Fool
A Novel
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“Hilarious, always inventive, this is a book for all, especially uptight English teachers, bardolaters, and ministerial students.”
—Dallas Morning News
Fool—the bawdy and outrageous New York Times bestseller from the unstoppable Christopher Moore—is a hilarious new take on William Shakespeare’s King Lear…as seen through the eyes of the foolish liege’s clownish jester, Pocket. A rousing tale of “gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity,” Fool joins Moore’s own Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, and You Suck! as modern masterworks of satiric wit and sublimely twisted genius, prompting Carl Hiassen to declare Christopher Moore “a very sick man, in the very best sense of the word.”
"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.
Fool
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.
Pocket may be a fool . . . but he's definitely not an idiot.
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
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"Moore turns things on their head with an edgy 21st-century perspective that makes the story line as sharp, surly and slick as a game of Grand Theft Auto… It’s a manic, masterly mix-winning, wild and something today’s groundlings will applaud."
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Publishers Weekly on FOOL
"[W]all-to-wall, farcical fornicating and fighting…a jolly good time can be had."
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Booklist on FOOL
"Less may be more, but it isn’t Moore. Wretched excess doth have power to charm, and there are great reeking oodles of it strewn throughout these irreverent pages."
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Kirkus Reviews on FOOL
"A page-turner…. Your ‘Lear’ can be rusty or completely unread to appreciate this new perspective on the Shakespearean tragedy. That is if you enjoy a whole lot of silly behind the scenes of your tragedies."
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Valdosta Times (Georgia) on FOOL
"Moore compares favorably to Tom Robbins – crazy adventure, clever twists, feel-good philosophy – crafting a laugh-out-loud romp with Bard-worthy smarts."
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Philadelphia City Paper on FOOL
"You don’t need to be a Shakespeare expert to get this retelling, which keeps the bones of the tragedy (mad monarch, scheming daughters, moatful of mayhem) but rattles them with cheeky tweaks and plays it all for laughs.…[Moore] acheives bust-a-gut funny."
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Daily News on FOOL
"Funny, literate, smart and sexy, all at once!"
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Jeff Lindsay, author of Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dexter in the Dark, and Dearly Devoted Dexter, upon which the nationally acclaimed, hit series, Dexter, is based.
Jeff Lindsay, author of Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dexter in the Dark, and Dearly Devoted Dexter, upon which the nationally acclaimed, hit series, Dexter, is based.
Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter series, on FOOL
"In transforming "King Lear" into a potty-mouthed jape, Moore is up to more than thumbing his nose at a masterpiece. His version of Shakespeare’s Fool, who accompanies Lear on his slide from paternal arrogance to spiritual desolation in the original text, simultaneously honors and imaginatively enriches the character."
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San Francisco Chronicle on FOOL
"It’s hard to resist so gleeful a tale of murder, witchcraft, treason, maiming, and spanking. . . . Moore’s deft ear for dialogue keeps the pages turning . . . Fool is a wickedly good time."
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Christian Science Monitor on FOOL
"In truth, Fool is exuberantly, tirelessly, brazenly profane, vulgar, crude, sexist, blasphemous and obscene. Compared to Moore’s novel, even Mel Brooks’s hilariously tasteless film "Blazing Saddles" appears a model of stately 18th-century decorousness."
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Washington Post Book World (Michael Dirda) on FOOL
"Often funny, sometimes hilarious, always inventive, this is a book for all, especially uptight English teachers, bardolaters and ministerial students of the kind who come to our doorstep on Saturday mornings."
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Dallas Morning News on FOOL
"The very definition of a bawdy romp: a broad, elbow-in-the-ribs, wink-wink homage to King Lear (but with quantities of shagging that would have kept legions of Grade 12 students glued to their copies had the Bard only thought to include it). …[A] riotous adventure."
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Winnipeg Free Press
"Moore is a very clever boy when it comes to words. There are good chuckles to be had in this tale. …Whether you need to read the original King Lear before you read Moore’s Fool is debatable. Seems a fool’s errand to us. Just enjoy."
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USA Today on FOOL
Reader Reviews from First Look
"This is a bawdy tale." No kidding! Moore's spin on Shakespeare's "King Lear" is very bawdy indeed, often manic, and sometimes just plain bizarre - and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story's told from the point of view of Pocket, Lear's court fool - a character who isn't even given a name in Shakespeare's play, but who, in Moore's version, not only has access to a lot of behind-the-scenes knowledge but even helps to jump-start some of the many plots that seethe around the throne. [Hilarity, as they say, ensues, though things don't always work out quite the way Pocket intended.]
In addition to the basic ungrateful-daughters/unreasonable-father/political-machinations plots, there's a lot of back story here. Much of this seems to knit in very well with what we know of the characters from the original play, while other bits are clearly flights of Moore-esque fancy. While I found it amusing to try and spot the (many) places that diverged from the original, as Moore himself points out, "that way madness lies"; he's pulled in snippets of dialogue and even a few guest characters from many other Shakespeare plays, and has cheerfully mangled the plot to suit his own purposes.
Not only does Moore expand upon Shakespeare's own bawdy elements, he doesn't flinch from the more savage episodes in the play; they're depicted here in full, gory glory. So the book is not for the squeamish, nor for the easily offended. But if you'd like a peek behind the scenes of Shakespeare's bleak family tragedy, with some glimpses of the very earthy goings-on in a medieval castle and some very funny zingers along the way, give Fool a try!
[By the bye, don't miss the footnotes; some of them are just the usual define-a-term kind, but others are little gems of frivolity!]
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Elizabeth (Nashua, NH)
"This is a bawdy tale." No kidding! Moore's spin on Shakespeare's "King Lear" is very bawdy indeed, often manic, and sometimes just plain bizarre - and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story's told from the point of view of Pocket, Lear's court fool - a character who isn't even given a name in Shakespeare's play, but who, in Moore's version, not only has access to a lot of behind-the-scenes knowledge but even helps to jump-start some of the many plots that seethe around the throne. [Hilarity, as they say, ensues, though things don't always work out quite the way Pocket intended.]
In addition to the basic ungrateful-daughters/unreasonable-father/political-machinations plots, there's a lot of back story here. Much of this seems to knit in very well with what we know of the characters from the original play, while other bits are clearly flights of Moore-esque fancy. While I found it amusing to try and spot the (many) places that diverged from the original, as Moore himself points out, "that way madness lies"; he's pulled in snippets of dialogue and even a few guest characters from many other Shakespeare plays, and has cheerfully mangled the plot to suit his own purposes.
Not only does Moore expand upon Shakespeare's own bawdy elements, he doesn't flinch from the more savage episodes in the play; they're depicted here in full, gory glory. So the book is not for the squeamish, nor for the easily offended. But if you'd like a peek behind the scenes of Shakespeare's bleak family tragedy, with some glimpses of the very earthy goings-on in a medieval castle and some very funny zingers along the way, give Fool a try!
[By the bye, don't miss the footnotes; some of them are just the usual define-a-term kind, but others are little gems of frivolity!]
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Elizabeth (Nashua, NH)
Christopher Moore proves once again, he can live up to his hysterical, twisted standards that I've come to expect from him. Will recommend to everyone. Too bad it didn't come out in time for Christmas.
Thank you for allowing me to read.
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Judy (SLC, UT)
As a long-time fan of Christopher Moore, I wasn't sure how I felt about a novel where it was unlikely that residents of Pine Cove might pop up; but "Fool" had me laughing from the moment I read the plain brown wrapper until (almost) everybody was dead. My education was lacking and I never read "King Lear". Now it's doubtful I ever will. Moore's ruined it for me. With no Pocket, Jones, or the theoretical monkey, Jeff; I'm afraid that Shakespeare would only disappoint.
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Elizabeth (Hopkinsville, KY)
Let me preface my review with even though I knew the that Moore's latest book would be about a fool in medieval times, I hadn't the faintest inkling it would be about the Fool in Shakespeare's King Lear. And never until now has Shakespeare been so bawdily skewered as in his book, Fool.
For Shakespearean purists this may correlate to sacriledge. To add on top of that, Moore also changes various scenes from King Lear so that outcomes fits the story he wants to tell. He also references other Shakesperean works such as Othello ("Moors are said to be talented wife-stranglers."), Julius Caesar ("...let slip the dogs of war...") and Macbeth (Inclusion of the three witches.). At least those are the ones I noticed as there are most likely more that I missed. Creative license is alive and well thank goodness, as due to all this re-hash of King Lear, a fun ribald story is born. And given that the Fool in King Lear often was the voice of reason, insight and clarity, in Chrstopher’s Moore’s hands he remains so, albeit a tad more forthcoming in his vernacular. A smashing bloody good read!
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Scott (Aurora, CO)
Future generations will thank Christopher Moore for the updating of Shakespeare's King Lear. I remember back when Shakespeare was part of English in high school and how it was the most dreaded semester with the oh so proper English, rhyming and awkward phrasing. Now Christopher Moore has given teachers a reason to introduce students to an excellent modernization of this classic. The piece de resistance was the plain brown wrapper the book comes in, not only as a clever marketing tool but also as something which will make the reader laugh long before they finish this cleverly written book. This is a book I would heartily recommend! Bravo Christopher, this will become a classic all on its own!
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Vicki (Moore, ID)
I read the first paragraph and laughed out loud. There is in fact always a bloody bird or ghost hanging about in Shakespeare. Moore was able to capture the main points of the story of Lear, while throwing in bits and pieces of other Shakespeare works just to liven up the mix. The voice he used in the writing was a fabulous blend of what I would call British humour and Shakespearian with present day slang! The characters were very well thought out and I agree no one ever suspects a fool. I already recommended this story to my friends and eagerly await the chance to discuss this crazy tale with them.
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Kimberly (Ballston Lake, NY)
Christopher Moore's manic milieu plays a ribald spoof on all things Shakespearean. His usual comedic wit is as biting as ever, a challenge to anyone trying to satirize a classic well knows, let alone a tragedy. Akin to his book Lamb, while unstoppably hilarious (sometimes it's impossible not to laugh lest the jest causes death. Kind of like holding in a sneeze but far more ironic...) at times, the complex plotting and large amounts of superficial incidental characters hampers a little of the fun. Highly recommended to all his current and future fans...and Fools in the making.
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John (Brooklyn, NY)
If you are already a Christopher Moore fan, you will love this book. If this is the first Christopher Moore book you read, you will become a fan. “Fool” is Shakespearian intrigue, wit and drama on steroids (or at the very least, copious amounts of ale). This story of royal power struggles, murder and love (lust?!) in Medieval England is laugh out loud funny.
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Samantha (Yorkville, IL)
HumDrum? Never! Demented? Possibly! Hilarious? ABSOLUTELY! Christopher Moore has done it again. FOOL is a riotous tale of sex power and betrayal set long ago in a land far far away. Calculating treachery, colorful characters and witty dialogue fill the pages of this worthwhile novel that follows "Pocket", King Lears personal Fool, and Drool, Pocket's apprentice Fool as they nimbly navigate through a web of royal deceit (some of it their own doing) that will determine who will be ruler of the land. Wanton sex with servants and royalty alike, beautiful lies and ugly hags unite and makes for a real page turner that will leave you lusting for more. When is a fool not really a Fool? Read this novel and you'll soon see!
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Leslie (Monroe, NY)
Moore's "Fool" is a wickedly imaginative retelling of King Lear.
It follows the life of Lear's court jester, Pocket, and his relations (in a variety of ways) to Lear and his daughters.
Packed with clever puns, wildly original insults, along with Moore's astute observation of the absurd, "Fool" is sure to amuse the intelligent reader.
I'd love to see Moore have a go at Hamlet!
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Maureen (Center Harbor, NH)
Christopher Moore, the bestselling author of Lamb, now brings us his own take on Shakespeare's King Lear in Fool.
This story is set in King Lear's England, and is about an orphan named Pocket (thanks to him being so little that he could fit in the nun's pocket). Pocket grows up in a nunnery, and due to some sinful acts, becomes a Fool for the great King Lear. He will eventually, thanks to a ghost (there's always a bloody ghost), become something more than just a Fool. Almost at every turn there is a new surprise that slowly unlocks the story of Pocket and his heritage.
This book was well written, and has me wanting to read more Moore. Pocket is truly a character that you won't ever forget. His wit, and smart ass comments will make you wish that you could say the same things just as freely. Drool is a lovable sidekick to Pocket who'll warm your heart. And Cordelia is a powerful force to be dealt with. By the end of the book, you will be at war with yourself on whether or not Lear deserved what he got. And lastly, there is Kent, a very close friend to Lear. Kent goes through hell to keep his friend, King Lear, protected. Even after Lear is something less than a friend.
The other characters in this book are: King Lear's other two more evil daughters, Goneril, and Regan. Edmund (a real bastard), The Anchoress, and of course, the three witches.
You do not need to know of the original Shakespeare's King Lear to get into this. Anyone who likes a bit of humor, intrigue, and just a bit of gruesome eye plucking will love this book.
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Sarah (York, PA)
I love Chris Moore's writing, and Fool does not disappoint. It did take me awhile to get past the bawdiness ~ a vestige of prudishness that appears to have survived my wild youth ~ but once I got into the story, I was hooked. It's a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear ~ funny and weird and altogether zany, but it's so much more. As the fool begins to change and grow and confide his background and show his true colors, I began to really care about him. And the ending! I really liked the ending.
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Mary (Los Angeles, CA)
"Fool" is an applicable title for the people who will enjoy this book, as it seems geared to the immature male who giggles and blushes at the hint of sex and allusions to a penis. This latest work from Christopher Moore is, at best, an adequate source for frivolous amusement. I am torn between blaming the "warning" for heightened expectations which exacerbated my disappointment, or just accepting the book really is impossible for me to appreciate. While the underlying messages of loyalty and relationships wasn't lost on me, I didn't even care about the individuals since character development was so shallow.
As a side note, I hate writing a negative review my first time participating in the First Look program and my hopes are still in place for future AREs!
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Lydia (Chicago, IL)
Christopher Moore has once again written a hilarious, satirical, brilliant dark comedy. Using (or perhaps abusing) nearly every variation of the English language, he retells Shakespeare’s King Lear from the perspective of the Fool. Thankfully, Moore’s Fool (named Pocket) makes it past Act III and lives to relay a tale filled with humorous descriptions of historical England, nutty, foul-mouthed characters, and side-splitting dialogue. Witty, intelligent, and funny, Fool is more enjoyable than Shakespeare’s version! Christopher Moore is a genius; reworking Shakespeare is a Herculean task, but he delivers a classic Moore novel with the perfect blend of satire, swearing, and flawed protagonists you can’t help but root for. I laughed at nearly every page and can’t wait for his next book!
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Christina (Silverdale, WA)
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YOU ARE WATCHING: Christopher Moore on Fool Related Link
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