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)

Awesome imagination and writing.

Gave it five stars because ten wasn't available.👍 keep up the great work dude.

Very funny, but perhaps not for everyone

I stumbled across this author in a bookstore looking for a book-on-CD before taking a long road trip. The sales clerk recommended "Island of the Sequined Love Nun". What a discovery! Truly laugh-out-loud funny. After that, I downloaded "The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove", which was equally funny. Both books start off a little slow ... but they take off quickly, and then it's quite a ride. Oliver Wyman does such a great job narrating, especially with the wide variety of characters that Moore presents. I can see that not everyone will like Moore's offbeat humor, but his characters are very human and his narration and commentary convey a dry wit that often doesn't translate well. Highly recommended.

hilarious!

I love this read every time! Such a funny tale of love and lizards, and weedwackers.

Engaging fun and entertainment.

I would give The Lust Lizard of Melancholy 4.25 stars. This is the second book I have listened to by Christopher Moore. he has an easy way with his humor and sly puns. He spends time building his characters, which doesn't always hapoen with comedy. the book isn't just out for cheap laughs. it is a warm humor and the reader/listener develops an interest in the people and events of Pine Coves. The performance of the book was prteey good. I would give it about 3.75 stars. There were a few of the voices the Wyman used that were rather grating.

Loved it then and I love it now

I've read this book many times and listen to it many times as well great story. Great story! Definitely a keeper.

its ok

not very good, I've read several other books by Moore and liked them. i just didnt get into the characters and the story was not very interesting or creative.

Absolute FAV!!!!!

Can't count how many times I've read this book and still makes me LOL! I wish this was a series. The part where the monster gets it on with the bus is priceless.Moore never gets old! definitely my go-to for solid laughs and good feelings!

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.