Christopher Moore discussion
What is Moore's worst book?
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I agree. I think Coyote Blue is his weakest book. Then Island of the Sequined Love Nun. To me, they just seemed the weakest.
I loved both 'Coyote Blue' & 'The Island of the Sequined Love Nun'. Best writing maybe not, but in terms of sheer enjoyment both of those were 10+ to me.On the worse, I'd have to go with 'Fluke'. It just didn't pull me in like the others.
My favorite is still 'Practical Demonkeeping'. I loved being introduced to those characters & then having them pop up in later books.
btw ... i've read most of his books in the order he wrote them so that might color my memory a little. Coyote Blue was among the earliest. Not positive if it was his first. But if that is also his 'worse', it shows he's growing as a writer. That's something to applaud.
Every one of Moore's books entertained me - and there are so many writers who never manage that. Does his writing, change, grow, improve? YES! Does that make the earlier work worse? NO!!!!!
You are right, Cindy. Every Moore book is entertaining. He doesn't have one bad one. I have yet to read A Dirty Job and Fluke. So they may end up being his weakest. But man, I loved Lamb and I just finished Fool and thought that was just about as funny as Lamb.
I completely agree with Cindy, all of his books were definitley entertaining, but there are some that didn't leave you the same as others. Like, Lamb for one, his portrayal of Jesus or Joshua, whatever, was fantastic! And all the detail he went in to, not to mention what he wrote afterwards in the book to explain where he got all the info from was a great bonus. Sorry to sound like a fan boy, I just really enjoy his work. Cheers!
You can't go write with a great writer who started with the concept: "What if Jesus knew kung-fu". haha.I loved Lamp too. Strangely enough it made me want to read some of the non-canon books that were not included in the Bible. That story of Jesus killing a bird just so he could resurrect it was wild.
yes. Fool was funny and different. i hope he writes more like that one set in old times.
I'm happy to say I've never read a Moore book I didn't enjoy.
The Island of the Sequined Love Nun! I loved that one!! My most unfave...uh...scratching head...mmm???? I'll get back to you on that.
The Island of the Sequined Love Nun, was one of the most annoying book I've ever read. The Stupidest Angel is a close second, and of all the great books written by Moore, it's the first getting the movie treatment. Go figure.
The Stupidest Angel is my most absolute fave! We're two ends of the Christopher Moore spectrum.
Indeed we are, and, it seems that you are on the winning side with that movie in the works. The best thing I can say about The Stupidest Angel, it was not as irritating and infuriating as The Island of Sequined Loved Nun.
I didn't care for Fool. I usually don't mind a little vulgarity, but Fool is the only one I've read where I felt like there was smut for smut's sake.
Luaba wrote: "The Island of the Sequined Love Nun, was one of the most annoying book I've ever read. The Stupidest Angel is a close second, and of all the great books written by Moore, it's the first getting the..."Foxthyme wrote: "The Island of the Sequined Love Nun! I loved that one!! My most unfave...uh...scratching head...mmm???? I'll get back to you on that."
The Stupidest Angel is going to be a movie = Hurrah. What great news. I really need a new off kilter Christmas movie. There's Harold and Kumar's Christmas there's Santa's Slay, and there's Hogfather's Eve but we need even more to keep Christmas merry and weird.
Foxthyme is so going to enjoy that movie.
I'd hold off on the excitement over the movie until it actually starts filming. It isn't a good sign the way its been stuck in pre-production mode for so long.
Apparently they want Taylor Labine to play Theo.... I never pictured Theo looking like him. My two cents...
Can't say I would be sad if the project gets canceled.
Jason wrote: "Apparently they want Taylor Labine to play Theo.... I never pictured Theo looking like him. My two cents..."That's ok. I recall Christopher Moore doesn't see Taylor Labine as Theo either. Neither do I.
Nay nay on the cancelay! Labine has a nice smile...
I don't often find movies do justice to the book. So it's a wait and see. It'll be interesting to see how the director translates the book to screen.
I agree all are awesome! However, I can't seem to finish love nun.. I do love me some Kimi though.
I would have to go with Fluke. As much as I love Christopher Moore and ALL of his books, I had a rough time getting through Fluke. A Stupidest Angel movie would be fantastic!!!!! That is probably my favourite of his books. :) I just hope it goes through!
I'm a huge Lamb and Fluke fan. And yet, The Stupidest Angel was probably my least favorite. Funny how Fluke and The Stupidest Angel keep coming up on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Just finished Lamb, and I really liked it. I did not find it as funny as Dirty Job for example. Christopher Moore told me that Lamb is being taught at seminary schools, including Harvard Divinity, which gives me hope. My opinion...I felt more in touch with Joshua in this fiction than in the Bible.
Deale wrote: "Just finished Lamb, and I really liked it. I did not find it as funny as Dirty Job for example. Christopher Moore told me that Lamb is being taught at seminary schools, including Harvard Divinity,..."I couldn't agree more with your opinion...
Thanks Jason...(are you a painter? noticed your profile picture...I'm an artist and live across the Lake from you).
Nope, not a painter although I've sketched quite a bit. My profile pic is a picture of The Joker (from Batman)by Lee Bermejo, if you're interested.
thanks for the info. I should have recognized that one. LOVE the batman. lol
Hey all,Just wanted to chip in to the thread. I guess 99.99 % of Scandinavia's population couldn't say what Moore book is the worst one -simply because his work is nowhere to be found here sadly. It was due to pure and utter, excuse the lame pun, fluke that I wondered in to a pretty dreary looking Barnes & Nobles in Redwood City and spent 2 hours scavaging for something funny to read(wanted something along the lines of a PG Wodehouse novel, tall order I know). Well, after a reading the first chapter of Coyote Blue I was smitten. Great book as an intro to Moore's slanted universe. Sooo, anyho, what do you all think about the pace and drive in Sacré Bleu? It's the first time that I haven't engulfed one of his books in a matter of a few days... It's good in comparison to a lot of other fantastical novels but I guess it's a potential candidate for his least good book(wouldn't want to use the word "worse" when on the Moore subject). What are your thoughts?
/Fritte
Hi Fritzter...Loved Sacre Bleu...it was the first of his I'd read But, I am an artist, and so really liked it, The mix of real characters and magical? was great. Also, he got his art history right.
Hi Deale,Agreed -Moore's right on the money with art's "who dunnit" and it's good enough but not better than the others. So what will your next Moore book be?
Well, I read Dirty Job and Lamb.....I am thinking Blood Sucking or Practical Demonkeeping.....I am on a light mystery kick now. Too many books !!! Going to read JK Rowlings book too. Have you read Carl Hiaasen? He is very funny too.
Oh my god, Deale, I think we're on the same book-wave-length!!!!I'm currently reading all the Harry Potters, and Carl Hiaasen is another favorite of mine. Weird. Coincidence i guess. Anyway, Fritzter and Deale I completely agree with you guys, Sacre Bleu was a different change of pace for Moore. I love the combination between the art history and the goofyness that we all know that is Christopher Moore. I have read all of Moore's works, and now I'm going to try listening to Lamb on audio book, with the narrator Fisher Stevens. Apparently he's the bees knees in audio books.
I just had a thought, now please tell me if I'm way off here, what if Moore tried a Agatha Christiesque type story? Maybe a little "And then there were none"? Thoughts?
LOL Jason, I think we are!! Harry Potter (read all of them at least 3x, seriously, and watch the movies regularly). I am going to try and read all Moore's books. Have you read Carlos Ruis Zafon?? Not funny but excellent. Just exceptional.I think your idea about an Agathaesque novel would be great. You know he answers emails?? Present the idea to him.
@Deale: Hey my first GR friend : )Practical Demonkeeping's a great book and yes, I've had the pleasure of reading a Hiaasen novel namely Star Island.
I'm curious about Zafon -is there a particular book one should start with?
@Jason: Genius! Agatha Moore.. or Chris Christie? The latter would be really catchy should Mr Moore want a pseudonym following your idea and leave his comfort zone, if he has one that is : ).
@Both of you: Have you read the Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson? He's extremely funny as he investigates and visits people that might check all the boxes for being psychopaths. It's a must read -and then you can move onto "Them -adventures with extremists". Pure genius!
Lol, I know that message was a little wacky, sorry guys. Anyway, I haven't read any Zafon, but I'm looking up some of his stuff up. Thanks. I'm glad you both like the Agatha idea, I mean I know it's simple but I think Moore could work his magic, maybe even use some reoccurring characters from his past books? Who knows? I have always wanted to email him, I think I will, good call Deale.@Fritzter: I like the two pseudonyms you mentioned, although I think Agatha Moore takes the cake. It almost sounds crime novely. Haven't read anything by Jon Ronson, but there is always time to start, Thanks!
Hey guys! re. Zafon, I would start with Shadow of the Wind. It is the first in the series. It is weird, Gothic Spanish style. Very odd and wonderful.
Can't wait to try the Psychopath Test. Right now reading a Wallander. Been on a crime fiction kick lately. Don't know why...I'm not plotting anything.
I like Agatha Moore best.
@Jason....no need to apologize for being wacky. I mean, really. LOL We're reading Christopher Moore...that makes us wacky.
Hey!Just realized that I have read Shadow of the Wind -I'm really really bad with remembering names!
Loved it -one of those books that paint the milieu in such detail that you're actually "there". And what a setting it is.
So Deale you're reading a Swedish crime novel that's set where I grew up -how do you like it so far? They made it into a tv-series. The UK version stars Kenneth Branagh...
@ Fritzer if you've read Shadow of the Wind, you need to read the next two. Angel's Game, which I just loved !!! Amazing story that makes me want to visit Spain. Zafon just published Prisoner of Heaven (short but wonderful) and will end the series with another (he's writing it now).I have seen the series Wallander and love it. I think Branagh is good in it? What do you think? This is my first Wallander read, and I am really enjoying it. So, this is where you grew up? That must make it more interesting. The area sounds like Minnesota, where I grew up.
Of course I've read Dragon Tattoo series...hasn't everyone?)
@Deale: I'll definitely get Angel's Game, Prisoner of Heaven & await the new one he's writing! Had no idea that there were sequels -sweet!Wow, I'm really happy that this digital book clubbing has taken off. So many good tips already.
The filmed Wallander is a bit strange since they were originally filmed in Swedish, then the Germans made it into a co-produced project(mixing everything up 50% Swedish/50% German) and now when Brannagh's in there it's "Swenglish"... so it's quite distracting. I've never gotten into it really but I have loads of fellow filmmaker friends that have been kept on a steady pay check thanks to the production boom in Southern Sweden -so that's really positive.
I prefer the Swedish version of The Millennium Trilogy -Fincher's over worked title sequence is symptomatic in it's "hit and miss" to the story. Although I think that Craig did a better portrait of Blomquist than the Swede did!
@Fritzer...I see that you added the Angel's Game and Prisoner to your list. I think you'll like them (well, I hope...made high recommendations on Edgar Sawtelle and my friends were not as enthused as I) Oh well, perhaps they have poor taste. LOL 50-50? German and Swedish? Well, in my case that would be difficult, since I don't speak either let alone the combination. Says a lot about my language abilities. Of course, here it is in English totally. I am glad people got paychecks out of it. Sometimes that is the only good thing. Americans do not often watch or read international literature. I try to remedy that for me.
I liked the Swedish film version better too. I did not see the Craig version. I do not like them changing the story. Oh, and there are more than a few people who think Larsson was murdered.
Next I am trying Rowlings A Casual Vacancy.
The latest, Sacre Bleu, sadly. The only one I didn't finish. Hoping the next one kills as usual !
I'll go with Bite Me. I didn't like You Suck that much either but Bite me was a little worse.
Love them all, but probably have to go with Fluke as the weakest....
I have absolutely enjoyed everyone I've read, and I find myself on the opposing side of most of the reviewers, I loved Fluke, really liked Sacre Bleu, and found Lamb to be just so-so in regards to the rest of his canon. I'm currently reading The Serpent of Venice and have on more than one occasion laughed out loud while reading it. If I remember correctly Bloodsucking Fiends was my introduction to Moore, and I was hooked from then on.
i will start.
Coyote Blue. Despite some laugh out loud characters and sub plots, it lacked the punch and tightness of story.
what do you think is the author's B-LIST of work?