Review of 'Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
TV's John Hodgman lives in Brooklyn and sometimes he lives in Brooklin, and these are stories about his life in those places. He name-drops Brooklyn easily (who doesn't?) but does not ever specify Brooklin, Maine, because he respects the privacy of his neighbors, but he leaves enough clues, on purpose, with large fat arrows pointing at them, because I think he really wants you to do some light stalking.
John Hodgman is also quite obsessed with the notion of his impending death. In many of his stories he worries that the strangers he encounters are secretly plotting to kill him. He also begs the reader not to track down his home address in Maine, show up on his doorstep, and murder him. Well what did you think was going to happen, John Hodgman? Serial killers love riddles. I wish you didn't have to go ahead and do that, John Hodgman.