Review THE SERPENT OF VENICE by CHRISTOPHER MOORE @TheAuthorGuy @WmMorrowBks

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2014

Venice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy from the Queen of Britain: the rascal-Fool Pocket.

This trio of cunning plotters—the merchant, Antonio; the senator, Montressor Brabantio; and the naval officer, Iago—have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising an evening of sprits and debauchery with a rare Amontillado sherry and Brabantio's beautiful daughter, Portia.

But their invitation is, of course, bogus. The wine is drugged. The girl isn't even in the city limits. Desperate to rid themselves once and for all of the man who has consistently foiled their grand quest for power and wealth, they have lured him to his death. (How can such a small man, be such a huge obstacle?). But this Fool is no fool . . . and he's got more than a few tricks (and hand gestures) up his sleeve.

Greed, revenge, deception, lust, and a giant (but lovable) sea monster combine to create another hilarious and bawdy tale from modern comic genius, Christopher Moore.

About the Author

Christopher Moore is the author of twelve previous novels: Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, Bloodsucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, A Dirty Job, You Suck, Fool, and Bite Me. He lives in San Francisco, California.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

(you may want to read this book using voices from Monty Python) 

This story is a retelling of Othello with  a mash up of The Merchant of Venice but with a mermaid /  sea serpent / um, dragon?  It includes Marco Polo, Desdemona and Portia,  and of course, Fool.  The Fool is sent to Venice by his lovely queen Cordelia to make the Italians stop the crusades which she thinks are stupid and costly.  While in Italy, his queen dies and he is left adrift, taken in a by a (surprise!) Merchant in Venice.  The intrigues of Venetian Court are well detailed in the story in true Shakespearean fashion with choruses and everything.  Of course, the Fool tells them to shut up more than once.  

Without ruining the Serpent angle, there are some delicate and indiscreet moments between the Fool and the Serpent, now named Vivian, because of course, you can be intimate with a sea serpent and not have be named.  Ok, I probably just ruined the Serpent angle for you.  Of course, the Venetians and Genoans are at war and Othello being the admiral he is, commands everything before him and helps Fool on his quest to rescue his protege Drool and Monkey, Jeff.  Don't ask why the Monkey is named Jeff.  As Fool schemes his way through the Italian isles, his one liners will have you laughing whole heartedly.  

This makes up for Fool.  OK, I was not a fan of that book.  I am a huge Christopher Moore fan, but Fool lost me completely.  I was probably in the minority on that one from the book signing I attended for Sacre Bleu ( pure genius) where everyone couldn't wait for this book.  I take it back.  I am going to try Fool again to see if it clicks.  This should really appeal to hardcore Shakespeare, mash up  and of course, Christopher Moore fans.

Disclosure  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  You can also support the blog by clicking on the ads at the top of the page.  

REVIEW: Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore @theauthorguy @WmMorrowBks

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

It is the color of the Virgin Mary's cloak, a dazzling pigment desired by artists, an exquisite hue infused with danger, adventure, and perhaps even the super natural. It is . . . Sacre' Bleu

In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he? Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers try to take his life . . . and then walk a mile to a doctor's house? Who was the crooked little "color man" Vincent claimed was stalking him? And why had Vincent recently become terrified of a certain shade of blue?

These questions confront baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard and bon vivant Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as they seek the truth of their friend's untimely death, a quest that will lead them on a surreal odyssey through late 19th-century Paris.

A delectable confection of intrigue, passion, and art history—with can-can girls, baguettes, and fine French cognac thrown in for good measure—Sacre' Bleu is another masterpiece from the one, the only, Christopher Moore.

Absolutely nothing is sacred to Christopher Moore. The phenomenally popular, New York Times bestselling satirist whom the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls, “Stephen King with a whoopee cushion and a double-espresso imagination” has already lampooned Shakespeare, San Francisco vampires, marine biologists, Death…even Jesus Christ and Santa Claus! Now, in his latest masterpiece, Sacre Bleu, the immortal Moore takes on the Great French Masters. A magnificent “Comedy d’Art” from the author of Lamb, Fool, and Bite Me, Moore’s Sacre Bleu is part mystery, part history (sort of), part love story, and wholly hilarious as it follows a young baker-painter as he joins the dapper Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed “suicide” of Vincent van Gogh.

About the Author
Christopher Moore is the author of twelve previous novels: Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, Bloodsucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, A Dirty Job, You Suck, Fool, and Bite Me. He lives in San Francisco, California.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

This is a sneaky little read, it crept up on me and before I knew it, I was in love!  Christopher Moore will take you on a warped tour of the history of the color blue, but like all Moore books, there is weirdness and twists until you get to that moment of epiphany and the whole curious tale becomes brilliant.  The story starts out with innocently enough with a baker / painter Lucien Lessard (don't bother googling him, he only exists in Moore's mind), wondering why his good friend and fellow painter Van Gogh shoots himself and then walks a mile to a doctor.  He conspires with Toulouse Lautrec to find out the truth behind his "suicide".  In his search for the truth, he makes some surprising discoveries behind the majority of painters that have had brilliant, yet strangely unsettling intersections all with the same colorman who supplies them all with blue paint.  Weaving through the history and the great names of the Paris art scene, the mystery behind the color blue unravels into what becomes the story of those mythical creatures known as muses. 

The characters in this book are so full of life and detail.  The colorman is one of those quirky characters that can only exist in a Moore book , especially with a name like "poop on a stick".   With the colorman's counterpart muse, known by several names, who longs to be free of the colorman, is still enslaved by the magical properties of the color blue.  This is a truly magical use of a metaphor and links the whole story from murder mystery to love story.  There are some wonderful inventive histories about painters explained as well like where did Van Gogh's ear end up, why so many painters dies of syphillis, and why so many artist abandon their work throughout the years.  It also takes you back in time to the earliest of cave paintings and will answer that other question of why there was never blue to be seen there.  See, now you will be googling cave paintings to see if that is correct.  

I know Moore's books have all been optioned for movies and this is one that I really hope makes it to the screen now with the success of Midnight in Paris.  This is the literary equivalent except that there are famous painters in the place of authors.  Moore is the only author I have first editions that I will keep forever since I first learned of him in San Francisco at the City Lights book store when my husband asked for something weird.  I really didn't get into him until I read Lamb and then I devoured everything he has ever written. I must admit that the only book of his I didn't *get* was Fool and now I may have to go back and reread that one. 

Details Hardcover: 416 pages Publisher: William Morrow (April 3, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 0061779741 ISBN-13: 978-0061779749

Waiting on Wednesday: Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

 It is the color of the cloak of the Virgin Mary, a dazzling pigment coveted by artists around the world and through the ages, an exquisite, richly hued blue infused with danger, adventure, sensuality, and perhaps, just a touch of the supernatural. It is...
                                                   
                                                 SACRÉ BLEU

In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh, went into a cornfield and shot himself.  Or did he? Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers attempt to take his life... and then walk a mile to a doctor’s house for help? Who was the crooked little “color man” Vincent had claimed was stalking him across France? And why had the painter recently become deathly afraid of a certain shade of the color blue?

These are just a few of the questions confronting Vincent’s friends — baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard and bon vivant Henri Toulouse-Lautrec — who vow to discover the truth behind van Gogh’s untimely death.

Their quest will lead them on a surreal odyssey and brothel-crawl deep into the art world of late 19th century Paris. Along the way, Lucien will learn that years earlier, his father’s friends Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, and Cezanne were all haunted by the same strange little Colorman... and always, eternally, a mysterious woman in blue.

Oh là là, quelle surprise, and zut alors! A delectable confection of intrigue, passion, and art history — with can-can girls, baguettes, and fine French cognac thrown in for good measure — Sacré Bleu is another masterpiece of wit and wonder from the one, the only, Christopher Moore.

About the Author

Christopher Moore is the author of twelve previous novels: Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, Bloodsucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, A Dirty Job, You Suck, Fool, and Bite Me. He lives in San Francisco, California.

 Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061779741
• ISBN-13: 978-0061779749