Chasing the Moon

De: A. Lee Martinez

Narrado por: Khristine Hvam

Diana's life was in a rut - she hated her job, she was perpetually single, and she needed a place to live. But then the perfect apartment came along. It seemed too good to be true - because it was. As it turns out, the apartment was already inhabited - by monsters.

Vom the Hungering was the first to greet Diana and to warn her that his sole purpose in life was to eat everything in his path. This poses a problem for Diana since she's in his path...and is forbidden from ever leaving the apartment. It turns out though that there are older and more ancient monstrous entities afoot - ones who want to devour the moon and destroy the world as we know it. Can Diana, Vom, and the other horrors stop this from happening? Maybe if they can get Vom to stop eating everything...and everyone.

©2011 A. Lee Martinez (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Martinez excels at off-the-wall storytelling that perfectly suits this cheerful apocalyptic fantasy.” (Publishers Weekly)

Monster Mash

Lee Martinez likes to take ordinary everyday life and hurtle upon it the supernatural and fantastical. In Chasing the Moon, Diana finds an apartment that is too good to be true, which it turns out is, well, too good be true. There is a monster in the closet. There are monsters everywhere. And other mythical creatures and deities.

This may seem familiar to you. Monsters Inc of course. Chris Moore's A Dirty Job et.al. More to the point, A. Lee Martinez's own Monster and Helen & Troy. And Gil's All Fright Diner and Divine Misfortune if you want to try it with zombies and gods. Other titles in his bibliography too. It's his M.O.

If this is the first time you're reading him, you may love it, as I did when I read Helen & Troy and Emperor Mollusk. If you're on your third or fourth, well, you either like it so much that you can't get enough, or you like it well enough but now you're over it. I'm over it. I want to Lee to apply his considerable talent for writing comic fantasy in other ways, as Moore does with (for example) his Shakespeare send-ups.

For me, this was an experiment. It is the only Martinez book I've read in print. I found myself underwhelmed by the aimless story and repetitive themes and surmised that maybe it only works in audio -- I had that same experience with another author I love (several, actually). But listening to it left me with the exact same feeling of deflation -- we've been here before, me and Lee, and I need something new from him.

Enjoyable read

I liked the story. There were places, however, where I found it was difficult to keep myself focused.

Beautifully Bizarre. Charmingly Chaotic.

This is definitely the audiobook to hold the attention of listeners who enjoy equal portion of the bizarre and mundane. Need a thoughtful life lesson or two while under the constant threat of being eaten alive by polite otherworldly monster roomates? Well, it's all here, in this humorously strange and very well narrated book "Chasing the Moon".

Odd but entertaining

This story was very odd. But if you are reading A. Lee Martinez, it's pretty standard. I enjoyed it. I did feel occasionally confused by the story-line. But I never felt the urge to stop listening to it. The confusion somehow added to the atmosphere of the book. I am glad I gave it a try.

just ok

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. could have been funnier, and felt kind of cramped like they were trying to keep it within a specified word limit

Larry's

i I listen to the book I was able to get all the way through it not very good.

weird

I don't take enough mind altering drugs for this to make sense. It was ok. Disjointed at times with little side trips occasionally that had no destination.

Misunderstood

Would you listen to Chasing the Moon again? Why?

Yes, although Bizarre, the book is funny if you understand the style and themes.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Chasing the Moon?

Diana making the "Faustian bargain" even though she didn't know what a Faustian bargain was.

Which character – as performed by Khristine Hvam – was your favorite?

"Zap" a character that defies description with a crisp accent.

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

Diana's friends coming to her aid over and over.

Any additional comments?

There seem to be some bad reviews for this book saying it was confusing or lacked a plot. I found it easy to follow and very funny because of two things: What potential readers need to understand is that this book follows in the style of authors like Douglas Adams wherein "normal" gets thrown out the window and quickly snowballs into the bizarre, with subtle and not so subtle comedy along the way. The bizarre therefore becomes the new Norm, and the return to "normalcy" becomes more elusive and in some cases unwanted. Additionally you have Lovecraft -ian horrors taking up the roles of Sitcom -esque "pals" whereas the actions and reactions of "normal" people seem monstrous by comparison. If the reader can keep in mind these kinds of reversals, then the plot and humor easily shine through.

Exellent

What made the experience of listening to Chasing the Moon the most enjoyable?

Exellent wo

rk, kept me lisiting all night long, could not put it down
S kg

A good read

I wouldn’t say great or fantastic or even his best. If you enjoy the author you will enjoy the book. Not enough funny parts odd parts but that is the book. In the end both women were alone. Didn’t like that too much.