It was time I allowed myself to read some contemporary novels, and since Christmas was rolling around, I thought it would be fun to read a novel about Christmas. I went with Christopher Moore's "Stupidest Angel." I hadn't read anything by Moore before and had been curious about him for quite some time, seeing that he was pretty popular. I listened to an episode of Live Wire where he was on, and thought he was pretty funny. I didn't expect this to be great writing, and I thought I would get some laughs and entertainment out of it.I was wrong. This book is stupider than I could ever imagine. I didn't even think this kind of writing was allowed to be published. The plot is pure trash, comparable to really bad TV shows or straight-to-DVD movies. The writing style is immature and cheap. I don't remember the last time I read anything that was this awful, and can't imagine what kind of people find this kind of writing worth the time.
To sum up the plot without giving too much away, the story is about the citizens of a small town that was visited by an angel on a mission to grant a child his wish. A lot of people hating each other. A lot of troubled relationships. A lot of over-the-top characters inspiring cheap jokes. Zombies. Et cetera.
I wouldn't have as much problem with the plot if the book were well-written. Moore does have a great imagination. The talking bat and the conversations among the dead in the graveyard could be clever. Unfortunately he lacks the talent to breathe intelligence in to his creations. They all seem to have come straight from sitcoms. Sitcoms characters, however, belong on TV and nowhere else. Translating that kind of storytelling into the written form can only produce crap. Moore's writing sounds like it was written by somebody who watches a lot of TV and doesn't read much. He cites Steinbeck and Vonnegut as his influence, which isn't really apparent to me.
It was a quick read, and I'm glad I didn't waste too much time on it. It did teach me a thing or two about writing, and it was nice to read something heavily plot-driven once in a while.
I went to the library yesterday, wanting to check out some more novels. This time I know enough to open each book up to a random page and read a few paragraphs from it to see if the writing style is worth my time. You may or may not enjoy the plot--there is no way to know that until you read the book and find out--but the writing style is, to me, is more important. An intelligent and eloquent writing style is not only enjoyable to read but also beneficial to the brain and the soul. Why read if not to better oneself? What book is worth the time if it doesn't help you to grow?
