The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
Grade: A-
I think this is the first “minus” rating that I’ve given. I included the minus because this is an A-level comedy that’s marred by awkward sentences, jokes that are stretches, and even some grammatical mistakes. I’m not sure if these problems occurred most frequently in the early chapters or if I just stopped noticing them after I got pulled in by the funny story. And it was a funny story, funny enough to recommend in spite of its flaws.
I rarely laugh out loud unless I’m with other people, but there I was, reading all by myself, chuckling away. The cast of characters includes, among others, a stoned town constable, a psychotic B-movie actress who’s off her meds, and a giant fruit bat. Seriously, the fruit bat is one of my favorite characters.
A first paragraph is rarely a good indicator of a book’s overall quality, but it is usually a reliable measure of the author’s intent. Moore’s introduction to The Stupidest Angel is a perfect example of the kind of humor he plans to deliver.
Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom like a cold sore under the mistletoe.
This book is not for children. As with most comedies, it is also not for anyone lacking a sense of humor (you know who you are and you know you’ll be offended, so don’t even bother). Everyone else who’s looking for some holiday humor should give The Stupidest Angel a try.