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    Practical Demonkeeping
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    Practical Demonkeeping
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    Practical Demonkeeping
    Ebook298 pages4 hours

    Practical Demonkeeping

    By Christopher Moore

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    In Christopher Moore's ingenious debut novel, we meet one of the most memorably mismatched pairs in the annals of literature. The good-looking one is one-hundred-year-old ex-seminarian and "roads" scholar Travis O'Hearn. The green one is Catch, a demon with a nasty habit of eating most of the people he meets. Behind the fake Tudor façade of Pine Cove, California, Catch sees a four-star buffet. Travis, on the other hand, thinks he sees a way of ridding himself of his toothy traveling companion. The winos, neo-pagans, and deadbeat Lotharios of Pine Cove, meanwhile, have other ideas. And none of them is quite prepared when all hell breaks loose.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMar 17, 2009
    ISBN9780061802638
    Author

    Christopher Moore

    Christopher Moore is the author of seventeen previous novels, including Shakespeare for Squirrels, Noir, Secondhand Souls, Sacré Bleu, Fool, and Lamb. He lives in San Francisco, California.

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    Reviews for Practical Demonkeeping

    3.5/5

    1,313 ratings67 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Like all of Moore's books, this was hilarious and entertaining. I loved how this was set away from San Francisco, but there were still characters from his other books present in this setting, namely Detective Rivera. I enjoyed his great scene and character building, and I came to empathize with the main character. Moore is really good at making you feel pressed for time and that you have to make it to the next page to solve the problem. Love it!!!
    • 3/5
      A light and fun read. Not as good as good as some of his more recent work but worth the read if you are a fan.
    • 3/5
      Initially, I started reading this book in paperback but I couldn't get into it. Then I had a friend tell me to give it another try because the series is hilarious. Sooo, I tried the audio version thinking I just wasn't getting it straight in my head. Maybe if someone else gave the characters individual voices I could follow it better. Not really. I tried to love it right up until the end. You can't win them all.
    • 4/5
      This is a funny and fun book, but probably my least favorite of Moore's works (although I am behind on reading some of his newer books) as it feels at times as if it moves a little slow. That said, this is still a book Ive read more than once, that has made me laugh out loud, and that sets up some great scenes in future novels, too.I also enjoy how well Moore writes his characters. They are usually interesting and funny and this book is no exception to that. An enjoyable book from and enjoyable author.
    • 4/5
      A fun and light story. I didn't find it so funny, but FUN to read. Plotty in a good way, but with a big deus-ex-machina that kind of defeated the effort to keep all plot together in a satisfactory manner. Anyway, I'd read it again, since it was such a fun ride.
    • 4/5
      Good fluffy read.
    • 3/5
      Uuumm, yeah, just uummm. This book was a soap opera on steroids. 14 chapters in and finally starting to see some hint of a plot. Numerous characters introduced with an occasional cross over into each others introduction/part. Good character development, decent storyline, and an occassional humorous interaction. I won't be reading book #2.
    • 4/5
      He has a wicked sense of humor and a nice sense of story
    • 2/5
      Ah, there is hope yet that the NaNoWriMo script you so carelessly tossed in the corner can be published.

      Practical Demonkeeping is a great title for a book, but the story wasn't quite as good as I was hoping. It's a quick and dirty read. In the end, I just wish the demon had eaten everyone in the beginning. It would have saved me so much time.
    • 4/5
      A young man thinks he may have finally found his way of getting rid of the demon he's been saddled with for years. The demon dates back to the time of King Solomn. Along the way we meet a djin who is from the same time period and may hold the secret to finally banish him. Has some laugh out loud moments but may not be Moore's bet.
    • 2/5
      I should stop paying attention to how a book is labelled on Goodreads or elsewhere.

      Is it entertaining? Yes, it is. There are parts that will make you laugh out loud. If you laughed when Monty Python white bunny appeared in Monty Python and the Holy Grail then there is something for you here. Unfortunately, scenes like that are pretty rare. Other things got more attention. It is worth reading the book if only for those moments.

      What I didn't like the most is the resolution. Not everyone got what they deserved. If I wrote anything else about that that particular issue, it would be a spoiler. Let's just say that family reunions for some of the characters will be pretty awkward.
      It is still a fun story and I am not sorry for reading it.
    • 3/5
      Uuumm, yeah, just uummm. This book was a soap opera on steroids. 14 chapters in and finally starting to see some hint of a plot. Numerous characters introduced with an occasional cross over into each others introduction/part. Good character development, decent storyline, and an occassional humorous interaction. I won't be reading book #2.
    • 4/5
      Starts slowly but builds to a wonderful crescendo of activity in the last few chapters.
    • 1/5
      I liked the premise of this book, but then the whole thing was just awful and gross and ehrg. I finished it, but that was mostly because I didnt have internet for a week and was cooped up in a little beach house with nothing to do.
    • 3/5
      A fun book whose world building is as interesting as its plot. A comic book that doesn’t have the comedic bite of Moore at his best. I describe it as light and enjoyable.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      The description makes it sound really fun, right? Well it wasn't. It was frustrating and disappointing. I'm not sure why i finished it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is not a how-to manual. It is a how not to story!! You have a mostly invisible, large, reptilian demon and his master in his nineties but who doesn't age and looks like he is twenty something and a cast of characters of the quirky small town type. Oh, I should mention that the demon, Catch by name, eats people and that his master has somewhat limited control over him. Mr. Moore uses his twisted, entertaining sense of humor to combine this group into a great tale!! My only problem is that now I am compelled to toss all of Christopher Moore's books on to my to read pile.
    • 3/5
      Was this funny? It was suppose to be.....I didn't laugh. I did read it less than 12 hours....it caught my attention.

      The book is: well written, contains "facts" (as much as there is about demons & djinns), was well researched, as well as creatively written. An engrossing and entertaining read.

      The quite seaside town of Pine Cove, CA is in for a nasty surprise. The town is about to be visited by Travis & Catch.

      Travis (now 90 years old) inadvertently became a Demonkeeper while suffering the abuse of a priest...

      Catch is a demon bound to earth by King Solomon and by invocation to Travis. Catch's nemesis ,Gian Hen Gian (freed Head King Djinn), is out to send Catch back to the depths of Hell.

      Agustus Brine, owner of the local General Store is the "chosen" one who can destroy Catch...

      Rachel (local Pagan/Witch) is convinced Catch is a friendly earth spirit and is about to invoke his allegiance to her...little does she know.

      Amanda, who helped Travis escape the abusive priest...married to Effrom )the soldier she was engaged to while helping Travis) is the holder of the candlesticks that unbeknown to her, hold the Seals of Solomon which can invoke or destroy Catch.

      Jenny is Amanda's granddaughter...she is separated from Robert (an alcoholic), has just taken Travis as her lover and is now is helping him to destroy Catch.

      Although it's not funny, it is a good read.....and unlike "Fluke" I was unable to put it down.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Scholar Travis O’Hearn has spent many years traversing the highways and byways of the U.S. with his rider, Catch. Travis is an ex-seminarian. Catch is a demon whose favourite pastime is eating people.When they arrive in sleepy Pine Cove, California, Travis thinks he might finally be able to get rid of his passenger. Though Travis doesn’t look it, he felt 70 years was long enough to be saddled with this creature.What they find in Pine Cove is an assortment of winos, druggies, failures, dreamers, neo-pagans and Gian Hen Gian — King of the Djinn. Gian Hen Gian wants to correct history and capture Catch to return him to where he escaped from years ago.This is a crazy, whacked out tale. At times I shook my head, laughed and wondered about the intelligence of some of the characters. It is good escapist reading.
    • 4/5
      I really like this guy. Very warped, very funny and a happy ending. What else can you want?
    • 5/5
      Christopher Moore's style of humor and story telling is akin to that of Douglad Adams. Like thie Hitchhiker to the Galaxy series Moore keeps his scenes short and he jumps from place to place rather than following one character.There's also the added bonus to anyone who knows California of his perfect description of the Big Sur tourist trap communities. The city that he's describing is probably actually Cambria (at least it fits the description in terms of local and personality), I couldn't help but also think of the real Pine Cove (also in California but south east of Riverside).As this book was published originally in 1992 there are pieces of the book that are clearly dated, namely the WWI vets still being somewhat plausible and two the pre internet chat rooms. In that regard, this book reminded me of the Sue Grafton mysteries (if Santa Teressa were being rampaged by a hungry demon).
    • 4/5
      funny and light, i'm looking forward to reading more by Christopher Moore
    • 2/5
      Moore's first book, I think. A breezy, occasionally humorous read. Not where I would start if you haven't read any Moore. Better to start with A Dirty Job, a superior work in every way.
    • 4/5
      DAng, Christopher Moore is funny -- and was funny his first time out the shoot, in this debut novel. It was fun to read this after so many other Moore novels, and run into the first appearances of people and places that populate later works of his. I did offer it to Javaczuk, but he wants me to find it on audio so we can listen to it on a future car trip. :)
    • 4/5
      I'm sure that this book is fun in any format, but the narrator they hired for the audiobook - Oliver Wyman - really made it for me. He came up with fantastic voices (I'm sure that Catch's fascination with Cookie Monster was part of the reason Wyman decided to give Catch a voice that was very similar to CM) and maintained a fantastic pace. Plus, the CDs have a nice feature that tells you when the CD ends. Fantastic all around.
    • 2/5
      After reading A Dirty Job, I was looking forward to reading more by this author. Going back to his early books and "starting at the beginning" is NOT the way to go on this one.

      It's not that the book was BAD, it was just a huge yawn. I finally stopped reading at a little past the halfway point, when I realized that I could put it down after a couple of pages and not be all that anxious to get back to the book to see what happens next. I just plain didn't care.

      Don't discount Chris Moore's writing based on this book. Start with one of his later efforts (A Dirty Job, Lamb) and enjoy your reading.
    • 4/5
      Funny and irreverent without being cloying or overly snarky. The author creates wonderfully quirky characters and an equally memorable plot. He weaves strings of subplot into the main narrative with skill and very dark humor. Fun reading. And since I have been told by numerous people that this is far from being his best work, I am very much looking forward to reading more from Moore.
    • 5/5
      I've just read this book again for the first time in years - I was looking for something fun and easy as a beach read. I fell in love with it all over again!I am absolutely in love with the misfits of Pine Cove, and though so many of their stories and actions are far-fetched, they are also very real and beilevable characters. They are flawed and funny and wonderfully fleshed out.The whole concept of Practical Demonkeeping is delightfully absurd, and Moore weaves everyone you meet into the main story line flawlessly. Everyone in Pine Cove has their role to play, and they play it well. And Catch, the demon - who loves comic books as much as he loves eating people? How ridiculous and fantastic!If you're looking for a break from reailty, or looking for a light read before you embark upon your next 800 page historical fiction epic, I'd suggest giving this (or almost any other) book by Christopher Moore a chance. Give your brain a break and just have some fun!
    • 4/5
      Former seminary student Travis O’Hearn inadvertantly unleashed a demon straight from Hell when he stumbled across an ancient invocation hidden instead a set of candlesticks. He’s not actually a fan of being in control of an extremely powerful demon, and has spent most of the last 70 years trying to get Catch to stop eating people—or at least to only eat criminals and other nasties. But now Travis—who still looks 20-something thanks to the demon Catch’s graces—is closing in on a solution to his problem in the small town of Pine Cove, California. He lost the candlesticks all those decades previously and has come to believe that the other candlestick contained the invocation to send Catch back to Hell. Now Travis, along with a motley crew of Pine Cove’s losers, eccentrics, and petty criminals—along with one aeons-old King of the Djinn—have one last chance to get rid of the demon once and for all, before Catch can break free of Travis’s control and destroy the world.Funny, irreverant, clever, and fast-paced, Moore’s first novel already displays his trademark wit. Those who enjoy Practical Demonkeeping won’t want to miss the other Pine Cove novels, The Stupidest Angel and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.
    • 4/5
      I liked it, though it wasn't entirely what I thought it was. I had some difficulty with the beginning, but I guess I had to get used to the way of the author.I enjoyed the story, it was very funny at times. (My favourite quote is: "To say that Effrom was not a particularly good cook was an understatement akin to saying that genocide is not a particularly effective public relations strategy.") And I did like the characters, overall a very enjoyable book. Though I did dislike some parts of the ending.