Release Date: April 22/2014
Acquired: Print ARC provided by publisher
Goodreads: ADD
Purchase: Amazon/Indigo/Book Depository
New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in this satiric Venetian gothic that brings back the Pocket of Dog Snogging, the eponymous hero of Fool, along with his sidekick, Drool, and pet monkey, Jeff.
Venice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy of Britain and France, and widower of the murdered Queen Cordelia: 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.
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Obvious fact #1: if Shakespeare read anything like this while I was in high school, I would have been a HELL of a lot more inclined to read it. Obvious fact #2: Christopher Moore is a bloody GENIUS (that goes without saying, but I'll say it a million times if I have to).It will be a GRAND feat to refrain from completely losing my hold on comprehensible words, so bare with me here. I ADORED Fool, every last witty, satirical, smart-mouthed word. I sat curled in highly uncomfortable positions, and laughed until I cried. I loathed, I loved, I pitied, and I sympathized. I had never READ King Lear, but still, nothing flew far over my head. Needless to say, when I found out that Moore was generously providing us simple, lowly, folk with a SEQUEL....a SEQUEL! I was finished. Done. I would have pretty much traded my left lung to get it. Good thing I sometimes have a little money...
The Serpent of Venice picks up on the trail of Fool, but with a completely different set of actors, and this time, within the well-loved worlds of Othello, the obvious, The Merchant of Venice, and a nice dash of Edgar Allen Poe. Now, again, I've only ever read Othello, and unfortunately, seen the modern, cool kid, movie adaptations of it. But I reiterate, nothing I read was so far beyond me. Because it's bloody Chris Moore-he could have wrote a story about the life and times of Jesus Christ, and I would enjoy the heck out of it. (Shameless plug: he DID, you know, write a story about Jesus. It's called Lamb, and you will be a become a better person for reading it, 100% sure). Anyways, point is, you don't NEED to know the source material for his books: it's pretty much impossible NOT to love them.
There's an actual review in here, I promise. Here is comes...The Serpent of Venice was another one knocked completely out of the park for Moore. It, unfortunately, cannot take the place of my beloved Sacre Bleu, but was on point with Moore's writing style, and his outrageously snarky dialogue. Pocket has found himself in Venice, sent there by his beloved Cordelia, with instructions to put an end to some shenannigans. Antonia, Brabantio, and Iago are the conspirators this time around, with Portia and Desdemona as the female leads. But there are twists (there's always a bloody twist), and Pocket seems to have been underestimated once again. With his signature gusto, and cunning ways, Pocket embarks on a new whirlwind of betrayal, war, treachery, and of course..much shagging.
Then there are these: a monkey, a sea dragon, and cheeky, cheeky Chorus.
Do I need to say anymore? I didn't think so....
Recommended for fans of: ANYTHING else by Christopher Moore, Mil Millington, Nick Horby, British humour, satirical fiction, comedic fiction, dark humor. (**This is most definitely not for those who are easily offended**).
Challenges: Goodreads 100 Book Goal
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Christopher Moore is the author of eleven novels, including the international bestsellers, Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck.
Chris was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in Mansfield, Ohio. His father was a highway patrolman and his mother sold major appliances at a department store. He attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. He moved to California when he was 19 years old and lived on the Central Coast until 2003, when he moved to Hawaii.
Before publishing his first novel, Practical Demonkeeping in 1992, he worked as a roofer, a grocery clerk, a hotel night auditor, and insurance broker, a waiter, a photographer, and a rock and roll DJ. Chris has drawn on all of these work experiences to create the characters in his books. When he’s not writing, Chris enjoys ocean kayaking, scuba diving, photography, and sumi-e ink painting. He divides his time between Hawaii and San Francisco.
Contact Links
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Thank-you to Trish from TLC Book Tours for hosting this tour, and to William Morrow for sending me a print ARC to review!
I haven't read anything by Moore yet, and yet all that I've heard about him makes me squee with delight. I'm so glad you loved the book! Thanks for being on the tour!
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