The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore (Book Review)

"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: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

To learn more about Christopher Moore, visit his site here.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (Book Review)

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

by Agatha Christie

286 pages

William Morrow, 2011

mystery

Finished in 7 days

Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

 

"Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th-17th September --a Thursday."

 

Review: As you all might be familiar with my process (I've done this twice before already: Mysterious Affair at Styles & Murder on the Links), I have seen the BBC production of this book starring the amazing David Suchet as Poirot. Let me begin by saying this filmed adaptation cannot compare to the book. I'm even more disappointed than I have been with the other books vs filming reviews!

I hardly know where to begin! Well, without giving away anything vital about the book I should mention it's narrated by the doctor. The film took a rather different approach to the telling of this AMAZING novel by having Poirot narrate from the journal of the doctor. At that point I knew this was not going to bode well at all. My nerves quickly shot through the roof when I discovered two intrigle characters from the book were taken out completely AND one was added to the film that took away from the mystery entirely.

Ah, the mystery...Truly a classic one like any other mystery. Man is killed, stabbed in the neck by a small dagger. The classic whodunit scenario where a house is full of guests, all of whom have motive and opportunity to kill the dead man (aka Roger Ackroyd) and all of whom have secrets they are trying to keep from the police, especially Hercule Poirot. But his little grey cells are working overtime on this case. No secret is hidden away from him.

Again, no spoilers here but I will say from the standpoint of the book it is important that the doctor is the narrator, also that he is such because he is taking the place of what Hastings used to be to Poirot before he left to live a normal life with a wife. Hastings was Watson to Poirot's Holmes. In the two novels I read earlier, Hastings is the narrator. For this novel especially that is an important part that should not have been tampered with.

I also didn't like the small role the sister of the doctor played, especially considering the actress who portrayed her. If you should ever find yourself watching this David Suchet episode (Series 7, Episode 1) it's Selina Cadell, more commonly known for her role in Doc Martin as Mrs. Tishell. Anyway, she deserved a larger role like in the book.

But that's all I'm going to say about the film that was a great disappointment. Let me, instead, talk about this murder mystery that was recently voted the best crime novel ever by the Crime Writer's Association (CWA). The best whodunit writer was also voted the best crime writer ever. 

I've said it before and I'll KEEP saying it, you've GOT to read an Agatha Christie novel!

 

Summary: This novel, written in 1927, is considered the best and most successful of the early mysteries. It met with no small outrage when it appeared, as it uses a plot device many readers thought "unfair." There is a full complement of characters populating the cozy English village of King's Abbot: Major Blunt, Colonel Carter, Miss Gannett, the butler, the housekeeper, the narrator, Dr. Sheppard, and his know-it-all sister (the precursor of Miss Marple, according to Christie), and, of course, the redoubtable Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells. There are clues with a capital C to mislead us, and the listener gets so involved with these red herrings (or not) that the very simple truth eludes the puzzler.

 

To learn more about Agatha Christie, visit her site here.

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (Book Review)

The Murder on the Links

by Agatha Christie

249 pages

William Morrow, 2011 (1923)

fiction / mystery

Finished in 2 days

Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | BN

"I believe that a well-known anecdote exists to the effect that a young writer, determined to make the commencement of his story forcible and original enough to catch and rivet the attention of the most blase of editors, penned the following sentence:

" 'Hell!' said the Duchess." "

Review: Immediately after finishing this book I watched the David Suchet BBC version. Let me start by saying that the televised version fell flat and short of the book, as I would expect. What harm would it have done to stay authentic to the characters, clues, and even the ending of the book? But let me move on...

This mystery is the second one Agatha Christie wrote about Hercule Poirot and his assistant Captain Hastings. Poirot is a Belgian detective who considers himself to be the best in the world. Well, in this case he meets his match with Giraud who considers HIMSELF to be the best. Instantly the competing begins between the two of them. All the while Hasings has fallen in love with a woman whose name he doesn't know and who just might turn out to be the killer. But he doesn't care. Like all the men in this case, he is willing to risk his life and career for the woman he loves.

This case involves a similar case that went somewhat unresolved 10 years earlier. But nothing gets past Hercule Poirot who keeps his "little grey cells" active at all times in order to solve the murder. I enjoy Agatha Christie's ease with which she is able to lay out the murder, the suspects and the clues all without giving it all away until she/Poirot are ready. 

As with the previous case I was totally fooled until the last 10 pages when all was finally explained sufficiently. That is something else I like, she leaves nothing unexplained or nothing to the readers imagination. Sometimes it's good to clean up any loose ends that may have become exposed during the course of a mystery.

There is little more I need say except you should read at least ONE Agatha Christie book in your lifetime if only to figure out why she is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare!

Summary: An urgent cry for help brings Hercule Poirot to France. But he arrives too late to save his client, whose brutally stabbed body now lies facedown in a shallow grave on a golf course.

But why is the dead man wearing an overcoat that is too big for him? And for whom was the impassioned love letter in the pocket? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse.…

To learn more about Agatha Christie, visit her site here.