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Fluke

Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

By Christopher Moore

(32)

| Paperback | 9780060566685

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Book Description

After reverently lambasting the most cherished rites and credos of virtually every one of the world's major religions in his transcendently hilarious novel Lamb, the one and only Christopher Moore returns with a wild look at interspecies communication, adventure on the high seas, and an eoContinue

Marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn is in love -- with the salt air and sun-drenched waters off Maui ... and especially with the majestic ocean-dwelling behemoths that have been bleeping and hooting their haunting music for more than twenty million years. But just why do the humpback whales sing? That's the question that has Nate and his crew poking, charting, recording, and photographing any large marine mammal that crosses their path. Until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite me.

No one on Nate's team has ever seen such a thing; not his longtime partner, photographer Clay Demodocus, not their saucy young research assistant, Amy. Not even spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman, Kona (the former Preston Applebaum of New Jersey), could boast such a sighting in one of his dope-induced hallucinations. And when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot -- and their research facility is summarily trashed -- Nate realizes that something very fishy indeed is going on.

This, apparently, is big, involving dangerously interested other parties -- competitive researchers, the cutthroat tourist industry, perhaps even the military. The weirdness only gets weirder when a call comes in from Nate's big-bucks benefactor saying that a whale has made contact -- by phone. And it's asking for a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye. Suddenly the answer to the question that has daunted and driven Nate throughout his adult life is within his reach. But it's waiting for him in the form of an amazing adventure beneath the waves, 623 feet down, somewhere off the coast of Chile. And it's not what anyone would think.

It must be said: Christopher Moore's Fluke is a whale of a novel.

Critics

Archive Review:Christopher Moore 'Fluke'

Editor's note: Editor's Note: When I spoke with Chris last week, he mentioned once again our first meeting and this book; looking into the current Review Archive, I noticed the review was absent and thus restore it, sans spoilers. ... (read full critics)

bookotron published on Thu, 3 May 2012

Fluke, Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings By Christopher Moore

Fluke features a cast of eccentric and endearing characters, an exotic setting (the whaling town of Lahaina, Hawaii) and a story that is hilarious, educational and original. Christopher Moore's latest comic offering comes on the heels of Lamb, his in ... (read full critics)

bookpage published on Wed, 15 Sep 2010

See all critics

5 Reviews

This was really sweet. :))

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Linda said on Jul 8, 2011 | Add your feedback

Nate (action geek) has spent a lifetime trying to discover why the humpback whales sing. . . pure science. He works with Clay (loyal friend), Kona (fake Hawaiian Rastafarian), and Amy (the snowy biscuit). The Old Broad funds their research. Once Nate discovers the true reason for the whales' singing ... (continue)

Nate (action geek) has spent a lifetime trying to discover why the humpback whales sing. . . pure science. He works with Clay (loyal friend), Kona (fake Hawaiian Rastafarian), and Amy (the snowy biscuit). The Old Broad funds their research. Once Nate discovers the true reason for the whales' singing, he becomes more involved in environmental and animal protection actions.

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Missmath144 said on Nov 21, 2008 about the Audio CD edition | Add your feedback

Inscribed by the author, "To Pete--I'm probably funnier than you. Christopher Moore."

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Becky said on Nov 10, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Loooved it! Really funny, good characters, awesome story line. I love that an author can still surprise me so much. Predictable is out - Christopher Moore is IN :)

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Deanna Kyre said on Aug 26, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

My thoughts

This was a very funny and sometimes poignant book about whales, friendship, loyalty and discovering wonder in unexpected places. I liked the characters Nate, Amy, Kona, Clay and the Old Broad.

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krin5292 said on Dec 4, 2007 | Add your feedback

Book Details

Rating:
(32)
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English Books
Paperback 336 Pages
ISBN-10: 006056668X
ISBN-13: 9780060566685
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Pub date: Jun 01, 2004
Dimensions: 1290 mm x 839 mm x 129 mm Just how big is that?
Also available as: Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette, School & Library Binding, Others and eBook