Despite the mythical lust lizard (which I’m guessing explains why I found this book in a fantasy bookstore), The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is more of a muddled romantic comedy with suspense elements mixed in for extra confusion than a fantasy novel. Basic premise: a small-town psychiatrist takes all her patients off their anti-depressants and gives them placebos without telling them Simultaneously, an ancient shape-changing prehistoric lizard comes to the town, causing an outbreak of horniness and the complete mental breakdown of an already unstable former B-movie actress. With a pothead constable and meth-lab thrown in.
Christopher Moore writes an entertaining enough novel, but from the cover endorsements I expected to be laughing the way I do at David Sedaris or Tom Robbins. Instead, the plot seemed farcical and forced. Though the dialogue had some spark, the problem with the novel, at its most basic, is that it was a funny idea that was poorly executed. It could have been done better, and it showed.
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Aw what a shame! I've heard such good things about Christopher Moore, but I'll trust your judgment over the anonymous tips of various reviewers and one crazy cousin.
You're right the premise does have potential though. With a premise like that, you'd expect it should be funny. It's tough to pinpoint exactly what "humor" is, but one thing Sedaris employs very well is including at least one very surprising (but strangely appropriate) clause to many of his sentences. It may be the element of surprise that puts his humor writing head and shoulders above other "funny" books. I haven't read Christopher Moore's books, but one great way to kill humor is to try too hard, and it sounds like that's what he may have done.
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