Rating: 
Summary: Very good "fluffy" read
Review: I picked this book up not knowing at all what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it starts out completely normal and then somehow descends into the absurd (come on, Mr. Moore...Gooville? Couldn't you have come up with something a little less childlike?), but the absurd was surprisingly captivating. I actually wanted to know why these people were living in Gooville and what it was all about. I would recommend this to people who are up for a little science fiction, but if you like books that stick within the realm of the possible or even plausible, it's not for you.
Rating: 
Summary: All the funny of previous Moore, with improved flavor
Review: I read the galley for this book and was constantly annoying my husband by making him listen to funny passages. That's truly the mark of a good book for me (not so much my husband). Beware- some (much?) of the humor is scatological/gross in nature. The passage about the female whale and the boat (don't want to give away too much) was one of the funniest things I've ever read. It shocked my bookseller that I liked it as it is very different than my usual fare. It's not as dark as Neil Gaiman, but funny in a similar way (or like early, gross Bill Bryson works). I think Moore has matured as a writer and this book showcases the improvement in his craft.
Rating: 
Summary: His worst so far
Review: I really like Chris Moore's stuff, so I eargly awaited this book. I was so disappointed. As a scientist, I have some familiarity with the circumstances he set up in the beginning of the book which had the makings of a good book about the realities of the competition that can occur in research fields (despite his disclaimer at the end)! I'm used to the magical realism Moore likes to through in his books and I enjoy it for the most part. But half-way through he lost the plot, any credibility he had built up and my attention. I struggled through this middle section and, as I really like his writing style, I was able to enjoy the last 1/4 of the book but I was just so bummed by how bad it was compared to his other books! Hopefully Moore will get his stride back soon.
Rating:
Summary: Is it him or me?
Review: I sought out Christopher Moore's books for years. Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, the Island book----wonderful, wonderful books, that I recommended and passed around to others. I was very excited to see this book out---but after getting about three-fourths of the way through, I have to say it is unreadable. "Over the top" and "jump the shark" are inadequate for this book. It's just silly, and not in a fun way. It's almost insulting to the reader. It's very rare that I don't finish a book, and I may make myself finish this, but it will be a struggle. Maybe it's worse because I was so much looking forward to it. I think I will just re-read his first two....
Rating: 
Summary: Silly to a Very High Degree
Review: I think I would probably give this 3 1/2 stars because it really kept me interested and I read it rather quickly....until it got the end. There is no doubt that Christopher Moore is a creative writer. He could teach the class at Harvard. But he introduces so many different outlandish ideas and relies on too few pages to try and explain them. The novel starts out fairly pedestrian, introducing the reader to the world of scientists who study whales. But about 100 pages into the book something unimaginable happens and the book reads like Alice in Wonderland. If you read the jacket, that was to be expected and actually I welcomed it. I haven't read a book this bizarre since "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." However, for some reason, I didn't care what happened to the characters anymore with about 40 pages left. I sensed that things were going to wrap up nice and neat and everyone would be happy....which is not a bad thing. It's just that I wanted a bigger payoff, but it came up short. I still recommend it and I am looking forward to reading more from Moore.
Rating: 
Summary: UGH!
Review: I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to my worst enemy. It drags on foever and the characters, especially the male lead, are unlikeable enough to make you want to slam the book shut and never open it again. This was my first Moore book, and thankfully, my last.
Rating:
Summary: The most twisted Moore yet!
Review: I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of "Fluke" about a month ago (which is a big deal to me, since I'm a huge fan of the author guy!) and I had a blast reading it! I know this review is written the day after it's official release, so I'll avoid spoilers. I will say that while I don't think this was Mr. Moore's laugh-out-loud funniest book, it definitely is his most ambitious and creative. Some people may argue that "LAMB" falls into that category, but I think "Fluke" has "LAMB" beat there. Once again the research that went into this novel was well worth the time and effort, as it was with his other books, especially "LAMB" and "Love Nun". As to be expected from Moore, this book is filled with crazy characters and hillarious dialogue. There are three main parts to this book. Each part is completely different from the last, each part is better than the last and each part gets much weirder and more bizzare than the last. By the time I was finished this one, I felt like I was whacked on the side of the head by a giant fluke, and I'm ready to take the ride again!
Rating:
Summary: The most twisted Moore yet!
Review: I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of "Fluke" about a month ago (which is a big deal to me, since I'm a huge fan of the author guy!) and I had a blast reading it! I know this review is written the day after it's official release, so I'll avoid spoilers. I will say that while I don't think this was Mr. Moore's laugh-out-loud funniest book, it definitely is his most ambitious and creative. Some people may argue that "LAMB" falls into that category, but I think "Fluke" has "LAMB" beat there. Once again the research that went into this novel was well worth the time and effort, as it was with his other books, especially "LAMB" and "Love Nun". As to be expected from Moore, this book is filled with crazy characters and hillarious dialogue. There are three main parts to this book. Each part is completely different from the last, each part is better than the last and each part gets much weirder and more bizzare than the last. By the time I was finished this one, I felt like I was whacked on the side of the head by a giant fluke, and I'm ready to take the ride again!
Rating:
Summary: What happened????
Review: I was so excited that a new Christopher Moore book was coming out. His other books were page turners and laughs until the end. This book was definitely disappointing. Too much on the whales and not enough of a good story. But I have not given up on Christopher Moore and I will still look forward to reading his books. This one was just not one of his best.
Rating:
Summary: Moore and his book are funny --- there's no fluke about that
Review: I would read Christopher Moore based on the titles of his works alone. He has written fantastically odd and fun books for years, including ISLAND OF THE SEQUINED LOVE NUN, THE LUST LIZARD OF MELANCHOLY COVE, and LAMB: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BIFF, CHRIST'S CHILDHOOD PAL (which, in my estimation, is his best, most bedazzlingly kooky book yet). Once I get past the title page of a Christopher Moore book, I'm never disappointed. He always delivers the goods (the goods being odd characters, odd settings, and odd happenings). The latest Moore delivery is FLUKE: OR I KNOW WHY THE WINGED WHALE SINGS, and he will not disappoint fans.The odd characters include marine biologist Nathan Quinn, a lifelong researcher of the humpback whale and their song; Clay Demodocus, his associate; beautiful research assistant Amy Earhart; and Rastaman, Kona, a white boy from New Jersey. The settings, which are varied, include Maui, a giant whale ship and "Gootown." The odd happenings are too numerous to mention. There's some discussion of a whale calling a benefactor by telephone asking for a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye. There's an escape from an amorous Samoan. There's a situation involving a super-race of piscatorial mutants. And there's that one whale that had written on its tail "BITE ME." Of course, the book is not too thick with such heavy topics as the meaning of life and love. There is, however, some discussion about Canadian hockey violence. Moore won't give you long theories about the nature of man or the political implications of the Middle East. He will, however, give us some interesting cetacean sex, which is always titillating. It's a breeze to read. The reader will sit in a hammock, a drink by their side (with an umbrella in it), and happily read along chuckling mightily (hopefully not spilling said umbrella-laden drink). The one thing that Moore does well (on top of his writing antics) is the research he puts into his books. He knows about whales and cares about them (so much so, in fact, that at the end of the book he highlights ways in which the reader can help out with and address conservation issues). Just as in LAMB, where he studied mightily about the world in Jesus's time, Moore finds many interesting nuggets about whales, the ocean, and the like. If you want Norman Mailer or Leon Uris, you've come to the wrong place. But if you're in the mood for a quick laugh (along the lines of Tom Robbins, Dave Barry and their ilk) and a fun book to read on a sunny weekend, FLUKE is the way to go. Both the book and Moore are funny --- and there's no fluke about that. --- Reviewed by Jonathan Shipley
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