Also by this author: Secondhand SoulsCharlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.
It's a dirty job, but hey! Somebody's got to do it.
When I went down to Florida the last time, I borrowed some books from Melanie. One of those books was Dirty Jobs by Christopher Moore. I also borrowed the second book in the series and two others. For whatever reason I am slow on the reading of her books while I am steam rolling through others. It is what it is, but I did finish this one.
Charlie Asher is a Beta man, that means he stays behind the scenes. The book starts with Charlie about to have a daughter. Rachel and Charlie couldn’t wait for Sophia. Her birth was going to be a new turn for Charlie. Rachel pushed Charlie to get some sleep. She needed the sleep as well. Charlie realized Rachel’s favorite CD was in the car. Obviously, he couldn’t leave with it in the car. He ran back up to her room, only to see a large man standing over her. As he stood awestruck Rachel began to die. As he screamed, the man looked shocked and walked out.
Over the course of the next month Charlie began to realize that death was real. Not the fact you die, but that there is someone or something there to collect on your death. With everything there is a light side, and a dark side. When light fails, dark becomes stronger. When Charlie’s little girl Sophia experiences something that scares Charlie, without his knowledge she gains some pretty powerful protectors. While Charlie may not like the new additions, Sophia seems to, and nothing is more important than keeping Sophia happy, trust me.
I think that a lot of people find this book funny, and while there are funny places, overall I do not find it overly humerous. There are quirky characters, Lilly being my favorite. I guess for me the number of quirky kind of overshadow the story, although I guess that could be the story. My one main issue with is was the number of times I read “Beta Male” seriously there are at least 1000 of them in this book. It is a cute story, and I am going to read the second one. What? I am attached to Muhammad and Axel. Sophia too. Minty Fresh is also pretty cool.
About Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore is an American writer of absurdist fiction. He grew up in Mansfield, OH, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.
Moore's novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters suddenly struggling through supernatural or extraordinary circumstances. Inheriting a humanism from his love of John Steinbeck and a sense of the absurd from Kurt Vonnegut, Moore is a best-selling author with major cult status.
I find Christopher Moore to be hilarious! His books are funny and intelligent. Love his stuff but I haven’t read this one yet. Great review!