Island of the Sequined Love Nun

{{short description|Novel by Christopher Moore}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox book|

| name = Island of the Sequined Love Nun

| title_orig =

| translator =

| image = Islandofsequined lg.jpg

| caption = First edition

| author = Christopher Moore

| cover_artist = Michael McGurl

| country = United States

| language = English

| series =

| genre = Romance, Comedy

| publisher = Avon

| release_date = 1997

| media_type = Print (Hardback)

| pages = 325

| isbn = 0-06-073544-9

| oclc= 56195254

| preceded_by = Bloodsucking Fiends

| followed_by = The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

}}Island of the Sequined Love Nun is a novel by American absurdist writer Christopher Moore,{{Cite web |title=Island of the Sequined Love Nun |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/island-of-the-sequined-love-nun-christopher-moore?variant=32117032157218 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=HarperCollins |language=en}} published in 1997.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christopher-moore/island-of-the-sequined-love-nun/ |title=Island of the Sequined Love Nun |date=2010-05-19 |publisher=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=1997-07-31 |title=Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780380975051 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Publishers Weekly}} It is based partly on the author's personal experiences in Micronesia.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Christopher |title=Author Essay |url=https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/author-essays/AE-9780060735449.pdf |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=HarperCollins Publishers}}

Plot

Tucker (Tuck) Case is a pilot for a cosmetics company, who crashes the company plane while having sex. This event causes Tuck to be blacklisted from flying in the United States, so he accepts a lucrative offer from a doctor-missionary on a remote Micronesian island to transport cargo to and from the island and Japan.

Tuck moves to the island with a Filipino trans woman navigator and a talking fruit bat. There Tuck eventually uncovers a horrible secret harbored by the doctor and his wife, who capitalized on the fact that the island natives are under the influence of a cargo cult that developed as a result of establishment by Allies of an air runway there during World War II.

Shakespearean allusions

In chapter 8, "The Humiliation of the Pilot as a Passenger", Moore alludes to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Tuck is the heir to the Denmark Silverware Corporation, much like Hamlet being the prince. Later Tuck's mother marries his uncle after her husband has a not-so-accidental riding accident resulting in his death.

Tuck is then summoned by an old girlfriend named Zoophilia (similar to Ophelia). While approaching the house in a rage he runs over Zoophilia's father. Zoophilia meets her demise by taking a handful of Prozac and a mouthful of water then drowns in her hot tub, grief-stricken. Before Tuck leaves he is threatened by Zoophilia's brother.{{Cite web |last=Reardon |first=Patrick T. |date=2018-09-28 |title=Book review: "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" by Christopher Moore |url=https://patricktreardon.com/book-review-island-of-the-sequined-love-nun-by-christopher-moore/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Patrick T. Reardon |language=en-US}}

References

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