Fool
By Christopher Moore
The Short Take:
Moore really does a job on Shakespeare’s King Lear. This famous tragedy is transformed into a broad and bawdy comedy. Though definitely not for those who blush easily or worship The Bard, I found Fool to be a royally raucous romp.
Why?
I admit to being a Christopher Moore fan, but nothing prepared me for this one. Moore mixes contemporary British slang with Shakespearean phrases (from a variety of plays) and adds in a big helping of “gratuitous shagging” (his words, not mine). He does follow a fair amount of the original King Lear plot but also throws in the witches from Macbeth. It’s that kind of book.
Despite all the betrayals and a goodly amount of killing, this book is pure comedy, and not of the subtle variety. Though Moore does not particularly recommend that you read King Lear, I think breezing through a quick synopsis actually helps you to appreciate what Moore hath wrought.
The title refers to the court Fool, who is not only the central character but also the person who puts all those betrayals and murders in motion. He behaves as a Fool in temperament and antics, but he is anything but a fool when it comes to manipulating the players on this particular chess board.
To me, the funniest thing of all was Fool made more sense than King Lear. How weird is that?
A Little Plot:
Just read the a summary of King Lear. Then forget the last half or so. Lear still demands professions of love from his three daughters and believes the smarmy words of two but is angered by the honesty of Cordelia and disinherits her. Of course the remaining two plot against Lear — but here’s the rub: It’s actually the Fool that motivates the plotting all in hopes of bringing back his beloved Cordelia.
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