Book #7 Week #7, Fool by Christopher Moore

This weeks book is Fool by Christopher Moore. This book is about Pocket and his sidekick the dimwitted Drool. Pocket is a jester in King Lear's court. He is more than just any old jester really as the King kept him on because he is the only one that can make the young Princess Cordelia smile.

You know a book is going to be good when it comes with a warning! Here is the warning from Fool:

“WARNING
This is a bawdy tale. Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity, as well as non-traditional grammar, split infinitives, and the odd wank. If that sort of thing bothers you, then gentle reader pass by, for we endeavor only to entertain, not to offend. That said, if that’s the sort of thing you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon the perfect story!”

That pretty much sums it up. I found this book to be hilarious and it follows the story of King Lear pretty well: The aging King asks his three daughters to tell him how much they love him, the youngest Cordelia says she has no words to explain her love so the King disowns her and splits up the kingdom between the other two daughters. Not long after he realizes this is a mistake and starts going crazy, the eldest daughters fight amongst themselves always wanting more. Shakespeare is known for writing tragedies and King Lear is no exception but not in Christopher Moore's version, at least the end anyway, Fool manages to have a happy ending not one in which everyone dies!

I really liked Fool but I really like Christopher Moore. I know he is not everyone's cup of tea but give it a shot sometime!

Book #3 Week #3, Fluke by Christopher Moore

I was really hoping to wrap up week 3 by closing out the Millennium series nonetheless life got in the way and derailed my plans. No one seemed to have a copy to loan me, the hardcover is expensive and the paperback doesn't come out until next month, and my library has been out of all eight copies for weeks (I have them transferring me a copy, hopefully it will be in this week)!

While at the library I picked up Fluke Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by one of my favorite authors Christopher Moore. Our journey begins with Nate Quinn, a marine behavioral biologist who has spent the last 25 years trying to answer one burning question: Why do the humpback whales sing?

As Nate gets closer to solving this riddle strange things start happening. Out on the boat one day with his new saucy, young research assistant Amy, Nate sees the words Bite Me spelled out across the tail of a humpback they have been studying.  At first Nate thinks he is hallucinating, maybe going crazy but when the picture that will clear up his doubts on what he saw goes missing from the freshly developed roll of film and his lab gets trashed he knows something is not right.

Nate and Amy are joined by Clay, Nate's long time photographer, Clay's assertive girlfriend Claire and the crew's new lackey Kona, a New Jersey born dread locked wannabe native Hawaiian/Rastafarian surfing pot head. There are fingers to be pointed in every direction. Could it be the other researchers occupying Maui behind all this madness? Or how about the tourist industry? Or even the military? And just when you think things couldn't get any stranger there is the crazy old lady who lives on top of the hill. She is Nate and Clay's primary contributor and while they have always know she is a bit nuts they never expected to learn she has been receiving phone calls from the whales. Well one whale in particular who has a thing for pastrami sandwiches.

One thing I really loved about this book is you absolutely cannot predict what is going to happen next and why someone does not want Nate to answer this seemingly innocent question. I have to say I love Christopher Moore, he has the ability to write about the most absurd topics and instead of making you want to throw the book away, you find yourself laughing and engrossed in the story. So if you are looking for a farfetched, good time I really recommend Fluke or just about anything else by Christopher Moore!