Noir by Christopher Moore

3 Stars

The streetlights floated above in their vaporous auras like lost spirits, never reaching the pavement.

The scene is set. I like Noir, and this feels true to the genre except with a lot more laughing. The post WWII setting in San Francisco is vibrant and the edgy jokes run the gauntlet. There's still Moore's crude and vulgar humor, but instead of "naturals" like Pocket from the Fool series or Toulouse Lautrec from Sacre Bleu we have a ragamuffin whose insults that are just misses which make them even funnier.

Again, for those not familiar with Moore's writing, it is not politically correct. In fact, it makes art out of our prejudices by mocking them relentlessly. There is nothing sacred: race, religion, sexuality, and gender are all fair game in the tussle of the story. But under it all, it's done to highlight points and slap the reader upside the head, which is probably due.

"How's a girl suppose to get by now. I know a hundred girls who can run a bead with an arc welder as good as any guy, but what are they doing since the war? Typing memos or answering phones, if they're lucky--folding shirts and changing diapers if they ain't."

There's fornication, drinking, smoking, and everyone that can be insulted is. Still funny.

"I am the Harriet Tubman of your breasts."
She rolled back over, her people now free of their bonds. "Well, now let me show you the underground railroad." And she pushed him until he was backing partway onto the floor, pushing the coffee table back as he went. He resurfaced under her nearly removed dress.
"Hey, this doesn't look like Churchill at all. More like Rasputin."
"That's not the birthmark. To the left."

A good time was had including entertainment provided by Roswell and some G men. Overall, this felt slower than the other Moore books I've read, but gotta say that the last 20% was fantastic--Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Overall, not as rollicking as his Shakespearean parodies or his homage to Impressionist artists. Then again, it could be that I just prefer the twist in both of those in relation to time period and content addressed in Noir.