Cons: Mindless reading (not necessarily a con) Humor style may not be for everyone.
The Bottom Line: Coyote Blue is mindless drivel--but recommended mindless drivel! This irreverent look at the Trickster of Crow legend had me chuckling for an entire day.
javajnkie's Full Review: Christopher Moore - Coyote Blue
I've spent too much time over the last few years reading books and journal articles that enriched my brain. This summer, I vowed to find mindless fiction again. With Moore's help, I've succeeded.
I started my reading with Lamb, my very first Christopher Moore book ever. Delighted with his ability to make me chuckle, I raced out to buy more. Coyote Blue was the only book of his left at my local bookstore. Sold.
I wasn't sure what to expect--although I hoped to laugh and wasn't disappointed. Moore does a great job weaving a story and giving me sophomoric humor. He's been compared to Douglas Adams; the comparison is a fairly accurate one.
Coyote Blue tells the tale of Sam Hunter, a yuppie insurance salesman living the good life in Santa Barbara. Sam's life is full of things yet devoid, by design, of close personal relationships and emotions. Sam is a trickster--he sells people what they need even if they don't know they need it, and he does it well. He sells himself too; he's all things to all people while, at the same time, nothing to no one. Thus, Sam's life is a lie.
His life started out richer--he's a full-blooded Crow Indian, born and raised (until his teen years) on a reservation. Back when he was known as Sam Hunts Alone, he found himself in some accidental trouble with the law and ran to the white world--where Samuel Hunter was born and the Crow died.
Ah, but Sam wasn't the only trickster. Years before, during a ritual, he found his Totem--the Coyote. According to Moore, Crow legend says the coyote is a trickster god who spreads chaos, disrupts the universe, and is round-aboutly responsible for the survival of the Crow. Moore's Coyote is a shape-shifter, and takes the form of both animal and man (or woman, when the situation calls for it). He's lewd, crude, antisocial, oversexed, confused about the modern world, and has a detachable member(!)--a perfect fall-guy for Sam and a wonderful humorous element for Moore.
Sam's life seems to be going just fine, until Coyote enters years after Sam leaves the reservation. An hilarious deity, Coyote takes Sam on a journey that teaches him profound life lessons, and introduces him to an ex-druggie girl-of-his dreams. I know, that doesn't make much sense, and this book really doesn't scream "reality" at you. Trust me though, if you read it expecting nothing but laughs, great characters, and the unexpected, you absolutely will not be disappointed.
This book requires no brain-power to read. You won't be left mulling over the meaning of the universe, although you will be left thinking a bit about spirituality. Although I've only read two of Moore's books, it seems to be a theme. You're laughing your butt off one minute reading a humorous novel, and the next you're thinking about ancient religions and myths and wondering about what's behind them.
The best laughs come from the mix of the myth and ancient legend of the Trickster God with the modern world of Santa Barbara, biker gangs, Vegas, and Montana reservations.
I'm passing this book on to a friend. Great summer reading! Like Lamb though, I recommend reading an excerpt of the book to see if the humor is your 'style' before buying it. Actually, I'd recommend borrowing it instead of buying it--it's not really the kind of book I'd read twice.
From master of subversive humor Christopher Moore comes a quirky, irreverent novel of love, myth, metaphysics, outlaw biking, angst, and outrageous re...More at HotBookSale
From the master of subversive humor comes a perennial fan favorite. Coyote Blue introduces Sam Hunter, a 35-year-old insurance salesman who ran away f...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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