Fool

Fool (2009) is the eleventh novel by Christopher Moore.

Cover Copy
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 the 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.

Main Characters
Pocket – a fool.

Drool – an apprentice fool

Thalia

Lear – King of Britan

Cordelia – youngest daughter of Lear, Princess of Britain.

Regan – second daughter of Lear, Duchess of Cornwall. Wife of the Duke of Cornwall.

Goneril – oldest daughter of Lear, Duchess of Albany Wife of the Duke of Albany.

Kent – Earl of Kent, close friend of King Lear

Edmund – bastard son of Glouchester.

Secondary Characters
Cornwall – Duke of Cornwall, Regan's husband.

Albany – Duke of Albany, Goneril's husband.

Glouchester – Earl of Glouchester, a friend of King Lear.

Edgar – eldest son of Glouchester, the heir to the earldom.

The Anchoress – a holy woman.

Burgundy – Duke of Burgundy, a suiter to Cordelia.

France – Prince of France, a suiter to Cordelia.

Curan – captain of Lear's guard.

A ghost – there's always a bloody ghost.

Taster – Sickly lad chosen for the job because of his predisposition to dropping dead.

Bubble – The head cook.

Squeak – Second to the cook.

Jones – Jester's scepter.

Location(s)
England, Scotland, France

"More or less mythical thirteenth-century Britain..." The book is a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear with elements of his other works like the three sisters from MacBeth. As King Lear lived before the castles in our story it's better to not focus on the time period. "Generally, if not otherwise explained, conditions may be considered damp."

Plot Synopsis
WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW

...forthcoming.rge