Christopher Moore has all kinds of hilarious, sarcastic fun with Shakespeare's King Lear in his newest novel, Fool.

The main character in this laugh fest is a tiny jester named Pocket, and he certainly tumbles his way into the reader's heart as he juggles with the lives of so many. It's a tangled web that traps more than just bits of King Lear.I liked it better than Lamb. But then, I'm more familiar with Shakespeare than--religious stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed it! ( )

What a fantastic fresh book. I am completely hooked on Christopher Moore. I read A Dirty Job and was so in love with his writing i tried to get Fool, but only managed to get it as an audiobook. It was fantastic, making a normally stressful day at work fly by, making me want to yell at my Vendors, "this is heinous fuckery!" You cant help but love the main character Pocket and his apprentice Drool. Moore definately made a fan out of me.

This is one of my top favorite authors. Lyrical and grotesque would be a good description. I listened to an audio version and the narrator was spot-on with characterization and inflection. If I had one book to listen to over and over, this would be it! ( )

This was not my favorite christopher moore book. I loved most of his others and I was quite dissappointed not to like this one as much. It had some great moments and some classic Moore lines, but something else kept me from enjoying it. I think it was not knowing the story of King Lear or much shakepeare at all. I had a hard time keeping up with most of the characters and which side they were on and who was killing who. I wish I had enjoyed this book more! ( )

Christopher Moore's best outing since Lamb. Love it! ( )

...heinous fuckery ( )

I listened to this as an audiobook, and it really, really works in that format. It's crude and lewd - Moore is in great form here. ( )

Before I get into my thoughts on Christopher Moore’s Fool, let me tell you how I got a copy. What feels like a long, long time ago on a LibraryThing not so very far away I requested and was told I’d receive an Early Reviewers copy of Fool. My response was something along the lines of, “OMG! Squee!!! OMG!” And then I waited. And waited. And waited. It got close to the release day and still I waited. The book was released and still I waited. I went onto the LibraryThing ER board and other people hadn’t gotten theirs either. Then it was two weeks after it was released. Then three. I whined about it on Twitter. Someone from Harper Collins Canada saw my whine and sent me a message saying, “Hey, want me to send it to you?” What more could I say than “Holy heck yes!” Harper Collins Canada is my hero.

Click here to read the rest... ( )

'Fool' is a re-telling of the King Lear as a farce, from the point of view of the King's fool. Moore cheerfully adds in good bits from other Shakespeare plays, which I think is just fine. It's a fun book — at the very beginning, I laughed out loud reading the cast of characters, and again looking at the map — but not as good as his best. I did read it in one day, so maybe I'm kidding myself. I think there were two difficulties with it for me:
1. I had not idea what the plot was. The Fool was messing with people, apparently in order to help Lear, but I really couldn't tell how/why any of it would help. I didn't worry about that too much, just rolled along on his efforts to survive.
2. Sometimes Moore writes in modern English, and sometimes it is pure Elizabethan insult-o-rama. Fun stuff that he probably couldn't resist, but gave me a bit of Style Whiplash.If you've never read Moore, I recommend starting with 'Practical Demonkeeping' or 'Bloodsucking Fiends'.

I've loved the rest of Christopher Moore's books, this one was a bit of a let down.

While mildly funny in parts, this is not up to his usual "laugh out loud and wake the wife to read sections to her" standard. ( )

My Rating: A

My Review:

This is a most excellent comedy, another genius work by Mr. Christopher Moore. The characters are alive and well rounded, and horribly lovable. The humor is to die for, often you'll be laughing out loud while reading. Don't be surprised if you get looks from across the room if you're reading this in a public place.

The story is full of intrigue and isn't just a comedy either. Like any Shakespeare it's also a bit of a tragedy. Characters that you grow to love, though they may annoy, die and not always nicely.

As much as I loved the main plot of this book, I loved the back story more. It was not only laugh out loud funny, but endearing and sweet. I am amazed at how the author can pull this off so well.

The only issue I had with the book was that I often got confused as to who was doing what and why? Who was killing whom and because they wanted what? But, I think to be honest, that this is my fault, not the authors. I also think that it'd be a lot easier to keep track in this version, than in Shakespeare's himself.

I highly recommend this to any Moore fan, and to anyone looking for a book that they just might pee themselves while reading. ( )

I was notified that I won a copy of Fool through the Early Reviewers program but to date have not received the book. That is unfortunate, since I am enjoying the book (borrowed from the library) immensely. At first I thought it was too bawdy and raucous for me, but once I grew accustomed to that it grew on me. Amidst all the chicanery, sex, and general bad behavior, the story is actually strangely touching and endearing. ( )

A funny and extremely bawdy rewriting of King Lear from the Fool's point of view, with bits of other Shakespeare plays and whatever else was in the author's sick mind thrown in. I listened to the audio version, which was very well done. ( )

I read this book after A Dirty Job and was really let down. Moore is a great writer, and he continues to refine his craft with Fool, but the subject matter was too sophomoric for me to enjoy it. While I can appreciate the irony of the premise, for me it was not an enjoyable literary experience.

Like Lamb, Fool read to me as one incredible overstated dirty joke. I miss the witty dialogue, unique characters, and fantastical plots of You Suck and A Dirty Job. ( )

Not everyone is going to find a character who talks in bad British slang, swears a ton, and belittles the French all that funny. In fact, more historically-acurate people would probably be offended by Moore’s sense of geography. And more literary-snobbish people would be insulted by Moore’s mangling of Shakespeare. But Moore’s style of humour is absolutely hilarious to me.

... Ever since I read A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, I have been anticipating reading more. I don’t know why I haven’t read some of his older works yet, but I was so excited to get my hands on Fool! If you need a good laugh, and don’t mind lots of shagging and profanity… pick up a copy today! You won’t be disappointed with Moore’s satirical comedy.

Read more at: http://www.monniblog.com/2009/07/fool... ( )

Ridiculously funny and absurd re-telling of Shakespeare's King Lear from the perspective of the Fool. Bawdy, crass, graphic, blasphemous--all in a good way! ( )

Fool is a terrific read, coming from one of the writers I most respect for his ability to tackle any and all topics. Between his exploration of Christ in the missing years, and a retelling of King Lear through his fool, my respect is exponential for this author.

I feel like a weak reader when faced with the complexity of Shakespeare's plots, but Moore was able to pull me into the story time and time again with the fresh humor. I'm even a bit tempted to go back to the master to try Lear again (I've never yet succeeded on this mission), but I think I'll wait until Pocket's voice has been cleared from my head.

Voice... Moore has again created a character I absolutely love. The fool is everything a fool should be, fresh, witty, intelligent, and a truth-teller. I am drawn to him, too, because of his uncertainty of his background. He feels lost in the world, and so skips from connection to connection, trying to find a home, even though he would likely never admit this weakness.

Bravo, Mr. Moore. Once again, you get a standing ovation from this reader. ( )

I wish I remembered more about King Lear, but it's been nearly 30 years since I read it in high school. Then again, I'm not sure it would have made much difference; in the Author's Note at the end of Christopher Moore's Fool, he acknowledges being pretty free in adapting the source material. To the best of my recollection, the basic plotline is followed: the aging king is duped by two of his ambitious daughters into disinheriting the third one, and quickly comes to regret it. Much intrigue, duplicity, and death follow. It is a Shakespearean tragedy, after all.

However, in Moore's hands, it becomes a tragicomedy, at times bordering on farce, with much bawdiness. If you've read anything else he's written, you'll expect nothing less.

I actually don't remember much about the king's Fool from the play at all, but here, his perspective takes the primary role. Pocket - so named because he was a particularly tiny baby when he was found abandoned on the steps of a convent - was raised by nuns, became part of performing troupe, and found a home in King Lear's court when he was able to coax laughter out of the king's youngest daughter, who had been mute since losing her mother. Although Pocket was officially Cordelia's Fool, her older sisters Goneril and Regan found their own uses for him as well. And from the Fool's unique position within the court, Pocket plays the pivotal behind-the-scenes role in orchestrating both the fallout and the resolution of Lear's choice.

READ MORE: http://www.3rsblog.com/2009/07/thursd... ( )

Christopher Moore has taken the story of King Lear and presented it from the fool's perspective. In writing the story he has captured the feeling and atmosphere of Shakespeare's plays. By focusing on the Fool the humor found in Shakespeare's plays is expanded and becomes the focus rather than the tragic behavior of the main characters. It allows the reader to be behind the scenes like a servant, but very much aware of everything that is going on. Even though the ending of the book is not like Shakespeare's version Moore's ending allows him to neatly wrap up everything in the story. ( )

I tend to enjoy any novel that engages with Shakespeare and his work in a new and interesting way. I particularly liked Moore's "adaptation" of the horribly melodramatic tragedy King Lear into a farce/comedy. And the character of the fool was just the way to do it, considering Lear's fool is one of the richest and clever characters in all Shakespeare (or, dare I say, all literature). The result is a funny and whimsical revision of Lear.

My only criticism of the novel is that it is a bit overly-lewd, and unnecessarily so. Being a Elizabethan scholar, I realize that lewdness was par for the course during the time. (Read Shakespeare's comedies more closely and be prepared to blush.) But Moore's novel comes ever so close to crossing the line between authentic humor and crudity. ( )

I don't care much for Shakespeare, but I really dig Christopher Moore! ( )

My least favorite of all Christopher Moores books. I found it incredibly crude, confusing and not much fun to read. A big disappointment for me as I absolutely love the other books I've read by the author. Sorry - can't recommend it. ( )

in general, i love christopher moore books. after reading something heavy, i turn to christopher moore book for well-crafted humor. with this book, however, the humor feels a bit flat. unlike "lamb," where wit and plot flowed smoothly to achieve a well-written humorous book, this story feels as though the author was thinking too hard to make it seem funny. you could say it feels contrived. to be sure, to turn a shakespearean tragedy into an understandable, modern-day satire is no small feat. and unfortunately, i think the author didn't quite achieve his usual, natural cadence of his witty story-telling. as you can tell from other reviews, i think mr. moore was trying to achieve humor by bawdy language. but that gets tiresome -- he did not employ repeated phrase of well-coined curse words to achieve a great humorous tale in other books. thus, if you read all of mr. moore's books, you might be a bit disappointed with this latest work (have little expectation.. that might help). if you have not read any of his books, i highly suggest you read "lamb" and/or "a dirty job" -- his better works. to date, i believe his best work is "lamb." ( )

(I apologize for the brevity of the following review--I am very sick and in little mood to write.)

If you are an academic, Shakespeare-worshiping literary snob, please run the other way. Now. However, if you don't mind hearing the bard's tales retold in imaginative and meddling ways, then please pick up this book. Told from the point of view of King Lear's court jester, Fool is a raucous and bawdy story, full of all the deceit that made the classic tale so delectable and a hearty helping of "heinous f-ckery most foul" to liven things up a bit. I wish there could have been more allusions to other plays and characters or more dilly-dallying with the original text, but I did enjoy the ending of this update much more than the original. ( )

It wasn't the vulgarity or the coarseness of it all, although there was quite a bit of that. It was what seemed to me to be the pointlessness of this retelling of King Lear. I didn't like it one bit. ( )