Hanna's Reviews > Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art

Well, what should I say. This book definitely wasn't for me. I actually bought it for the cover (I should definitely stop judging books by their covers) and the first sentence of the blurb (I didn't read on as I hate reading blurbs, they usually give false impressions and too much away). The first sentence of the blurb reads: "In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he?". To me it was: Oh, maybe he never died!, thinking he might be the main protagonist of the book. (Ok, I admit it, I have a thing for Vincent van Gogh).
Actually it should have been: Was it really a suicide? Because, yes, he did die in the first chapter of Sacré Bleu.
The rest of the book is a very, very, very long fantasy-mystery-satire-comedy about late 19th painters in Paris, who are trying to figure out the reason for van Goghs death.
There are some clever ideas about the story, but to me it was way too constructed, trying too hard to be funny (I actually was really annoyed by the constant sex jokes, it was like being in a bar with a bunch of drunk teenagers). I kind of liked the character of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, he was definitely among my favorites, but all in all I got bored with everyone in the book during the first 200 pages. I wish Moore hat cut down the story to the essence and let go of all the flashbacks.