A Dirty Job

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Fisher Stevens

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy. A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, sort of a hypochondriac. He's what's known as a Beta Male: the kind of fellow who makes his way through life by being careful and constant, you know, the one who's always there to pick up the pieces when the girl gets dumped by the bigger/taller/stronger Alpha Male.

But Charlie's been lucky. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a secondhand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He's married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child.

Yes, Charlie's doing okay for a Beta. That is, until the day his daughter, Sophie, is born. Just as Charlie, exhausted from the birth, turns to go home, he sees a strange man in mint-green golf wear at Rachel's hospital bedside, a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird.

People start dropping dead around him, giant ravens perch on his building, and it seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yup, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death. It's a dirty job. But hey, somebody's gotta do it.

©2006 Christopher Moore (P)2006 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

• 2006 Quill Award Nominee

"Moore's enthusiasm and skill make it convincing, and his affection for the cast of weirdos gives the book an unexpected poignancy." (Publishers Weekly)

so offbeat but funny.

irreverent and funny. Fisher Stevens was a perfect narrator downloading the next book as we speak

Very enjoyable

Lighthearted fun. Not heavy, Its a good narrator, fun story, lots of interesting characters and intriguing situations, glad I bought it.

Enjoyable

What a fun romp! Innovative story, where enlightment isn't always fun, but can be very funny. Loved the characters, and Fisher Stevens as narrator can't be beat. Didn't really like ending of book, but somehow it worked with story. If you are looking for unconventional story, that will make you laugh, this is a great pick.

a diamond in the rough

Its hard to find a book that has so much humor and relai a meaningful message with lovable characters in a this story that is like no other

My first Christopher Moore Book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't know what to expect, and I generally read thrillers. This book was hilarious -- I laughed out loud during several passages, and almost always had a smile on my face when listening. The narrator was good (not great) and I didn't have any trouble distinguishing the characters. The ending was a little predictable, but all in all a great summer book.

A funny, funny story

Chris Moore's A Dirty Job had me laughing out loud. The characters are well developed and very interesting. Unlike others, I found Fisher Stevens' narration to be excellent.

hilarious so funny

a bit of a Hollywood ending but I am not complaining. extra words because rules.

Ear Candy

I like this book, I thought it was really funny and witty. Even though there is some harsh language I think that only adds to the humor of the book and I was not at all offended like some other listeners. It is a good entertaining book to listen to, it won't change your life but it was funny.

Irreverent, Unexpected Hilarity. ---Spoilers

I totally didn't know what this book would be about, and I had forgotten why I originally purchased it, but when it was time to start another 'Listen" I searched through my titles, and randomly downloaded this book. This was my first Christopher Moore book, --which probably explains why I didn't know what to expect!!!
The music between chapters was irritating and a distraction. . but despite the incredibly stupid addition of music, I enjoyed this book. Outrageous situations and loveable characters--even loveable villains are jammed into every page
I was only a few minutes into the book when I realized that our Hero was a man with a huge imagination and over-active sense of doom ..

Charlie was a man who had a perfect life-- Great Wife, a new baby, and everything to look forward to. But his outrageous worries ("are you sure my baby doesn't have a tail- I thought for sure I saw one on the ultrasound!?) prevented him from enjoying the things he had. Then strange things started to happen to Charlie! A horrific twist of fate changed Charlies life and his perception of the world... Or, maybe, just maybe he was right to have these bizarre concerns and worries.

Shortly after the birth of their daughter Sophie, Charlie returns to the maternity ward to bring his wife her favorite CD only to find a 7 foot tall black man in a mint green suit standing next to his wife's lifeless body. Charlie starts yelling for help and despite crash carts and a room full of medical personnel, their efforts are too late, Charlie wife is gone... and he is left a single dad. When he reports his concerns that there was a man in her room, all the surveillance tapes clearly show that NO ONE ELSE had been in the hospital room except for Charlie... SO, just who is this man that that no one else can see... And what does this mean for "Single Dad Charlie" ? Just when you think Charlie will be able to cope with his grief enough to get a handle on the "dad thing" Charlie learns he now must become "Death's Helper" and collect the souls of those when they die and he discovers his little toddler can point to someone and say "Kitty" and they fall over dead! So, you are wondering, HOW can this be an enjoyable title to listen to?? Each outrageous situation that Charlie finds himself in, Moore lets you peek into his twisted and hilarious thought processes. All Charlies friends and enemies combine for one outrageous romp through craziness. This is a clever and well written story, albeit a little snarky, that will have you giggling and saying to yourself "I can't believe I just laughed at that-- it's so irreverent!" But, best to listen to this title when you're alone--- or make sure your headphones are clearly visible or people will question your sanity as you walk around laughing out loud.. because, it's so hard to see those straight jackets sneaking up on you...

Best Audio Book Ever

Would you listen to A Dirty Job again? Why?

Yes. This book is hilarious and interesting. I personally did not appreciate the sex scenes, but other than that, it was great!

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Dirty Job?

The beginning scene post delivery. Hilarious introduction to the main character's personality.

What about Fisher Stevens’s performance did you like?

His accents and intonation added so much to the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.