Book Review: Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore
Well. I have to say right off that I'm not usually a big fan of the wacky comic fantasy. When the Xanth books first came out in 1977, I was addicted to them until I ran out of steam about book #5 or #6. I just could not bear to read any more Xanth books or any of the copycats that had appeared as if out of thin air. That doesn't stop me from remembering them fondly, I just can't open them again without shuddering. So, no Chicks in Chainmail, no Discworld, no MythStories. Glen Cook's Metal series was exempt because he treated his world like it was perfectly normal and the mysteries were the important thing.
Luckily for me, Christopher Moore also keeps the fantasy firmly grounded (or as grounded as it's possible when you're talking about demons) and the wackiness not too over the top. Practical Demonkeeping is mostly the story of a town and its invasion by one man and one small demon.
Travis O'Hearn 'accidentally' summons a demon during World War I. He then spends the next 80 years searching for the woman who can set him free as he is tortured by guilt every time he has to let the demon feed on a human. The alternative would be to lose control and watch helplessly as Catch destroys entire villages and towns. He has managed to tighten his control enough that he can limit Catch to meals of pimps and thieves, but that has not prevented him wandering from city to city, desperately seeking relief of this burden. The only good thing to come out of his travails is his immortality -- despite being born near the turn of the century, he still has the look of a man in his mid-20's.
Pine Cove is a small tourist trap on the California coast. Its English Tudor trappings are idiosyncratic against the overwhelmingly Hispanic background of California, which only ensures the town is that much more of a tourist draw. This makes the locals, of course, that much more cynical about their livelihoods.
There is a small circle of residents, however, who don't depend on the tourists directly and these make up much of Moore's cast: Augustus Brine owns the general store; H.P., the cafe; Mavis, the Head of the Slug Saloon; and Robert Masterson, a failed photo studio. None of these people believe there's any such thing as demons walking the earth nor are they related to Travis' quest in any way, but by the end of the book, they each have an important role to play in saving the town and, of course, the world.
There's a bit of romance, both for the ages and for the night. There's a bit of horror in the way Catch so easily chomps and gulps down his next meal. There are even magic mushrooms, a genie, and a giant owl.
Well written, well told, I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of, say, 16 who had a sense of humor.
Next up for 25 in 2009: War for the Oaks by Emma Bull.
Luckily for me, Christopher Moore also keeps the fantasy firmly grounded (or as grounded as it's possible when you're talking about demons) and the wackiness not too over the top. Practical Demonkeeping is mostly the story of a town and its invasion by one man and one small demon.
Travis O'Hearn 'accidentally' summons a demon during World War I. He then spends the next 80 years searching for the woman who can set him free as he is tortured by guilt every time he has to let the demon feed on a human. The alternative would be to lose control and watch helplessly as Catch destroys entire villages and towns. He has managed to tighten his control enough that he can limit Catch to meals of pimps and thieves, but that has not prevented him wandering from city to city, desperately seeking relief of this burden. The only good thing to come out of his travails is his immortality -- despite being born near the turn of the century, he still has the look of a man in his mid-20's.
Pine Cove is a small tourist trap on the California coast. Its English Tudor trappings are idiosyncratic against the overwhelmingly Hispanic background of California, which only ensures the town is that much more of a tourist draw. This makes the locals, of course, that much more cynical about their livelihoods.
There is a small circle of residents, however, who don't depend on the tourists directly and these make up much of Moore's cast: Augustus Brine owns the general store; H.P., the cafe; Mavis, the Head of the Slug Saloon; and Robert Masterson, a failed photo studio. None of these people believe there's any such thing as demons walking the earth nor are they related to Travis' quest in any way, but by the end of the book, they each have an important role to play in saving the town and, of course, the world.
There's a bit of romance, both for the ages and for the night. There's a bit of horror in the way Catch so easily chomps and gulps down his next meal. There are even magic mushrooms, a genie, and a giant owl.
Well written, well told, I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of, say, 16 who had a sense of humor.
Next up for 25 in 2009: War for the Oaks by Emma Bull.