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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Strange, and really good Jul 28, 2008
An untapped corner of the horror novel genre involves stories about dead chickens. Until now, that is.
Bobby Garfundephelt buys a sprawling, multi-building farm, with the intention of turning part of it into a bed and breakfast. Included with the farm is a chicken coop, full of loud, stupid and filthy chickens. Janice, his wife, likes the chickens, and has to repeatedly remind Bobby to feed them. In a moment of frustration, one night, Bobby sets fire to the coop, with the chickens inside. Janice leaves him. Stuck somewhere between life and death, the zombie chickens go on the attack. Led by an evil undead Rooster, bigger than the average rooster, they chase Bobby throughout the labyrinthine rooms of the farmhouse. The house has been altered and added to so many times over the past 200 years, that it has gained a rudimentary intelligence, and assists in Bobby's torment.
Arnold is a young boy with a unique ability. Remember the famous movie line, "I see dead people?" Arnold could say, "I see dead chickens." After years of seeing a blue light coming from everyone, and being attacked by undead chickens, Arnold's parents ship him to a secret monastery in France. Their specialty is chicken exorcisms. On his deathbed, the present leader of the order transfers the being, or presence, living inside him to Arnold, making him the new leader. Many years later, Arnold, now called Armand, arrives at the farmhouse, to do battle with these undead zombie chickens. Amid everything else, Armand has to deal with a chicken spirit that takes over Bobby, so that, one minute, he is cowering in fear in the corner of a basement, and the next minute, he is trying to kill Armand.
If nothing else, this is a very different sort of novel, and it's a very good novel. It's nice and strange, and the author does a fine job with it.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Fun stuff! Jun 07, 2008
Take one flock of zombiefied chickens, with an uber-rooster at the head. Throw in one inept wannabe farmer living in a haunted house. Top it off with an order (no pun intended) of secret zombie chicken hunters, with a particularly talented mortal off on a solo crusade to end the plague of undead fowl once and for all. Mix well with a good dose of off-the-wall humor, some camp, and enough talented description to give you a movie in your head, and you have the makings of one very fun read.
It started out a little questionably. While Knapp is a talented author and does a good job of describing what's going on, the intentionally campy writing got to be a bit much to slog through, especially after the umpteenth time there was a description of a zombie chicken moving in such a way that a random body part fell off. Camp doesn't really translate over to writing nearly as well as film, as far as I'm concerned, though Knapp made a really good effort of it. Additionally, the backstory took a while to build up to an interesting point, though for good reason-the story behind the story is actually somewhat complex, and made what could have been a relatively simple zombie chicken novel into a more solid read.
I urge prospective readers who find the beginning to be a bit tough to get into to hang in there; it all makes more sense the more deeply you get into the story. The second half of the book grabbed me much more firmly, and it was hard to put it down after that point. The writing, though still campy, had more going on plot-wise, so I was less distracted and more enthralled. While I think the ending (which I won't spoil for you) came out of left field to an extent, it was satisfying, and left me with a good feeling about the entire adventure through zombie chicken land.
Overall, while it has a few flaws and could use a bit of tightening up in the first half, "Cluck" is definitely an amusing read. It's particularly commendable as a self-published work, and is among the best self-pub works I've ever read, nonfiction or fiction. And, as I said, Knapp is very good with descriptions, and I had a clear mental picture of what was happening the entire time, even if it didn't make sense at first. Pick this one up if you have a long plane flight, need something to read on the morning commute, or simply want something entertaining to read over a weekend. It has good re-read potential, too, so you'll definitely get your money's worth.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Simply Brilliant. May 28, 2008
Eric D. Knapp's "Cluck: Murder Most Fowl" is one of the best books we've reviewed so far on Odyssey Reviews. This tongue-in-cheek (or beak) work of brilliance will surely make you laugh. The writing is on par with the likes of Terry Pratchett. The story is brilliant, the writing unbelievably good; and a nearly 100% spotless manuscript peppered with delightful egg-shaped illustrations by Ian Miller. The sheer professional sheen of the book itself, down to the artwork on the cover - is the standard all independent/self-published authors should strive for.
You will find yourself in a bizarre world of zombie chickens, Poultry Exorcists, hicks, an ancient secret organization of frauds, and a car with a bit of an attitude. There is a restless house, and something else, another force thrown into the mix just to keep it interesting.
Armand/Arnold, who is the first true "Exorciste de Volaille" in generations, discovers, after years of ridding the world of pesky undead fowl, that he's possibly met his match. A convergence of mystical forces brings together a massive rooster who's been to Hell and back, his flock of subordinate ghoulish chicken zombies; a mysterious, vengeful force; a fidgety house and a less-than-intelligent hick by the name of Bobby--and Arnold has just stepped into the filthy thick of it.
Rotten eggs, tomatoes and stumbling, rotting chickens... this bizarre world is waiting for you to discover it. I think it should be an obligation for all independent authors to add this book to their library as an example of a professional, self-published product.
This book has effortlessly earned its five medallions (stars)
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
As Good As It Sounds - Even a Chicken Would Love It! Apr 01, 2008
They're chickens. They're zombies. What - you need more? Okay, there's more - an all-powerful rooster, a car that reads Ian Fleming, a possessed house, a prophecy-fulfilling chicken exorcist, and witty footnotes (yes, footnotes).
This was truly one of the most original books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Full of intriguing characters and a wonderful story, 'Cluck: Murder Most Fowl' by Eric D. Knapp is an expertly written horror-comedy that will leave you begging for a sequel.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
For every chicken sandwich... Mar 29, 2008
I figured I could use the "best zombie chicken book ever written" quote, which would be entirely accurate, but instead I will lead this review with a warning. I DARE you...no, I double dog dare you...to look at a batch of chicken nuggets or a KFC drumstick the same again after reading this story. If this book does not put you off on eating chicken...ah, forget it. I am still a chicken eater and will probably always will be, even after reading this. In fact, I have a hankering for a spicey chicken sandwich right about now.
I did ponder during this story whether the author has a fondness or hatred for poultry based on the tone and tenor of this original recipe (yes, I went there) of a novel. It is hard to tell, because he makes it abundantly clear that there are three things you need to know about chickens from the outset: They are dirty, they are loud, and they are stupid. But that does not necessarily make them evil or in any way bad. Tasty maybe, but not destined to be diabolical.
In this epic tale of supernatural bantams, supernatural houses, and supernatural beings that dwell inside Chicken Exorcists (the ghosts of chicken exorcists past?), we are given the chance to see the world from both the chicken eye view (very low to the ground, where flying tomatoes and rotten eggs are downright irresistable) and the humans who challenge them.
While this story was perhaps a bit long in the beak from the standpoint of overall length, the author gives us a tremendously detailed farce that reminds me somewhat of something that Terry Pratchett might produce, footnotes and all. The sly, somewhat serious but not taking itself serious tone is pitch perfect for a story of this magnitude. For a independently produced work the editing and flow of this story is outstanding, with both likeable and dispicable characters including annoying, arrogant Frenchmen, which is something every story should have.
Overall, a terrifically amusing and entertaining tale of a man, his chickens, a rooster on steroids, the house they live in, and the exorcist who would somehow dare to save them all.
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