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Fool
A Novel
First published 2009 · 413 pages
A gleefully profane, laugh-out-loud subversion of a classic tragedy told from the perspective of the only guy in the castle with any common sense.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like crashing a high-society costume party with a pocketful of firecrackers and a wicked grin. It is a raucous, gleefully profane experience that drags a beloved literary tragedy kicking and screaming into the mud of bawdy farce. The pace is brisk and chaotic, propelled by an endless barrage of razor-sharp wit, anachronistic insults, and unapologetic vulgarity. Beneath the relentless dick jokes and slapstick violence, however, lies a surprisingly clever homage that rewards readers familiar with the source material. The prose is a hilarious collision of faux-Elizabethan grandiosity and modern slang. It will absolutely delight readers who love irreverent satire, dark comedy, and the deeply satisfying spectacle of pompous monarchs being outsmarted by the underdog.
- Mood
- raucous
- chaotic
- farcical
- gleefully profane
- Tone
- irreverent
- bawdy
- satirical
- vulgar
- witty
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- subversion of classic literature · the wisdom of fools · absurdity of power · loyalty amidst chaos · revenge and comeuppance
- The writing
- An energetic, anachronistic blend of faux-Shakespearean dialogue, modern profanity, and razor-sharp comedic timing.
- The arc
- Begins as a chaotic, profane romp through a familiar tragedy and escalates into a surprisingly clever, satisfyingly subversive climax where the underdog pulls the strings.
- Who it's for
- Fans of irreverent satire and gleefully vulgar historical fiction who don't mind seeing classic literature dragged through the mud.
Content notes
- gratuitous sexual content
- extreme profanity
- comedic violence
- murder
- bawdy humor
About the book
"This is a bawdy tale. Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity, as well as nontraditional grammar, split infinitives, and the odd wank... If that's the sort of thing you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon the perfect story!"Verily speaks Christopher Moore, much beloved scrivener and peerless literary jester, who hath writteneth much that is of grand wit and belly-busting mirth, including such laurelled bestsellers of the Times of Olde Newe Yorke as Lamb, A Dirty Job, and You Suck (no offense). Now he takes on no less than the legendary Bard himself (with the utmost humility and respect) in a twisted and insanely funny tale of a moronic monarch and his deceitful daughters — a rousing story of plots, subplots, counterplots, betrayals, war, revenge, bared bosoms, unbridled lust... and a ghost (there's always a bloody ghost), as seen through the eyes of a man wearing a codpiece and bells on his head.FoolA 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.Pocket may be a fool... but he's definitely not an idiot.
Description from Open Library.
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