Customer Reviews

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Christopher Moore wanted to write horror books; he dreamed of being the next Stephen King. Unfortunately for him but fortunately for us, people laughed when they read what he wrote. Thus was born a humorist of the caliber of Dave Barry or Christopher Buckley and some have gone so far as to say he is the next Kurt Vonnegut. Now that we know a bit about our Author, what about the book?
Bloodsucking Fiends is a glorious romp through the night. We have an office worker, Jodi, who has a 9-to-5 dead-end office job in San Francisco, and wakes up one morning under a dumpster and the sun burns her and she has super human strength. She has never watched vampire movies or read the books, so she doesn't know what to do or how to do it. She is on the hunt for the man/creature who turned her.
This is where C. Thomas Flood comes in, a beatnik author from Indiana, who works midnights at the Safeway. He falls in love with Jodi immediately, and realizes that there is something strange about his love.
Follow the humorous journey through the night, the underworld, the streets and alleys of San Francisco as Thomas tries to find a way to be with the woman he loves even if she is undead. And Jodi tries to find out what being undead is all about. Can this love survive? And if you've enjoyed this one, check out his other writings: Island of the Sequined Love Nun, or The Lusty Lizard of Melancholy Cove.

Like the rest of the world (ok most of the world making an average income), I am inherently cheap. I gasped at the electronic price of this book then held my breath clicked the buy button, opened the book, and couldn't put the damn thing down! Buy this writers work....that's my advice. If you want an evening of full-blown readers ecstasy buy it. This author has a wonderful way of weaving words together that leave you wanting more, more, more. To the writer, forgive my comment about the price, to the potential purchaser...just pay it and sit down knowing you're about to enter readers heaven.

A novel that's funny, without stretching the boundaries of reality too much. Witty and delightful, the story does not miss the chance to be serious as well. We are a consumer culture with so much waste.

Of course, Jody designs on Tommy are unnerving but fun nevertheless. I give this book two thumbs up for its charm and sense of humor.

It is difficult to rate something as subjective as humour. There is no doubt in my mind that this book was funny, but not in a remarkable kind of way. Some lines were making me smile, but it did not come close to make me laugh out loud. The author uses light humour (do not expect twisted, black or clever humour) and makes fun of all the clichés of the vampire pop culture. A nice read if you are looking for something light and simple.

The book is very short (290 pages, but cut into 35 chapters so there are a lot of blank spaces) and it takes only a few hours to read.

Jody wakes up one evening, under a dumpster, with a burnt hand, and an awful lot of money. It takes a bit of figuring out but she soon concludes that she is a vampire. She also realizes quick quickly that she is going to need a human to watch over her when she loses consciousness at daybreak and to help her need for blood. She meets C. Thomas Flood, writer by nature, night crew manager in reality. Jody finds him attractive, pleasant and his hours are perfect so she convinces him to move in with her. Flood being new to the city figures why not. As Jody and Tommy explore what she can and can't do as a vampire they realize that the ancient vampire who turned her is out to kill them both.

Classic Moore! Eccentric characters who are a joy to read about. Laugh out loud humour in parts and the rest of the book keeps a smile on your face as you chuckle under your breath. Loved the story, very unique, and a fun take off on all the vampire books out there. I was hooked from the beginning. This is the type of book that showcases Moore's talents and would be a perfect one for first-timers to start with. A few years ago he wrote a sequel and I'll be reading that one next.

It may be strange to say but I know people like these characters. The girl that can't be without a boyfriend... The cute boy that's too nice to attract girls... the punk guys working blue collar jobs... the jerk ex... the manipulitive ass who really wants someone - can have anyone - but doesn't know how to find the right someone.
Maybe that's why the book is so much fun. It's relatable to some extent. Even with the vampires.
Somebody that reviewed this said the characters felt distant. I agree. I also think that on a whole, it's easier to laugh at a distance. It's when you're too close that it's no longer funny (forget who said that). This isn't supposed to be a Anne Rice novel and thank god. It's violent, dark, honest, sweet and funny. Without shoving it down your throat.
Excellent writing and story.

Having read this book, I'm planning to read more of Moore's work, but I do so with a question about whether the flaws of this particular novel are specific to this one book or typical of Moore overall. Bloodsucking Fiends is often wonderfully funny, and Moore does a good job with his supernatural world meets mundane life issues, but the ending seems rushed and forced, and overall I found myself not really caring about Moore's characters. I didn't mind if they lived or died, and my lack of concern for them decreased my engagement with the story. I think that this distance between characters and reader might be intentional, because then Moore can do ludicrously awful things and we won't mind, but it's a tactic that leaves this particular reader somewhat dissatisfied. It reminded me of Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One in that respect; I think that people who appreciate Moore's tone with his characters will probably find Waugh's satires hilarious.

This is an entertaining book, and I'll be reading some of Moore's other novels as a result of this introduction, but I hope that his other novels are better than this one and not the same.

I love vampires, but I've read so many vampire books and seen so many vampire movies, that the topic has become dull. I had almost completely lost my faith in vampires until I read this. This book is hilarious. I've read it several times in the past few years, and it still manages to make me laugh. A very unusual book, and a fresh spin on the genre. Worth a read.

I truly can't recall the last time I laughed out loud while reading a book. Smirking, groaning, eye-rolling...these yes. Laughing, no. Until I opened up Bloodsucking Fiends. A supernatural novel with plot, love, action and humor rolled up into a superb tight little package.

The Plot: Our lead female of the story, Jody, gets changed to a vampire within the first chapter. In her struggles to get supplies and a new apartment, she finds Tommy Flood, a night-shift worker who turns into her new gopher and her new roomie.

In the middle of all of this, we have Tommy's story of trying to start over, Jody and Tommy's budding relationship, Jody's struggle with trying to destroy the vampire who created her before he destroys her, and uh... oh yeah...Turkey Bowling.

This is a wonderful supernatural story that isn't completely out there. It's a solid read for fantasy/sci-fi people, run-of-the-mill fiction readers, or anybody in need of a good laugh. The characters are strong, the dialogue is brilliant, and the monkey wrenches thrown in along the way (murders pointing to Jody, a dead body in Tommy's freezer) keep you glued to the pages.

Cons: I can't really come up with any other than those who might be prudish at a few minor sex scenes or some drainage of blood. But then again, I would imagine those people would turn away from a book with the title Bloodsucking Fiends.

The Verdict: An immediate favorite. I enjoyed this so much that I'm adding it to my Love It list. When I'm running into another room every 10 minutes to share a great passage with my husband, it's a good book. When I can't put it down for such an extended period of time that my vision gets blurry when I'm done, it's a good book. Trust me. You'll like this book so much you'll be wanting to give somebody a hickey. Along with this book, I recommend THE LOSERS CLUB by Richard Perez, another wacky impulse Amazon buy that I greatly enjoyed!

This book is essentially about vampires, but it is quite different than your typical dark gore-filled vampire novel. This one is actually full of Moore's special brand of humor, and that is all it takes to really set this one apart. Character development is great....I actually found myself caring about what happened and pulling for the two main characters. And when I got to the end of the book, I really didn't want it to end. This book definitely has some sequel potential.