ktxx22's review
3.0
Read this for a book club… salty the book club would pick a 3rd book in a series, but I don’t think it’s necessary to understand the story so meh. The ending is my favorite bit. I found this book witty, funny, and also nonsensical. If you know me I’m not a fan of the overly nonsensical stories. I do love a mid summers night dream by Billy Shakespeare but I do not think the story needs improved upon or changed…
bush42's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
easy breezy read. christopher moore is funny as hell but always does his research which elevates his work. i liked the serpent of venice more but this was still good.
portlandcat's review
3.0
Funny! But probably a lot funnier to ardent fans of a Midsummers Night Dream.
stacydodds's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
alibi313's review against another edition
4.0
Moore’s Fool books are always fun, especially listening to the audiobooks with their excellent narration.
briarwren's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
copykat42's review
4.0
But the 3.5 side of 4.
Although maybe his Shakespearean ones don't grab me the way the San Francisco ones tend to do bc of ... me? (vs. anything inherently lesser about them)
Although maybe his Shakespearean ones don't grab me the way the San Francisco ones tend to do bc of ... me? (vs. anything inherently lesser about them)
richardrbecker's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I love Christopher Moore, but I didn't love Shakespeare for Squirrels. It's probably the only book of his I didn't like (and I like plenty that other people did not).
Maybe he played it too close to Shakespeare (nah), or maybe it was something yes (oh, sure), but the plot overlay on A Midsummer Night's Dream is just too thin, making Squirrels rely heavily on raunchy humor alone. That's kind of, well, boring for Moore.
Still, I do enjoy Moore's writing. He can be clever at times (cliche at other times), which is what kept me reading long after I lost interest. There's also a little Monty Pythonish feel to the story, which elevates the nuttier and nonsense at times. But otherwise, just as the book's name might imply, Squirrels is just a bit too chaotic for its own good. Definitely don't pick it as your first foray into Moore's mind. There are plenty of outstanding books like Lamb, Sacre Bleu, A Dirty Job, Noir, and his Pine Cove series.
Maybe he played it too close to Shakespeare (nah), or maybe it was something yes (oh, sure), but the plot overlay on A Midsummer Night's Dream is just too thin, making Squirrels rely heavily on raunchy humor alone. That's kind of, well, boring for Moore.
Still, I do enjoy Moore's writing. He can be clever at times (cliche at other times), which is what kept me reading long after I lost interest. There's also a little Monty Pythonish feel to the story, which elevates the nuttier and nonsense at times. But otherwise, just as the book's name might imply, Squirrels is just a bit too chaotic for its own good. Definitely don't pick it as your first foray into Moore's mind. There are plenty of outstanding books like Lamb, Sacre Bleu, A Dirty Job, Noir, and his Pine Cove series.