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Subtitle: A Comedy d'Art
Author: Christopher Moore
Pages: 403
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Collins)
Pub. Date: April 3, 2012
My husband, Jason, has long been a fan of Christopher Moore's work, so I was excited for him when I saw there was a new book coming out. He agreed to review the book for me in exchange for me obtaining a copy. I figured this would doubly be of interest to him because it revolves around an art history theme which he is into. Here's his review:
Christopher Moore’s latest novel Sacre Bleu takes you back
to the Impressionist movement focusing on the small French town of Montemarte. The
book starts off with a bang, literally, as the suicide of Vincent Van Goh takes
place. We then quickly jump into the mischievous acts of his peers Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
and Lucien Lessard as they mourn their peer and delve into his mysterious
death.
What I liked about the book:
Moore being Moore
- Disclaimer: I’ve read several Christopher Moore books and I enjoy his sense
of humor so with that being said Moore crafts great witty banter amongst his
cast and makes for several laugh out loud moments. I feel like it is his
trademark how he puts this dialogue in for laughs as well as moving the plot
along. This makes for an enjoyable reading experience.
The color blue – Moore
makes a preface at the beginning saying this is a story about the color blue
and it is at the heart of it all. Maybe it’s just the designer in me but the
aesthetics of the hard copy compliment the story. What I mean is the type was
printed in blue ink, the cover is blue, the jacket blue, etc. It might seem
like overkill but I felt it accompanied the story very well. I wonder what the
eBook is like on a color e-reader? I hope they do the same thing. If not the
people that purchase the physical copy are in for a treat.
Impressionists –
Some would say that this is the most famous era in art history. I think it has
more to do with the innovations of painting that changed the landscape of the art
world (no pun intended). Moore selects a handful of classics Impressionists
that make cameos in the book. I won’t let you know who they are so you will
have to read it to find that out. If you are a fan of humor and also enjoy the
Impressionist movement you will get a unique commentary with Moore’s usual
flair.
What I didn’t like about the book:
Honestly there’s nothing I didn’t like about this book.
I tried my best to be unbiased but I really am a fan of
Moore’s books. If you are as well you should pick up the book. There’s not that
many books out there that can make you laugh out loud on a consistent basis and
Moore delivers. If you are in the market for some laughs and a unique look at
the Impressionists this book is for you. If not, you must not like laughing out
loud while you’re reading a book…? Don’t worry I won’t judge you if you don’t.
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9 comments:
I have a handful of Moore's books on my shelf and haven't ever read one. I think I had planned to start with Bloodsucking Fiends, and then move on to his others. I love that this book is printed in blue, and the part that the color plays in both the book and its design. Since I love to laugh out loud, I would have to say that this is a book that I will be reading, and perhaps I can get Frank to read it as well. Terrific review today, Jason! I love it when the whole family gets into the blogging arena!
I have several Christopher Moore books and have yet to read any of his work. I'll keep a lookout for this book. Great review!
I haven't read any of his books, but I've heard so much about his books. Great review! I really should give these books a try.
Interesting. My husband just read this one too. I don't think he will review it for me because he didn't like too much. Nice perspective.
I have never read a book by Moore but just got this one and plan to read it soon. He has a lot of fans in the book blogging world!
I've never read anything by Christopher Moore but the covers of his books are really, really eye catching!!!
I got this one for review and my husband promptly claimed it as his own too! I'm still waiting for his review, but it sounds like he'll enjoy it immensely. I'm eager to read it too!
I'm a huge Moore fan and read this one as soon as I could. I was a bit more disappointed in it … I didn't think it is one of his best. Still, when you read the afterword, I became more impressed with the research he did and how much reality he managed to put into what is often an absurdist book.
I didn't know it was printed in blue ink! Cool touch! I got an ARC so mine was plain black and white.
Thanks for the great review. Sacre Bleu seems to get good reviews wherever I look. I will certainly add it to my reading list. I see that the audio version was reviewed on The Book Report Radio show last week. They play extracts from the audio book, so I get to decide if I'll enjoy the narration or just be put off by it. I have only ever listened to a few books, but am interested to see if I can get into this form of reading for listening while I am driving. Having now read about the beauty of the presentation, I may give the audio book a miss and go straight for the hard copy. The radio show is on bookreportradio(.)com for those interested in an audio form of reviews and book suggestions.
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