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Christopher Moore is the king of wacky, irreverent but also incredibly smart novels. I never really know what to expect when I pick up one of his books; it’s always a wild ride.
The first of his books that I read was “Lamb,” a fictionalized version of the missing years of Jesus. If you’re familiar with the Bible, Jesus is mentioned as a 12-year old and then not again until he is 30. Moore used his unique brand of zany humor and silliness to imagine what happened during those years in a way that is both hilarious and respectful.
Many of Moore’s books stand alone, but he also has a whole series that take place in a small Californian town called Pine Cove. I enjoyed those immensely as well. It’s nice to see recurring characters, but I like his standalone novels a bit more.
“Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art” is unique for Moore. As with “Lamb,” it can be considered historical fiction. Moore certainly takes a lot of liberty with history, but I was pleasantly surprised by the level of research that went into the book. His Facebook page included chapter guides, and he wrote a long note at the end talking through what was true and what wasn’t. It’s incredible how much was true that I wouldn’t have expected.
The story follows a baker named Lucien, who is also an inspiring painter. He lives in the Montmarte section of Paris during the late 1800s. His life is colored by his friendships with several famous painters, like Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec, who is one of the main characters.
The book opens with Van Gogh’s death, which sets the scene for a possible murder mystery. Of course Van Gogh’s death has always been attributed to suicide, but Moore, as previously mentioned, plays fast and loose with history.
What Moore doesn’t mess around with is the impressionist painters. Impressionism was an art movement of the 19th-century that started in Paris and was widely criticized at the time. And yet, some of the world’s most famous painters emerged from that movement, like Degas and Monet.
Most of these painters make an appearance in “Sacre Bleu.” Each of them interacts with the mysterious Colorman, who sells paints to the artists. His most famous color is sacre bleu, or sacred blue.
The impressionists socialize at Lucien’s Montmarte bakery. At the start of the book, Lucien is distraught because his muse, Juliette, has gone missing. When she returns, it appears that she is a slave of the Colorman.
We learn that the sacred blue color was decreed by the Catholic Church to be used whenever the Virgin Mary was painted. The Colorman can use this color to stop time. He enslaves the muse, who is reincarnated in different women throughout history, and forces her to make painters use sacre bleu in their works.
The paintings serve to extend the lives of both the Colorman and the muse. Their manipulation of the artists, however, has a price — one which Van Gogh learned before his death.
It’s an odd little plot and I wasn’t sure where it was going at first, but eventually all the threads came together into a coherent story. More importantly, I learned so much during this book. Famous artists and their works are mentioned throughout the pages.
Art isn’t really my thing, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the novel, but Moore’s trademark humor was present on every page, and he did an excellent job of examining the importance of art, color and muses.
Even if you’re not a Christopher Moore fan or aren’t into art, I highly recommend this book. If you like it, pick up a few of Moore’s other novels. I promise they are all funny and leave you with something worthwhile, even when the premise seems utterly ridiculous.
