"They waited at the dock, the three Venetians, for the fool to arrive."
Review: This book is a sequel to the ever popular Fool. I love all Christopher Moore books and in person he is just as funny as the characters he writes so well.
If you've read Fool you know that it's a very naughty twist on an old classic written by the famous bard himself, William Shakespeare.
Moore is able to take the classic language of Shakespeare and construct it in such a way that maintains the authenticity of the time and characters while seamlessly adding his own sense of brilliant destruction and hilarity. I still don't understand how he does it besides acknowledging his genius and his madness. For only a mad genius could come up with the countless tales he has spun for us (and specifically for me) his fans.
I've managed to meet Christopher Moore twice (briefly) by attending the book signings that have taken place here in New York City and now I have all 14 of his books signed by him!
This book weaves together not one, not two, but THREE Shakespeare plays! I leave it up to you to decipher which ones. Far be it for me to spoil that discovery for you! But trust me you'll want to read this book (and his first, Fool), as soon as you can! Be warned of the many foul words used as well as the scenes of a sexual nature. They are all necessary to the story and in good fun!
And, as I will always do when reviewing a Christopher Moore book, I urge you to read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, without delay! It is the book that introduced me to the insane mind and world of Moore's, of which I am forever grateful. Regardless of how you feel or what you believe about religion, keep an open mind and you won't be able to hold back the laughter to the point of tears! You'll thank me later... so now, be gone with ye, and read his many books! Aaarrr!
Synopsis: 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.
Note: The book, too, is a veritable work of art. Rich creamy stock is enhanced by two-color printing, featuring part/chapter titles, running heads, and folios printed in red ink. The text block has blue-stained edges. The book opens to reveal two-page spread endpapers decorated with a sepia-toned antique map of Venice; an antique map of Italy graces the book’s front matter, printed in red. The jacket sports a matte finish with embossed author and title type; gold foil embellishes the title and illustration detail.
The Serpent of Venice
by Christopher Moore
316 pages
William Morrow, 2014
humor / fiction
Read in 4 days
Rating: ★★★★★
To learn more about Christopher Moore, visit his site here.
