Practical Demonkeeping -- A Book Review in Threes

As evidenced by all these reviews I've been doing more reading than writing. The latest novel I read tracks a ninety-year-old ex-seminarian named Travis. Despite his age Travis has the body of a twenty year old. He also has an invisible sidekick. A demon he accidentally summoned from hell some seventy odd years ago. He's been trying to get shed of the monster ever since and now he just might have found a way to reclaim his solitary life. But, excuse the pun, the demon is hell-bent to remain on earth.

Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore

first published in 1992 by St Martin's Press

3 Reasons to like this Book

1) It's hilarious. I picked it up after a friend told me that Christopher Moore was one of the funniest authors he's ever read. An accurate description. The novel is chocked full of great lines and laughter inducing descriptions.

2) Great characters. Christopher Moore does a great job of weaving in the stories of multiple characters and an even better job of having each one play a vital role in the plot. Sure some of the characters are absurd but given that the entire plot is absurd, they are right at home.

3) As I said, the very premise of this novel is absurd, yet I read as if my life depended on it. The last few chapters had me in breathless anticipation. I finished the book on a day and a half because I simply could not put it down and walk away.

3 Reasons not to like this book

1) You are easily offended. As you will see from the page 33 excerpt, there is plenty of crude language and offensive material. It's funny as heck, but definitely not for virginal eyes.

2)You are unable to suspend your belief. Of course if you have no imagination, or toleration for those who do, what the heck are you doing reading fiction?

3) You do not like books that use a plethora of POVs. I found it easy to follow, but the author does hop around a good bit and it's not always easily evident where the story is headed when he first introduces a new character, but in the end it all comes together. If you don't like to keep track of a dozen or more POV characters this might not be your kind of novel.

3 Lines beginning with the 3rd sentence on page 33 of the novel.

"Look Pancho. I'm hungover, my wife just threw me out, and my life is not worth a shit. So if you want me to take messages, you can damn well tell me who the fuck you are. ..."