Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art [Hardcover]

Christopher Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

It is the color of the Virgin Mary's cloak, a dazzling pigment desired by artists, an exquisite hue infused with danger, adventure, and perhaps even the supernatural. It is . . .

SacrÉ Bleu

In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he? Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers attempt to take his own life . . . and then walk a mile to a doctor's house for help? Who was the crooked little "color man" Vincent had claimed was stalking him across France? And why had the painter recently become deathly afraid of a certain shade of blue?

These are just a few of the questions confronting Vincent's friends—baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard and bon vivant Henri Toulouse-Lautrec—who vow to discover the truth about van Gogh's untimely death. Their quest will lead them on a surreal odyssey and brothel-crawl deep into the art world of late nineteenth-century Paris.

Oh lÀ lÀ, quelle surprise, and zut alors! A delectable confection of intrigue, passion, and art history—with cancan girls, baguettes, and fine French cognac thrown in for good measure—SacrÉ Bleu is another masterpiece of wit and wonder from the one, the only, Christopher Moore.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Art history is playfully--and perilously--rewrtitten in this ambitious novel....fans of Moore’s mix of wit and slapstick will be pleased.” (Publishers Weekly on SACRE BLEU )

“Moore’s humor is, as ever, sweetly juvenile, but his arty comedy also captures the courage and rebellion of the Impressionists with an exultant joie de vivre.” (Kirkus Reviews on SACRE BLEU )

“[A]surprisingly complex novel full of love, death, art, and mystery....Don’t let Moore’s quirky characters and bawdy language fool you. His writing has depth, and his peculiar take on the impressionists will reel you in....this is a worthy read. ” (Library Journal (starred review) on SACRE BLEU )

“A laugh-a-page novel that’s raunchy and irreverent.” (USA Today )

“In transforming “King Lear” into a potty-mouthed jape, Moore is up to more than thumbing his nose at a masterpiece. His version of Shakespeare’s Fool, who accompanies Lear on his slide from paternal arrogance to spiritual desolation in the original text, simultaneously honors and imaginatively enriches the character.” (San Francisco Chronicle on FOOL )

“Moore is a very clever boy when it comes to words. There are good chuckles to be had in this tale. …Whether you need to read the original King Lear before you read Moore’s Fool is debatable. Seems a fool’s errand to us. Just enjoy.” (USA Today on FOOL )

“If there’s a funnier writer out there, step forward.” (Playboy )

“An instant classic . . . terrific, funny and poignant. (Rocky Mountain News )

“It’s hard to resist so gleeful a tale of murder, witchcraft, treason, maiming, and spanking. . . . Moore’s deft ear for dialogue keeps the pages turning . . . Fool is a wickedly good time.” (Christian Science Monitor on FOOL )

“[H]ilarious, educational, and original. . . . [I]t is difficult to put the book down, for there are astonishing new developments on every page.” (BookPage )

“Mingling comedy and mystery, Moore crafts an intricate story that teases the reader with numerous twists and bawdy humor.…[T]his is an imaginative and amusing look at the Impressionist era, and Moore’s prose is fresh and engaging.” (Booklist on SACRE BLEU )

“Less may be more, but it isn’t Moore. Wretched excess doth have power to charm, and there are great reeking oodles of it strewn throughout these irreverent pages.” (Kirkus Reviews on FOOL )

“[W]all-to-wall, farcical fornicating and fighting…a jolly good time can be had.” (Booklist on FOOL )

“A raunchy slapstick comedy of young vampires in love . . . Moore is in top form, and this reviewer laughed all the way through this page-turner. Enthusiastically recommended.” (Library Journal )

“I can’t emphasize enough how funny BITE ME is.” (Bookreporter.com )

“A vampire comedy that’s witty, bright and funny.” (People )

“Moore turns things on their head with an edgy 21st-century perspective that makes the story line as sharp, surly and slick as a game of Grand Theft Auto… It’s a manic, masterly mix-winning, wild and something today’s groundlings will applaud.” (Publishers Weekly on FOOL )

“Often funny, sometimes hilarious, always inventive, this is a book for all, especially uptight English teachers, bardolaters and ministerial students of the kind who come to our doorstep on Saturday mornings.” (Dallas Morning News on FOOL )

“Moore has produced eight books that deftly blend surreal, occult and even science-fiction doings with laugh-out-loud satire of contemporary culture. Powered by engines of the abnormal and unlikely, his tales feature eccentric lowlifes who find their desperate existences hilariously remade by intrusions from other spheres.” (Washington Post Book World )

“A page-turner…. Your ‘Lear’ can be rusty or completely unread to appreciate this new perspective on the Shakespearean tragedy. That is if you enjoy a whole lot of silly behind the scenes of your tragedies.” (Valdosta Times (Georgia) on FOOL )

“Funny, literate, smart and sexy, all at once!” (Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter series, on FOOL )

About the Author

Christopher Moore is the author of twelve previous novels: Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, Bloodsucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, A Dirty Job, You Suck, Fool, and Bite Me. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061779741
• ISBN-13: 978-0061779749
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher Moore is the author of eleven previous novels: Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue, Bloodsucking Fiends, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, A Dirty Job, You Suck, and Fool. He lives in San Francisco.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark little fairy tale of the color blue, January 21, 2012

By 

Maine Colonial (Maine, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

That's how Christopher Moore characterizes Sacré Bleu. It's also a mystery, a comedy and a dizzying, dazzling trip through the art world of fin-de-siecle Paris.

I read somewhere that every single one of Christopher Moore's books has been optioned but not one has ever made it to film. I think it must be because producers eventually realize that it's just too much of a challenge to translate the sheer lunacy and demented sweetness of Moore's books to the screen.

The book begins on the day of Vincent Van Gogh's death in Auvers, a village near Paris. Vincent has gone to a crossroads to paint. The history is that Van Gogh there shot himself, then walked a mile to the home of his doctor to seek treatment. Moore wondered if it made any sense that an artist at the height of his powers, even one as tormented as Van Gogh, would shoot himself at that point. And then, why would he walk a mile to his doctor's place rather than just lie down and die? Moore appoints baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard, and famed painter and libertine Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as his alter-ego detectives to pursue the answer to this puzzle. The pursuit involves Renoir, Manet, Monet, Whistler, Pissarro, Gaugin, Seurat, a menacing character called the Colorman, the artists' muses, a few side trips through time and space, and lots and lots about the color blue.

It's been a long time since I read a book in one afternoon, but once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Now, here I sit with my eyes burning and my head filled with whirling images of the adventures of the naive young Lucien and his usually drunk and lubricious but always endearing friend, Toulouse-Lautrec. In the Afterword, Moore writes, "I know what you're thinking: 'Well thanks loads, Chris, now you've ruined art for everyone.'" Far from it. He's definitely made it a whole lot weirder, but isn't that what you're looking for from one of his books?

Moore always travels to the settings of his books before he writes and, in this case, that means France, mainly Paris. If you visit his blog. he has included a chapter guide where, as he says, "you'll find some photographs, a little background on the geography, history, and art featured in the book, as well as observations and musing I had while researching and writing the book that just wouldn't fit in the story, but I hope will give some perspective on it." Before, during or after you read the book, I highly recommend a visit to the blog and the chapter guide. Among many other items of interest---and more extensive attempts to ruin art for everyone---there are photographs of Auvers, the village where Van Gogh was living at the end of his life, including the real-life settings of several Van Gogh paintings, juxtaposed with the paintings themselves.

In addition to being a flat-out joyride of a novel, this is a beautifully produced book, with typefaces evocative of its 19th century Parisian setting and reproductions of artworks of Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and many other luminaries of the period. Recommended.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moore's Latest Is An Absurd And Clever Treat, But Is Especially Geared Toward Art Lovers, February 2, 2012

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I suppose it's fair to say that I'm an avid Christopher Moore enthusiast having read every novel from 1992's "Practical Demonkeeping" through 2010's "Bite Me: A Love Story." So the release of his latest, "Sacre Bleu," was the cause of great excitement and anticipation in my world. While I have certainly enjoyed the whimsical supernatural tales that are often Moore's specialty, I find the books that step out of this comfort zone equally (if not more) intriguing. "Sacre Bleu" is one of Moore's most offbeat offerings to date, and for this I am grateful, but it might also be one of his most specialized titles. To fully enjoy the comedic flavor and intricacies of the book, one must have a reasonable knowledge of the art world and its masters. Well known personalities such as Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Whistler, and Gauguin (among many others) populate the pages of Moore's twisted tome as actual characters. If you have no idea of who they are, the book may still be an enjoyable romp but you'll miss much of the tale's cleverness. It's comparable to reading "Fool" without being familiar with King Lear or "Lamb" without a working knowledge of its Biblical references. This is just a word of warning for those uninitiated with Moore's absurdist view of the world, the book will have much greater appeal to those with a familiarity to its subject.

I'd like to offer up a brief synopsis of "Sacre Bleu," but it's almost impossible to adequately make sense of the delightfully convoluted plot. The story revolves around Lucien Lessard, a baker by trade and an aspiring painter in late nineteenth century France. Lessard is on the periphery of the art world and is best friends with diminutive and randy Toulouse-Lautrec. Upon the untimely demise of Vincent Van Gogh, the pair start to investigate a number of strange phenomenon surrounding a disturbing paint purveyor, a series of artist muses, and an otherwordly blue paint. It seems that Lessard's on-again, off-again paramour may be the key to unraveling a bizarre mystery that involves some of the biggest names in the art community. The book plays on several levels. There are satiric elements about the principle topic, absurd humor, a supernatural aspect, and the aforementioned mystery that ties it all together. It's a bold and ambitious adventure, and one that I thought was a lot of fun.

Here's my qualifier: If you love Moore, I'd say this presents an interesting new addition to his oeuvre. But as I said, if you don't know anything about the artists represented--it may be a bit tricky getting involved and appreciating the in-jokes. If you don't know Moore, this might not be the place to start (unless, of course, you are an art aficionado and a fan of the ridiculous). If you don't connect with the subject, I think it's possible that you may absolutely loathe this book. I found "Sacre Bleu" to be a fitfully funny romp and a very fast read. At the end of the day, is it my favorite Moore? Perhaps not. (The unapologetically profane "Fool" or the subversively brilliant "Lamb" might share that distinction for me) But it's smart, crisp, and undeniably wacky with characters that you want to stick with. I suspect the book will be somewhat divisive, but the right audience should appreciate the amount of research and reality that went into this strikingly odd and fantastical tale. KGHarris, 2/12.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amuse Bleuche., February 7, 2012

By 

Nicole Del Sesto (Northern Cal) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Several years ago I went through a period of obsession about Van Gogh. I needed to learn as much as I could about him until I felt saturated. I've also been fortunate enough to see a number of his paintings. Naturally my examination of Van Gogh exposed me to his contemporaries, so going into Sacre Bleu it was like meeting up with old friends.

Add to that, the comic genius of Christopher Moore and it was a recipe for success.

You can tell that Moore is passionate about art. A tremendous amount of research went into this book, and it added a real authenticity to the story. But make no mistake, this is a Christopher Moore novel! There will be: 'male anatomy' jokes, bad language and a supernatural element. And I love it!

I think that art lovers and non-art lovers alike will appreciate this book. I cannot imagine closing this book and not wanting to get yourself to the closest museum (or the furthest, as the case may be - I'd love to visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia) at your earliest opportunity. Moore's passion is contagious.

The characters were really fun; Toulouse-Lautrec my favorite! I'd love to see more of him in the future.

On another note, this is a book you want to get in hardcover. There are reproductions of artwork in the book, and from what I understand the hardcover will contain color photos. The paperback advance reader copy had black and white pics. I don't know what the Kindle version will have, and if it will be different on Fire but I'm sure somebody will comment on it as soon as it is released electronically.

An enjoyable romp through 1890's Paris, with a little something extra. Definitely fun and recommended.