More crucial, Joe also begins to notice an occasional "mild blip within a localized leep-dee-loop." In other words, some problems seem to be developing with the space-time continuum, manifested not only by Mr. Burk's photos and the Duo, but also the appearance of "ghosts," snippets of time appearing to repeat themselves like a stuck record, and a Bogumil in one of Joe's tour groups doing something never before accomplished in time travel and which was believed impossible.
Interspersed with intermittent illustrations of various characters (such as The Duo and Mr. Burk but not Joe), Foop! is satiric social commentary on a wide range of issues, including, but far from limited to, religion, the "progress" of man, and individual existence in an increasingly impersonal world. Joe the everyman is a likeable narrator on this tour of the surreal. And, like a good tour, even if not every stop is a hit, the trip tends to be a pleasant one overall.
Article comments
1 - DrPat
When a first-time novelist garners kudos from the likes of Christopher Moore, and prompts comparisons with the late Douglas Adams, you know there's something seriously funny going on.
Check out the interview of the author (by Koko the gorilla) to get a real feeling for the severe twist in this guy's mentation!
2 - Laura
I actually read Foop! based on Christopher Moore's kudos and wasn't disappointed. It does show some first novel unevenness, but overall it's a great debut. Any book that can make me laugh out loud as much as Foop! did is a winner in my book. We need more funny books like this.
3 - Laura
And if the Koko interview isn't enough to show you how twisted this guy is, check out the archives to his blog. He blogs in the voice of a mite named Pepino who lives in his eyelashes. At one point the mite gets into a fight to the death with an evil doll.