Based very loosely around Shakespeare’s King Lear this book takes a satirical look at life in mythical 13th century Britain. It is told from the point of view of the Kings Fool (Jester) with a number of other characters involved such as the kings daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, their husbands, a few dukes and earls, some witches, a couple of fools and a ghost (there’s always a bloody ghost). I wouldn’t usually read a book with so many different people in it but I found it relatively easy to keep track of who was who. I have never read any Shakespeare and that is no prerequisite for reading this book but don’t let that put you off as all the language is “current” rather than old style Shakespeare. It’s a humorous book although certainly not laugh out loud and involves sex, debauchery, murder, betrayal among other such things. Worth a read if you have the time or apparantly as it says on the front “If you like Terry Pratchetts’s satirical Discworld novels” which I have not.
Favourite quotes from the book:
There is only one quote in this book that stood out to me and that is the quote on the first Act which is actually a quote from Shakespeare:
“When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools”- King Lear, Act IV, Scene 5
Overall: 75%