christopher moore: fluke

I'm a Christopher Moore fan. You know that already, right? I've been reading him in droves ... and I think I need to give it a break.

Why would I need to take a break from an author who can make me literally laugh out loud reading? Well, his style is a little bit new to me. I don't read much comedy (although I do devour fantasy and history, which he dabbles in) and I think I`m a little overloaded on comedy.

I hate to admit it, but I didn`t enjoy Fluke as much as I loved the other books of his I`ve read. I can`t quite put my hand on why, but I don`t think it`s any real reflection on the book. It`s more my headspace: I wasn`t as into the comedy this time, or as into the subject matter.

The plot was interesting, and I still laughed out loud and interrupted Bunny playing with his bike to tell him some super-funny moments. I just didn`t get as interested in things. Lets be honest here I missed the vampires and death merchants. There were none of either in Lamb, but the complete irreverence of that story really made up for it.

I did love the classic Christopher Moore characters. They`re funny, interesting, and while they aren`t as fully fleshed out as I tend to prefer it comes across as being intentional. He makes it clear when he is playing with stereotypes, and it`s effective. Early on in the book I was thrilled to pieces when a favourite character of mine from the vampire trilogy showed up, and played a fairly major role in this book.

Really I just need a break from the more comedic styles of reading. I adore his writing, but I think I need a change, to read some stuff that`s more from my usual area of the bookshelf. Which is exactly what I`m doing, with a bit of fantasy, via Beth Bernobich.

As far as what`s next on my reading list? I've got some more fantasy sitting around. I've been meaning to read Amy Tan for ages and recently picked up The Bonesetter's Daughter. After that, who knows? Maybe it's time for a biography.