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A Bright Moon for Fools: A Novel
Harry Christmas is unable to cope with the death of his wife and has been bouncing from one bad decision to the next. After a terrifying assault by the son of a woman he has conned, he makes up his mind to leave the country. Now Harry Christmas is on the run.
On a mission to track down his wife’s ancestral village, Christmas arrives in Venezuela certain that his fortunes are about to improve. He’s dead wrong. Soon out of money and luck, he is forced into yet more deceit—with devastating consequences for those he has fooled. Lost, drunk, and lurching across rural Venezuela, Christmas reaches the point of breakdown. He wakes up in a village at the end of the world. He is hanging by one leg from a tree. Inspired by the mighty Lola Rosa, he tries to crawl out of his spiritual abyss and find a way to live amongst these fishermen and farmers—but love isn’t easy when you are a career liar still married to the dead. As the real trouble begins, can redemption survive?
Published in the UK to great acclaim, A Bright Moon for Fools is a comic novel that is as funny as it is heartbreaking. Jasper Gibson’s debut marks the arrival of a bold new voice in fiction.
On a mission to track down his wife’s ancestral village, Christmas arrives in Venezuela certain that his fortunes are about to improve. He’s dead wrong. Soon out of money and luck, he is forced into yet more deceit—with devastating consequences for those he has fooled. Lost, drunk, and lurching across rural Venezuela, Christmas reaches the point of breakdown. He wakes up in a village at the end of the world. He is hanging by one leg from a tree. Inspired by the mighty Lola Rosa, he tries to crawl out of his spiritual abyss and find a way to live amongst these fishermen and farmers—but love isn’t easy when you are a career liar still married to the dead. As the real trouble begins, can redemption survive?
Published in the UK to great acclaim, A Bright Moon for Fools is a comic novel that is as funny as it is heartbreaking. Jasper Gibson’s debut marks the arrival of a bold new voice in fiction.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
July 11, 2015
Once the first coffee of the morning had worn off, he'd usually had enough of being alive.
Yeah, I know that feeling, but for Harry Christmas, our thoroughly unlikable protagonist, being alive may be something he won't have to endure much longer.
He has stolen a woman's heart AND her money, and taken off to Venezuela. In hot pursuit is the woman's psychotic stepson who has vowed to avenge her honor AND get her money back. Now, the completely destitute Harry must depend on the kindness of strangers to survive.
And he's not the sort of man who engenders much kindness.
In fact, he is completely detestable - slovenly, rude, sarcastic and drunken. He's also a compulsive liar:
"So I moved to Ruritania where I became famous for - shall we say - my psychic speed-reading events. It was so successful they gave me my own television programme, from which I had a string of hits culminating in the ratings-buster 'Is Your Daughter a Virgin?' where parents stood to earn ten thousand Ruritanian yen if they guessed correctly. Extra bonuses depending on how accurately they guessed the sexual acts she had accomplished. Lie detectors. Crying. All the usual humiliation. Great success. Unfortunately some parents took the avalanche of information rather badly and one poor girl was shot. End of commission. But what do you do? You move on. Then I became head of the Texas Communist Party. I know what you're thinking; you're thinking, but he's British, and that shows just how bad things are down there. Then I became a dentist, just like my father, only rather better than him as I was only drunk in the afternoons."
As you can see, he's pretty hilarious, and it was delightful to read about his exploits. What makes him so fascinating is that he wasn't always like this. He was once a devoted, loving husband and expectant father. But bad things happened, and now Harry is, well, basically a wreck.
This is a strange and very quirky read, and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. The black humor is interspersed with jarring, disturbingly violent scenes as Harry's pursuer cuts a nasty swath through the local female population. Perhaps it is his vile presence that makes Harry seem more tolerable, but by the end of the book, I was rooting for this decidedly unjolly Christmas.
Yeah, I know that feeling, but for Harry Christmas, our thoroughly unlikable protagonist, being alive may be something he won't have to endure much longer.
He has stolen a woman's heart AND her money, and taken off to Venezuela. In hot pursuit is the woman's psychotic stepson who has vowed to avenge her honor AND get her money back. Now, the completely destitute Harry must depend on the kindness of strangers to survive.
And he's not the sort of man who engenders much kindness.
In fact, he is completely detestable - slovenly, rude, sarcastic and drunken. He's also a compulsive liar:
"So I moved to Ruritania where I became famous for - shall we say - my psychic speed-reading events. It was so successful they gave me my own television programme, from which I had a string of hits culminating in the ratings-buster 'Is Your Daughter a Virgin?' where parents stood to earn ten thousand Ruritanian yen if they guessed correctly. Extra bonuses depending on how accurately they guessed the sexual acts she had accomplished. Lie detectors. Crying. All the usual humiliation. Great success. Unfortunately some parents took the avalanche of information rather badly and one poor girl was shot. End of commission. But what do you do? You move on. Then I became head of the Texas Communist Party. I know what you're thinking; you're thinking, but he's British, and that shows just how bad things are down there. Then I became a dentist, just like my father, only rather better than him as I was only drunk in the afternoons."
As you can see, he's pretty hilarious, and it was delightful to read about his exploits. What makes him so fascinating is that he wasn't always like this. He was once a devoted, loving husband and expectant father. But bad things happened, and now Harry is, well, basically a wreck.
This is a strange and very quirky read, and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. The black humor is interspersed with jarring, disturbingly violent scenes as Harry's pursuer cuts a nasty swath through the local female population. Perhaps it is his vile presence that makes Harry seem more tolerable, but by the end of the book, I was rooting for this decidedly unjolly Christmas.
January 10, 2015
My first thought upon starting this book was that the protagonist Harry Christmas was a reincarnation of Ignatius J. Reilly from John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces - the parallels are numerous and I'd be surprised if the character wasn't in part inspired by him. If there was one shortcoming of the book for me, it was that Christmas is too caricatured to be plausible. This said, after the first couple of chapters I had tuned in to him and he provides numerous memorable moments. Along with the entertaining band of supporting characters and the bucolic Venezuelan setting, everything adds up to a fun read. It is hilariously funny at times - the bonkers penis-sculptor Judith is excellently observed and alarmingly like some people I (and, I'm sure, most people) have met. There is a sinister side to the book, though - the largely upbeat vibe is offset by some deeply disturbing scenes. Christmas is a man who is trying to exorcise his own demons while simultaneously attempting to evade the attentions of a man possessed by even darker ones.
The pervading theme is one of a deeply flawed, drunken and outspoken individual drifting vaguely on a desultory quest for closure and meaning after suffering a great loss - the loss of his wife. The story is that of the sequence of chance events and meetings that befall him along his way, and of whether these experiences can ultimately penetrate such a seemingly impenetrable, stubborn, cantankerous carapace. I enjoyed it and would recommend it - especially for anyone with an interest in Venezuela.
Luke F. D. Marsden (Author of Wondering, the Way is Made)
The pervading theme is one of a deeply flawed, drunken and outspoken individual drifting vaguely on a desultory quest for closure and meaning after suffering a great loss - the loss of his wife. The story is that of the sequence of chance events and meetings that befall him along his way, and of whether these experiences can ultimately penetrate such a seemingly impenetrable, stubborn, cantankerous carapace. I enjoyed it and would recommend it - especially for anyone with an interest in Venezuela.
Luke F. D. Marsden (Author of Wondering, the Way is Made)
October 13, 2014
Michael Palin says this book is "very funny, very unpleasant and very moving". Let's be honest: it's mysogyny and is only occasionally amusing; the book is unpleasant but not in a way worth boasting about; (having had no previous opinion) I now feel moved never to read Gibson's work again. To say he lacks imagination would be wrong; I just can't imagine why he thought this story worth telling.
July 1, 2013
Bright Moon began well - and just got better. Gibson has a rare quality: the ability to take us into a world expecting farce, and bring us out battered and shaken and all the better for it. This apparently paradoxical nature of Bright Moon, and especially its wrecking ball of a central protagonist, 'Senor' Harry Christmas, gives it depth and texture, as we laugh and have our emotional strings pulled alternately whilst the plot builds to its inescapable climax. Gibson's prose echoes this tenet, being clipped and zippy and tugging us along one minute, before hitting us with a lavish description of Venezuela or a jaw-cracking metaphor the next. The whole thing is balanced with great aplomb.
When all's said and done, this is, for me, also a serious reflection: on addiction and abuse - of oneself and of others; indeed, how our weaknesses and strengths inextricably bind us all together and how our choices, ultimately, are rarely minor in their ultimate consequence. Faith and trust and blame - these are old and towering themes into which Gibson's runaway story injects new invigoration, whilst sharing the richness of a Venezuela he evidently knows and loves. The reader will wince and laugh in equal measure, but ultimately I love the way this book left me, as we leave Caracas with a pang, asking a question: if it's up to you, what will you choose?
Can't wait to see what he'll produce next. This is a must-read.
When all's said and done, this is, for me, also a serious reflection: on addiction and abuse - of oneself and of others; indeed, how our weaknesses and strengths inextricably bind us all together and how our choices, ultimately, are rarely minor in their ultimate consequence. Faith and trust and blame - these are old and towering themes into which Gibson's runaway story injects new invigoration, whilst sharing the richness of a Venezuela he evidently knows and loves. The reader will wince and laugh in equal measure, but ultimately I love the way this book left me, as we leave Caracas with a pang, asking a question: if it's up to you, what will you choose?
Can't wait to see what he'll produce next. This is a must-read.
April 23, 2019
I was annoyed and HATED this book in the beginning. Then I started seeing comparisons between Harry Christmas, the main character here, and Ignatius J. Reilly of Confederacy of Dunces. Ugh! No wonder!
For some reason, I stuck with it anyway, wanting to pull something more out of it than that one-dimensional, highly overrated piece of garbage that is CoD.
Harry Christmas is the anti-protagonist. When we meet him, he's escaping London, flying off to Venezuela after stealing thousands of dollars from a woman he had been stringing along. Yeah, a real charmer. Every encounter he has with people has the possibility of turning more cringeworthy and uncomfortable or just plain violent.
But slowly we learn that he's not just heading to Venezuela to escape. There was another, more heartfelt, tragic reason why he desperately wanted to get to a place called Giuiria, a beach town that had very special meaning.
Of course things do not go smoothly and there's one mishap after another, usually caused by Harry's own lying, cheating, drinking, womanizing, etc., etc.
And oh, did I mention there's a deranged thug who's tracked him down and hot on his heels as he goes from one Venezuelan town to another?
It was redeeming in the end, where you suddenly find yourself rooting for him and learning he actually does have a heart and soul, and hoping he'll be able to somehow extricate himself from the impossible situation he's found himself in.
This is not the type of book I would normally read so I can't remember what made me buy it. It must've been because it's written by the guy who created The Poke, one of my favorite sites. :-)
For some reason, I stuck with it anyway, wanting to pull something more out of it than that one-dimensional, highly overrated piece of garbage that is CoD.
Harry Christmas is the anti-protagonist. When we meet him, he's escaping London, flying off to Venezuela after stealing thousands of dollars from a woman he had been stringing along. Yeah, a real charmer. Every encounter he has with people has the possibility of turning more cringeworthy and uncomfortable or just plain violent.
But slowly we learn that he's not just heading to Venezuela to escape. There was another, more heartfelt, tragic reason why he desperately wanted to get to a place called Giuiria, a beach town that had very special meaning.
Of course things do not go smoothly and there's one mishap after another, usually caused by Harry's own lying, cheating, drinking, womanizing, etc., etc.
And oh, did I mention there's a deranged thug who's tracked him down and hot on his heels as he goes from one Venezuelan town to another?
It was redeeming in the end, where you suddenly find yourself rooting for him and learning he actually does have a heart and soul, and hoping he'll be able to somehow extricate himself from the impossible situation he's found himself in.
This is not the type of book I would normally read so I can't remember what made me buy it. It must've been because it's written by the guy who created The Poke, one of my favorite sites. :-)
December 25, 2013
I liked this book for three reasons.
First, it was funny. It wasn't a collection of jokes, but the main character was delightfully absurd, and this gave rise to a series of ridiculous situations and observations. On rare occasions I laughed out loud. The images of the tattooed sleeping pig and the hanging drunk won't go away.
Secondly, it was well written. By that I mean I found the detail and the language interesting. The detailed description of passing life in Venezuela felt authoritative and the style was never banal. I always felt I was in the presence of a skilful writer who knew how to delight and provoke with words.
Thirdly, the story hung on a compelling character. At first he appealed because of his ridiculousness. However, he grew on me as he grew in complexity and depth. As the book progressed, he evoked compassion.
The thing that I disliked most about the book was the ending. Some things were resolved, but some major conflict was left hanging. After such an enjoyable journey I felt dissatisfied and cheated. I can only guess that things were left open because they would take a second novel to resolve. It wouldn't surprise me to find a future volume where Christmas returns t Venezuela.
First, it was funny. It wasn't a collection of jokes, but the main character was delightfully absurd, and this gave rise to a series of ridiculous situations and observations. On rare occasions I laughed out loud. The images of the tattooed sleeping pig and the hanging drunk won't go away.
Secondly, it was well written. By that I mean I found the detail and the language interesting. The detailed description of passing life in Venezuela felt authoritative and the style was never banal. I always felt I was in the presence of a skilful writer who knew how to delight and provoke with words.
Thirdly, the story hung on a compelling character. At first he appealed because of his ridiculousness. However, he grew on me as he grew in complexity and depth. As the book progressed, he evoked compassion.
The thing that I disliked most about the book was the ending. Some things were resolved, but some major conflict was left hanging. After such an enjoyable journey I felt dissatisfied and cheated. I can only guess that things were left open because they would take a second novel to resolve. It wouldn't surprise me to find a future volume where Christmas returns t Venezuela.
August 6, 2013
I loved this book, I really did. Until the end. It's just so unsatisfying.
Perhaps I am at fault for feeling this way. I tend to dislike endings which don't really tie anything together. But there was no resolution whatsoever, and I feel let down.
I'm tempted to knock off a star, but the 90+% of the book that I enjoyed was thoroughly deserving of the praise. It is a shame then, that the ending felt so rushed.
Perhaps I am at fault for feeling this way. I tend to dislike endings which don't really tie anything together. But there was no resolution whatsoever, and I feel let down.
I'm tempted to knock off a star, but the 90+% of the book that I enjoyed was thoroughly deserving of the praise. It is a shame then, that the ending felt so rushed.
February 18, 2016
As a writer of comedy myself, I know how difficult it is to make someone laugh.
I just didn't get this book. It was well written and the main character did have some very intriguing qualities, but I thought the book broke the first rule of comedy: It wasn't funny.
It is English humor and I have little use for the Royal Family or bangers and mash, so maybe it's me and not the book.
I just didn't get this book. It was well written and the main character did have some very intriguing qualities, but I thought the book broke the first rule of comedy: It wasn't funny.
It is English humor and I have little use for the Royal Family or bangers and mash, so maybe it's me and not the book.
September 3, 2023
Jasper Gibson is a master of devising unique, haunting, hilarious, and horrifying stories. Similar to Octopus Man, this book would have me laughing out loud on one page and then recoiling with disgust on the next. This book made me feel consistently uncomfortable throughout, yet I could not put it down. I wait in dread and anticipation for the next novel Gibson will produce.
May 22, 2013
Loved this book... Stumbled on it via the Canongate site and have been raving about it ever since. A first novel? He is Martin Amis, when Amis was brilliant. Michael Caine should play Harry Christmas, and Javier Bardem Slade. More, please!
September 29, 2014
The first few pages were promising but it quickly deteriorated into a farce involving a wholly unlikable character with little storyline to speak of. Life is too short to waste on this drivel.
November 2, 2019
My first attempt at reviewing this book turned into a rant. Midway through, a character is raped and it is handled very poorly by the author. I can explain why if you want me to, but I don't really want to. I almost didn't carry on reading it, I was so angry with the way it was written.
I did finish it in the end, but it left me feeling rather miserable and unsatisfied.
Jasper Gibson has talent. He can do description, setting, dialogue, action, romance... the writing is very good. He made me laugh (Mr Willykins), he made me feel, he had some great ideas, he conveys a very familiar Britishness in the humour and I was fond of Harry Christmas by the end despite him being a colossal arse. That takes talent.
A Bright Moon has a lot of good points, but issues with tone and pace. If they'd snipped out the dream sequences, streamlined the dull parts, mended the wandering perspective at the beginning and lost the casual, dismissive descriptions of sexual violence, it could have been excellent.
The trouble is, in order to write a humourous novel with a poignant heart and moments of horror, it's much more tricky than delivering a straight up comedy or a tragic drama. There's a reason why Joseph Heller's Catch 22 is one of my favourite novels.
I did finish it in the end, but it left me feeling rather miserable and unsatisfied.
Jasper Gibson has talent. He can do description, setting, dialogue, action, romance... the writing is very good. He made me laugh (Mr Willykins), he made me feel, he had some great ideas, he conveys a very familiar Britishness in the humour and I was fond of Harry Christmas by the end despite him being a colossal arse. That takes talent.
A Bright Moon has a lot of good points, but issues with tone and pace. If they'd snipped out the dream sequences, streamlined the dull parts, mended the wandering perspective at the beginning and lost the casual, dismissive descriptions of sexual violence, it could have been excellent.
The trouble is, in order to write a humourous novel with a poignant heart and moments of horror, it's much more tricky than delivering a straight up comedy or a tragic drama. There's a reason why Joseph Heller's Catch 22 is one of my favourite novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2018
Very good read. Not "hilarious" at all like some of the review snippets claim, but on the contrary, dark, and very readable....page-turner.
August 5, 2017
I was really excited about the book - the plot summary at the back whispered the promise of an adventure with a dash of humour. What I got instead were obnoxious characters, a poor excuse of a villain and many terrible stereotypes of non-British ethnicities.
Let me introduce the characters:
Harry Christmas - a middle-aged British conman who is on the run from the law after cheating a woman out of her money. Loud, rude and unattractive, it is a wonder how he manages to get women interested in him. He gets through life by acting confident and making up last-minute lies, which in reality would never work, and yet the Venezuelans are dumb enough to believe him.
William Slade - the villain of the story who is as laughably bad as his cheesy name. Eager to avenge the woman whom Christmas deceived, Slade is an overweight coward who dreams of being tougher than he actually is. The reader at first feels sorry for him, until he does something awful that he joins the rest of the cast of unappealing characters.
Lola Rosa - A sexy Venezuelan woman, who has a sexy accent, sexy walk, because all Venezuelan women are so sexy (unlike inferior European women, which we are constantly reminded). And that's pretty much it about her. Like the rest of her countrymen, she is gullible, aggressive and nationalistic.
At the beginning of the novel, the main character Christmas is so unlikable that the reader might even root for the villain. Then suddenly in the middle of the story, the writer must have realised that his protagonist had barely any redeeming qualities, so he gave Christmas some half-hearted tragic tale about his wife whilst making the villain as despicable a possible, by making him commit some horrific irrational acts that come off as cheap shock factors to the reader. Lola Rosa is the love interest, and for such a strong and street-smart woman it is amazing how easily she falls for the lies that Harry Christmas tells her, as if she has no experience of deceitful men.
I give this a 2/5 instead of a 1/5 because the book has some very nice descriptions and you really feel the heat and the exotic vibe of Venezuela. Plus, kudos to the author for highlighting the benefits of Chavez's reign, such as free healthcare and dedication to improving education. But otherwise, the author needs to work on making his characters more likable in the future books and brush up on his sense of humour.
Let me introduce the characters:
Harry Christmas - a middle-aged British conman who is on the run from the law after cheating a woman out of her money. Loud, rude and unattractive, it is a wonder how he manages to get women interested in him. He gets through life by acting confident and making up last-minute lies, which in reality would never work, and yet the Venezuelans are dumb enough to believe him.
William Slade - the villain of the story who is as laughably bad as his cheesy name. Eager to avenge the woman whom Christmas deceived, Slade is an overweight coward who dreams of being tougher than he actually is. The reader at first feels sorry for him, until he does something awful that he joins the rest of the cast of unappealing characters.
Lola Rosa - A sexy Venezuelan woman, who has a sexy accent, sexy walk, because all Venezuelan women are so sexy (unlike inferior European women, which we are constantly reminded). And that's pretty much it about her. Like the rest of her countrymen, she is gullible, aggressive and nationalistic.
At the beginning of the novel, the main character Christmas is so unlikable that the reader might even root for the villain. Then suddenly in the middle of the story, the writer must have realised that his protagonist had barely any redeeming qualities, so he gave Christmas some half-hearted tragic tale about his wife whilst making the villain as despicable a possible, by making him commit some horrific irrational acts that come off as cheap shock factors to the reader. Lola Rosa is the love interest, and for such a strong and street-smart woman it is amazing how easily she falls for the lies that Harry Christmas tells her, as if she has no experience of deceitful men.
I give this a 2/5 instead of a 1/5 because the book has some very nice descriptions and you really feel the heat and the exotic vibe of Venezuela. Plus, kudos to the author for highlighting the benefits of Chavez's reign, such as free healthcare and dedication to improving education. But otherwise, the author needs to work on making his characters more likable in the future books and brush up on his sense of humour.
May 11, 2013
This should have been a brilliant book. Instead, it is three-and-a-half stars, but halves are not possible, and I felt generous.
A bit more than the first half is excellent, with some instances also later on, exploding with Hunter S. Thompson-esque ebullience, (others, elsewhere, have already picked up the Kennedy Toole affiliation), irreverence and astute observation, beautiful, crisp writing, with details jumping out with minimal verbiage (a triumph - nothing worse than endless description), excellent storytelling, and just riotously funny.
It is appropriate that things get a bit sticky for the absolutely fabulous hero (what a creation! bravo!), but the violence of the misfortunes that befall him and others, and, most importantly, the increasingly darkening, frequently maudlin mood in which they take place, feel like they belong to a different book. I found the ending especially unsatisfying. Others who liked the book talk about 'redemption, of sorts' through this darkness, but I disagree. Not with the need for such redemption, but with the means through which it is achieved, which are jarring in more ways than one. Let's recall Ignatius C. Reilly's 'redemption, of sorts' and how subtly, and more satisfyingly, that is handled.
However, there is clearly so much talent and skill at work in Bright Moon, and so much fun to be had, that I cannot but recommend this book, and, certainly, look much forward to Mr Gibson's next, hopefully one where he will feel the 'seriousness' does not need to be couched in 'heaviness'.
A bit more than the first half is excellent, with some instances also later on, exploding with Hunter S. Thompson-esque ebullience, (others, elsewhere, have already picked up the Kennedy Toole affiliation), irreverence and astute observation, beautiful, crisp writing, with details jumping out with minimal verbiage (a triumph - nothing worse than endless description), excellent storytelling, and just riotously funny.
It is appropriate that things get a bit sticky for the absolutely fabulous hero (what a creation! bravo!), but the violence of the misfortunes that befall him and others, and, most importantly, the increasingly darkening, frequently maudlin mood in which they take place, feel like they belong to a different book. I found the ending especially unsatisfying. Others who liked the book talk about 'redemption, of sorts' through this darkness, but I disagree. Not with the need for such redemption, but with the means through which it is achieved, which are jarring in more ways than one. Let's recall Ignatius C. Reilly's 'redemption, of sorts' and how subtly, and more satisfyingly, that is handled.
However, there is clearly so much talent and skill at work in Bright Moon, and so much fun to be had, that I cannot but recommend this book, and, certainly, look much forward to Mr Gibson's next, hopefully one where he will feel the 'seriousness' does not need to be couched in 'heaviness'.
September 9, 2014
It's rare that I read a book with final reviews in mind, but for some reason this was the case here. This book started in a riot of snappy one liners and I was certain I was heading for a 5 star review. However after about 100 pages it settles into a much more conventional narrative - down to 4 stars. I still continued to enjoy it, but not with quite as much enthusiasm. With about 50 pages to go, I made a mental note to deduct another star if the conclusion was unsatisfactory. So 3.5 stars would be closer to the mark - a good story by a writer I would certainly read again, but not the full on delight I hoped.
September 30, 2016
So this is marketed as a comedic novel, and starts off following pompous blowhard, chancer and con man Harry Christmas. Some of Harry's bluster is entertaining until the tone shifts wildly at the half way point.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Rape and animal mutilation scenes ruined the book.
I get that these are fictional constructs and no one was actually harmed in real life, but really!!!!
How does that fit into a comedy?
It doesn't.
I almost gave up and I feel I wouldn't have missed much if I had given up.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Rape and animal mutilation scenes ruined the book.
I get that these are fictional constructs and no one was actually harmed in real life, but really!!!!
How does that fit into a comedy?
It doesn't.
I almost gave up and I feel I wouldn't have missed much if I had given up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2017
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
A hilarious book, yet very disturbing. Harry Christmas is an unbelievable character - larger than life in his creativity to cheat and hurt people. I could not root for him. Christmas is fleeing a terrible misdeed in his native England and goes to Venezuela to pay homage to his dead wife. Along the way he is a repugnant man to his fellow human beings. The story reads like a legend and I was hooked, even though I could not relate to any of the characters. Clever and funny prose. I look forward to more from Jasper Gibson.
A hilarious book, yet very disturbing. Harry Christmas is an unbelievable character - larger than life in his creativity to cheat and hurt people. I could not root for him. Christmas is fleeing a terrible misdeed in his native England and goes to Venezuela to pay homage to his dead wife. Along the way he is a repugnant man to his fellow human beings. The story reads like a legend and I was hooked, even though I could not relate to any of the characters. Clever and funny prose. I look forward to more from Jasper Gibson.
March 15, 2016
A book of two halves.
First half; pure class. Snappy, fast-paced and had me hooked. On course to be one of my favourite reads of 2013.
Second half; what happened? Dull, non-descript. Felt like the author lost his way with the plot and wasn't sure where to go with it. Finished with more of a fizzle than a bang. Shame.
First half; pure class. Snappy, fast-paced and had me hooked. On course to be one of my favourite reads of 2013.
Second half; what happened? Dull, non-descript. Felt like the author lost his way with the plot and wasn't sure where to go with it. Finished with more of a fizzle than a bang. Shame.
September 30, 2014
did laugh at loud at points but felt disappointed by the ending.
December 15, 2016
Mildly funny, but more disgusting and infuriating. About halfway through, a rape is depicted. This moves beyond disgusting. Not worth anyone's time.
April 1, 2025
After reading Gibson's Octopus Man first, I didn't know what to expect here but it certainly was worth reading. I liked this book, but the lower rating comes from my disgust with the character of William Slade and the many mentions of r*pe that honestly were written well because I had a nauseous reaction to reading them.
Harry Christmas....what do I even do with you...this ending was not as iconic as The Octopus Man, but I love Jasper Gibson's choice to have his protagonists make the same mistakes over and over again, upping the self-loathing for it every time, and showing us that this self-loathing alone changes nothing, and then ending the book, subsequently breaking my heart and forcing me to take a look at my own life and behavior patterns through the Gibson lens of the repetitive flawed action as an identity definer.
Further comparing the two novels, the main character of Octopus Man, Tom, lives a simple life "without vices" (which I put in quotes because...his addiction IS his religious rejection of earthly things) while Harry Christmas is a binge eater and alcoholic who enjoys life only for the pleasures of coffee, women, whiskey, and exacting the wrath of his distinctly English superiority complex on unassuming strangers. This showed me a new side to Gibson's writing in how he depicted the thoughtless overindulgence and immoderation that defines Harry Christmas throughout the story; he downs rum saying the stuff won't affect him-it does, the same way he takes on false identities and over commits to relationships and dangerous lies thinking they won't catch up to him-they do. I understand he only does these things in Venezuela because he is desperate, but pay attention, where we begin this story is not where the story begins.
(Tom is thoughtless and selfish as well, but the way Gibson creates differences in HOW is entertaining and this way of showing it was different and more traditional to our world, even though strangely I find Tom more relatable. Probably because he actually cares more about what people think about him than Christmas surprisingly.)
Ultimately, A Bright Moon For Fools was a good read that went the distance but left me unsatisfied. I guess that is where Gibson gets his satisfaction, by showing us what his characters could have, and then reminding us that the person who is capable of having that doesn't really exist.
PS: I loved Harry's description of The Rot - so real. And I loved getting to read Gibson talk about food other than curried vegetables. Now I want an arepa.
Harry Christmas....what do I even do with you...this ending was not as iconic as The Octopus Man, but I love Jasper Gibson's choice to have his protagonists make the same mistakes over and over again, upping the self-loathing for it every time, and showing us that this self-loathing alone changes nothing, and then ending the book, subsequently breaking my heart and forcing me to take a look at my own life and behavior patterns through the Gibson lens of the repetitive flawed action as an identity definer.
Further comparing the two novels, the main character of Octopus Man, Tom, lives a simple life "without vices" (which I put in quotes because...his addiction IS his religious rejection of earthly things) while Harry Christmas is a binge eater and alcoholic who enjoys life only for the pleasures of coffee, women, whiskey, and exacting the wrath of his distinctly English superiority complex on unassuming strangers. This showed me a new side to Gibson's writing in how he depicted the thoughtless overindulgence and immoderation that defines Harry Christmas throughout the story; he downs rum saying the stuff won't affect him-it does, the same way he takes on false identities and over commits to relationships and dangerous lies thinking they won't catch up to him-they do. I understand he only does these things in Venezuela because he is desperate, but pay attention, where we begin this story is not where the story begins.
(Tom is thoughtless and selfish as well, but the way Gibson creates differences in HOW is entertaining and this way of showing it was different and more traditional to our world, even though strangely I find Tom more relatable. Probably because he actually cares more about what people think about him than Christmas surprisingly.)
Ultimately, A Bright Moon For Fools was a good read that went the distance but left me unsatisfied. I guess that is where Gibson gets his satisfaction, by showing us what his characters could have, and then reminding us that the person who is capable of having that doesn't really exist.
PS: I loved Harry's description of The Rot - so real. And I loved getting to read Gibson talk about food other than curried vegetables. Now I want an arepa.
December 29, 2021
For some reason I started this book under the assumption that it would be supernatural. Once I realised it wasn't, I was briefely disappointed but very quickly got over it.
It truly is a good book... a horrible book too- repulsive might be the right word, but also heartwarming and funny- a wonderful example of how a book full of assholes can be a great read, maybe especially because everyone is the lowest form of humanity.
Despite all his flaws, you find yourself rooting for Harry Christmas, sometimes despairing over his choices and misfortune but mostly wishing him some form of redemption that could make his shrivelled, misanthropic heart, grow three sizes and heal.
Even at its lightest moments, the book is neck-deep in tragedy, worsened only by the antagonist, who is truly, one of the fowlest ones I have ever encountered, simply because he is so horribly misguided and (there it is again) repulsive. His clear path of destruction turns the book into something of a thriller and contrasts beautifully with Harry's stumbling escape, both of them villains in each others' stories, both of them horrible but in very different ways - forcing us to admit that even a low-life like Harry Christmas can be the good guy if only the comparison is harsh enough.
The language of Harry Christmas' inner monologue is art, hateful, honest art. And it voices thoughts that everyone has at some point wished they could express, but never would. At the same time, it's almost childlike in its depsperation and planning.
It paints Venezuela in a naive, colourful cliche, much like it appears in Harry Christmas' head, his one chance at a simpler life. As a reader you get to see it through his eyes, though reality constantly lurks close by.
And as far-fetched as the story often seems, it's roots in reality, it's conclusion and bitter-sweet aftertaste make this very much worth reading.
It truly is a good book... a horrible book too- repulsive might be the right word, but also heartwarming and funny- a wonderful example of how a book full of assholes can be a great read, maybe especially because everyone is the lowest form of humanity.
Despite all his flaws, you find yourself rooting for Harry Christmas, sometimes despairing over his choices and misfortune but mostly wishing him some form of redemption that could make his shrivelled, misanthropic heart, grow three sizes and heal.
Even at its lightest moments, the book is neck-deep in tragedy, worsened only by the antagonist, who is truly, one of the fowlest ones I have ever encountered, simply because he is so horribly misguided and (there it is again) repulsive. His clear path of destruction turns the book into something of a thriller and contrasts beautifully with Harry's stumbling escape, both of them villains in each others' stories, both of them horrible but in very different ways - forcing us to admit that even a low-life like Harry Christmas can be the good guy if only the comparison is harsh enough.
The language of Harry Christmas' inner monologue is art, hateful, honest art. And it voices thoughts that everyone has at some point wished they could express, but never would. At the same time, it's almost childlike in its depsperation and planning.
It paints Venezuela in a naive, colourful cliche, much like it appears in Harry Christmas' head, his one chance at a simpler life. As a reader you get to see it through his eyes, though reality constantly lurks close by.
And as far-fetched as the story often seems, it's roots in reality, it's conclusion and bitter-sweet aftertaste make this very much worth reading.
January 16, 2025
First book of 2025. Unfortunately.
If you've ever read A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, then this is just a modern day retelling of it.
Harry Christmas is the caricature of the neckbeard manchild. I don't even have to describe him, you just had an image pop up in your head from that didn't you.
Thing is, A Confederacy of Dunces was INTENDED as a caricature. It came out in the 60s when this sort of behavior was so outargues nobody took it seriously. I mean, a grown man watching cartoons? Yelling at the animated animals about oral hygiene when they kissed?
Sounds less absurd now with thousands of channels on social making a living of doing that doesn't it.
Which is why this book just doesn't work. You are following THAT kind of person around while he acts like an ass to everyone. There is no satire or humor, it's just a guy being a karen in a way we've all either seen or heard about the past few years.
Now I hated the Confederacy of Dunces, I was never going to like the dollar store version of it. Just wish the author had a warning label on it so I wouldn't waste my time or money.
If you've ever read A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, then this is just a modern day retelling of it.
Harry Christmas is the caricature of the neckbeard manchild. I don't even have to describe him, you just had an image pop up in your head from that didn't you.
Thing is, A Confederacy of Dunces was INTENDED as a caricature. It came out in the 60s when this sort of behavior was so outargues nobody took it seriously. I mean, a grown man watching cartoons? Yelling at the animated animals about oral hygiene when they kissed?
Sounds less absurd now with thousands of channels on social making a living of doing that doesn't it.
Which is why this book just doesn't work. You are following THAT kind of person around while he acts like an ass to everyone. There is no satire or humor, it's just a guy being a karen in a way we've all either seen or heard about the past few years.
Now I hated the Confederacy of Dunces, I was never going to like the dollar store version of it. Just wish the author had a warning label on it so I wouldn't waste my time or money.
February 3, 2017
Firstly a warning. There are some nasty rape and animal torture parts in this book that were very unpleasant for me to read. At one point I nearly put the book down for good because of it. Maybe I am oversensitive but I don't enjoy reading about that brutal side of human nature.
However I am aware that to make a pompous, self opinionated, cantankerous man the hero of the story, the villain has to be a real psycho.
At first, when I had no idea what Harry was doing in Venezuela, I was laughing out loud at his appalling behavior, he really was the most obnoxious character I have read in a long time, but so funny. The story develops well as you get snippets of information from his past that lead to the whole scenario. A depth of character evolves for Harry and I couldn't help but start to like him.
The ending worked brilliantly for me, making the nastier parts earlier in the tale essential to the conclusion.
Still, as a woman I would have taken a softer route to a redemption story.
Absolutely hilarious in some parts, for that a 4*
However I am aware that to make a pompous, self opinionated, cantankerous man the hero of the story, the villain has to be a real psycho.
At first, when I had no idea what Harry was doing in Venezuela, I was laughing out loud at his appalling behavior, he really was the most obnoxious character I have read in a long time, but so funny. The story develops well as you get snippets of information from his past that lead to the whole scenario. A depth of character evolves for Harry and I couldn't help but start to like him.
The ending worked brilliantly for me, making the nastier parts earlier in the tale essential to the conclusion.
Still, as a woman I would have taken a softer route to a redemption story.
Absolutely hilarious in some parts, for that a 4*
October 24, 2023
I can't tell if this book was brutally humorous, or simply brutal. It certainly evoked laughter and heartbreak in equal measure.
Though the protagonist is the very definition of a fuck up, regularly makes a fool of himself, and goes around being rude to various people.
He's messed up for reasons, he makes a fool of himself among other likeminded fools, and when he's rude he's hilarious with it. While the humour doesn't excuse such behaviour, several cases are petty victories against mildly irritating individuals - exemplifying the reactions we all secretly wish we could get away with (the irritating couple who sit down at his table near the beginning especially so).
Though he's almost the polar opposite of a good person - you still find yourself hoping Christmas gets the good ending he doesn't deserve.
Though the protagonist is the very definition of a fuck up, regularly makes a fool of himself, and goes around being rude to various people.
He's messed up for reasons, he makes a fool of himself among other likeminded fools, and when he's rude he's hilarious with it. While the humour doesn't excuse such behaviour, several cases are petty victories against mildly irritating individuals - exemplifying the reactions we all secretly wish we could get away with (the irritating couple who sit down at his table near the beginning especially so).
Though he's almost the polar opposite of a good person - you still find yourself hoping Christmas gets the good ending he doesn't deserve.
July 5, 2019
Has Its Moments
It wasn’t until halfway into the story when I found myself actually rooting for Harry Christmas.
The author painted a vivid picture of life inside Venezuela, and it was hard to stomach some of those descriptions—particularly the jail. The characters were quirky, some charmingly so (Judith) and some were deeply disturbing (Slade and Christmas himself at times). I enjoyed the humor and the ridiculous predicaments Harry brought onto himself, so I wasn’t prepared when the narrative took a seriously somber track.
The ending wasn’t satisfying for me, and even though I changed my opinion of Harry Christmas, he’s not engaging enough for me to read a sequel, if there is one coming.
It wasn’t until halfway into the story when I found myself actually rooting for Harry Christmas.
The author painted a vivid picture of life inside Venezuela, and it was hard to stomach some of those descriptions—particularly the jail. The characters were quirky, some charmingly so (Judith) and some were deeply disturbing (Slade and Christmas himself at times). I enjoyed the humor and the ridiculous predicaments Harry brought onto himself, so I wasn’t prepared when the narrative took a seriously somber track.
The ending wasn’t satisfying for me, and even though I changed my opinion of Harry Christmas, he’s not engaging enough for me to read a sequel, if there is one coming.
July 11, 2022
Actually less than my 'regular' four star rating but certainly above a three. The main character, Harry Christmas, is likeable while also being a real jerk; his love interests display the same wide characteristics with strong tones of naivete and gullibility coupled with what might be seen as true love. The settings were frequently laugh out loud funny while at the same time, some really difficult to read passages with rape and animal torture. The book kept my interest throughout and I frequently had a hard time putting it down. The open-ended finish was disappointing and it didn't really feel like an ending so I won't be surprised if there isn't a sequel. There is definitely enough to keep going.
July 4, 2018
Actually more like 2.5 stars.
It’s hard to be motivated to read a book about throughly hateable, misogynistic characters.
This book wasn’t as funny as it thought it was, Harry Christmas’ slight transformation from despot into semi-despot wasn’t moving and the author definitely thought he was re-writing Fear and Loathing in parts.
Despite all that, I didn’t actually hate it by the time I was half way through. The cat and mouse suspense between Slade and Christmas kept it going. There were some really likeable female characters that dropped in and out of the story who I found myself reading on for.
It’s hard to be motivated to read a book about throughly hateable, misogynistic characters.
This book wasn’t as funny as it thought it was, Harry Christmas’ slight transformation from despot into semi-despot wasn’t moving and the author definitely thought he was re-writing Fear and Loathing in parts.
Despite all that, I didn’t actually hate it by the time I was half way through. The cat and mouse suspense between Slade and Christmas kept it going. There were some really likeable female characters that dropped in and out of the story who I found myself reading on for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
Picked this up off the clearance rack because the cover looked interesting and I'm glad I did. Very fun read. Our hero is a pathological liar, manipulator, alcoholic conman that we follow as he flees to Venezuela from England to escape the son of a woman from whom he's stolen a significant amount of money and also to find some closure. I don't want to go in to too many details so I don't spoil anything, but I found the story to be very interesting, the writing is vivid and detailed, especially the alcoholic hallucinations, with a good blend of comedy and drama. Definitely worth a read.
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