The Serpent of Venice audiobook

Hot on the heels of finishing Fool , I couldn't have been more pleased to hear that I was mere days away from another bawdy tale of heinous fuckery most foul featuring our pal Pocket. (Thanks Amanda!) And, as usual, Christopher Moore (below) delivers another raucous ride in the most Moorish of ways (Othello pun). So what's in store for Pocket and friends? Well, once again Moore is borrowing from good old Will ( Othello and The Merchant of Venice , with bits and pieces from elsewhere in the canon). But, this time around, he's tossing in a bit of Poe for good measure, from his short story The Cask of Amantillado. However, not to worry if you haven't the foggiest as to the contents of those earlier tales, Moore's work always stands well on its own two feet (even if they're a bit wobbly when shod in chopines - little stilt shoes of which Pocket partakes for a time). I'm not sure that I loved this one quite so much as I did Fool, but that doesn't mean I wasn't laughing all the way through. Pocket's dialogue with the bothersome chorus who pops in now and again for a bit of expository language was especially clever. So, go grab your motley, your enormous codpiece and your monkey (called "Jeff"), and get on with the intrigue.

An excellent, most humorous, and quite bawdy amalgamation of The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and The Cask of Amontillado. Moore brings back everyone's favorite court jester, Pocket of Dog Snogging from Fool, as well as his apprentice Drool and his monkey Jeff, and sends them to Venice to intertwine with Othello, Iago, Shylock, Antonio, and even Marco Polo, among other senators, merchants, soldiers and whores. It was a deftly plotted romp, with plenty of deceit, treachery, and villainous plotting -- which Moore has a habit of referring to as "heinous fuckery most foul" -- which is never allowed to overshadow the riotous humor, and the occasional appearances of a bloody ghost and a sea serpent that likes to shag.I feel compelled to point out that I listened to the audio book, since the performance by Euan Morton was out of this world. I had thought it odd that this wasn't listed as "read by" or "narrated by," but as "performed by," but the flourish is more than earned, as this is a marvelous performance. The character's distinct voices, especially the fourth-wall-breaking Chorus, made this like listening to a radio play. In summation, I highly recommend this book, and if you are the audio book type, I strongly recommend listening to the audio book performance of it.

Guys, Pocket is back!I heard about this book ages ago, then promptly forgot it existed, and rediscovered it at my library. (Libraries are awesome that way.) My first reaction was, “Ooh, a Christopher Moore novel I haven’t read.” My second reaction was, “Bloody hell, it’s a semi-sequel to Fool!” (No English accent though. Two years in England and I still can’t do a decent English accent. *sigh*)Fool was the first Christopher Moore book I read and in many ways one I consider the funniest. That’s probably because I love metafiction. If you don’t, then neither Fool nor The Serpent of Venice are for you. Moore once more takes a metafictional approach to the stage; this time he combines Othello and The Merchant of Venice with an Edgar Allan Poe story I haven’t read. With a Chorus as the narrator whom everyone seems to overhear, we plunge into fourteenth-century Venice, where Pocket is killed, rescued by the eponymous serpent, and gets to serve up some sweet, sweet revenge.Of course, as exciting as a sequel to Fool might be, I was also a little worried. What if it wasn’t as good? What if it ruins Pocket? These might be silly worries, but I think most fans of a novel that gets a sequel much later down the line can understand it. It’s akin to the worries fans of the original Star Wars had about the prequels, though in their case, they unfortunately turned out to be right.To be honest, The Serpent of Venice isn’t quite as bright a spark as Fool. It’s difficult to bottle lightning once, let alone twice. But Moore takes a fair stab at it, and the result is still a very good book. Not every Shakespeare play is a King Lear, and even Shakespeare’s good plays are still, in some ways, great.My favourite thing about this book is just the richness of the language. And by language, I mean the profanity. Moore uses words such as “bonkilation” and “fuckstockings”—and of course, don’t forget “holy ripened fuckcheese!”—without any hint of shame or irony. Moore doesn’t pass up the chance—ever—to shoehorn in a joke as an aside. When Pocket is posing as a young Jew seeking employment from Shylock, the merchant asks him if what languages he speaks:“Latin, Greek, and English, plus a smattering of Italian and fucking French.”“Fucking French, you say? Well …”“Oui,” said I, in perfect fucking French.Or, a little later:Shylock repointed his twitching, accusatory digit at his daughter.“You do not say such things in my house. You—you—you—you—”“Run along, love, it appears that Papa’s been stricken with an apoplexy of the second person.”This is where Moore truly establishes himself as a skilled writer. Anyone, really, can rip off jokes and rip off plots (Moore points out that Shakespeare did this himself all the time). But it takes cleverness to come up with a turn of phrase like “an apoplexy of the second person”—and even if Moore happened to lift that from somewhere else, it takes skill to then embed that phrase in an appropriate context. It wouldn’t work just anywhere. For a book like this, the author needs a sense of comedic timing down to the paragraph.This is a book that is unrepentantly trying to be funny to the point of absurdity, and I love that. Iago is still a cunning bastard, but he’s also a raging misogynist who accuses everyone of having slept with his wife. (She is, practically, but that’s beside the point.) Pocket, once again, is a frustrating combination of annoying yet perceptive, somehow managing to win over tough customers like Shylock and his daughter, Jessica, who don’t really like him but seem to grow dependent upon him. I love the evolution of Jessica from a love-struck, fairly small-minded woman into a pirate. I mean, that’s just awesome.And the plot of The Serpent of Venice?The setting of The Serpent of Venice is fascinating because…… no, I’m not avoiding talking about the plot.Fine.The plot is probably the weakest part of this book. I think the best way I can describe it is as a “romp”. It’s supposed to be Pocket’s tale of revenge, but Moore has to juggle subplots like spinning plates. Everything culminates in a drawn-out and very unsatisfactory court scene that should have been far funnier than it was. The resolution is nominally satisfactory, but at the end of the day it feels like Pocket didn’t really “win”. I suppose part of the theme to this book, as well as the first one, is that Pocket doesn’t fit the standard protagonist pattern: as his job and his nickname of Fortunato suggest, he survives on luck and trickery and jest. The essence of Pocket’s success as a hero is that he isn’t heroic, and indeed, I suspect that he finds all this heroism he ends up doing by accident quite exhausting and bad for his health.Unlike Fool, which had the benefit of being able to ride along the rails of King Lear, even if Moore took … liberties, The Serpent of Venice is a mash-up. Consequently, Moore has to figure out how to resolve the book on his own—and although he tries to allude to the endings of the original stories in some ways, the tricky part is really combining them together to make a satisfying ending to this story. I don’t know if he succeeds fully, but I did like how this ends for Pocket and Jessica, if that makes sense.As with many of Moore’s books, this one made me laugh out loud. It’s a perfect read if you need something hilarious and very irreverent, especially if you’ve just come off a Shakespearean Lit course and your brains are still crammed full of Shakespearean insults and plot points. You will feel right at home with Moore. You definitely don’t have to read Fool first—but you should read Fool, at some point, because it’s awesome. As much as I would like this book to be it, it’s not—but it’s certainly no Phantom Menace, know what I’m saying?

Where do I begin? I'll start with the good. I tested the limits of my Kindle's highlighter function while reading this book. There are some absolutely hilarious lines and thoughts and paragraphs--as you become accustomed to in any Christopher Moore novel. There are lines in this book that will leave you shaking your head, lines that will have you chuckling, lines that will double you over and make your stomach hurt and lines that will test your bladder control. I don't know if my most favorite line was when Moore, in the voice of one of his female characters describes not being able to have sex due to her period by saying, "...the monkey has a nosebleed and the circus, sir, is closed." or if it was the part when he described a monkey throwing poop as "flinging rhesus feces," but the book was filled with these little bits that had me laughing openly. And I cannot wait to use "Thou mendacious fuckweasel!" on someone.The story is a mashup of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Othello with Poe's The Cask of Amontillado, starring some of the characters from Moore's previous take on Shakespeare, Fool. Maybe it's too many stories? Maybe it's just that I don't like these original stories as much as I do King Lear, the source material for Fool, but this story just wasn't AS good for me. Please note, I'm not saying it wasn't good--just not AS good at Fool. Part of the problem was the characters. In Fool, there were a lot of very likable, fun, interesting characters. In Serpent of Venice, it's basically Pocket and a bunch of mendacious fuckweasels. There are other characters who have a little potential, like Jessica, but I think she's underused--as are holdovers from Fool like Drool and the Monkey Jeff. So, for me, this is a 3.5 star book. I round up to 4 because I'm an unabashed Mooreon. It's probably unfair to Moore though because it's hard to rank his books against others works--in which his worst come out smelling like roses. Instead, though, I feel compelled to rank this book in the pantheon of Moore books and in that lofty air, I'd say that this one is toward the middle.Do I recommend it? Of course I do. If you're a Moore fan, you'll enjoy it. If you're not--you should still read this one, but just ask me and I'll give you a list of better places to start.

Christopher Moore's novels are a bit hit and miss for me, but the ones I love I love. And FOOL, a retelling of KING LEAR, is absolutely one of my favorites. I was quite excited to see that Moore was returning to the character of Pocket. (Jeff and Drool are back as well.)In THE SERPENT OF VENICE, Moore throws OTHELLO, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and "The Cask of Amontillado" into a pot with a dragon and lets loose with the results. Pocket goes to Venice on Cordelia's orders, to try to prevent another Crusade, but everything starts going awry when Cordelia is murdered. (This, sadly, means that there is very little Cordelia in the book, though of course her ghost does get to make an appearance.) After a rather odd misadventure, Pocket is sheltered by the Jewish community of Venice and makes his plans for revenge.If you're familiar with the Shakespearean plays, it's quite interesting to see what Moore makes of them. Some heroes become villains, for instance. I didn't agree with all of his changes, but others made perfect sense. And I quite enjoyed the note at the end where he explains what guided him to his interpretation of certain characters, like Portia.I think THE SERPENT OF VENICE isn't quite as good as FOOL, but it does have a high bar to clear there. However, it is just as hilarious, twisted, and perverse as I could've hoped. I don't normally have a vulgar sense of humor, but something about Moore's writing brings it out in me. THE SERPENT OF VENICE is more violent than some of his other books, but that suits the setting.One of the things I think THE SERPENT OF VENICE does best is with Shylock, Jessica, and the other Jews. There just as much a part of the humor as anyone else, but Moore doesn't back down from showing that they are treated is wrong. The historical truths are there (often footnoted), and the modern sensibility is fairly scathing about it. At the same time, Shylock and Jessica are still allowed to be flawed characters.I do recommend reading FOOL before THE SERPENT OF VENICE. THE SERPENT OF VENICE is capable of standing alone, but I think it is probably more fun if you know who Pocket and his companions are. If you enjoyed FOOL, then you should definitely read THE SERPENT OF VENICE. I'm very happy Moore decided to revisit these characters and their setting.

A surprisingly enjoyable, hilarious, and irreverent take on several Shakespeare classics.

This book feels like a passion project for Moore. It's one of his more multi-layered, deeply researched, finely tuned works. When Moore is in this zone he's brilliant, and The Serpent of Venice is just that.Taking not one, but two Shakespeare tales (The Merchant of Venice and Othello) and a Poe story, Moore produced a funny and entertaining novel. I liked Fool, and I liked the characters in Fool. This book, however, took it to the next level. I LOVED Pocket! I felt like he really came into his own out of the confines of his original tale. Loved the setting of Venice, and all the new characters we got to meet. I have no intention of spoiling anything - there is an element in Moore's books that we have all come to expect, and that element particularly worked for me in this book.For those who thought the potty humor a bit much in Fool, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I'm not saying there isn't some (there is, and it's funny!), but not so overt. There are some great laugh out loud moments.More than anything, this is a good solid tale with memorable characters and many laughs. What Moore has done here is really an accomplishment when you think about it ... taking a Shakespeare tragedy and a Shakespeare comedy and blending them together so seamlessly was a feat! I was engaged, I was entertained, I was satisfied. It ALMOST made me want to read some actual Shakespeare.

This is not Christopher Moore's best novel.This isn't even his best riff on Shakespeare. Fool surpasses it by miles. Though, to be fair, Fool surpasses a vast number of books by miles.No matter the reader, I could recommend them a Christopher Moore book they would love. I have done, many a time. In fact, I'm on my fourth copy of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal and my second Island of the Sequined Love Nun. (I've loaned out every one of the others, but I never ever count on getting Lamb back.) His books (this one included) are the kind of books I tend not to read in public venues, because then I'm the crazy lady snort-laughing into her books. They are bizarre, enchanting, hysterical, bawdy, and just damn well done.With that said, I don't think The Serpent of Venice: A Novel would be a novel I would recommend to someone who wasn't already a massive fan of Moore. Fool introduces you to Christopher Moore's humor and writing style while retelling a classic story. (I'm going to refer a lot to Fool, because 1. TSoV is a sequel and 2. both are takes on Shakespeare and there is no 3. If you haven't read Fool, go do that and then come back. Or don't come back. But read Fool anyway.) It is fairly straightforward, with a manageable cast of characters. Highly enjoyable even if you've never read the play (which at the time of my initial reading, I hadn't). The Serpent of Venice: A Novel does not necessarily live up to those standards set by its predecessor.TSoV draws from 2 Shakespearean plays as well as an Edgar Allan Poe tale, and tosses in a historical figure or two for bonus points, not to mention the bit of the cast that was still alive at the end of Fool. It quickly becomes a tad bit unruly and hard to keep track of. I don't know if this is easier or harder if you're familiar with the original works. Prior to reading TSoV, I had read the Poe story; a few chapters in, I thought it might be easier to keep track of if I read the Shakespeare, so I skimmed Othello and half of the Merchant of Venice before I decided to hell with it, I just want my Moore. While Pocket, the titular fool of Fool, had all the page time in the previous story, due to all the characters and storylines amassed in this novel, it seemed like he wasn't there enough. Even when he was present, he wasn't necessarily THERE enough. I did love the serpent, though. Shakespeare didn't have a man-eating, pleasure-giving, ginormous black serpent-dragon-y thing, did he? Unless I missed it underneath all the subtle filthy jokes and old timey English and metaphors.Okay, you're probably saying, hypothetical review reader (though I hope not out loud, because people tend to frown on that), why the hell did you rate this book, with its myriad flaws, 5 stars? Do you understand numbers? Yes, I do, and I'm offended that you would assume otherwise, you hypothetical being. FOR SHAME.But really, having read all of Moore's work numerous times (yes, including The Griff: A Graphic Novel), I can't discount the passion here. The passion and sheer joy that he put into writing it comes so clearly through every page, every word, and you feel it. This book, despite all the flaws, still made me laugh, belly laughs that crinkled my eyes. Pocket is still a character that feels like some sort of home. It was convoluted, it was messy, it was faulty, but it was deeply, at the heart, GOOD. And sometimes good can't be measured by literary standards, it can just be measured by how you feel when you read it.I can't believe how soppy that sounded. But seriously. Heinous fuckery most foul, indeed.

Do you enjoy the sketches and films of the British comedy troupe Monty Python? Can you appreciate Shakespeare's plays? Are you an Anglophile as well as an Italophile? If you answered "Yes!" to all three of those questions, then you should enjoy reading The Serpent of Venice.In a faux British and or Elizabethan English writer Christopher Moore follows his comic creation, Pocket the King's Fool from the novel Fool, through his next adventure in his storied life. Surrounded by settings, characters, and storylines from Shakespeare's plays and one Edgar Allan Poe short story, Pocket jokes his way through Medieval Venice, Italy (1299), Venetian Corsica, and Genoa in The Serpent of Venice. The chapters often read like scripts for Monty Python sketches. I even found myself imagining the female characters as men in drag with screechy falsetto voices.The dialog is full of period puns, and period and up-to-date vulgarity, as well as self-referential jokes. Events are not described chronologically, the language can be mindbogglingly vulgar, and the humor can wear thin after a while, since it is generally more difficult to appreciate this kind of humor reading it, as opposed to watching it performed. Those are the three reasons I found it best to read The Serpent of Venice in small doses. That kept the humor fresh, but it did make it difficult to follow the plot.There is also violence in novel, coming mainly from the creature in the Lagoon that is The Serpent of Venice. Reading about the gore is less upsetting than seeing it, however, so if you dislike horror stories, you might still like The Serpent of Venice. If you are up to American-Monty-Python-does-Shakespeare-in-Venice then you are ready for The Serpent of Venice. Take it in small doses, and enjoy the author's invention, his facility with language, and especially his facility with vulgarisms. If you try to picture it performed while you read, you will enjoy it more, since reading The Serpent of Venice is much like reading a Shakespearean farce, or the screenplay for Monty Python's Life of Brian; they pale compared to the performance of the text.Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviewshttp://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...

MY THOUGHTSABSOLUTELY LOVED IT(you may want to read this book using voices from Monty Python) This story is a retelling of Othello with a mash up of The Merchant of Venice but with a mermaid / sea serpent / um, dragon? It includes Marco Polo, Desdemona and Portia, and of course, Fool. The Fool is sent to Venice by his lovely queen Cordelia to make the Italians stop the crusades which she thinks are stupid and costly. While in Italy, his queen dies and he is left adrift, taken in a by a (surprise!) Merchant in Venice. The intrigues of Venetian Court are well detailed in the story in true Shakespearean fashion with choruses and everything. Of course, the Fool tells them to shut up more than once. Without ruining the Serpent angle, there are some delicate and indiscreet moments between the Fool and the Serpent, now named Vivian, because of course, you can be intimate with a sea serpent and not have be named. Ok, I probably just ruined the Serpent angle for you. Of course, the Venetians and Genoans are at war and Othello being the admiral he is, commands everything before him and helps Fool on his quest to rescue his protege Drool and Monkey, Jeff. Don't ask why the Monkey is named Jeff. As Fool schemes his way through the Italian isles, his one liners will have you laughing whole heartedly. This makes up for Fool. OK, I was not a fan of that book. I am a huge Christopher Moore fan, but Fool lost me completely. I was probably in the minority on that one from the book signing I attended for Sacre Bleu ( pure genius) where everyone couldn't wait for this book. I take it back. I am going to try Fool again to see if it clicks. This should really appeal to hardcore Shakespeare, mash up and of course, Christopher Moore fans.

___________________________________ “Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.” ― William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night___________________________________ .What fresh hell is this in which the scribbler Moore doth abduct the Moor Othello for his tome, doth purloin from the sepulchered Poe, and slice a pound of plot from the foully maligned Shylock. Yes, this Moore, this devil with a smiling cheek, doth quote Shakespeare for his purpose. Oh what ebon-hued humours flood this tale. Here lies torture and murder and bestiality, fuckeries most heinous, and jokes most vile and vexing. 'Tis a tale told by an idiot (in Elizabethan English, or some semblance thereof, degrees in literature are not included).Have pity on us poor mortal Fools, thou motley-headed, goat-suckling Moore. If you tickle us, do we not laugh? I didst, most fully, though this book must surely cause Reverend Bowdler to tumble in his priggish grave.

This is the second time I've accidentally read the second in a Christopher Moore series without reading the first. Everyone says Fool was better. I think that's pretty good. This book was fun. The plot was a little whatever, and a few of the characters were interchangeable, but I like an empowered Jewess and any reference to gigantic dongs being swung around, so all in all I'd give it a B+. The use of Shakespeare and Poe was both simple and layered, so there's something for everyone here regardless on your level of familiarity with the source material.I gloled a couple of times. Four stars. Needs more dongs.