Fluke

Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

Marine biologist Nate Quinn is in love with the majestic ocean-dwelling behemoths who have been singing their haunting song for twenty million years. But why do the humpback whales sing? That's the question that has Nate and his crew filming, charting, and recording every whale that crosses their path. Until one day when a whale lifts its tail to display a message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite Me....

No one has ever seen such a thing; not Nate's longtime partner, not world-renowned photographer Clay Demodocus, not their saucy young research assistant, Amy, not even spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman, Kona. And when the film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot--and their research facility is trashed--Nate realizes that something very fishy is going on.

It only gets weirder when a call comes in from Nate's big-bucks benefactor, saying that a whale has phoned her, asking for a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye. Suddenly the answer to the question that has driven Nate throughout his adult life is within reach. And it's not what anyone would think.

So funny

This book is highly entertaining. The story is perfectly laugh out loud silly. I love Christopher Moore books and this is now one of my favorites. Kona is the best character and the narration was spot on. I had to rewind a few times because I wanted to hear what Kona said again so I could crack up more. The Whaley Boys were hilarious too. So many great characters.

Best way to ruin a good book.

Okay, I want to make it clear that this book is one of Moore’s best. I LOVED IT. However, and it’s a big however, I didn’t love the narrator. OMG! (As Abby Normal would say). Bill Irwin (Please forgive me Bill) is as dry and unexciting as, well, the most dry and unexciting thing you can think of.
Irwin just kills this book. I thought I saw Fisher Stevens attached to this audio book on Amazon. What happened? My advice is to get this book on disc at Amazon with Fisher Stevens. What a shame.

Please..., a better reader next time

I had the misfortune of selecting, as my first Christopher Moore book, A Dirty Job. I say "the misfortune" because that book is narrated by Fisher Stevens and he does such a wonderful job that any other reader was bound to suffer by comparison. My second Christopher Moore book was Bloodsucking Fiends, and that book, although not as well read, was also truly enjoyable. It led me to the mistake of buying this book without first listening to the sample.

I have now tried to listen to this book 3 times. Each time I have gotten a little bit further and will probably try again later, but this last time I only got past the first 30 minutes before giving up. It is not that the book is not well written. I am hear passages that ought to have me laughing out loud, but the reading is so flat that it passes, for me, without the laugh it deserves. Others apparently feel differently, but I would strongly suggest that people listen to the sample before downloading the book.

I gave it 3 stars because it is typical Christopher Moore, but it deserved a better reader (and, with it, more stars).

A fun reading experience...

I liked this book a lot. I am a Christopher Moore fan, so I enjoy his unique style and wit. Although this one did have as many "laugh out loud" moments as some of his others, it still had the rich variety of characters and humor. I will recall this story each time I hear the word "goo." Compared to his other books, I think this has been my favorite. I read for many different reasons and when it is just for something light and fun, I can always count on Moore to exceed my expectations in those areas.
The narration was well done. I did not have trouble with tone or the character voices. It was easy to listen. This is not the type of book if you are looking for something serious, but it is a wonderful way to add some fun to a drive.

What a ride!

Usually not a fantasy buff, a friend recommended the book after noticing I was a Pacific Whale Foundation member (save the whale bumper sticker). What fun! Interesting and timely characters. Hawaiian and Carribean accents from the narrator made the story come alive. Although not believable, it was good fodder for a daydream!