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Grim Reaper #1
A Dirty Job
Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.
It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's got to do it.
It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's got to do it.
387 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2006
About the author
Christopher Moore
97 books90.8k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Christopher Moore is an American writer of absurdist fiction. He grew up in Mansfield, OH, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.
Moore's novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters suddenly struggling through supernatural or extraordinary circumstances. Inheriting a humanism from his love of John Steinbeck and a sense of the absurd from Kurt Vonnegut, Moore is a best-selling author with major cult status.
Christopher Moore is an American writer of absurdist fiction. He grew up in Mansfield, OH, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.
Moore's novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters suddenly struggling through supernatural or extraordinary circumstances. Inheriting a humanism from his love of John Steinbeck and a sense of the absurd from Kurt Vonnegut, Moore is a best-selling author with major cult status.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,528 reviews
September 11, 2023
It's hard enough to be a parent that you also have to be Death incarnate.
One day you are a parent trying hard to make things work, the next thing you know, you receive the big book of the dead and unwillingly become a taker of souls. Charlie Asher is a highly insecure owner of a modest second hand shop, has a little baby girl named Sophie, and now, he is a reluctant part time grim reaper. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.
The big book clearly warns it: Don't screw it up! But when people accidentally start dropping dead all around him, Charlie knows things are going to go south fast. The deadly dark powers of the Underworld are rising, and soon, no citizen in the city will be safe. Not his close ones, not Sophie, and certainly not him.
An entertaining humorous novel, not great, but fairly enjoyable. Felt like a mixture of the 'Dead like me' tv series with the absurd 'Hitchhikers' humor, but without the sci-fi. A noticeable abundance of dark humor and nasty jokes. Not really suited for the easily offended. Charlie Asher is one funny goofy character, and I could certainly identify with his beta male personality :p.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[2006] [387p] [Humor] [Almost Recommendable]
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★★★☆☆ 1. A Dirty Job [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. Secondhand Souls
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Es suficientemente difícil ser padre, que también tenés que ser la Muerte encarnada.
Un día sos un padre tratando mucho de hacer funcionar las cosas, y lo próximo que pasa, recibís el gran libro de muerte y te convertis involuntariamente en un tomador de almas. Charlie Asher es un altamente inseguro dueño de una modesta tienda de segunda mano, tiene una pequeña hija llamada Sophie, y ahora, es renuentemente la parca a tiempo medio. Es un trabajo sucio, pero alguien tiene que hacerlo.
El gran libro claramente lo advierte: No lo arruines! Pero cuando la gente accidentalmente empieza a caer muerta todo alrededor suyo, Charlie sabe que las cosas se van a ir rápidamente al traste. Los mortales oscuros poderes del inframundo se levantan, y pronto, ningún ciudadano estará a salvo. No sus nás cercanos, no Sophie, y ciertamente, no él!
Una entretenida novela humorística, no excelente, pero bastante disfrutable. Se sintió como una mezcla de la serie 'Dead like me' y el absurdo humor de 'Hitchhikers', pero sin el componente sci-fi. Una notable abundancia de humor negro y chistes sexuales. No realmente apropiado para el que se ofende fácilmente. Charlie Asher es un gracioso y ridículo personaje, pero ciertamente pude identificarme con su personalidad de tipo beta :p.
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NOTA PERSONAL :
[2006] [387p] [Humor] [Casi Recomendable]
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One day you are a parent trying hard to make things work, the next thing you know, you receive the big book of the dead and unwillingly become a taker of souls. Charlie Asher is a highly insecure owner of a modest second hand shop, has a little baby girl named Sophie, and now, he is a reluctant part time grim reaper. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.
The big book clearly warns it: Don't screw it up! But when people accidentally start dropping dead all around him, Charlie knows things are going to go south fast. The deadly dark powers of the Underworld are rising, and soon, no citizen in the city will be safe. Not his close ones, not Sophie, and certainly not him.
An entertaining humorous novel, not great, but fairly enjoyable. Felt like a mixture of the 'Dead like me' tv series with the absurd 'Hitchhikers' humor, but without the sci-fi. A noticeable abundance of dark humor and nasty jokes. Not really suited for the easily offended. Charlie Asher is one funny goofy character, and I could certainly identify with his beta male personality :p.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2006] [387p] [Humor] [Almost Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★☆☆ 1. A Dirty Job [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. Secondhand Souls
-----------------------------------------------
Es suficientemente difícil ser padre, que también tenés que ser la Muerte encarnada.
Un día sos un padre tratando mucho de hacer funcionar las cosas, y lo próximo que pasa, recibís el gran libro de muerte y te convertis involuntariamente en un tomador de almas. Charlie Asher es un altamente inseguro dueño de una modesta tienda de segunda mano, tiene una pequeña hija llamada Sophie, y ahora, es renuentemente la parca a tiempo medio. Es un trabajo sucio, pero alguien tiene que hacerlo.
El gran libro claramente lo advierte: No lo arruines! Pero cuando la gente accidentalmente empieza a caer muerta todo alrededor suyo, Charlie sabe que las cosas se van a ir rápidamente al traste. Los mortales oscuros poderes del inframundo se levantan, y pronto, ningún ciudadano estará a salvo. No sus nás cercanos, no Sophie, y ciertamente, no él!
Una entretenida novela humorística, no excelente, pero bastante disfrutable. Se sintió como una mezcla de la serie 'Dead like me' y el absurdo humor de 'Hitchhikers', pero sin el componente sci-fi. Una notable abundancia de humor negro y chistes sexuales. No realmente apropiado para el que se ofende fácilmente. Charlie Asher es un gracioso y ridículo personaje, pero ciertamente pude identificarme con su personalidad de tipo beta :p.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2006] [387p] [Humor] [Casi Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
October 27, 2022
Christopher Moore - image from the Portland Mercury
Charlie Asher is a pretty regular guy having a regular life, until he sees death hovering over his wife following the birth of their first child. Strange things begin to happen and it takes a while before Charlie learns that he has been selected as a Death Merchant, a collector of the souls of those nearly or recently deceased. The job comes with a rulebook which, like most instructional manuals is of limited value. It gets even weirder when he learns that his baby girl has a bit of power all her own. Moore’s cast of quirky characters includes dueling babysitters, middle aged ladies from China and Russia, a goth 16-year-old assistant and an ex-cop who works for him in his second hand shop. His lesbian sister is quite sympathetic even if she does keep stealing suits from his closet. And oh, yeah, he is pursued by creatures from below, sewer-harpies who long to return to the land above for a little bloodletting, with Charlie and his baby topping their menus.
This is literally laugh-out-loud funny. He goes a bit too dark I thought in describing details of the harpies’ endeavors, but this is a wonderful, fun read.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages, plus his stand-alone blog
October 17, 2021
As if upbringing wasn´t hard enough, a metaphysical, forced second job doesn´t really make it any easier.
It would be interesting to know where Pratchett took his inspiration for DEATH and if Moore was inspired by him, very probably, or by some other author who thought that personifying death or making him a franchise seeking, overworked dealer of doom, wouldn´t be sweet.
But the real kicker of this thing is the fact that which opens up the room for the real hilarity, quicker cuts, and more dynamic plot development. It´s enjoyable how the cast of weird sidekicks and secondary characters react to the new development, indirectly making fun of stereotypes about these groups, upbringing, and, I am not sure about this, babies and infants? Ok, they are of course ridiculous too, these huge heads, clumsy, kind of, meh, let´s be honest, totally useless and unproductive, a socioeconomically dead period of life.
The thing that is missing in Moore´s work, except his work Lamb, while it´s a substantial element of Ruffs´, Pratchett´s, Robbins´, Boyle´s, although he isn´t really funny but depressing, etc. creations, is the meta, social criticism level. Slapstick, weird characters, hilarious dialogues, the one or other critical innuendo, but not more than that. That´s especially strange because, as mentioned, Lamb is one of the most amazing clerical criticisms of all time, making fun of faith in a way that´s amazing, being entertaining and educating, not too extremely blasphemous, but definitively not tame too.
For any reason, Moore preferred to position himself as a more easygoing, trivial, 2dimensional comedy writer, instead of expanding towards the full 3D, full in your face satire. Even stranger, subjectively it must be much harder to write funny dialogues and situations in contrast to just adding some indirect, boring, social criticism in some dialogues or expositional actions. But possibly I am misunderstanding something and the reason is that it´s much harder to construct full frontal, sophisticated satire that has much fewer options than haha he fell and died humor, so I maybe kind of self explained it.
On the other hand, again, Lamb was his greatest hit, so maybe it´s more a question of time effort, producing 2 to 3 good works instead of one great, because it showed that he knew and was able to combine lowbrow and highbrow satire to a masterpiece.
However, in the not so big comedy writing universe, Moore is a relatively stable star without much danger of unexpected, rhetoric protuberances that gamma ray burst away lifetime wasted with unfunny satire, having 3 to 5 very good and some good reads, what a wordplay thank me later for free promotion social cataloging network, easygoing and quick for in between, perfect between the more heavy, dark comedy stuff that´s waiting out there too if you are in the lucky position of not having explored this genre.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
It would be interesting to know where Pratchett took his inspiration for DEATH and if Moore was inspired by him, very probably, or by some other author who thought that personifying death or making him a franchise seeking, overworked dealer of doom, wouldn´t be sweet.
But the real kicker of this thing is the fact that which opens up the room for the real hilarity, quicker cuts, and more dynamic plot development. It´s enjoyable how the cast of weird sidekicks and secondary characters react to the new development, indirectly making fun of stereotypes about these groups, upbringing, and, I am not sure about this, babies and infants? Ok, they are of course ridiculous too, these huge heads, clumsy, kind of, meh, let´s be honest, totally useless and unproductive, a socioeconomically dead period of life.
The thing that is missing in Moore´s work, except his work Lamb, while it´s a substantial element of Ruffs´, Pratchett´s, Robbins´, Boyle´s, although he isn´t really funny but depressing, etc. creations, is the meta, social criticism level. Slapstick, weird characters, hilarious dialogues, the one or other critical innuendo, but not more than that. That´s especially strange because, as mentioned, Lamb is one of the most amazing clerical criticisms of all time, making fun of faith in a way that´s amazing, being entertaining and educating, not too extremely blasphemous, but definitively not tame too.
For any reason, Moore preferred to position himself as a more easygoing, trivial, 2dimensional comedy writer, instead of expanding towards the full 3D, full in your face satire. Even stranger, subjectively it must be much harder to write funny dialogues and situations in contrast to just adding some indirect, boring, social criticism in some dialogues or expositional actions. But possibly I am misunderstanding something and the reason is that it´s much harder to construct full frontal, sophisticated satire that has much fewer options than haha he fell and died humor, so I maybe kind of self explained it.
On the other hand, again, Lamb was his greatest hit, so maybe it´s more a question of time effort, producing 2 to 3 good works instead of one great, because it showed that he knew and was able to combine lowbrow and highbrow satire to a masterpiece.
However, in the not so big comedy writing universe, Moore is a relatively stable star without much danger of unexpected, rhetoric protuberances that gamma ray burst away lifetime wasted with unfunny satire, having 3 to 5 very good and some good reads, what a wordplay thank me later for free promotion social cataloging network, easygoing and quick for in between, perfect between the more heavy, dark comedy stuff that´s waiting out there too if you are in the lucky position of not having explored this genre.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
February 11, 2015
Three and a half stars.
If you threw Carl Hiaasen and Stephen King’s brains into a blender and pureed them with nutmeg and cinnamon, drank it like a protein shake and decided to take up writing, your resulting book might be this. You have death merchants, hounds from hell, grotesque monsters living in the San Francisco sewers and impending doom. For Hiaasen you have a huge dollop of quirkiness. Every character is quirky. Hand me a handy wipe, for I have quirk all over my shirt.
Charlie Asher is a beta male (there’s a funny addendum/quiz at the back of the book that lets you test to see whether you’re a beta male), which puts him slightly above average in the human pecking order. Charlie has also been appointed to be a death merchant. That means his job is to find the souls of dead people. They’re encased in a variety of objects, which glow red. Poor Charlie also needs to run his business, grieve for his late wife, take care of his newborn daughter, battle monsters and deal with lots of quirky people.
This is a funny book, with a few memorable characters (sarcastic Goth girl Lily and a seven-foot black man who dresses in a green suit and goes by the name of Minty Fresh, to name a few – yeah, quirky); however, if it was half the length and had half the quirk, I’d have liked it even more.
If you threw Carl Hiaasen and Stephen King’s brains into a blender and pureed them with nutmeg and cinnamon, drank it like a protein shake and decided to take up writing, your resulting book might be this. You have death merchants, hounds from hell, grotesque monsters living in the San Francisco sewers and impending doom. For Hiaasen you have a huge dollop of quirkiness. Every character is quirky. Hand me a handy wipe, for I have quirk all over my shirt.
Charlie Asher is a beta male (there’s a funny addendum/quiz at the back of the book that lets you test to see whether you’re a beta male), which puts him slightly above average in the human pecking order. Charlie has also been appointed to be a death merchant. That means his job is to find the souls of dead people. They’re encased in a variety of objects, which glow red. Poor Charlie also needs to run his business, grieve for his late wife, take care of his newborn daughter, battle monsters and deal with lots of quirky people.
This is a funny book, with a few memorable characters (sarcastic Goth girl Lily and a seven-foot black man who dresses in a green suit and goes by the name of Minty Fresh, to name a few – yeah, quirky); however, if it was half the length and had half the quirk, I’d have liked it even more.
September 23, 2008
Go read this book. Now. It's hilarious, you will not regret it. That is all the review it requires. =)
October 26, 2007
It seems to me that Moore wants to be a cross between Stephen King and Dave Barry, and for the first half of this book, he nearly succeeds. But once he reaches the midway point, he falls into the trap of trying to squeeze in every one-liner he can -- the result is that all of his characters end up speaking in the same, snarky voice, and no one really seems to be anything other than a generic, stock character.
This tends to be a consistent problem in all of his books I've read to date - he seems to value his own cleverness as far as crafting one-off jokes rather than trusting that humor will naturally arise from well crafted situations and characters. As comedic novels go, in this case Moore has taken a brilliant premise, then crafted a second or third-rate sitcom around it. In short, it feels like a first draft rather than a completed novel.
However, his books do continue to grow in popularity (which should be no surprise to me given that "Two and a Half Men" is consistently in the Nielsen top 10). And I keep reading his work because there is always a lot of promise in the basic concepts. Next time, I hope he has a strong editor that will send him back to tighten up his plotlines and more clearly define his characters so that his next novel will live up to the description on the book jacket.
Even more "meh".
This tends to be a consistent problem in all of his books I've read to date - he seems to value his own cleverness as far as crafting one-off jokes rather than trusting that humor will naturally arise from well crafted situations and characters. As comedic novels go, in this case Moore has taken a brilliant premise, then crafted a second or third-rate sitcom around it. In short, it feels like a first draft rather than a completed novel.
However, his books do continue to grow in popularity (which should be no surprise to me given that "Two and a Half Men" is consistently in the Nielsen top 10). And I keep reading his work because there is always a lot of promise in the basic concepts. Next time, I hope he has a strong editor that will send him back to tighten up his plotlines and more clearly define his characters so that his next novel will live up to the description on the book jacket.
Even more "meh".
December 4, 2013
I wanted to read Moore's book Lamb, but it was checked out so I picked up A Dirty Job instead. It maybe was a bad sample of his work, but as luck would have it, it's what I read, wanting to stop in several places, but hoping it would redeem itself. No such luck. The book was hard to follow timewise-- basically you don't know if action is taking place over a week or 6 years. The characters are flat and annoying, and the dialogue is the same. The book is also misogynistic and racist at points, which I'm sure the author saw as "gentle teasing" but in actuality was quite disgusting. In the end, my interest in reading any of Christopher Moore's other books has been permanently put to rest.
January 1, 2023
The Grim Rreaper?
Charlie Asher (Beta Male) suddenly finds himself widowed after the birth of his daughter, Sophie. He also finds himself the newest recruit of Death. No, he is not The Death, he is simply to collect the souls of the recently departed and store them until they are ready to be placed with a new body. He is a Death Merchant, or at least that is the name coined by Mr. Fresh, the record store owner who collected his wife's soul.
As if all of this wasn't enough, poor Charlie has to figure out how to keep his little girl from pointing at people and saying, kitty, as they seem to drop dead after she does it. There is also the issue of the Hellhounds. Yes, he is grateful Sophie has some pets that can finally survive her special talent, but they are a little hard to explain to the neighbors.
Death is a hard subject to wrap your mind around, much less find humorous, but somehow Moore does it. He manages to make it touching and funny at the same time. Very cute story.
I will say that upon relistening to this 14 years later, all that beta male stuff was just dorky. Not sure if it just didn't age well as a joke, or if I just didn't notice how stupid it was the first time around. It's still a mostly fun book, though, and I plan on reading the sequel at some point.
Charlie Asher (Beta Male) suddenly finds himself widowed after the birth of his daughter, Sophie. He also finds himself the newest recruit of Death. No, he is not The Death, he is simply to collect the souls of the recently departed and store them until they are ready to be placed with a new body. He is a Death Merchant, or at least that is the name coined by Mr. Fresh, the record store owner who collected his wife's soul.
As if all of this wasn't enough, poor Charlie has to figure out how to keep his little girl from pointing at people and saying, kitty, as they seem to drop dead after she does it. There is also the issue of the Hellhounds. Yes, he is grateful Sophie has some pets that can finally survive her special talent, but they are a little hard to explain to the neighbors.
Death is a hard subject to wrap your mind around, much less find humorous, but somehow Moore does it. He manages to make it touching and funny at the same time. Very cute story.
I will say that upon relistening to this 14 years later, all that beta male stuff was just dorky. Not sure if it just didn't age well as a joke, or if I just didn't notice how stupid it was the first time around. It's still a mostly fun book, though, and I plan on reading the sequel at some point.
June 22, 2021
I loved this way more than I even expected to, to be honest! The author has a great imagination and a fantastic sense of humor that rolled together and created a morbidly hilarious masterpiece. Can’t wait to find out what happens in the second book!
June 27, 2008
Let me preface this by saying I LOVE Christopher Moore. L-O-V-E. If he wrote a grocery list, I'd read it rapturously. This book (along with Lamb, which I will also review shortly) is one of my absolute favorites of his. "A Dirty Job" may be his funniest, wittiest book yet (although "Lamb" is pretty close....). This book has the average Beta male, Charlie Asher, his dead wife, their newborn daughter, little old Asian and Russian babysitters, a jailbait goth girl store clerk, expensive suits, hellhounds, Death Merchants, Three Fingered Hu (the drycleaner and his granddaughter Cindy Lou Hu...get it???), squirrels in tutus, Filipino she-male dating sites, and a seven foot tall black record store owner driving a Cadillac Eldorado and dressed in green suits whose name is Minty Fresh, AND it is dedicated to hospice workers and the important work they do. How could you not love it?? Moore has a smart, comical way of writing that just tickles my brain in that oh so delicious way that makes me just love language even more, and this book does not disappoint. His surreal, absurdist humor is sublime. However, he tempers that humour with a compassion,a humanness, an ability to make one look at universal truths and the human condition (in this book's case, death, dying, love, how we deal with our fears and the death of those we love, different tenents of world religions, destiny, the epic battle of good vs. evil, etc). When one looks past the comedy, one can see so much more in his novels. His writing is irreverent, wickedly fun, engaging, thoughtful and leaves you smiling, satisfied, giggling (and groaning) and full of all sorts of metaphysical thoughts. Moore thoroughly draws you into his unique world and completely engages you. And this book is set in San Francisco and is full of lovely little descriptions and anecdotes about the city (which had me snickering and nodding as I love SF, but even if you don't know the city, it will make you feel like you'd like to). I'm one of those people who, when I read a book I enjoy this much, love to jot down the poignant, funny, smart lines that really struck me or made me say "now THIS is writing"; with this book, it was just too big a task. There are delightful one-liners peppered throughout, beautiful passages, and dialogue that has me snickering every other page. All in all, this book vies for the title My Favorite Moore Book, and definitely for one of the funniest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Try it: you'll giggle, you'll sigh, you'll think. Trust me. Like Bear. *giggle, snort*
March 1, 2016
I am a big fan of Moore, he is witty, kooky, has a penchant for the occult and tells a good story.
Way back in HS I read Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse, and this is a satirical, humorous variation on that theme. Moore is stringing together elements of his other novels and has recurring characters, all the more fun.
A Dirty Job deals with the tale of Charlie Asher, the owner of an antique store in San Francisco who is a “beta male” as opposed to an alpha and he is raising his daughter alone following his wife’s death.
Charlie is a “death merchant” meaning that he finds, collects and protects souls from the forces of the underworld. Moore includes elements of the strange and bizarre, mythological and fantastic characters (like the Irish Morrigan) and also Orcus of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons fame (and Roman and Etruscan myth).
One of Moore’s better books, it is told with humor and warmth and would be a good introduction to his work. A fan of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series would also like this.
Way back in HS I read Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse, and this is a satirical, humorous variation on that theme. Moore is stringing together elements of his other novels and has recurring characters, all the more fun.
A Dirty Job deals with the tale of Charlie Asher, the owner of an antique store in San Francisco who is a “beta male” as opposed to an alpha and he is raising his daughter alone following his wife’s death.
Charlie is a “death merchant” meaning that he finds, collects and protects souls from the forces of the underworld. Moore includes elements of the strange and bizarre, mythological and fantastic characters (like the Irish Morrigan) and also Orcus of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons fame (and Roman and Etruscan myth).
One of Moore’s better books, it is told with humor and warmth and would be a good introduction to his work. A fan of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series would also like this.
February 10, 2017
I struggled to find a pigeonhole for this book, so I did a quick internet search to find some help. This just confused me more -- take your pick of genres: dark humour, supernatural horror, absurdist fiction, paranormal and more. Whatever it is, I found it to be funny.
Is it my usual fancy? Probably not. I generally like my humorous reads to straddle the edge of believability, and this went a bit further than that. I accept though the boundaries of other people's imaginations can stretch a lot further than mine.
The book is slickly written and it tweaked my funnybone quite a few times. It is a good story with some wonderfully bizarre characters, which I very much like. I was fine with the sexual references.
I confess it took me six weeks to read this book. But my sluggishness had much more to do with my busy work schedule than the ease of the read. Having cleared my work commitments, I ripped through the last third of the book today. I found the ending to be a rollercoaster, with a nice little twist at the end.
Is it my usual fancy? Probably not. I generally like my humorous reads to straddle the edge of believability, and this went a bit further than that. I accept though the boundaries of other people's imaginations can stretch a lot further than mine.
The book is slickly written and it tweaked my funnybone quite a few times. It is a good story with some wonderfully bizarre characters, which I very much like. I was fine with the sexual references.
I confess it took me six weeks to read this book. But my sluggishness had much more to do with my busy work schedule than the ease of the read. Having cleared my work commitments, I ripped through the last third of the book today. I found the ending to be a rollercoaster, with a nice little twist at the end.
September 10, 2016
After the birth of his daughter, Charlie Asher, mild-mannered Beta Male, finds his life upended--and not just because he's become a new father. Through a strange course of events, he finds that he has been selected to be a Death Merchant, harvesting the souls of the dead and helping them on their journey to transcendence. The job, unfortunately, comes with a shit-ton of problems, such as being suspected of murder; hellhounds unexpectedly manifesting in his home; sewer harpies taunting him at every turn; encounters with an army of small, nattily dressed chimera; the perpetual threat of the Forces of Darkness rising if he fails; and the disconcerting knowledge that his daughter can kill by simply pointing and uttering that most powerful and fear inducing of words: "kitty." Plus, "Hi, I'm Death. With the big 'D'" doesn't really work as a pick-up line with the ladies. He's got ninety-nine problems, but a bitch ain't one.
His guide to his new lifestyle is The Great Big Book of Death, which really isn't that big. Or informative. Really it's just a lot of cartoonish pictures with such helpful tips as "In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar." Death shops at Staples. Sucks to be Charlie.
There are a lot of words that I could throw around about Moore's writing: zany, wacky, demented, hilarious. But let's go ahead and toss "poignant" on the list. Trust me, everything you expect from a Moore novel is here, but one of the things I admire about his stories is that, for all the strangeness getting stranger, there's a well-spring of compassion and respect for humanity in his work that can surface when you least expect it. It should be no surprise that people die in a book about death, but what may catch many off guard is the genuine respect Moore demonstrates for the passing of a human life and a keen understanding that "Most of us don't live our lives with one, integrated self that meets the world, we're a whole bunch of selves. When someone dies, they all integrate into the soul--the essence of who we are, beyond the different faces we wear throughout our lives." Moments like this are what elevate Moore's work above pure screwball comedic writing. He has a keen understanding that life is absurdity and that humor is the best coping mechanism we have.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
His guide to his new lifestyle is The Great Big Book of Death, which really isn't that big. Or informative. Really it's just a lot of cartoonish pictures with such helpful tips as "In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar." Death shops at Staples. Sucks to be Charlie.
There are a lot of words that I could throw around about Moore's writing: zany, wacky, demented, hilarious. But let's go ahead and toss "poignant" on the list. Trust me, everything you expect from a Moore novel is here, but one of the things I admire about his stories is that, for all the strangeness getting stranger, there's a well-spring of compassion and respect for humanity in his work that can surface when you least expect it. It should be no surprise that people die in a book about death, but what may catch many off guard is the genuine respect Moore demonstrates for the passing of a human life and a keen understanding that "Most of us don't live our lives with one, integrated self that meets the world, we're a whole bunch of selves. When someone dies, they all integrate into the soul--the essence of who we are, beyond the different faces we wear throughout our lives." Moments like this are what elevate Moore's work above pure screwball comedic writing. He has a keen understanding that life is absurdity and that humor is the best coping mechanism we have.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
July 11, 2017
Such an odd story.
The only bit I did not like was the very imaginative ending. I just can't deal with monsters and evil crow women or 50+ creatures made out of mixed animal parts.
The characters were brillant. Funny situations and funny conversations.
Loved the Russian and Chinese woman that looked after Sophie all the time "strong like bear"
My favourite quote from the book has to be " Mrs Ling covered Sophie's eyes to shield her from the abomination her fathers' unwillingly journey into beastiliaty.
The only bit I did not like was the very imaginative ending. I just can't deal with monsters and evil crow women or 50+ creatures made out of mixed animal parts.
The characters were brillant. Funny situations and funny conversations.
Loved the Russian and Chinese woman that looked after Sophie all the time "strong like bear"
My favourite quote from the book has to be " Mrs Ling covered Sophie's eyes to shield her from the abomination her fathers' unwillingly journey into beastiliaty.
Read
November 9, 2020No rating.
The only reason I kept reading for as long as I did was curiosity with the kid. I had two theories and I've just cracked it.
There's too much rambling about beta males. As a black woman I just find it very hard to relate or care for this insipid attempt at paranormal dick lit. This book is, quite simply, not for me.
The only reason I kept reading for as long as I did was curiosity with the kid. I had two theories and I've just cracked it.
There's too much rambling about beta males. As a black woman I just find it very hard to relate or care for this insipid attempt at paranormal dick lit. This book is, quite simply, not for me.
April 27, 2020
This book was hilarious! So many times I had to stop reading because I was laughing to hard. The humor is a bit darker and more adult though, fair warning.
The easiest way to even explain this book is simply that the main character, Charlie Asher, is a Beta Male. He overthinks things and wouldn't involve himself if he didn't have to, which is really hard to do now since he's been recruited to be Death. Which is really a complication for him now that he also has a newborn baby girl named Sophie that he has to look after.
Every time I read this book I was just expecting to have a good laugh. Christopher Moore is one hell of an author and I can't wait to pick up more of his books!
I really don't know what else to say about this book other than I loved it and it was hilarious!
The easiest way to even explain this book is simply that the main character, Charlie Asher, is a Beta Male. He overthinks things and wouldn't involve himself if he didn't have to, which is really hard to do now since he's been recruited to be Death. Which is really a complication for him now that he also has a newborn baby girl named Sophie that he has to look after.
Every time I read this book I was just expecting to have a good laugh. Christopher Moore is one hell of an author and I can't wait to pick up more of his books!
I really don't know what else to say about this book other than I loved it and it was hilarious!
March 28, 2023
A Dirty Job
By Christopher Moore
I have read this book about four times in my life and it hasn't gotten old! My niece had not heard it before so I got the audio version from the library and we listened to it. We were both giggling like little girls! Its still as funny as ever!
The main character is happy with a wife and baby on the way. He gets to the hospital and visits then leaves, forgets to give wife favorite cd, goes back to her room and sees a man there. He sees Death. No one tells him if you see Death then you will become Death's retriever. His baby grows a bit, she has some Death powers.
There are things trying to kill him. A detective thinks he might be involved with the murders at first. A baby that kills with the word "Kitty". And so much more! Fun, fun fun!
By Christopher Moore
I have read this book about four times in my life and it hasn't gotten old! My niece had not heard it before so I got the audio version from the library and we listened to it. We were both giggling like little girls! Its still as funny as ever!
The main character is happy with a wife and baby on the way. He gets to the hospital and visits then leaves, forgets to give wife favorite cd, goes back to her room and sees a man there. He sees Death. No one tells him if you see Death then you will become Death's retriever. His baby grows a bit, she has some Death powers.
There are things trying to kill him. A detective thinks he might be involved with the murders at first. A baby that kills with the word "Kitty". And so much more! Fun, fun fun!
February 9, 2008
What is that, you might ask? Well, in Moore's words:
"When Alpha Males set out to conquer neighboring tribes, to count coups and take heads, Beta Males could see in advance that in the event of victory, the influx of female slaves was going to leave a surplus of mateless women cast out for younger trophy models, with nothing to do but salt down the heads and file the uncounted coups, and some would find solace in the arms of any Beta Male smart enough to survive.... The world is led by Alpha Males, but the machinery of the world turns on the bearings of the Beta Male....
When Charlie finds himself a widower with an infant daughter, his Beta Male imagination can't find any way to cope. Until he finds that he's been chosen for a new avocation - a Merchant of Death. His job is to collect souls, bound to objects owned by the dying, and to make sure they get into the right hands. People come to his shop, Asher's Secondhand, and buy what they need. And occasionally, they need a soul.
For such a funny book, Moore has put a really interesting metaphysical idea in this book. That idea is kind of creepy - not everybody has a soul. At least, not all the time. Souls need to learn and develop. Unfortunately, one person's life is not always enough time in which to learn those important lessons. So when the body dies, the soul moves on. But not necessarily into another person. Sometimes it might go into an object - a CD, a pair of sneakers, an umbrella - to await their next body. Charlie Asher's job - his and the other Merchants of Death - is to make sure those souls are kept safe until their next owners come by to collect them.
Of course, it's never quite that easy. While being a Merchant of Death certainly helps Charlie in the years following his wife's death, there are Dark Forces out there who want those souls. With human souls, the Dark Forces will become stronger, strong enough to decide who will be the Luminatus - the new, true Death.
This book packs a lot into nearly 400 pages. There's the humor, of course, the absurdist fantasy humor that Christopher Moore does so very well. But there's also the philosophy of souls that I hadn't come across before, and - most central to the book - a good hard look at death.
This book is dedicated in part to hospice workers, the people who volunteer to help people out of this life and into the next, the people who have the strength to deal with one of the most frightening aspects of human existence. While Moore's presentation of death and dying certainly isn't pretty, or necessarily reassuring, it isn't scary. It's purposeful and important and, more importantly, bigger than the person who is doing the dying. From time to time, we all need to look at this inevitability and resolve to meet it with the same dignity and reverence that we would meet any other great moment in our lives. For a guy who makes a living writing funny fantasy/horror, Moore has done a very nice job at making his point.
Oh, and I mentioned before the subject of his endings, how they usually seem to be kind of forced and too fast. This is better than his earlier works, although you do kind of see the ending coming from really far away. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but perhaps a bit like death itself - you know what the ending will be, but you try to make yourself forget so that it'll be a surprise when you get there.... Or something.
"When Alpha Males set out to conquer neighboring tribes, to count coups and take heads, Beta Males could see in advance that in the event of victory, the influx of female slaves was going to leave a surplus of mateless women cast out for younger trophy models, with nothing to do but salt down the heads and file the uncounted coups, and some would find solace in the arms of any Beta Male smart enough to survive.... The world is led by Alpha Males, but the machinery of the world turns on the bearings of the Beta Male....
When Charlie finds himself a widower with an infant daughter, his Beta Male imagination can't find any way to cope. Until he finds that he's been chosen for a new avocation - a Merchant of Death. His job is to collect souls, bound to objects owned by the dying, and to make sure they get into the right hands. People come to his shop, Asher's Secondhand, and buy what they need. And occasionally, they need a soul.
For such a funny book, Moore has put a really interesting metaphysical idea in this book. That idea is kind of creepy - not everybody has a soul. At least, not all the time. Souls need to learn and develop. Unfortunately, one person's life is not always enough time in which to learn those important lessons. So when the body dies, the soul moves on. But not necessarily into another person. Sometimes it might go into an object - a CD, a pair of sneakers, an umbrella - to await their next body. Charlie Asher's job - his and the other Merchants of Death - is to make sure those souls are kept safe until their next owners come by to collect them.
Of course, it's never quite that easy. While being a Merchant of Death certainly helps Charlie in the years following his wife's death, there are Dark Forces out there who want those souls. With human souls, the Dark Forces will become stronger, strong enough to decide who will be the Luminatus - the new, true Death.
This book packs a lot into nearly 400 pages. There's the humor, of course, the absurdist fantasy humor that Christopher Moore does so very well. But there's also the philosophy of souls that I hadn't come across before, and - most central to the book - a good hard look at death.
This book is dedicated in part to hospice workers, the people who volunteer to help people out of this life and into the next, the people who have the strength to deal with one of the most frightening aspects of human existence. While Moore's presentation of death and dying certainly isn't pretty, or necessarily reassuring, it isn't scary. It's purposeful and important and, more importantly, bigger than the person who is doing the dying. From time to time, we all need to look at this inevitability and resolve to meet it with the same dignity and reverence that we would meet any other great moment in our lives. For a guy who makes a living writing funny fantasy/horror, Moore has done a very nice job at making his point.
Oh, and I mentioned before the subject of his endings, how they usually seem to be kind of forced and too fast. This is better than his earlier works, although you do kind of see the ending coming from really far away. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but perhaps a bit like death itself - you know what the ending will be, but you try to make yourself forget so that it'll be a surprise when you get there.... Or something.
May 18, 2022
Wow, this was a very pleasant surprise (it's my first book by this author).
Meet Charlie Asher. He's quite neurotic. Especially ever since the love of his life got pregnant. It's therefore an especially cruel twist of fate when his dearly beloved actually turns into his dearly departed after giving birth to one hell of a baby girl.
But that is only the opening paragraph in what soon becomes a hilarious jaunt through San Francisco, collecting souls and trying desperately NOT to come to the attention of the SFPD.
You see, Charlie has been chosen to act as a reaper. Death (with a capital D) has disappeared some time ago and the Forces of Darkness have tried to rise ever since. Or so a book is telling the reapers. A book that is kinda like a manual. Only, the book seems to be different depending on where the respective reaper lives. And since they aren't supposed to talk to one another, there is a big margin for error. Plus, some refuse to believe the reaper thing is real in the first place.
Like Charlie, who has enough on his hands with his kid, who seems to kill any and all pets he can get her and definitely is taught the wrong things by her auntie and two babysitters (a Chinese and a Russian neighbor). It's hard being a working dad but even more so if you own a secondhand clothing store and one of your employees is a spontaneously and incorrectly French speaking nihilist while the other is a paranoid ex-cop who is hopeless with hook-up apps.
Squirrel assassins in ballroom gowns, horny ravens, and two hellhounds with frankly ridiculous names are also part of the cast.
Sounds chaotic? Ridiculous even? Well, you've seen nothing yet! When the Emperor of San Francisco is the most normal and sane person of the bunch, you know you're in for a wild ride.
And wild it was. Humour is a fickle thing and it's often a fine line between funny and trying-too-hard. I'm happy to let you know that this author definitely is funny. Hilarious even. I could quote at least half the book (see the numerous quotes I did highlight) and still wouldn't do it justice. I burst out laughing so many times, I had to wipe tears out of my eyes.
On to the sequel!
Meet Charlie Asher. He's quite neurotic. Especially ever since the love of his life got pregnant. It's therefore an especially cruel twist of fate when his dearly beloved actually turns into his dearly departed after giving birth to one hell of a baby girl.
But that is only the opening paragraph in what soon becomes a hilarious jaunt through San Francisco, collecting souls and trying desperately NOT to come to the attention of the SFPD.
You see, Charlie has been chosen to act as a reaper. Death (with a capital D) has disappeared some time ago and the Forces of Darkness have tried to rise ever since. Or so a book is telling the reapers. A book that is kinda like a manual. Only, the book seems to be different depending on where the respective reaper lives. And since they aren't supposed to talk to one another, there is a big margin for error. Plus, some refuse to believe the reaper thing is real in the first place.
Like Charlie, who has enough on his hands with his kid, who seems to kill any and all pets he can get her and definitely is taught the wrong things by her auntie and two babysitters (a Chinese and a Russian neighbor). It's hard being a working dad but even more so if you own a secondhand clothing store and one of your employees is a spontaneously and incorrectly French speaking nihilist while the other is a paranoid ex-cop who is hopeless with hook-up apps.
Squirrel assassins in ballroom gowns, horny ravens, and two hellhounds with frankly ridiculous names are also part of the cast.
Sounds chaotic? Ridiculous even? Well, you've seen nothing yet! When the Emperor of San Francisco is the most normal and sane person of the bunch, you know you're in for a wild ride.
And wild it was. Humour is a fickle thing and it's often a fine line between funny and trying-too-hard. I'm happy to let you know that this author definitely is funny. Hilarious even. I could quote at least half the book (see the numerous quotes I did highlight) and still wouldn't do it justice. I burst out laughing so many times, I had to wipe tears out of my eyes.
On to the sequel!
April 16, 2019
REVIEWER'S NOTE: This book was published in 2006. A lot has changed in our society since then, some for the better, some for the worse. But even with that societal shift, there are things in this book which, by 2006 standards, were already outdated modes of thinking. Also, I have read some of Moore's other works, some of which I enjoyed immensely.
Here are the ways in which this book no longer fits with our current world:
Every character who is black is described in this fashion: He was tall, thin, and black. He wore green the shade of mint, and was very black (no joke, he uses "very black".) No descriptions of white people consist of, he was short, fat, and white. She was skinny, perky, and white.
The one black character who is given more than a single scene is reduced to a stereotype sidekick who is never as calm and collected, and resorts more easily to violence, than the white hero. His name is Minty Fresh.
Not a single black woman to be found.
The main character's sister is described as appearing "... not so much androgynous as confused." This insensitivity is carried throughout the book with the main character making comments about how his sister looks like David Bowie, clearly using it as an insult.
The term f*ck puppets is created within this book, referring to women who use their attractive appearance to find wealthy men. It's a derogatory chauvinist term that's sprinkled around like bits of insecure sea salt throughout.
A character from Russia refers to everything as "like bear", while the one Chinese woman cooks everything she can and sees every animal for how much she can get selling their parts. The one Chinese man owns and runs a dry cleaners and sells illegal fireworks from the backroom. These are stereotypical tropes and these characters do not exist outside of them.
One character's Jewish heritage is boiled down to a running gag about the similarity between the words Shiksa and Shih Tzu.
When Lily is introduced, she's a young high-schooler. Several years later (after she's legal, of course) she offers herself sexually to the protagonist (who only turns her down because she's like his "little sister") and has sex with a middle aged man she's been working with since far before she was legal. Gross.
When the main character spends any decent amount of time with Minty Fresh, he immediately starts talking "ghetto". He is told to stop. He tries again. And again.
The first time the main character and Minty Fresh meet, the main character tries to kill him. Minty gets a little upset verbally, and the main character's response? "Oh, sure, go black on me. Play the ethnic card."
A character is literally introduced within the last four chapters, spends one of those chapters giving a long exposition about who she is and why she's important, shags the main character after knowing him for all of a few hours, and serves no other purpose than to move the lumbering, pointless story along and act as a sexual outlet for our poor, frustrated male protagonist.
And all of this sexism, homophobia, racism, and misogyny is excused though the author's simple use of a two word phrase: Beta Male. Because the main character is a Beta Male, he can make all of these social faux pas and they're seen as... cute. Innocent. Naive. He's the ultimate example of privilege. Don't understand black culture? Beta Male! Stare at women and think of them as only maternal figures or someone to bang? Beta Male! Regularly treat people like nothing more than tools so he can continue to be self-centered and self-serving? Beta Male! Beta Male! Beta Male!
It's beyond frustrating.
But beyond all these issues, the story itself is the bigger problem. It's lackluster. It's slow moving, tenuous, and framed badly. It jumps through time, skipping over entire sections of characters' lives which seem to be rather important. Everyone is a vehicle to move the protagonist's story along at one moment or another, so they're all thin. And there are too damn many of them. It's like the author thought this was going to be made into a film and wanted to write in bits parts for all of his friends. There are tons of characters, all over the place, most of which appear for a scene or two, divulge knowledge or information, and are never seen again. It comes off as lazy writing. And because there are so many characters, when tragedy does strike, we never got to really know anyone outside of our annoying protagonist, so there's no weight or gravitas to draw emotions from the reader.
The entire story is about the wrong person. There are so many other characters with so much more depth than the protagonist. He's one dimensional, boring, and his growth is both predictable and inevitable from the very beginning of the book. There's nothing in here to surprise the reader. And the big reveal at the end is so blatantly obvious from the first quarter of the book, it's inconceivable at least one character wouldn't have figured out the truth. The way the characters react and respond to events doesn't make a lot of sense, and it's because the author is trying to force the story ahead, despite the fact that it isn't working.
Moore is regularly a bright, funny, poignant writer who fine tunes his books the way a great chef would a recipe, removing all excess ingredients and giving us just enough of each of the primary flavors that our senses are delighted and intrigued. This time, it he took whatever was in his fridge that wasn't quite rotten but not still fresh, poured it into a casserole dish, set the oven to 450, and prayed. Then when it didn't come out right, he slathered it in cheese, added some 150 proof rum, and lit the top on fire. And as such, I will politely decline the offer of seconds, thank you.
Here are the ways in which this book no longer fits with our current world:
Every character who is black is described in this fashion: He was tall, thin, and black. He wore green the shade of mint, and was very black (no joke, he uses "very black".) No descriptions of white people consist of, he was short, fat, and white. She was skinny, perky, and white.
The one black character who is given more than a single scene is reduced to a stereotype sidekick who is never as calm and collected, and resorts more easily to violence, than the white hero. His name is Minty Fresh.
Not a single black woman to be found.
The main character's sister is described as appearing "... not so much androgynous as confused." This insensitivity is carried throughout the book with the main character making comments about how his sister looks like David Bowie, clearly using it as an insult.
The term f*ck puppets is created within this book, referring to women who use their attractive appearance to find wealthy men. It's a derogatory chauvinist term that's sprinkled around like bits of insecure sea salt throughout.
A character from Russia refers to everything as "like bear", while the one Chinese woman cooks everything she can and sees every animal for how much she can get selling their parts. The one Chinese man owns and runs a dry cleaners and sells illegal fireworks from the backroom. These are stereotypical tropes and these characters do not exist outside of them.
One character's Jewish heritage is boiled down to a running gag about the similarity between the words Shiksa and Shih Tzu.
When Lily is introduced, she's a young high-schooler. Several years later (after she's legal, of course) she offers herself sexually to the protagonist (who only turns her down because she's like his "little sister") and has sex with a middle aged man she's been working with since far before she was legal. Gross.
When the main character spends any decent amount of time with Minty Fresh, he immediately starts talking "ghetto". He is told to stop. He tries again. And again.
The first time the main character and Minty Fresh meet, the main character tries to kill him. Minty gets a little upset verbally, and the main character's response? "Oh, sure, go black on me. Play the ethnic card."
A character is literally introduced within the last four chapters, spends one of those chapters giving a long exposition about who she is and why she's important, shags the main character after knowing him for all of a few hours, and serves no other purpose than to move the lumbering, pointless story along and act as a sexual outlet for our poor, frustrated male protagonist.
And all of this sexism, homophobia, racism, and misogyny is excused though the author's simple use of a two word phrase: Beta Male. Because the main character is a Beta Male, he can make all of these social faux pas and they're seen as... cute. Innocent. Naive. He's the ultimate example of privilege. Don't understand black culture? Beta Male! Stare at women and think of them as only maternal figures or someone to bang? Beta Male! Regularly treat people like nothing more than tools so he can continue to be self-centered and self-serving? Beta Male! Beta Male! Beta Male!
It's beyond frustrating.
But beyond all these issues, the story itself is the bigger problem. It's lackluster. It's slow moving, tenuous, and framed badly. It jumps through time, skipping over entire sections of characters' lives which seem to be rather important. Everyone is a vehicle to move the protagonist's story along at one moment or another, so they're all thin. And there are too damn many of them. It's like the author thought this was going to be made into a film and wanted to write in bits parts for all of his friends. There are tons of characters, all over the place, most of which appear for a scene or two, divulge knowledge or information, and are never seen again. It comes off as lazy writing. And because there are so many characters, when tragedy does strike, we never got to really know anyone outside of our annoying protagonist, so there's no weight or gravitas to draw emotions from the reader.
The entire story is about the wrong person. There are so many other characters with so much more depth than the protagonist. He's one dimensional, boring, and his growth is both predictable and inevitable from the very beginning of the book. There's nothing in here to surprise the reader. And the big reveal at the end is so blatantly obvious from the first quarter of the book, it's inconceivable at least one character wouldn't have figured out the truth. The way the characters react and respond to events doesn't make a lot of sense, and it's because the author is trying to force the story ahead, despite the fact that it isn't working.
Moore is regularly a bright, funny, poignant writer who fine tunes his books the way a great chef would a recipe, removing all excess ingredients and giving us just enough of each of the primary flavors that our senses are delighted and intrigued. This time, it he took whatever was in his fridge that wasn't quite rotten but not still fresh, poured it into a casserole dish, set the oven to 450, and prayed. Then when it didn't come out right, he slathered it in cheese, added some 150 proof rum, and lit the top on fire. And as such, I will politely decline the offer of seconds, thank you.
September 7, 2007
SUMMARY: funny dialogue. great premise. filled with plot leaks, story holes, and characters who start off strong and end weak.
The book started off with great premise: for some unknown reason a guy assumes the office/duties of DEATH. It was reminiscent of "On a Pale Horse" by Piers Anthony. It's hilarious for the first 2 sections. It reads like an action screenplay. I pictured Paul Rudd (40 year old virgin) as the main character, Asher. All was well and then the book tanked in section 3. I don't know what happened to the plot and characters. The characters had life and personality then they became wooden versions of the same characters in sections 1 and 2. and the plot started to smell like a Tarantino/Rodriguez action script complete with tall badass black man with big guns.
One character, Lily, is a 16 year old in the beginning and then a 21 year old later and she goes from goth to chef sex therapist... from witty bantress to banal and pointless to the plot.
At one point daughter kills an arab for no aparent reason except for us to get a whiff of Moore's feelings on Middle Easterners. And apparently there are cameos of characters from other books in here, but I think Moore needs to ditch the self-referential humor. It backfires on SNL and also here too.
I'm going to read "You Suck" next. Maybe I'll appreciate Moore more after that.
SPOILER ALERT *******
I still thought the book was hilarious, but it's hard for me to believe the main character's inability to see his daughter as the Luminatis. How stupid does he have to be?
*********************
The book started off with great premise: for some unknown reason a guy assumes the office/duties of DEATH. It was reminiscent of "On a Pale Horse" by Piers Anthony. It's hilarious for the first 2 sections. It reads like an action screenplay. I pictured Paul Rudd (40 year old virgin) as the main character, Asher. All was well and then the book tanked in section 3. I don't know what happened to the plot and characters. The characters had life and personality then they became wooden versions of the same characters in sections 1 and 2. and the plot started to smell like a Tarantino/Rodriguez action script complete with tall badass black man with big guns.
One character, Lily, is a 16 year old in the beginning and then a 21 year old later and she goes from goth to chef sex therapist... from witty bantress to banal and pointless to the plot.
At one point daughter kills an arab for no aparent reason except for us to get a whiff of Moore's feelings on Middle Easterners. And apparently there are cameos of characters from other books in here, but I think Moore needs to ditch the self-referential humor. It backfires on SNL and also here too.
I'm going to read "You Suck" next. Maybe I'll appreciate Moore more after that.
SPOILER ALERT *******
I still thought the book was hilarious, but it's hard for me to believe the main character's inability to see his daughter as the Luminatis. How stupid does he have to be?
*********************
August 21, 2019
-Humor, pero muy chabacano a veces.-
Género. Narrativa fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Un trabajo muy sucio (publicación original: A Dirty Job, 2006) nos presenta a Charlie Asher, un anodino propietario de una tienda de oportunidades y artículos de segunda mano, felizmente casado con la embarazadísima Rachel. Cuando da a luz y mientras se recupera, Charlie va a visitarla a ella y a su hija, Sophie, al hospital y descubre a un extraño hombre negro, muy alto y vestido de color verde menta, al lado de la cama de su esposa, que acaba de fallecer.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Narrativa fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Un trabajo muy sucio (publicación original: A Dirty Job, 2006) nos presenta a Charlie Asher, un anodino propietario de una tienda de oportunidades y artículos de segunda mano, felizmente casado con la embarazadísima Rachel. Cuando da a luz y mientras se recupera, Charlie va a visitarla a ella y a su hija, Sophie, al hospital y descubre a un extraño hombre negro, muy alto y vestido de color verde menta, al lado de la cama de su esposa, que acaba de fallecer.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
October 22, 2014
It relies too much on a type of humor that won't tickle everyone. The first section, 100 pages or so were almost exclusively this, without much plot. While initially funny, I almost got tired enough of it to put it down, but there was just enough hope to keep me going. I'm glad I did. After that, the plot developed nicely & it was a fun read. It's a neat world that Moore created with a fun mythology about Death & he takes an insider look at San Francisco that will tickle any native, I think. I'd guess someone who lived there would give it at least another star.
May 5, 2010
4.0 stars. This was the first Christopher Moore story I ever read and did not know exactly what to expect. I was laughing out loud in the first 10 pages (the opening hospital scene was just great).
The main character is Charlie Asher, self-described "beta-male" who owns a second-hand store in San Francisco. Following the unexpected death of his wife, Charlie takes on a new job, that of retrieving the souls of the dying with hilarious results. Smart and very funny but also emotionally touching. An excellent read. Recommended!!
The main character is Charlie Asher, self-described "beta-male" who owns a second-hand store in San Francisco. Following the unexpected death of his wife, Charlie takes on a new job, that of retrieving the souls of the dying with hilarious results. Smart and very funny but also emotionally touching. An excellent read. Recommended!!
April 6, 2017
This book was full of racist, sexist and homophobic stereotypes. Possibly intended for an audience that consists only of white male fratboys.
March 25, 2018
I've read a couple of books by Christopher Moore, his masterpiece Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal and Practical Demonkeeping. I loved them both so I figured I'd pick this one up. "A Dirty Job" is very well put together, and a funny book, all right, but not hysterically funny as I was expecting it to be, oh well, that's personal. All in all, a solid novel, I liked it, 4 well deserved stars.
January 1, 2018
3 stars.
Charlie: "I can prove it. Just take me to the music store in the Castro. You need to talk to Minty Fresh" (actual character name)
Rivera: "Of course, that clears things up. I'll have a word with Krispy Kreme while I'm there"
Somehow, this book kept getting pushed back in my reading list, even though I've clearly remembered what it's about all this time; how could I NOT when there's the Grim Reaper involved?
Honestly, this book would have gotten a full 4 stars if there weren't too many crude jokes. The perfect example would be "I can't un-see my niece blowing a Teletubby now", when said niece, an infant, was eating a Popsicle (if I remember correctly) Erm, alright, I guess? Honestly, the humor in this is otherwise really clever, why the hell did we need that (and other examples like that) Maybe I'm just easily offended, I dunno.
Also, Lily having sex with Ray right in front of Charlie, because "Lily is a freaky chick and Ray is just desperate" was gross. This book treats sex weirdly, "I'll have sex with you because I feel bad for you, it has to be done" is mentioned more than once.
Moving past that, the book is very original. The premise is very interesting, the writing is great, Christopher Moore gives us just enough info at just the right time... and he also did my favourite thing, given the reader enough info to figure something out before the characters. I love that.
I loved the Sewer Harpies, they were very interesting and effective as villains, and I liked that Lily was an actual Goth and not a stereotype (though I saw that she has apparently "grown out of it" in the sequel's blurb? Ugh) Audrey's "Squirrel People" were a feast for the imagination. And, believe it or not, the novel does have some VERY funny moments if you exclude some especially crude ones (or not; hey, maybe they're your cup of tea). I love funny books, and this also falls under the "black comedy" genre, another favourite of mine.
But honestly, why was the Teletubby scene mentioned. Why.
Charlie: "I can prove it. Just take me to the music store in the Castro. You need to talk to Minty Fresh" (actual character name)
Rivera: "Of course, that clears things up. I'll have a word with Krispy Kreme while I'm there"
Somehow, this book kept getting pushed back in my reading list, even though I've clearly remembered what it's about all this time; how could I NOT when there's the Grim Reaper involved?
Honestly, this book would have gotten a full 4 stars if there weren't too many crude jokes. The perfect example would be "I can't un-see my niece blowing a Teletubby now", when said niece, an infant, was eating a Popsicle (if I remember correctly) Erm, alright, I guess? Honestly, the humor in this is otherwise really clever, why the hell did we need that (and other examples like that) Maybe I'm just easily offended, I dunno.
Also, Lily having sex with Ray right in front of Charlie, because "Lily is a freaky chick and Ray is just desperate" was gross. This book treats sex weirdly, "I'll have sex with you because I feel bad for you, it has to be done" is mentioned more than once.
Moving past that, the book is very original. The premise is very interesting, the writing is great, Christopher Moore gives us just enough info at just the right time... and he also did my favourite thing, given the reader enough info to figure something out before the characters. I love that.
I loved the Sewer Harpies, they were very interesting and effective as villains, and I liked that Lily was an actual Goth and not a stereotype (though I saw that she has apparently "grown out of it" in the sequel's blurb? Ugh) Audrey's "Squirrel People" were a feast for the imagination. And, believe it or not, the novel does have some VERY funny moments if you exclude some especially crude ones (or not; hey, maybe they're your cup of tea). I love funny books, and this also falls under the "black comedy" genre, another favourite of mine.
But honestly, why was the Teletubby scene mentioned. Why.
May 18, 2022
This happened to be exactly what I needed. This is a humorous fantasy that combines neato horror elements in all the most absurd ways.
Everyman Charlie, together with his cute-as-a-button baby girl, thinks he's the personification of Death.
Of course, the big, funny, spoilery bit that is the wonderful cover of this book should not be overlooked. That's what's really funny about all this. The poor guy is just not up to the job. And then there are the hellhounds.
The tweaks, the auto-insults, the truly absurd situations, people, and monsters he gets involved with are all topped with some of the best constantly-coming zingers that I've read in years.
I know that humor is a very subjective thing, but this one constantly builds and builds upon itself. It starts out smirkworthy, but as it keeps adding to itself, I was boiled alive in laughter.
Yes, this is my first Christopher Moore. I can't believe I've never tried him before. I'm SO glad I have. These days need a great dose of funny.
Everyman Charlie, together with his cute-as-a-button baby girl, thinks he's the personification of Death.
Of course, the big, funny, spoilery bit that is the wonderful cover of this book should not be overlooked. That's what's really funny about all this. The poor guy is just not up to the job. And then there are the hellhounds.
The tweaks, the auto-insults, the truly absurd situations, people, and monsters he gets involved with are all topped with some of the best constantly-coming zingers that I've read in years.
I know that humor is a very subjective thing, but this one constantly builds and builds upon itself. It starts out smirkworthy, but as it keeps adding to itself, I was boiled alive in laughter.
Yes, this is my first Christopher Moore. I can't believe I've never tried him before. I'm SO glad I have. These days need a great dose of funny.
April 12, 2021
Me ha resultado un libro ameno con el que desconectar de otras lecturas y con el que me he reído, que es de lo que se trata, la historia es divertida y rocambolesca. Seguramente lea el otro libro de la bilogía.
# 4. El número 100 de tu lista de pendientes de goodreads. Reto literario libros pendientes 2021
# 4. El número 100 de tu lista de pendientes de goodreads. Reto literario libros pendientes 2021
November 25, 2023
Such a fun idea for a book! Very comical in so many different parts, I loved reading this. Such a fascinating trope. Truly worthwhile to read!
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