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

Might a lady have 7 stars to give?

The story is extremely engaging and laugh aloud funny, set in ancient Venice. Pulled along by our beloved fool Pocket is all manner of treachery and vengeance, hilariously told by a glorious cast of characters and a nut job chorus.
But honestly, the most striking thing is hearing a 13 century fool take on the issues of racism, anti-semitism, and women's rights in the most brilliant and rude manner your heart could desire. Pure logic with a dash of foul language...ahhh.
The performance was amazing, and the story so good I didn't go to sleep until I finished listening. I'm in my third go round and still laughing aloud in awkward places and situations....seriously, get this book!
Well don't if swearing or bawdy medieval intercourse would bother you. Otherwise, go to town!

The Serpent of Venice

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

'Lamb' is Mr Moores best book,in my opinion and Coyote Blue his worst.This is somewhere in the middle.I LOVED Fool!Serpent has 15 too many characters and I found myself getting confused.By the end I had it figured out though!

What other book might you compare The Serpent of Venice to and why?

Fool

Have you listened to any of Euan Morton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes,this one compares quite well.The voices this man uses are awesome!

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

Toward the end,yes

Any additional comments?

nope

Excellent fun

As with other titles by Christopher Moore, this one loosely follows other historical texts such as various plays by Shakespeare or the bible. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Disappointing for a fan of the fool

Christopher Moore is so hit and miss! I really liked Fool, and also enjoyed the more recent Sacre Bleu. But Serpent is thin on ideas, plot, and characters. I have listened about half way and dont plan to hear any further. Moore could have written a much better book called The Fools Guide to Cursing. His cursing and insults are truly hilarious. Unfortunately, in this book, everything in between is pretty boring.

A Tour de Force of Narration

This is a farce, and as such will appeal to those who like the genre. It mixes Othello and The Merchant of Venice to forge another story of black deeds and revenge, along with a serpent that serves the deus ex machine role in making everything right in the end. You have to give Moore credit for ambition. It's not an easy task to keep in character for so long. Personally, I find the conceit and silliness only enjoyable in small bites, and might have put this aside without finishing it, had I read it instead of listened to it. Euan Morton, the narrator, kept things lively and comic throughout.

Fantastic take on Shakespeare!

I am loving Christopher Moores novels more with each book. I think the fantastic narrators make the stories even better. I find myself barking out a laugh at work. Euan Morton is absolutely hilarious in his narrations, bringing all of the characters to life. A++++

Take the Bits and Leave the Pieces

Hard to follow (by character references I mean), but it doesn't matter because of the hilarity that constantly ensues.

this is how we should be teaching shakespeare!!!

What other book might you compare The Serpent of Venice to and why?

WARNING: there's a lot of cursing within this title. A LOT. especially the f-word. there's sex, too, and some violence that's particularly... ummmmmm, well... violent! the amazing thing is, this novel is a particularly well-realized and utterly accessible version of shakespeare's plays "the merchant of venice" and "othello". (YES, together!) (yes, i know that's hard to imagine, but think about it, they're both set in venice and are essentially about the rich venetian upperclass guys trying to outwit or generally "mess with" the fish-out-of-water characters, aren't they?) (& speaking of fish... well, no, i shouldn't tell you that part, b/c it'd sound crazy out of context, and really spoil one of the big plot twists... forget i mentioned fish, ok?) the fool from "king lear" is in this, as well, he's the narrator. (yes, i know that seems odd, but it works. trust me.)

What about Euan Morton’s performance did you like?

*EVERYTHING* about euan morton's performance is spot on. i mean no disrespect to christopher moore when i say that i'd specifically recommend this title as an audiobook, rather than reading print version. morton's energy and characterizations make you feel like you're listening to an amazing play, rather than just someone reading the text to you. which seems particularly right, given the shakespeare connection!

Any additional comments?

i realized about one sentence into this review that it's IMPOSSIBLE to sum this book up in a brief review. on the other hand, if you've read or listened to anything else by christopher moore, or read by euan morton, you've probably already bought this; and if you're utterly turned off by the shakespeare theme, you'd hate it anyway. if you've got this far and still aren't sure, i say, "BUY THIS!"

Highly recommended for any Shakespeare fan

Christopher Moore has such a fantastic grasp of setting, imagination and tapping into another author's spirit. Fool was followed up brilliantly with this adventure for Pocket and Drool.

Great Fun!!

I truly enjoyed this tongue in cheek story. Sometimes it's like a breath of fresh air to not only have an enjoyable plot but to have a bit of humor with it. Definitely not a novel to be taken too seriously but rather enjoyed for just what it is. ...entertaining.