Any TC Boyle fans here?

22 years ago I read "Water Music." It was a completely random purchase as a last minute birthday gift for my father, I bought it purely on the strength of a review quote from Salman Rushdie on the cover: "Gulp it down, it beats getting drunk." Sounds like my dad's kind of book I thought, and I was right - he brought it over to my place a few days later, said it was one of the best books he'd ever read and urged me to read it. I did, and a few days later it was one of the best books I'd ever read too. 
 
Water Music is the story of a Scottish explorer, Mungo Park, and his ill fated attempt to discover the source of the Niger in Africa. It's actually two separate stories which converge toward the end. Every page is like a rich slice of chocolate cake, packed full of flavor and color and vivid characterization and culture. It's the kind of book which makes you wonder just how much life experience the author must have had to be able to write like that, although I think he was in his early 30's when he wrote it. It's hysterically funny as well. 
 
Anyway I saw it in The Strand bookstore yesterday and bought it figuring what the hell, it's been over 20 years. I'm only 10 pages in and already it's one of my favorite books of all time again. His command of the English language is truly amazing. Anyway if you're looking for a ripping good yarn you can't go wrong with Water Music (if you can find it).