I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings (Today Show Book Club #25)

I have no qualms at all about highly recommending ANY book by this author. I have read many of his books, and loved every one. (I intend to read all of them.) They are all funny, clever, captivating, and original.

This is another great book by Christopher Moore. His sense of the absurd and how closely it parallels reality has to be savored a page at a time. I didn't see how he could match his book "Lamb", but this is very entertaining as well. I recommend this to anyone who wonders about whale song, has spent time in Hawaii, or has a flexible sense of humor. The characters are well wrought, the story is fun, and the details are uproarious.

Christopher Moore delivers another humorous romp! I can't decide which of his books are my favorite because they are all so wonderful! An engaging and fun story that kept me turning pages from start to finish!

Is perfect...in literally everything he does. Have not gotten to read this one yet but I will soon. He is an exceptional writer with a quick wit and quite the imagination. Getting lost in his head is truly a pleasure.

So, I received books that I purchased through the Idaho Youth Ranch. Emailed them and asked if I could just pick them up at the main site, since the books and I were both in Boise. Nope, couldn't do that. They were shipped to me, along with books that were intended for someone else. So I called, spoke to someone who told me to ship them back to the Youth Ranch on Irving street. I asked if I could just drop them off. No, I was told. Let me get this straight: I need to pay to ship books back to you across town because someone in your center screwed up, and there is a lady in Indiana expecting her books. Hmm; it's cheaper for me to just ship the damned books to Indiana myself. What a mess. I suppose they are good sellers if they don't screw up. Just a bit frustrated after talking the guy on the phone.

Hilarious, as most of Moore's books are. You know how sometimes you read a funny book and all the jokes SOUND like it took the author a long time to come up with them and even longer to figure out how to make the narrative wiggle around to let him tell it? Yeah, well this book is the opposite of that. The narration reads like every anecdote was a goofy aside that was completely bonkers but could have literally happened to a person, something you could imagine being their Story They Tell at Parties (e.g., that time you find out your mom died because your brothers mailed you her corpse in an olive barrel and didn't attach a note, and you really thought you were getting olives, but you were not). And the asides and departures were never long enough that they became obnoxious or distracted you. They always felt like you were in the hands of a storyteller who knows how to set a mood. Mood is super important in funny books, and the good authors can still work absurdity into a serious situation without making you feel like they're tapdancing for change at a funeral.

There were a few times I didn't find the characters' behavior believable or couldn't get a bead on "who" the characters were, though there were certain characters whose inconsistency was on purpose (most notably Kona). But most of the time they were a delight to read about, and you could just hear their interaction. I could almost see this group of whale nerds doing their thing even though I've never been to Hawaii and never been on a research boat, and though there was a decent amount of nautical terminology thrown around, it didn't feel overwhelming or like I had to be in the field to follow the story. Nate himself was a pretty fun character, and I liked the photographer Clay. Kona's white-boy dreads instantly irritated me and it made me so happy that he was repeatedly called out as an offensive appropriator of cultures that weren't his who wasn't even ripping off the language right. I didn't really care for Amy, but she was an important character. Didn't really feel the chemistry.

And of course, I have to mention the absurdity. Let me just say I did catch the discrepancies in the story every time and was pleased to see when explanations provided a payoff in a way that DIDN'T feel too much like "and now we'll explain everything." Some of the ideas that went into the fantastical aspects of this story were really, really creative and appropriately creepy. I still do not know how they justify the BITE ME whale, though. Bit of an attention-grabbing thing to put on a whale you don't want anyone looking to closely at. . . .

Christopher Moore has tapped into the weird and wonderful in every book, and this is no exception. From middle-aged "action nerd" Nate Quinn with his angst over and attraction to nubile research assistant Amy, the joyously strange blond Rasta stoner Kona (né Preston Applebaum), and marine photographer Clay and his "pirate booty" girlfriend Claire, Moore has woven another sleigh-ride through the land of odd.

Nate is in Maui researching whale behavior, specifically, why humpback whales sing. (Hence the subtitle.)

As Moore himself says in the Author's Note: "[M]uch about the humpback song is still unknown. Although scientists do know it tends to be in the New Age music section, as well as in tropical waters. There is no reasonable explanation for this, but as of yet no tagged humpbacks have been tracked to the New Age section at Sam Goody's."

So what is researcher Nate supposed to think when he spots a humpback male whose flukes sport the legend "Bite Me"? Someone is so threatened by his research that they trash his office, format his hard drives, sink Clay's boat and cause his only photo of the fluke graffiti to vanish. And why does the Old Broad who provides his funding insist he needs to take a pastrami sandwich with hot mustard along on his next dive? Kona's profound reasoning channels Arthur C. Clarke: "The science you don't know looks like magic."

If you haven't run into Moore before, be warned! Nothing is sacred, everything is fair game for his humor. I guarantee you'll howl over the tale of why Nate's ex-wife became a lesbian. (The last time I was taken over the edge so uncontrollably was when I read the turkey-bowling scene in Moore's "Bloodsucking Fiends" Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story.)

It's not what you expect; in fact, it's nothing you *can* expect. Just strap in for the ride.

Fluke Low Price CD by Christopher Moore (2014-02-18)Fluke, by Christpher Moore, is another hilarious tale of a, well, tail, specifically the fluke of a humpback with the words “Bite me” on its fluke. The first person to witness this unusual coloration is Nathan Quinn, a whale biologist with a great fascination with whale song. He and his terminally cute but too young-for-him research pixie Amy Earhart photograph the whale in the course of research… and the frame of film containing it goes missing. And his sound recordings. And his boat. And, finally, him. He is pursued by his colleague and photographer Clay, Clay’s mean sex-fiend schoolteacher girlfriend Claire, a surfer-Rastafarian hybrid named Kona1 (nee Brad Thompson or something not very Jamaican, Hawaiian or surfish, but more New Jerseyish) and The Old Broad who funds them and who insisted that the whale called her to tell him to bring him a pastrami sandwich.

Much funnier when he tells it, of course; Moore’s signature humor is gentle and mocking and wry and just silly sometimes. Basically, I would die to be a tenth as funny at any time. Fluke had me laughing in crowded doctor’s waiting rooms.

WARNING: contains some actual science. Does not detract from the story in the slightest.

--

1Kona refers to the research pixie as “the snowy biscuit”, for her fair complexion and, well, biscuitness

Christopher Moore is a master of the absurd and "Fluke" is no exception. In fact, the storyline may be one of his most absurd works that I have read. Focusing on marine biologist Nate Quinn, Moore weaves a tale that begins very scientifically but then spirals into the magical and beyond weird.

Nate Quinn has spent his career trying to decipher any meaning in the song of humpback whales and failing at relationships. It certainly doesn't help matters that his benefactor is convinced that the whales are talking to her or that he has a huge crush on his research assistant, Amy Earhart. During a day of studying at sea, Nate is convinced he sees the words "Bite Me" on the fluke of a humpback, but who would believe him? Yet when he gets back home, the office has been trashed and the film from his camera comes back missing the frame with the shot to prove it. Nate knows he saw what he saw, but as he focuses on deciphering the whale's song, he gets too close to the answer and suddenly finds himself in the belly of a whale. Well, sort of, for this whale is not exactly what it seems, but rather a ship replete with human captors and strange whale-like creatures at the helm. Nate knows that he will likely never escape this fate even if all of his questions will be answered, but that won't stop him from trying.

"Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings" can be a trying read at times, especially with the speech of a particular dope smoking character. As with any Moore work, there are several great one liners and laugh-out-loud moments but this story can stretch the limits of absurdity that I am willing to accept, even knowing it's a Moore novel. It is an enjoyable read overall, but not one of his best.

I stayed confused for the majority, if not the entirety of this book. That's not to say that I wasn't entertained. The very ideas brought forth in this book were intriguing all the while perplexing. I found myself wanting to read more, not necessarily with an urgency, but at least with a persistent curiosity as to what the heck was going on. This book was chosen for my Book Club to read because it's listed as comedy. I didn't find the book to be overtly funny though. There were a couple of very amusing parts, but I would have classified it more as a mystery and possibly even a paranormal mystery at that. I find it hard to give any details without posting spoilers, which I hate to do, so I'll just say that if you like to read books that get you thinking and keep you scratching your head, or if you have any interest in sea creatures, you will likely enjoy this book.

Nate is a middle-aged biologist studying whales in Hawaii. His main problems involve securing research funding, getting along with the other scientists all packed into a small area, and trying to hide and suppress the attraction he has for his new research intern, who is far too young for him.

Then strange things start happening. An important photograph is missing from a roll of film. The research office is broken into and tapes of whale song are destroyed. Nate is devastated at the thought that he might have to start all of his research from scratch. Soon enough, though, destruction of records becomes the least of his problems.

Parts of this book were really funny, and I liked the secondary characters a lot, especially Kona, Clay, and Clair. I like the explanation for why the whales were singing. The second half of the book was surprising and fun.

The first part of the book dragged a bit, though, and I didn't find either Nate or Amy particularly compelling. Neither had much personality or attraction, and I found myself not caring much what happened to them.

Christopher Moore’s imagination is always weird. “Fluke” is weirder than most. Not to give away the plot, but it is neatly summarized by the cover illustration: a whale sounding to show “BITE ME” painted on its tail. I tend to read Moore in small increments because weirdness combined with swearing are hard to take for very long. But this story is entertaining and worth sticking to it. It’s also fun to read bizarreness written for its own sake.
Maybe the funniest line is not in the book but on the cover. The New York Times is quoted as reviewing “Where has this guy been hiding?” Maybe The Times should stray from their usual genres deemed worthy of review more often. There’s a whole other world out there.

Christopher Moore's books are all about playful dialogue and weird creatures. They're fun to read. And I really did like aspects of Fluke: a likeable foursome--a marine biologist, a photographer, a faux-Rastafarian, and...Amy--are studying whales off of Hawaii hoping to learn why the mammals sing, and in the process they throw around a lot of witty banter and get themselves in trouble in a big, this-could-lead-to-the-end-of-the-human-race kind of way. I liked the banter part. But the story dragged for me as soon as the weird creature came on the scene. It's not a likeable weird creature, and that's part of the problem. It's the sort of thing you'd want to stomp on with your shoe if its size didn't make that impossible. But also I think the plot dragged once the beastie hove into view. The story became less about the interaction of the principals and more about the biology and history of the creature, which wasn't particularly interesting. So, read it for the dialogue and the interaction, maybe, but if you might be turned off by cetaceous goo and/or living quarters fitted out with more than the usual number of sphincters, maybe give this one a pass.

-- Debra Hamel

Christopher Moore's brand of humor, while always irreverent and sometimes off-color, also bursts through the constraints which might limit it to the real world. Moore has often explored other realities, and in this novel, we discover the underwater world of singing whales and the researchers who study them. Far more "straight" and less frivolous than in most of his earlier novels, Moore is clearly fascinated by cetacean biology and the research on which he focuses here.

Nate Quinn is a PhD. researcher who studies the subsonic songs of humpback whales and works the channel between Maui and Lanai, identifying and following individual whales, recording whale songs, and converting the songs into digitized computer programs in an effort to decode them. Three other researchers and numerous other wacky characters, allow the author plenty of room for hijinx at the same time that he is exploring serious issues.

When Moore shifts from science to science fiction, the line between reality and fantasy disappears. The reader willingly suspends all disbelief and succumbs to the spell of Moore's non-stop flights of imagination as he explores underwater life. His famous sense of the absurd, his irony, and his humor, some of it black, never flag, and his imagination, given free rein, soars in this wild fantasy of an underwater colony.

However playful it may be, this novel also marks a significant new direction for Moore. He is clearly fascinated by whales and the threats to their existence, and while the book is great fun and often very funny, it also has something serious and important at its heart--it is not frivolous entertainment. In an unprecedented move, Moore adds three separate Author's Notes at the end of the book, updating the reader on current whale research and acknowledging some of the world's great whale researchers. Readers will come away from this novel with broad smiles, a new appreciation for Moore's talents and his willingness to take risks, and, most significantly, new understandings of whales and the ecosystem in which they flourish. Mary Whipple

A Dirty Job: A Novel
Island of the Sequined Love Nun
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
You Suck: A Love Story

Who would have every thought learning could be fun? In this work of humorous fiction, Christopher Moore provides many laughs with his often off-color brand of humor. What makes this book more special is that a lot of the habitat and whale information is based in fact. But please don't believe everything and use some degree of common sense, this is a work of fiction.

Nate Quinn has given much of his adult life and at least one marriage to the study of ocean dwelling mammals. With his associate Clay Demodocus, they have a two boat fleet which study and record the songs of whales. The world shifts the day Nate notices "Bite Me" spelled across the flukes of a photographed whale. Rounding out their team is the young assistant Amy Earhart and the "wanna-be" Hawaiian, Kona (Preston Applebaun).

Initially the reader may not seem to know where this book is going. Aside from a few scattered shots, the book seems like nothing more than a group of eclectic marine biologists. But after a series of mysterious events, the books takes a turn toward the bizarre and Nate literally discovers a whole new world. In this portion of the book, Moore is able to throw a rapid series of jabs of this trademark humor. Without giving away much of the plot, it is hard to describe Nate's sojourn.

Though I must admit that some parts of the plot may have been too far away from reality for me to grasp, familiarity with the author's work helped me to maintain focus. I knew the author was going somewhere with the strange ideas. Moore's writing lends itself to a fast paced and rewarding read. Though this is not may favorite work of Moore's, I enjoyed it a great deal.

Based out of a Hawaiian island, Nate Quinn, his partner Clay and research assistant Amy spend their time cataloging and researching humpback whales and their songs. Nate's mission is to find out why the humpback whales sing.

While out to sea one day Nate has a strange encounter with one of the great creatures. The underside of the whale's fluke had the word Bite Me! written in foot-high black letters. With no one around to corroborate what Nate saw he can hardly believe it himself but he managed to get at least one photo snapped and he sends the film off for developing.

When Nate gets the pictures come back the incriminating photo is missing and soon there's more trouble brewing for his team. Their office is wrecked and one of their ships gets stolen and is sunk. This leads him to believe that what he saw was real and someone will stop at nothing to keep that information from getting out.

Next thing you know Nate disappears while out in the water and while his crew thinks he's lost at sea, Nate goes on the ride of his life and gets pulled into the middle of a strange man vs. the sea struggle for survival.

The first thing that comes to mind when trying to sum up this book is that it's just plain weird. I read and loved Moore's book Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal so I was really looking forward to this read. I can't exactly say that I was disappointed because overall I did like the book but it was a bit of a let down that the writing wasn't the same caliber as Lamb. In Lamb I was cracking up with every chapter and in Fluke there were a few chuckles but it wasn't nearly as humorous. What does amaze me is how in the world Moore comes up with these crazy plots. I recommend this one for anyone who loves to read humorous fiction but don't let this be your first Christopher Moore book. Save that title for Lamb.

Christopher Moore's brand of humor, while always irreverent and sometimes off-color, also bursts through the constraints which might limit it to the real world. Moore has often explored other realities, and in this novel, we discover the underwater world of singing whales and the researchers who study them. Far more "straight" and less frivolous than in most of his earlier novels, Moore is clearly fascinated by cetacean biology and the research on which he focuses here.

Nate Quinn is a PhD. researcher who studies the subsonic songs of humpback whales and works the channel between Maui and Lanai, identifying and following individual whales, recording whale songs, and converting the songs into digitized computer programs in an effort to decode them. Three other researchers and numerous other wacky characters, allow the author plenty of room for hijinx at the same time that he is exploring serious issues.

When Moore shifts from science to science fiction, the line between reality and fantasy disappears. The reader willingly suspends all disbelief and succumbs to the spell of Moore's non-stop flights of imagination as he explores underwater life. His famous sense of the absurd, his irony, and his humor, some of it black, never flag, and his imagination, given free rein, soars in this wild fantasy of an underwater colony.

However playful it may be, this novel also marks a significant new direction for Moore. He is clearly fascinated by whales and the threats to their existence, and while the book is great fun and often very funny, it also has something serious and important at its heart--it is not frivolous entertainment. In an unprecedented move, Moore adds three separate Author's Notes at the end of the book, updating the reader on current whale research and acknowledging some of the world's great whale researchers. Readers will come away from this novel with broad smiles, a new appreciation for Moore's talents and his willingness to take risks, and, most significantly, new understandings of whales and the ecosystem in which they flourish. Mary Whipple

A Dirty Job: A Novel
Island of the Sequined Love Nun
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
You Suck: A Love Story

"Fluke" spins one of the most hilarious and creative yarns in recent fiction. Self proclaimed "action nerd" Nate Quinn, fifty-something marine biologist, lives the good life in Hawaii. He studies humpback whale songs, so there's plenty of sun and sea, not to mention good friends (underwater photographer Clay), Amy (mysterious-yet-adorable grad assistant), and Kona (white Rastafarian surfer who refuses to recognizes he's a haole).

There's only a nagging sense of doubt to trouble Nate's happy days: that he's wasting his life doing something stupid and that he's never going to solve the mystery of why humpback whales sing. That, and the fact that the U.S. Navy wants to launch missiles in the humpback breeding grounds in Hawaii.

All that changes, however, with two simple words: "Bite me." Many of us hear these words every day, but Nate's the first person I know of - actual or fictional - who sees them drawn on a humpback whale's tail flukes.

With these two words, Nate sets out on a quest for knowledge that will lead him to one of the most bizarre places on earth, where such events as meeting Amelia Earhart and learning that all orcas are named "Kevin" are rather pedestrian.

Moore's comic tale of scientific discovery, friendship, and conservation always hits just the right notes. Intellectual without being highbrow, funny without being too silly, and pro-environment without being too preachy, "Fluke" is a must-read for anyone who cares about the whales or wants a good laugh. That should cover you, too, so buy a copy why don't you?

Doesn't grip you from the first paragraphs like most of his other novels do but once it gets going Fluke is another fun read. Nate Quinn a marine biologist has been following, photographing, tracking and recording data on humpback whales in an effort to discover the reasoning behind why they sing for quite some time. On one particular voyage he is shocked to see the words Bite Me on the tail of a whale. When the frame of the film with the words goes missing from the processing lab and his lab is turned over it becomes obvious he's stumbled upon something he never imagined his research would reveal. Throw in the normal Moore magic, which I'm not going to give away as discovering this is part of the fun and you've got another exciting read.

Along with another great Moore adventure Moore also provides at the end a bonus encore in the form of a few author opinion conservation papers. My favourite is the one with the heading Conservation. Finally someone is prepared to write something with the facts without having to soften it down with political correctness such as his response to the often ludicrous argument that hunting whales is a cultural tradition and must be preserved. Moore explains - "This, of course is utter bull s. It's a tradition of Americans of European descent to commit genocide on indigenous people, but that doesn't mean we ought to start doing it again. Even some ideas are still bad ideas," (from p316). Finally someone telling it like it is without worrying about offending people. Same cultural argument is used out here in Australia for hunting and eating endangered species such as Dugongs and is exactly what Moore said, utter bull s!

It should just be another day in paradise for Nate, action nerd biologist - researching whale song in Hawaii with his cute, smart-mouthed assistant Amy. But he starts to doubt his sanity when he sees words written on the tail of a whale, and returns to shore only to find that their office has been trashed and their research destroyed. He and his partner Clay, an underwater photographer with strong feelings on loyalty, are baffled - who in the world cares that much about their whale research? Competing researchers with shady morals? Mysterious naval officers engaged in dubious projects? As the strange occurrences and disasters mount everyone pitches in to solve the mystery, including their newest assistant, Kona (a.k.a. Preston Applebaum), a dreadlocked stoner kid with surprising insights and Clay's girlfriend Clair, keeper of the booty and the wooden spoon of doom. In the end, the search for the secret of the whale song will lead to unimaginable locations and surprising revelations.

Fluke is light, funny and fast-paced - perfect for a day at the beach. The absurdity level rises rapidly and the action escalates into a potential end-of-the-world scenario before plummeting back to just mildly warped reality. The plot is a little weak towards the end, but the memorable characters, sharp dialogue, and all-around zaniness definitely make up for it. Moore doesn't go completely overboard with the "save the whales" message, but he does include some serious whale info in an appendix.

The humor is very similar in tone to Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett with more of a scatological bent. This book caused a quite a few giggle-out-loud moments for me as well as a lot of quietly amused moments. While Fluke is my first Christopher Moore book, it will definitely not be my last.

I would read Christopher Moore based on the titles of his works alone. He has written fantastically odd and fun books for years, including ISLAND OF THE SEQUINED LOVE NUN, THE LUST LIZARD OF MELANCHOLY COVE, and LAMB: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BIFF, CHRIST'S CHILDHOOD PAL (which, in my estimation, is his best, most bedazzlingly kooky book yet). Once I get past the title page of a Christopher Moore book, I'm never disappointed. He always delivers the goods (the goods being odd characters, odd settings, and odd happenings). The latest Moore delivery is FLUKE: OR I KNOW WHY THE WINGED WHALE SINGS, and he will not disappoint fans.
The odd characters include marine biologist Nathan Quinn, a lifelong researcher of the humpback whale and their song; Clay Demodocus, his associate; beautiful research assistant Amy Earhart; and Rastaman, Kona, a white boy from New Jersey. The settings, which are varied, include Maui, a giant whale ship and "Gootown." The odd happenings are too numerous to mention. There's some discussion of a whale calling a benefactor by telephone asking for a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye. There's an escape from an amorous Samoan. There's a situation involving a super-race of piscatorial mutants. And there's that one whale that had written on its tail "BITE ME."
Of course, the book is not too thick with such heavy topics as the meaning of life and love. There is, however, some discussion about Canadian hockey violence. Moore won't give you long theories about the nature of man or the political implications of the Middle East. He will, however, give us some interesting cetacean sex, which is always titillating. It's a breeze to read. The reader will sit in a hammock, a drink by their side (with an umbrella in it), and happily read along chuckling mightily (hopefully not spilling said umbrella-laden drink).
The one thing that Moore does well (on top of his writing antics) is the research he puts into his books. He knows about whales and cares about them (so much so, in fact, that at the end of the book he highlights ways in which the reader can help out with and address conservation issues). Just as in LAMB, where he studied mightily about the world in Jesus's time, Moore finds many interesting nuggets about whales, the ocean, and the like.
If you want Norman Mailer or Leon Uris, you've come to the wrong place. But if you're in the mood for a quick laugh (along the lines of Tom Robbins, Dave Barry and their ilk) and a fun book to read on a sunny weekend, FLUKE is the way to go. Both the book and Moore are funny --- and there's no fluke about that.
--- Reviewed by Jonathan Shipley

This book is hands down my favorite of Christopher Moores books thus far. This book has a very special place in my heart beacuse it deals with my favorite and the oldest living creatures on the planet; the whales. Moores imagination is unsurpassed in this very creative novel that deals with the discovery of certain secrets from the depths of the ocean. With an all star cast of misfits and unforgettable characters, Moore has easily created one of the most imaginaitive pieces of literature I have ever encountered.

Never have I ever encountered an author with such a raw sense of humor that makes me laugh hysterically. Moores ability to describe even the most akward of situations and I am just throwing this out there, but it has to do with two whales, ten foot penises and rubber suits. I honestly cannot go to deep into the details of the story, because I would not want to ruin this book for anyone. I see the dedication in the story and the time commitment that Moore has taken in the creation of this book and his efforts and execution are mesmerizing.

I litterally could not wait to finish this book, because it is one of those books that allows me to turn off everything that exists in the world and just read the captivating story. I became on the characters in the story and was there all the way to the end. If anyone enjoys a good laugh, with an incredible plot and an important message,then you should definitely read this book.

Having been a recent Christopher Moore fan, I've pretty much devoured everything he's written (Coyote Blue, Island of the Sequinned Love Nun, etc.) and found his comedic style to be light, breezy and a sheer joy to read. Many have compared Mr. Moore to the late, great Douglas Adams (of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame) and I think this is a fair comparison. If you like Adams' style, you're sure to enjoy Moore's.
Fluke is a departure for Mr. Moore from his previous novels. He's done research for the others, but that research was always used to further the laughs you were sure to enjoy in his books. But here, Mr. Moore tended to plug whale research (a worthy cause, no doubt!) and the scouring of our ocean environments, and the comedy . . . well . . . got lost a bit. Even in the afterword to the book, Mr. Moore tells us about the extensive research he did in putting this book together. Interesting, but it's not WHY readers have been drawn to his stories.
But let's get into the book. As stated above, this story focuses on whales. Particularly the Humpbacks around Hawaii. Nathan Quinn and a band of scientists (with the recent addition of a truly memorable pothead character named Kona) are trying to find out why the whales sing. And why it is ONLY the males that sing. What does the song mean? This is Mr. Quinn's life work.
. . . And Mr. Quinn and his fellow scientists are about to make a hilarious and startling discovery. They soon learn WHY the whales sing (I'm not going to tell you why. You've got to read it to find out). The interactions between the characters is what sets this story apart. That and the story about the giant whale penises mixing with a zodiac inflatable boat!
Is it possible that the ocean is a giant living . . . uh, thing? Or Goo? Is it possible that whales are more
intelligent 'internally' than we could have ever imagined? Is it possible to fall in love with a nonhuman sea creature? Whoa!
A good read. Not great. Not Moore's greatest by a looong shot. But still a lot better than some of the junk that's out there on the shelves. I'm glad I read it.
A solid 'B' rating.