Shakespeare for Squirrels

Fool #3

by Christopher Moore

New York Times Bestseller!

Shakespeare meets Dashiell Hammett in this wildly entertaining murder mystery from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore—an uproarious, hardboiled take on the Bard’s most performed play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring Pocket, the hero of Fool and The Serpent of Venice, along with his sidekick, Drool, and pet monkey, Jeff.

Set adrift by his pirate crew, Pocket of Dog Snogging—last seen in The Serpent of Venice—washes up on the sun-bleached shores of Greece, where he hopes to dazzle the Duke with his comedic brilliance and become his trusted fool.

But the island is in turmoil. Egeus, the Duke’s minister, is furious that his daughter Hermia is determined to marry Demetrius, instead of Lysander, the man he has chosen for her. The Duke decrees that if, by the time of the wedding, Hermia still refuses to marry Lysander, she shall be executed . . . or consigned to a nunnery. Pocket, being Pocket, cannot help but point out that this decree is complete bollocks, and that the Duke is an egregious weasel for having even suggested it. Irritated by the fool’s impudence, the Duke orders his death. With the Duke’s guards in pursuit, Pocket makes a daring escape.

He soon stumbles into the wooded realm of the fairy king Oberon, who, as luck would have it, IS short a fool. His jester Robin Goodfellow—the mischievous sprite better known as Puck—was found dead. Murdered. Oberon makes Pocket an offer he can’t refuse: he will make Pocket his fool and have his death sentence lifted if Pocket finds out who killed Robin Goodfellow. But as anyone who is even vaguely aware of the Bard’s most performed play ever will know, nearly every character has a motive for wanting the mischievous sprite dead.

With too many suspects and too little time, Pocket must work his own kind of magic to find the truth, save his neck, and ensure that all ends well.

A rollicking tale of love, magic, madness, and murder, Shakespeare for Squirrels is a Midsummer Night’s noir—a wicked and brilliantly funny good time conjured by the singular imagination of Christopher Moore.

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Audiobook, Comedy, Shakespeare

Hardcover

First published May 12, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! another Christopher Moore book. I have read all of this stuff but one of his short story collections I can't find. I adore the raunchy and randy fun that all of Christophers books have. They always have me laughing my head off. This book was one of his better ones. It's Christopher Moore and Shakespeare and not just any Shakespeare, but my favorite - a Midsummer Night's Dream.

One of my favorite series he has going is Fool where Christopher re-imagines famous Shakespeare works with the Moore brand. They are brilliant. This is the best of the lot. This might be my favorite book of his since Lamb, which is the best.

One of my favorite other characters of Moore's is Abby from his vampires series. I love and adore her. I felt like Pocket had some lines used from Abby. (going to be f-bombs ahead.) Pocket would say something french like Moi? and then he would say "I said in perfect fucking french." That line tickles me pink for whatever reason. Another repeating line I fawn over is "Heinous fuckery most foul" - that is simply such perfection. The phrase I use in my head after someone is an asshole is I call them a 'heinous anus'. It makes me feel better.

This is probably high school humor, but it just brings me so much joy. I love the bawdy, raunchy, randy language. I just adore reading a Christopher book. I think the best comparison is the literary form of Austin Powers. It's that type of humor.

Moore gives his spine on Puck, fairies, especially Cobweb, Oberon and Titania. He takes on Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Pocket is the center of them all and there is hat shagging and squirrel shagging and stage shagging, simply shagging all around. It is a delight if you have a more twisted sense of humor and love this sort of thing.

There is a mystery in the middle of this and lovers gone awry. There are still surprises to be had and it's a new version of this classic story

This story made my reading year.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another humorous, raunchy, irreverent retelling and reimagining of Shakespeare from Moore. This time, the fool Pocket finds himself solving a mystery in the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream. While you needn't have seen or read the original Shakespeare to enjoy this one, it probably wouldn't hurt to check it out first so that you have a good point of reference. Also, this is the third book in Moore's Fool series - after Fool (King Lear) and The Serpent of Venice (The Merchant of Venice).

I always get a kick out of the way Moore writes. It is clever with a lot of wordplay. Sometimes things get wacky to the point of being hard to follow, but for me that has never been a problem as I am enjoying the ride. And, every Moore I have read has had the same feel. So, if you have read and enjoyed his books before, you know what you will be finding here.

I highly recommend this book and series to fans of:

- Shakespeare
- Raunchy (and it does get pretty extreme at points) humor
- Wordplay/puns
- Monty Python-esque humor
- Any Moore fans you have yet to give this a try

If these all fit you and you don't find yourself laughing so hard at this book that people around you wonder if you are okay, I would be surprised!

[Erikka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moore has outdone himself. With the exception of Lamb, this may be my favorite book of his yet. After the brutal misstep of Noir, I thought he'd lost his edge. Fear not, Pocket and Drool are back for their third Shakespearean jaunt and this time it's Midsummer Night's Dream, my favorite play. There were several parts in this book where I laughed until my side hurt or my eyes teared up. The fairies are absolutely brilliant, the frequently quoted line is the goblins (which I won't ruin, but they say it constantly) cracked me up, and the play at the end is perfection. Moore manages to create a different concluding play by the craftsmen while keeping their inherent characteristics that made them such unique characters. That's the best part--the bones of MSND are all here. It's still the same basic story, just bastardized in a way only Moore can do. And with squirrels. So many sodding squirrels.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If it be horrid, we shall take sport in their mistakes and find amusement in their lowly skills.”

I have to say that SHAKESPEARE FOR SQUIRRELS was better for me than the last couple of Christopher Moore books I have read. It was much better than its immediate predecessor in the “Fool” series. This text is the third (to date) in the series that follows the adventures of Pocket, a professional jester, who Moore sticks into plot mashups of some of Shakespeare’s works.

The set up for this book is that Pocket is set adrift by pirates (see end of THE SEPENT OF VENICE, this novel’s predecessor) and lands in the Athens of Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. This text maintains many of the characters from that play, but from there Mr. Moore creates new characterizations, backstory and motives, occasionally keeping a plot device from Shakespeare.

Like some earlier Christopher Moore, it is the voice of certain characters that is the main appeal of the read. Especially enjoyable to me was his characterization of Cobweb, one of the fairies serving Titania in the forest surrounding Athens.

Some quotes:
• “I am slain and I grieve for a barren, broken world deprived of my delight.”
• “Lay on, thou piss-haired spunk whistle.”
• “I am not afraid. It affords me some license.”
• “I am sad and my knob is huge.”
• “I heard her smile more than I could see it.”
• “The powerful hold nothing but contempt for those who toady to them, all but the toadies know this.”
• “…and he is a puff toad of great self-importance.”
• “You are a disaster, a calamity, and an abject failure all rolled into one.”

Unfortunately a lot of the humor is repetitive, and the novel runs out of steam in the last 30 or so pages. In a book only 271 pages long that is disappointing.

All in all SHAKESPEARE FOR SQUIRRELS features some clever and witty dialogue, an occasional chuckle, and a plethora of Shakespeare allusions. It makes for an enjoyable, though not outstanding, read.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It would be just fitting that the only man who would deign to talk to me is a hat-shagging monkey. She leaned in closely. You, sir, have the look of a hat shagger."

Oh, f**kastockings! He’s back! It’s Pocket! Pocket is back with a new mysterious tale with his merry little band of a**holes.

Here we have quite an odd mysterious tale of murder, hat shagging, and a gaggle of fools with a Midsummer Night’s Dream thrown in for good measure.

Moore takes us on a uproariously and murderous journey that you’ll never forget. It’s lewd, crude, and downright filthy and it’s exactly what I need in my life. This wasn’t exactly my favorite book that Pocket has lead but I still loved this one.

Shakespeare for Squirrels was amazing. I laughed and cringed and it’s exactly how I want to feel reading something of this magnitude. Moore never disappoints and if you’re looking for something off the wall and crazy, he’s your man. No disappointments ever.

Who knew that Shakespeare could be so entertaining and crude?

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like throwing any Monty python movie in a room with Beevis & Butt-head.
It's funny for sure, but a bit repetitive in the jokes.
This is only my second Moore book (Lamb being my first) and I look forward to reading more of his work!

[Diamond Cowboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was thought provocing and a lot of fun to read.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publisher’s Promotion from another of Moore’s books: “From master of subversive humor, Christopher Moore, comes a quirky, irreverent novel of love, myth, …angst, and outrageous redemption.” I can’t say that all of Moore’s efforts fit this mold, but Shakespeare for Squirrels does.

If you are not put off by clever invectives; If your taste goes to medieval curses; then you will enjoy this expletive-filled romp. Moore has chosen “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to be his victim. We see almost everything from the p.o.v. of an itinerant fool (Pocket of Dog Snogging) whose boat makes landfall on the shores of “Athens.” Encounters with another fool, a fairy, a group of would-be players, a distraught damsel and the powers that be, leave our fool in the role of detective: He must in three days find the murderer of the monarch’s fool (a murder of which he was accused) or face dire consequences.

Being familiar with the original Shakespearean comedy holds no great benefit in following Moore’s romp. Though the creatures of the forest have the same nominal relationships, the extrapolations are so extreme as to render them almost unrecognizable and their motivations can be quite different.

As Pocket investigates, we come to find all manner of enchanted beings including fairies and goblins. Everything is resolved when Pocket’s “players” put on an “over the top” performance at a royal wedding.

I have read other Moore but have never been confronted with songs of such bawdiness as:
Blacktooth the goat blower p. 68
Milady hath the most becoming bottom p. 139
I give your sweet mum a spot o’ the pox p. 152

3.5

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of humor, but not that good overall. 4 of 10 stars

[Ashley Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

Let me start by saying that I love Christopher Moore's novels, but he set the bar really high for me with Lamb and nothing has been that good since. With that said, this humorous retelling of Midsummer Night's Dream was absurd in all the right kind of ways. The ridiculousness that Pocket involves himself in never ceases to amaze and entertain me and I will continue to read about him as long as Moore keeps writing about him.

If you need a good laugh at some wonderfully lewd humor I would suggest this.

[J.S. Bailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I work in a bookstore. Every month we receive ARCs from publishers, and when Shakespeare for Squirrels came in, I thought it sounded like something Terry Pratchett would have written, and that it would be funny.

It was not.

[Snakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read at all. The third of the series. And if I was rating them in order; the first book was phenomenal (5-stars), the second was a mediocre follow up (definitely third in line in the series), and I’d place this third book as the second best of the lot.

[Jifu · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for a review)

This is actually my first go at a Christopher Moore book, and due to my initial unfamiliarity, I ended diving in headfirst without realizing that Moore has an array of different ongoing series and recurring characters like Pocket the Fool. But my entrance into this particular series quite out of order ended up proving to be no detriment. The bigger challenge was getting used to the surprisingly raunch-heavy style of humor that permeates the book from beginning to end. At times it definitely felt a little too thickly layered onto everything, to say the very least. But eventually, I was able to accept the book's setting for what it was - an absurd, magic-laced place seemingly populated almost entirely by jerks of all types and species, where everyone is so blatantly flawed in their own way and where most everything is varying degrees of ridiculous that not even the main characters can take their world very seriously. And once I was able to embrace this, not only was I able to enjoy the cheeky ludicrousness that permeated everything, but I was quickly able to become unexpectedly and deeply engaged in the A Midsummer Night's Dream-themed mystery at the heart of the plot, with all its twists and turns that sent Pocket and a bizarre cast of supporting characters dashing about a fantastical medieval Athens enduring no small amount of misadventures.

All in all, it was very absurd and very irreverent fun. If Moore’s other works are anything like this, then I definitely plan on giving his other works a try the next time I find myself in the mood for a light, coarsely comical, and very readable romp.

[Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars

I would call myself a fan of Christopher Moore, yes, this is only the third book of his that I have read, but the other two really hit home for me. I love how Moore can create complete ridiculousness and craft a captivating story around it. I even did my homework in preparation for Shakespeare for Squirrels by reading, for the first time, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I have to admit that neither one really hit home for me. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a bit of a bore, I never really got the laughs and chuckles out of it like the other Shakespearean comedies that I’ve read. I don’t know if it was a lack of connection with the base material or just where I was in my life or perhaps that Shakespeare for Squirrels was not Christopher Moore at his best, but I really didn’t form a connection with this story.

Don’t get me wrong, Shakespeare for Squirrels is filled with all of Moore’s trademark humor, with outrageous situations and over the top characters. I kept interrupting my wife’s reading to recount some brilliantly crafted jokes; however, I just wasn’t pulled into the story. I just didn’t care what happened to whom. I’m always disappointed when this happens, I want my stories to take me away to another time and place, away from my own real life.

Shakespeare for Squirrels is a fine story. Moore did his thing; I’ve always considered him to be the Weird Al Yankovic of the literary world. He takes a story, theme, concept that the audience is familiar with and he creates something new and original that is completely recognizable and filled with laughs and knee-slapping humor. It’s just that not every song can be “Eat It.”

*I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via Edelweiss).

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems as we both get older, me and Christopher Moore have gotten further away from each other. While I still enjoy silly narratives and odd humor, I tend to prefer my humor be more subtle and creative, and the knob jokes are no longer cutting it. It also feels like that Moore should be maturing more as he moves into his well seasoned days. I give him credit for tackling Shakespeare and I even enjoy a joke about squirrel-shagging, but nowadays I am more comfortable with Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rec. by: Previous work
Rec. for: Bard-bois (and girls) and absolute wankers

Back in 2014, Christopher Moore's The Serpent of Venice left me a little cold, I'm afraid. And damp. Dampened, anyway—and this despite my high regard for Moore's work in general, and in particular my great enjoyment of Fool, the first book in this sequence, which I read and loved back when both it and I were new (well, I was new to Goodreads, at least), in the long-ago year of 2009.

Shakespeare for Squirrels returns to that original form. It's deft, daft, dirty... and duncecap-loads of fun—if you have a bit of the Bard under your belt. In this third outing, as in the previous books, a certain familiarity with William Shakespeare's work is presumed.

Shakespeare for Squirrels does start out very moist as well, though:

We'd been adrift for eight days when the ninny tried to eat the monkey.
—p.3

Enter the Fool, again—our humble narrator Pocket of Duncenoggin, or whatever the heck his home town is. (Okay, okay... it's "Dog Snogging upon Ouze," from page 7.) Pocket, Jeff (the aforementioned monkey), and his strong and loyal manservant Drool (the aforementioned ninny, who is just about as smart as his name suggests) are about to wash up on the shore of a heavily-forested land somewhere in the Mediterranean.

A sprightly young thing (she's not all that young) named Cobweb saves Pocket and Drool from dying in the surf on the very shoreline they had aimed for, and during the ensuing banter she explains that they are now in Greece, somewhere near Athens.

This is not any sort of historical Athens, though. This is the magical Athens from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with fairies and all—and Cobweb is pretty obviously one of those fairies. She's not a big fan of Fools either, as it turns out, since her only previous experience of them has been one Robin Goodfellow, also hight Puck.

After Cobweb abruptly takes her leave, Pocket and Drool venture into said woods and encounter the "rude Mechanicals" from Shakespeare's play—Nick Bottom (the one who gets the truly asinine headgear), and Peter Quince, Snug (who would be a lion) and the rest—practicing their inimitable version of "Pyramus and Thisby" (sic).

Not long after that, Drool has been arrested and imprisoned, and then there is a murder—one that's not in the play—so the Fool has to step in, will-he nil-he, to free his servant and clear his name.

This is, you must understand, not a straight retelling or even a close parody of A Midsummer Night's Dream, any more than the previous books were but shadows of their respective model plays. Christopher Moore has no respect whatsoever for the sanctity of Shakespeare's texts, in fact—and that's a good thing. While hewing fairly closely to events, Moore feels free to play with the details.

Shakespeare for Squirrels actually takes some fairly dark turns, after Puck's untimely demise. It's not all fun and games in the forest, and this book sometimes seems more like a tragedy than a comedy. But all (or almost all) is eventually set right, I promise.

Don't skip the Afterword, either, in which Christopher Moore describes the process that led to this book, and why there are so many squirrels in it.

So many squirrels...

[Shirley Eiswerth (Quackenbush) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m pretty sure I’m actually a character in one of Christopher Moore’s books and I don’t know it.. I laugh out loud wherever I may be reading his books, dirty/innuendos, sarcasm and snark are my signature traits, that and the occasional made up word and cuss words... I adore this humor, and when mixed with one of my loves, Shakespeare, it’s a true f’ing delight... I love Pocket, I love the shit he pulls and snark and sarcasm he gives, I love his bawdiness and spunk... he makes the plays of Shakespeare damn hilarious!

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Охуенно. Упоительно. Упоенно и охуительно. Крис опять сделал это. В третий раз - и не надоедает. Цирк тут не только со "СвЛН", но и с парочкой других произведений. Предысторию лучше знать, конечно (а лучше - обе), но не обязательно. Гораздо полезнее будет уже прочесть "Нуар" - они друг дружке ближе. Ну, будем надеяться, что и перевести доведется.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Shakespeare For Squirrels (audiobook) by Christopher Moore read by Euan Morton. I thought the title sounded interesting so I gave it a try. It was different than I was expecting. I thought it would be more for all ages. The story was ok. Definitely not the author’s best work.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-stop wackiness that keeps surprising page by page and leaves the reader out of breath.

I did have to adjust my sense of propriety a few notches to tolerate some word usage I am not accustomed to. It is easy to picture this author up in his tree space communing with squirrels.




Library Loan

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Christopher Moore so I may be biased. However, using Midsummer Nights Dream by Shakespeare as a guide for events in this book, while half the characters tried to refuse to follow along was incredibly funny. I loved the characters, most of them dumb as posts, which usually annoys me, but in this case they were actually hilarious. I recommend everything Mr. Moore his written. The first book I read, I had no idea what to expect, I thought it was going to be a regular type of story. I was very pleasantly surprised and immediately hooked. I cannot wait for Moore to write more books (was that a pun?) This book was definitely up to his standards of funny and in this case also, I’m not even sure of the word, using a Shakespeare play really added so much to the story. Midsummer Nights dream is a funny play by itself; adding Moore’s sense of humour and interpretation of the characters made it just so much funnier.

I have read and own almost everything he has written and this book was definitely up to his hilarious standard. Using Shakespearean comedy, especially one I have already read, added so much to the story and the humour. I could go in, but I’ve probably gushed enough. Read this book and all his others!

I must thank Good Reads a million times over for sending me this book free in exchange for a review. I probably would have bought it anyway, so getting it free was a very pleasant surprise! It was a surprise, because I forgot I had won it and couldn't figure out who had sent it to me until I got an email about it! Thank you very much to the publisher and the author! Getting it free did not affect my review or enjoyment of the book at all. As I said, if I had not gotten it free, I would have purchased it myself.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Moore...his silliness. Irreverence. Pocket is not a favorite character, and as much as I wanted to love it...

I did love his author's note...the story of this book. His frustration with all the names (me, too, Chris. I got lost sometimes).

The premise is good...Pocket, who's already tripped thru Lear and Merchant of Venice, finds himself in Midsummer's Night Dream...and the fairies and Puck and Theseus and Titania and the crew.

Murder and mayhem ensue. But not the hilarity I'd hope. But I'm a solid fan. I will be back.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bawdy entertaining farcical comedy, which takes its inspiration from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. I was hooked after about 35 pages, so give the set-up a minute to get the wheels rolling at full-speed. The humor is perhaps sophomoric, but I found it fiercely funny, building strength as it develops, careening off the walls of absurdity, and screeching to a crackling crescendo.

[Richard Seltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the wackiest books I've ever read. The author undermines and mocks the reader's every assumption. Though he's not always funny and sometimes it's hard to follow the thread of the story, he dishes out one delightful surprise after another. It's a crazy but memorable ride.

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shakespeare for Squirrels, the latest from Christopher Moore, features the same protagonist as Fool and The Serpent of Venice. This time Pocket is back with a retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this tale, he has washed up on Greek shores and is soon enough trying to solve a mystery in the style of The Maltese Falcon. (yes a Shakespeare Hammett mash-up!)

As to be expected from Moore, this book is raucous, bawdy, absurd, and goofy. There's loads of puerile humor. The story is not an exact retelling of Midsummer Night's Dream but is a fun twist on it with lots of the same characters: Puck, Oberon, Peaseblossom, Titiana. This is actually the 2nd retelling of Midsummer that I've read in the past year.

Moore's novel Lamb is one of my ALL TIME favorite books. This book didn't quite measure up to Lamb for me, but it was still a fun escapist read.

I received a digital copy of this book from edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful novel was a joy to listen to. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, especially because of the talented narrator involved. But more on this subject later.
I’ve read all three novels in the Fool series, even though it appears on my goodreads page that I’ve only read the first and the third of the novels. But I swear, right after the second novel in the series came out, (The Serpent of Venice,) I got ahold of a copy as soon as I possibly could, most likely at my local library. I even remember some of the scenes in the novel....but as to why I didn’t register the second novel on my gr ‘read’ list, I have no idea. I must have been sick and it slipped my mind.
I must tell you all that I adored this particular novel the most out of all three of them, and not just because A Midsummer Night’s Dream is my all time favorite Shakespeare play/movie. This novel was so well written and polished, it shown...
I also loved the characters, especially the fairies, and everyone and everything fit so well together, it was an absolute joy to behold. As soon as I can, I’m going to purchase the audiobook of it, I loved it that much. I think I will love listening to it time and again.
Now, about that narrator, Euan Morton. He is such a gem! I’d recognized his voice as soon as I’d heard him, and it turns out that I’ve just listened to Morton’s narration of the Chalk Man some months ago. And I loved that novel, too.
But in this particular case, Euan Morton goes above and beyond his normal narrating duties; every single character was a singular entity, with a different tone/voice and accent included. A couple of the fairies ended up sounding quite like some of the Monty Python members (Terry Jones mostly) when they dress up as middle aged women and speak in a shrill voice. (Remember the Spam scene...? Like that!). That had me tickled every time it happened.

But then one of the characters, a “mechanical player” was practicing his own character’s death scene, and began making gurgling/dying noises, and very well acted out and yet it was SO FUNNY, I got the giggles so bad...! Thankfully no one was around, so I didn’t appear to others like I’d gone completely mad.
So I will have to say again that Euan Morton is an amazing narrator, and he should be used a lot more by Harper Audio. He made this audiobook *that* much more enjoyable.
So if you haven’t read this series yet, please give it a try. It’s every bit as good as Moore’s earlier works, and then some. I think you will enjoy this novel as much as I did.

5 stars, and highly recommended to all and sundry.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this bk as a Goodreads Giveaway. We had read another Christopher Moore Book (Biff..) at book club and I was hooked. You do not need to like or even have read Shakespeare to appreciate the wit and snark in this book - heck, you do not even have to like squirrels (but you may look at them a little differently after reading this book). Using the Bard's A Midsommer's Night Dream as a backdrop, Moore has married (pun intended) tom-foolery, the entitlement of kings, the follies of young love with some fellows just wanting to put on a play. There are some beautiful passages explaining the good power of fairies to create a bountiful land (although my favorite fairy portion of the book is when one fairy realizes she could make money being a tooth fairy). A little too much foul language and conduct for this reader's sensitive make, but an enjoyable read. And the afterward is a must read for any fan of the Bard's to understand how the author's mind worked in creating his cast of characters. Well worth the read! Thanks Goodreads!

[Julie Griffith Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pocket and his companions return in a scandalous and scurrilous satire of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that only Christopher Moore could deliver. Nearly anything else I could say about the novel would be a spoiler, and since we cannot have that, I shall only urge anyone who is convulsed by broad humor, the overuse of the f word to the point of ridiculousness, or the most unlikely takes on the traditional imaginable to waste no time in acquiring a copy of Shakespeare for Squirrels and reading it immediately. If you're not laughing out loud by the end of the first paragraph, your sense of the absurd is in question.I

Thank you to Christopher Moore, and NetGalley for the ARC of Shakespeare for Squirrels in return for this honest review.

[Amos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to LOVE tearing through Christopher Moore's crazy catalog of kookie characters and acid-drenched plot lines, but his newer works just seem to tire me out. The frantic attempts at humor in every sentence of this here yarn felt a tad forced and just left me exhausted and irritated instead of refreshed and rejuvenated.
Maybe it's not him, it's me. Maybe I'm turning into a grumpy old man and he's still as great as ever. It's totally possible.. Totally..
Maybe...

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜]

I won this book from the Goodreads Giveaway! Love that cover and love Christopher Moore.