Rating: 
Summary: great return to his original style
Review: I'll first assume the reader is a longtime Chris Moore fan. If so, you will recognize immediately that Fluke is a return to his pre-Lamb format. The book it most closely resembled was Coyote Blue. It starts as a academic_science comedy/mystery, then suddenly shifts to being a science_fiction comedy/action_thriller. (Lots of slashes when trying to characterize a Moore book.)As usual, the plot takes second fiddle to the comedy, and tends to have some rough edges. The characterization and comedy is first rate, some of Moore's best. I rate it higher than most of his other novels, but perhaps not as good as Coyote Blue or especially Bloodsucking Fiends (still his best). There are some great laugh-out-loud lines in here, and even when the plot falls apart at the end, the humor stays as strong as ever.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Chris' best by a long shot but it has its monents...
Review: I'm a great Christopher Moore admirer. I think Bloodsucking Fiends may still be the funniest book I ever read. Fluke has its moments but on the whole is a major disappointment. The characters live up to expectations-unfortunately they deserved a better story. You know there's going to be some weird stuff in a Moore novel but here the weird stuff is just too weird. The convoluted nature of the weirdness is text draining-too much prose is devoted to explaining the weirdness-and the end result is the story becomes disjointed, diffuse and generally bogs down to the point one loses interest. On the other hand, many Moore trademarks are fully evident-interesting and enjoyable characters, exotica in terms of locale and setting, nip, laugh inducing dialog. The problem is the flaws overwhelm the positives and the end result is a rather mediocre book overall. Personally, I think Moore is overreaching. Lamb was ambitious and, on the whole, a success but some of the flaws in Fluke were making early appearances there. Moore needs to go back to letting the story carry the action and reign in his imagination a bit. If he does so, all will be well I think. But, anyway, in the meantime Fluke represents a decent but by no means typical Moore extravaganza.
Rating: 
Summary: Once Again, Chris Moore, at the Top of His Game
Review: I've been his biggest fan ever since I first read Coyote Blue. In every book I find new ways to appreciate the enormity of his talent. His books aren't just funny adventures that keep you turning the pages. They are intense, diverse and truthful explorations of human nature and all of the emotions beyond humor that we experience: Love, loss, betrayal and ultimately always redemption. And they're funny. In the past, I've tried to "rank" my favorite Moore novel, something we all do with writers we enjoy and admire. Strangely enough, they all come out tied for first. FLUKE is no exception. It's a story written by a writer who is at the very peak of his talent. It's another great collection of vintage Moore characters. In this book in particular, the character of Kona is worth the price of admission alone. It's starts simply enough, with a couple of ne'r do well Whale researchers, whose exploits bring them to a stunning realization not only about the humpback whales they've studied their entire professional lives, but the very existence of humanity as we know it. To say more would be to give away details unnecessarily, details that you simply need to savor on your own. If you love Moore, this book won't dissappoint. If you've never read Moore, then what the heck are you waiting for?
Rating:
Summary: Love this book
Review: I've now read three of Moore's books - The Stupidest Angel, Lamb, and Fluke, and I've loved all of them. Lamb was easily the best and gets five stars. However, Fluke was really wonderful as well. I'm not sure what the "dissapointment" reviews are about, because I haven't read his earlier works, but so far, I'm absolutely sold on his books. I'm trying not to read all of them at once, because I don't want to end up with no more Moore books to read, but I'm tempted to just go buy all of the rest right now. He's right up there with Tom Robbins for me, which is saying quite a lot. Go read and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Whale of a Tale
Review: If there is a group of writers specializing in silly titles, it is definitely lead by Christopher Moore. This is my first Moore book to read, and after perusing the jacket copy synopsis I felt more than a little skeptical. Could such silliness really be adhered together into an actual story with a beginning, middle, and end? The answer is yes. Moore takes the ridiculous and carefully inserts it into a world in which it is rightly challenged. Imagine having, say, a Popsicle, about sixty-five feet long, fall through the ceiling of your office (this scene is not in the book, it is of my own invention, so don't worry). If such a crazy thing were to really occur, you would be forced to examine it as, first, a real situation - not fantasy - and second, as something with a probably rational explanation. That's precisely what Nate, the hero whale biologist of 'Fluke' does when he encounters his first 'mystery': a whale with "Bite Me" written on its fluke. What follows is a lot funny, a lot weird, and a lot just good story.
While things do tend to get too silly at times, and while the 'out there' element does get a little too high (pun intended), the character interactions are sound (again, pun intended) and their voices are individual and humorous. Most of the characters come across as people you know, or at least people you might like to know. Other reviewers tend to feel this is not Moore's best work, and without reading any of his other titles, I feel I can still agree. There is an amazing potential in this book, a command of the language and of humor that is rarely found together. I recommend 'Fluke' to anyone in the mood for something fun, and will likely be able to recommend some of his other titles more emphatically in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Moore's back where he belongs
Review: In Fluke, Moore returns to ground that is no less rich in mythology than religion--the sea and its creatures. Moore excels when he brings supernatural beings down to Earth (in this case, a whale who orders pastrami on rye) without the fear of offending anyone other than newage whale-song devotees. The characters in this book are simultaneously hilarious and sympathetic, and just when you think Moore has settled into a comfortable storytelling track, he switches gears and takes you on an unexpected journey that is both hilarious and touching.
Rating:
Summary: My apologies to Chris
Review: It was hard for me to hit the 3 instead of the 5 stars for a Christopher Moore book. It's never happened before. I feel like I'm deserting my best friend. I've thrown in Moore's name into my reviews of other authors just to get his name out there.
While there were characters that I loved in this book...Nathan,
Amy, and especially Kona, the Rastaman...I just was not as captivated by this book as all his others. And believe me, I have been captivated!
While we all suspend reality when we read his novels, this one just went a touch too far. I'm sorry, just the word "Gooville" belongs in a Sesame Street adventure. I appreciated the information learned about whale hunting and the scientific work that whale researchers do. However, it was not enough to "float my boat."
If you are new to Christopher Moore, please read any of his others first. Laugh and weep. They are exquisite.
Rating:
Summary: Meep! ya Mook!
Review: It's Christopher Moore, need I say "MORE"?! Simply put the best American writer in eons. He j u s t keeps getting better and better with each book he writes. If you've never read Christoper Moore, just pick up ANY of his books and you too will be hooked. It's just been published, but I can't wait for his next!! Don't be a mook, buy this book! (By the way for "non-Christopher Moore types" 'mook does NOT rhyme with book'.)
Rating:
Summary: A Big Comeback by Moore
Review: Lamb is a superior book. The Sequined Nun is an inferior book. In Fluke, Christopher makes a comeback with a very funny book that is also a very good book.
In Lamb and Fluke, Moore's outlandish humor takes a backseat to the quality of the novel (I thought Sequined was written for the whackiness rather than any plot). He has two main heros and a few sidekicks who are all terrific characters - each with their own quirks (of course) and qualities. In each is a major component of reality which actually makes them believeable. They may be extreme, but everyone has met at least one person like each of them - though usually not all in one setting.
The setting here is the whale research community in Hawaii. Mr. Moore includes interesting (true) information about whales in the telling of a story that at different times reads as an adventure novel, a mystery, a sci-fi fantasy, a conservationist tome and an evolution debate. Obviously there is much more in this novel than just whackiness and humor.
Humor is still also a significant part of the book. If you can't laugh at the white Rastaferean from New Jersey, there may not be a character in literature at whom you can laugh.
This is a fun read that is also worthwhile for the information it provides and is also thought-provoking on a few levels - evolution and conservation among them. Read it, enjoy it and laugh at an extremely funny book that has redeeming value beyond the guffaws.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, yet again.
Review: Laughing out loud is my favorite sport, and among the handful of things I can count on to make that happen in a deep, meaningful, rib-aching, do-NOT-drink-milk-right-now sort of a way, is the writing of Christopher Moore. His great humor is leavened with astute thoughtfulness that occasionally borders on sweet, and is always engaging.
He's really done a quality job again with FLUKE. It's a story eased into at different pacing than his other works, making for a more pronounced sense of payoff. If you appreciate and respond well to tight dialogue, you'll admire FLUKE; it's Moore's very best work in this aspect. The genuine human rhythm of it is the flawless bluescreen behind the well-wrought, snappy laughs. It's a spectacularly outrageous story, and just as suitable as dessert for always-hungry readers as a perfect work to hook the more reticent.
I recommend you buy this book. :)
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