The Serpent of Venice

A Novel

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Euan Morton

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in this satiric Venetian gothic featuring the irresistibly mischievous Pocket, the eponymous hero of Fool.

Venice, a really long time ago: Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy from Britain who also happens to be a favorite of the Doge: The rascal-Fool Pocket. This trio of cunning plotters have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising a spirited evening. Their invitation is, of course, bogus. These scoundrels have something far less amusing planned for the man who has consistently foiled their quest for power and wealth. But this Fool is no fool.…

Once again, Christopher Moore delivers a rousing literary satire: A dramedy mash-up rich with delights, including (but not limited to): Foul plots; counterplots; true love; jealousy; murder; betrayal; revenge; codpieces; a pound of flesh; occasional debauchery; and water (lots of water). Not to mention a cast Shakespeare himself would be proud of: Shylock; Iago; Othello; a bunch of other guys whose names end in o; a trio of comely wenches; the brilliant Fool; his large sidekick, Drool; Jeff, the pet monkey; a lovesick sea serpent; and a ghost (yes, there’s always a bloody ghost).

Wickedly witty and outrageously inventive, The Serpent of Venice pays cheeky homage to the Bard and illuminates the absurdity of the human condition as only Christopher Moore can.

©2014 Christopher Moore (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Interesting twist on a classic

I didn't realize that this was based loosely on a classic but enjoyed the story all the same, great narration and characters. Christopher Moore does not disappoint.

The Fool is back

The Fool is back in another spoof, parody, original story based around Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Cask of Amontillado and an original story by Christopher Moore. I will say this is pretty good, but I didn't like it as much as Fool. I think there was a bit too much going on and a few too many characters to keep straight and have enough screen time to actually be fully effective. I think the comedy is pretty solid, the jokes mostly land. The Fool is the pretty solid and SOME of the supporting characters are good, Othello and Jessica being my favorites.

Euan Morton does a great job with all Moore's characters. The fool, Drool, Jessica, Shylock are all given stellar voices. He's got a wonderful range and delivers an outstanding performance.

Overall, I like this book. I think Moore bit off a bit too much by trying to blend too many stories, but it's still a great entry for a fun character in The Fool. Worth a listen if you have already listened to The Fool, if not, start there and end up here.

Another fantastic book by Christopher Moore

Where does The Serpent of Venice rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best.

What did you like best about this story?

Chirstopher Moore writes such incredibly researched books and then makes them hilarious. I just wish he had as good a reader in his earlier audiobooks. This and its predecessor Fool should be required reading while on a long road trip (without your children due to the language)

What about Euan Morton’s performance did you like?

Fantastic at this genre

Who was the most memorable character of The Serpent of Venice and why?

So many well written. But Jess was an incredible character

If you speak English, you will laugh...alot...

What did you love best about The Serpent of Venice?

The story is witty. Clever even.

But the narrator...goodness me. He's an absolute rockstar. Hysterical. I have never been more impressed by the delivery, variation and general entertainment of a narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

The very, very clever writing is nonstop hilarity.

Which character – as performed by Euan Morton – was your favorite?

Definitely Pocket.

Who names a monkey, Jeff? What? There's a monkey?

Totally hilarious! Laugh-out-loud funny in many places! This is a wonderful follow-up to "Fool", and gives us more of what we loved came to love about Pocket the jester, Jones the stick-puppet, Drool the idiot-savant, and Jeff the monkey. The audiobook version was read by Euan Morton, whose narration was...well, freaking BRILLIANT...and totally added to the overall story experience! I really hope Christopher Moore continues in this vein - ribald, twisted, and mashed-up Shakespeare!

An amazing sequel to an amazing tale of a Fool

Amazing ! As a new founder of this series ( found Fool in the thrift shop ) I loved this sequel. My heart broke at the beginning surprise but the characters and historical references are undoubtably proof of his research and dedication.

Christopher Moore doesn’t disappoint

I love Christopher Moore’s humor. He uses it in this book to show what greed and hypocrisy look like, and it makes for a very entertaining listen. The performance is excellent as well, which can be hard in a book with so many characters. People who know Shakespeare will love to pick out the characters they know, and those who don’t will still enjoy the story. I highly recommend. And you will not regret reading Lamb by Christopher Moore too. I read it before there were e-books, so I can’t speak as to the performance of it, but that book had me laughing out loud, which only made me look a little bit crazy to passer-byes!

Filthy and farcical! Amazing!

Such a fun listen even if you’re not well versed in Shakespeare. Pocket and the other colorful characters pull you into a ridiculous world of malice, treachery and revenge while keeping it silly and light. And the narrator, Euan Morton, is incredible, giving perfect voice to distinguish the many players. Make sure you listen to Christopher Moore’s ‘Fool’ first so you can follow in the continuing saga. Happy listening!

Hilarious

Christopher Moore is an expert at comedy. it's well worth the read, excellent sequel to fool.

Bloody brilliant!

I was slow to discover Christopher Moore, but now he is on my must read list. The Serpent of Venice was truly inspired and laugh out loud funny.