Christopher Moore!

One of my V-Day gifts for Mike was the latest Christopher Moore book, Fool. So I've not had a chance to read it yet myself, but tonight (Friday) Moore was due to sign copies at the Boulder Bookstore and Mike and I were, of course, in attendance, with book in tow.

I love Christopher Moore. Maybe not as much as Mike does, but I still love him all the same. He's hilarious in a twisted and sick sort of way. My personal fave (that I've read so far) is Dirty Job, while Mike's is Lamb (a fave of most Moore fans).

This was my second Moore signing, we saw him when he toured for You Suck, the second vampire book that was released in January of 2007 so it was time to see Moore again anyway. I highly recommend regular doses of his particular brand of humor, just to keep you on your toes. And having seen Moore before, we were prepared for the show. Moore doesn't read, at least not from his books, but tonight he did read a little something that he wrote under the influence of some Nyquil at his hotel, musings about the newly installed and must be politically correct second peephole that he so eloquently said is only good if the person on the other side is just as short (because otherwise you're looking at someone's junk). 

Moore also told the hilarious story of his time at a ceramics factory making baby Jesuses with antlers. If you ask him about it he'll probably tell you too. If you get to attend, he may even have some goodies, but you better be prepared to work for it, that's all I'm saying.

Course during the question segment the thing that was on most people's minds was whether any movies are in the works. I seem to recall this was a pretty popular topic at the last signing as well and while I, too would like to see a film, it's gotta be something Moore fields questions on every time he appears. Thing is an author really has nothing to do with whether his books are adapted. Once rights are sold its our of his hands. And the other thing is that most books are optioned, but most books are never adapted. So, who knows. We'll see. He did say that he spoke recently with someone who wants to do Stupidest Angel and that Chris Columbus has the rights to Dirty Job. Again it remains to be seen whether either will come to be. If you want to cast your vote as to who you would cast in Stupidest Angel, check out Moore's blog.

So to the book (which again I have not read) Fool is Moore's version of Shakespeare's King Lear from the jester's (or fool's) point of view (perhaps in response to our past political environment). Here's the starred review from PW:

Here's the Cliff Notes you wished you'd had for King Lear—the mad royal, his devious daughters, rhyming ghosts and a castle full of hot intrigue—in a cheeky and ribald romp that both channels and chides the Bard and all Fate's bastards. It's 1288, and the king's fool, Pocket, and his dimwit apprentice, Drool, set out to clean up the mess Lear has made of his kingdom, his family and his fortune—only to discover the truth about their own heritage. There's more murder, mayhem, mistaken identities and scene changes than you can remember, but bestselling Moore (You Suck) turns things on their head with an edgy 21st-century perspective that makes the story line as sharp, surly and slick as a game of Grand Theft Auto. Moore confesses he borrows from at least a dozen of the Bard's plays for this buffet of tragedy, comedy and medieval porn action. It's a manic, masterly mix—winning, wild and something today's groundlings will applaud.

So, buy it and love it, and go out and support Chris and you local bookstore if you have a chance to attend one of his signings. Here's the link to his tour dates, just in case.