The Serpent of Venice

A Novel

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Euan Morton

New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in The Serpent of Venice, a satiric Venetian gothic that brings back the Pocket of Dog Snogging, the eponymous hero of Fool, along with his sidekick, Drool, and pet monkey, Jeff.

Venice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy of Britain and France, and widower of the murdered Queen Cordelia: the rascal Fool Pocket.

This trio of cunning plotters—the merchant, Antonio; the senator, Montressor Brabantio; and the naval officer, Iago—have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising an evening of spirits and debauchery with a rare Amontillado sherry and Brabantio’s beautiful daughter, Portia.

But their invitation is, of course, bogus. The wine is drugged. The girl isn’t even in the city limits. Desperate to rid themselves once and for all of the man who has consistently foiled their grand quest for power and wealth, they have lured him to his death. (How can such a small man, be such a huge obstacle?). But this Fool is no fool . . . and he’s got more than a few tricks (and hand gestures) up his sleeve.

Clever, irreverent, and bawdy - the triple crown!

Christopher Moore is no fool. He's one of the funniest and (only in the best way) sickest writers who ever penned a Shakespeare spoof. To get the most of this one I think one needs a passing recollection of a couple of Shakespeare plays (Merchant of Venice, Othello) throw in some Poe (Cask of Amontillado), a 1950's monster flick, and the willingness to listen to some junior high school humor spoken in a British accent and you've got the perfect way to giggle through an afternoon. Careful not to drink anything while you're listening - - I almost coughed up a lung full of coffee onto my iPad. Oh, and if you want to go in order, pick up Fool by Christopher Moore first, then go here. Great fun.

Brilliant narration. Fun book.

First, let me say that there is not a better narrator than Euan Morton. There are piles of characters in this book and he handles them all masterfully.

I have a sort of love/hate thing for Moore's books -- some I read over and over and others I can't finish. I thought this one was quite good with many laugh-out-loud lines that had people staring at me at the gym. If you decide to get the book, here's a recommendation: when they read the cast of characters at the beginning, write it down.

Fun if you know Poe & Shakespeare

What did you love best about The Serpent of Venice?

At the time of listening to the book, I was teaching "Cask of Amontillado." Never once had I imagined a scenario where Fortunato/the Fool/Pocket escapes. Although the work is more Shakespeare than Poe, I liked the idea of it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think the only answer here has to be Pocket, but I liked Jessica, too. I wasn't crazy about the mermaid/dragon/beast that is the serpent, but...

What about Euan Morton’s performance did you like?

Great voice!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Because I know the works used, I had fun picking out the references.

Any additional comments?

The beast is used too much and too easily to solve problems.

A case for reading

I now know that sometimes with British accents & so much tomfoolery I’m better off reading the book. I loved Fool & I feel if I had read rather than listen I’d loved this one too. British accents tend to make me wonder off because their lyrical white noise quality. Between that & the action, dialogue, etc I stayed kind off lost to the bigger on goings. With that being said, I did laugh out loud & the narrator does a great job animating & projecting the larger than life antics & shenanigans.

Hilarious and Bawdy - as Christopher Moore Can Be

Would you listen to The Serpent of Venice again? Why?

I loved the Serpent of Venice. Cristopher Moore can tell a fun bawdy tale. I liked it so much that I then bought and listened to the previous edition in the series - Fool.

What did you like best about this story?

Completely bawdy take on the Merchant of Venice

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh like crazy!

Any additional comments?

You have to like Bawdy to like this book. If you have listened or read to Lamb, I highly recommend it. It's the first Cristopher Moore book I read.