The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The town psychiatrist has decided to switch everybody in Pine Cove, California, from their normal antidepressants to placebos, so naturally - well, to be accurate, artificially - business is booming at the local blues bar. Trouble is, those lonely slide-guitar notes have also attracted a colossal sea beast named Steve with, shall we say, a thing for explosive oil tanker trucks.

Suddenly, morose Pine Cove turns libidinous and is hit by a mysterious crime wave, and a beleaguered constable has to fight off his own gonzo appetites to find out what's wrong and what, if anything, to do about it.

©1999 Christopher Moore (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Moore is Daniel Pinkwater for grownups, but a lot funnier; and his irreverent antics reveal a buoyant wit and surreal authority even while rendering the emotional range, sex life, and murderous tendencies of a sea monster." ( Publishers Weekly)

Better than book 1

Book 1 was a completely middle of the road Christopher Moore novel with great narration. Book 2 is a slightly better story and far better humor, especially the blue parts. The narration remains a highlight.

A Good Introduction to Moore

What does Oliver Wyman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Wyman, thank goodness, is possessed of excellent comic timing, which is the difference between life and death for a book this silly. He can also handle a number of voices without making any of them seem stereotypical, which is essential for a book with this many characters, most of whom you are encouraged to love. This is no mean feat, and he does the job perfectly.

Any additional comments?

Christopher Moore's work tends to have gangs of lovable misfits menaced by some crazy monster (or in some other bizarre situation) in a way that permits more serious reflection on a few larger issues. (In Lust Lizard, it's the wide prevalence of overprescribed Prozac, and how we deal with sadness in our lives.) His work feels like it's in a direct line of descent from Kurt Vonnegut through Tom Robbins, with a relative of Carl Hiaasen somewhere in the lineage. The magical-realist philosophical caper comedy. If this is your thing, Lust Lizard is a terrific example of the genre. If you're never tried it before, this isn't a bad place to start.

Christopher Moore at his comedic best!

I’ve long been a fan of The Stupidest Angel (I’ve listened to the audiobook every Christmas season for the last five years or so) but until now I hadn’t gotten around to listening to or reading the other Pine Cove novels. Having now listened to them, I realize what a mistake it was to wait so long. While I did enjoy Practical Demonkeeping, The Lust Lizard had me in absolute stitches. At one point, I was laughing so hard that I started to wheeze and I had to turn off the book to catch my breath. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants their funny bone tickled.

Quirky, endearing, and addictive

Would you consider the audio edition of The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version. Honestly I think this question is not necessary.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove?

So many that it's hard to pick just one. But I loved the scenes where the sea beast, Steve, disguised himself as a mobile home and began "disposing of" town folk who annoyed him.

A real laugh for a unreal story

What made the experience of listening to The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove the most enjoyable?

Its good to have the chance to hear a good tail about an impossible situation were each new chapter brings a more insane person or monster out to enjoy.

What other book might you compare The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove to and why?

The creature from the black lagoon meets timothy leary.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

the fact that he seemed to enjoy reading the fanciful tail as much as I enjoyed hearing it.

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

That it was! I had to find out just how one puts the impossible into the probable that would end up being just the enjoyable with no truth of facts needed.

Any additional comments?

Just a good fun listen!

Incredibly mysterious and hilarious great book

Totally enjoyed this book. Kept me laughing throughout and eager to find out what happens next I recommend this book to anybody who likes a good laugh and mystery at the same time

Fun listen

One of my fav Custody Moore books. Great characters, fun and witty dialogue and story. Lots of lol moments.

Not my favorite, but still pretty good.

It's always nice to revisit characters and places and get an additional glimpse of their wacky lives. The Lust Lizard didn't quite have the same easy flow and humor that was present in the previous Pine Cove stories. It seemed Mr. Moore was forcing the story and humor and for the first time ever reading/listening to his books, I was ready for the ending.
Still a fun listen and enjoyable but not his best.

More Moore!

The story and characters are great (including Steve). The plot threads do come together, and each of the main players is given a voice. Oliver Wyman is the perfect narrator for this story. He does an excellent job of bringing each character to life. While the humor in this book is more subtle than in some of Christopher Moore’s other books, it’s prevalent and entertaining. The ending was solid and satisfying, with no loose ends. This book does stand well on its own, though there is a brief discussion at one point about events from the previous book, Practical Demonkeeping, (which I also very much enjoyed).

I got pulled over

What did you love best about The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove?

As always Christopher Moore is sick twisted and hysterically funny. I got pulled over my a copy because I was laughing so hard in the car on my commute. Highly recommend this if you want to laugh and maybe feel a little bad for a Lust Lizard.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

You could hear the difference in all the characters without crazy theatrics

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

Totally!