October 1, 2010

REVIEW! Fool.


Fool
Christopher Moore



FROM THE COVER:

A man of infinite jest, Pocket has been Lear's cherished fool for years, from the time the king's grown daughters—selfish, scheming Goneril, sadistic (but erotic-fantasy-grade-hot) Regan, and sweet, loyal Cordelia—were mere girls. So naturally Pocket is at his brainless, elderly liege's side when Lear—at the insidious urging of Edmund, the bastard (in every way imaginable) son of the Earl of Gloucester—demands that his kids swear their undying love and devotion before a collection of assembled guests. Of course Goneril and Regan are only too happy to brownnose Dad. But Cordelia believes that her father's request is kind of . . . well . . . stupid, and her blunt honesty ends up costing her her rightful share of the kingdom and earns her a banishment to boot.

Well, now the bangers and mash have really hit the fan. The whole damn country's about to go to hell in a handbasket because of a stubborn old fart's wounded pride. And the only person who can possibly make things right . . . is Pocket, a small and slight clown with a biting sense of humor. He's already managed to sidestep catastrophe (and the vengeful blades of many an offended nobleman) on numerous occasions, using his razor-sharp mind, rapier wit . . . and the equally well-honed daggers he keeps conveniently hidden behind his back. Now he's going to have to do some very fancy maneuvering—cast some spells, incite a few assassinations, start a war or two (the usual stuff)—to get Cordelia back into Daddy Lear's good graces, to derail the fiendish power plays of Cordelia's twisted sisters, to rescue his gigantic, gigantically dim, and always randy friend and apprentice fool, Drool, from repeated beatings . . . and to shag every lusciously shaggable wench who's amenable to shagging along the way.
My rating: 4 stars.
MY THOUGHTS:

I am, and always will be, a fan of Shakespeare. So imagine my delight when I heard Chris Moore was coming out with a retelling of King Lear.

Fool is brilliant in its charisma and characterization. Moore’s writing style is like no other: catchy, humorous, snarky, vulgar and ridiculous all in one. It’s almost guaranteed to make you laugh, even at the story’s worst moments. The characters speak for themselves – in the way they act, talk and interact; they clearly have distinct personalities that come alive and are anything but dull.

While the plot does drag a bit, such moments do not last long. Moore’s pace is typically fast and witty at all times. The vulgarity and wit can also seem overdone at parts, stealing the spotlight, so to speak, and taking away from the actual plot. Still, Fool is extremely unique and entertaining in nearly all aspects.

2 comments:

  1. hey Alissa! I read this book over a year ago, so I HAD to see what you thought of it! Despite myself, I found this book so incredibly funny! Glad you enjoyed it too :)

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  2. Sounds incredibly intriguing. I will have to check it out.

    ReplyDelete

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