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highly recommended |
Under the Sea, but Disney it ain't 
This time out, Moore's heros are down-at-the-heels academic researchers in Hawaii, tracking the lives of whales. One day a whale flips them a kind of whale-y bird - on his uplifted tail as he departs our team reads the words "BITE ME" on his tail.
The reason for this, it turns out, has to be read to be believed. I will only say that a good number of characters live in an underground alternative universe, are the joint progeny of humans and whales, and have prehensile....well you'll have to read it to find out just which body parts qualify.
Moore has a harder task before him in "Fluke" than he does when he parodies well-known genres of horror (Godzilla in "Lust Lizard" or vampires in "Bloodsucking Fiends"), but he does an excellent job skewering academia and as always he's vastly entertaining to read. A great antidote to whatever's making you feel solemn.
More good clean fun from Moore!
I'm a huge fan of Christopher Moore, but when I read the description of the book on the jacket (something about scientists studying whales), I have to admit I wasn't too interested. But my faith in Moore caused me to go ahead and take the plunge. I'm very glad I did.
This is his first real "science-fiction" book, with the science of whales and whale communication playing an important role. As near as I can tell, much of the opening third of the book contains lots of "true" information about the state of our knowledge of whales today. Later, when the book goes off on some truly bizarre tangents, the "fiction" is well thought out. It's insane, but well thought out!
We follow the adventures of a group of people with various interests in learning about whales, from serious scientists to hangers-on, to stoners just looking for easy work. The best thing about Moore's novels are the wacky characters, who manage to become sweet and endearing by the end of the book. His novels are crazily plotted, but characters always come to the fore. There are some funny romances and some minor characters that are just a lot of fun. It's the kind of book that you imagine getting a big-screen treatment as you're reading it...you just want to start casting it in your head. And Moore, to me, is one of the few writers who actually evokes laugh-out-loud moments. Just clever turns of a phrase or an unlikely methaphor that makes me laugh in admiration.
I hesitate to discuss the plot, because to give you a sketchy overview might turn you off, and to go into depth would reveal too many of the delightful treats in store. If you've read and enjoyed Moore before, by all means take a look. If you haven't read Christopher Moore and are in the mood for some wacky but touching fun...take a look. I think you'll be pleased.
Fluke
If you have ever lived on Maui, gone to UCSC, done any marine mammal research or enjoyed philosphical whimsey..........this book is for you! It is the first CM book I've read (picked it up in an airport) and I will read every other book he has written just to see if I can enjoy them as much as I did this one! A light read that is entertaining and amusing.
Another Enjoyable Read
I needed a light read a few months ago and read Moore's novel Lamb. It was great. It really was. The sense of humor was right up my alley (pretty off-the-wall and not too dark), and the story was surprisingly compelling (though I guess he was borrowing some good material for a lot of that plot). Anyway, I thought I'd give him another try this summer. Once again, Christopher Moore didn't fail me.
Fluke was an excellent read. There's that kooky, Douglas Adamsish sense of humor, and a pretty wacky plot. Renowned marine biologist Nate Quinn is about to figure out the meaning of the humpback whales' song, when it seems as if they are trying to communicate. One whale has shown in the area up with the words "Bite Me" painted on the fluke, and that same whale has made several phone calls to Quinn's sponsor. Something fishy's going on (sorry for that), and Nate and his crew set out to solve the mystery. Of course, doing that starts an even wackier set of events in which there are wild rescues, mysterious creatures, zany scientists, sex, and magic.
I liked these characters also. There are your standard, flat sidekicks that offer some nice comedic moments, and there are a couple of more fleshed-out characters that provide a nice emotional core to the novel.
Overall, Fluke was an excellent read. Moore once again finds a nice balance of comedy and sentiment, and I can't wait to read something else by him.
Where are the whales??? 
This was my second Moore experience and I really like his whimsy, but about halfway through the book the plot steered off course. The main character was literally lost at sea without a sextant. Gooville? Gimme a break! I really thought the story was going to be about talking whales! While Moore obviously cares about the survival of these beautiful creatures, he didn't let them tell their own story as I'd hoped.
reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, page 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
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