy writing, and I wish you much success.

Re: Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse

[ianludlow.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that MONK holds such a special in your heart...and with your family. I will be sure to share your story with Andy next time we speak. I know it will mean a lot to him.

Lee