The Arizona Republic Recommends: "Sacré Bleu" by Christopher Moore
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Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore  Oh lá lá, 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.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. "Mingling comedy and mystery, Moore crafts an intricate story that teases the reader with numerous twists and bawdy humor. This is an imaginative and amusing look at the Impressionist era, and Moore's prose is fresh and engaging." —Booklist "A consistently compelling blend of love story, mystery, and 'what if?' art history lesson." —Entertainment Weekly "Captivating... those familiar with Moore's work will love this rich story, which is full of gleefully anachronistic behavior and language—often pun-based—coming from artists we ordinarily revere." —Houston Chronicle "One moment you find yourself rereading a passage for its sublime imagery, and the next, you are grinning over a well-placed wisecrack... an excellent novel." —Dallas News "Another exceedingly bizarre, often raucous, and consistently delightful journey into the sweetly demented mind of Christopher Moore." —Philadelphia Inquirer ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christopher Moore is the author of twelve celebrated comedic novels on subjects such as vampires, Jesus, the Grim Reaper, King Lear, sea monsters, and cargo cults. He lives in San Francisco, California. More »  | |||
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