Average customer rating:
- A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms
- Hurtling into the abyss.
- Not her best
- cute
- A nice book but others were better
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Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3)
Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: Luna
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost
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The Fairy Godmother (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1)
ASIN: 0373802668 |
Customer Reviews:
A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms.......2007-09-29
I really liked this one. my friend complains that as soon as the girl finds herself a man she lives happily ever after...but she says that about all Mercedes Lackey books. I think that this whole Five hundred kingdom series is fantastic, but then i am a sucker for fairytale stuff...and this has a lot of it...seventh son of a seventh son and all that.
Hurtling into the abyss........2007-09-29
I'm a long time reader of Mercedes Lackey, and as such, I've seen watched her stories go hurtling farther and farther into the abyss. The 500 Kingdoms stories have a great premise and world, but the characters, writing and plot continue to deteriorate into an unbearable mess. Though Lackey tries to make her fairy tales "postmodern" and break from "Tradition", the stories fail to break course from typical plot conventions. Fortune's Fool is the most predictable and uninteresting of the three so far released. I hardly had the heart to finish the story because I knew exactly where the story was going and how it was going to end, a fourth of the way through the book. The characters have little original depth, mostly because while attempting to be their own person, they're still relying on "Traditional" conventions; Katya is the same "can take care of herself" heroine in many fantasy books, while Sasha is the typical "means well, but isn't quite necessary" male role. Overall, the story was predictable, the characters uninteresting, and the writing simple and lackluster. It's really too bad because this concept, in the hands of someone more capable, may have been really something.
Not her best.......2007-08-30
After reading and absolutely loving Fairy Godmother, the first installment in M. Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series, I've waited for sequels with bated breath. One Good Knight was good, though not quite as much fun as its predecessor. Fortune's Fool was... uninspired. I feel like the wonderful Ms. Lackey wrote this book with her mind elsewhere. It lacks the fun of earlier installments and the tight plotting and characterization of her other series. Most of the charm of the Five Hundred Kingdoms is the tension of the Tradition acting on people's lives with them all unawares or with only a few characters (such as Elena, our Fairy Godmother protagonist of the first book) able to see the effects of its force in order to counteract them. In Fortune's Fool, most of our characters are well aware of the Tradition they live with and already know how to combat it... it's like she wrote this book as quickly as possible and with half an effort. I still love her and I'll probably still buy the next one on its release date at full price, but in the hopes that it will far outshine this book rather than emulate it.
cute.......2007-08-11
I enjoyed it. Sasha, the hero, was sweet and endearing. His character was beyond good. He even had female unicorns swooning over him, and if you have read the two previous novels, you would know what THAT means. Katya was tough, she had to be to be the seventh daughter and spy for the Sea King. There was definately some funny moments in the story. I gave it four stars instead of five because the story did lag behind a bit and then sped up at the very end to solve the problem. I just didn't feel like the plot reached a natural climax in-between and it left me a little off.
A nice book but others were better.......2007-08-02
This book started off okay but dove right into...weird. I enjoy most of Mercedes Lackey's books but this one is just not easy to connect with. I like Prince Sasha but can't establish much for Katya. So, I recommend it to the majority of her fans because it is well written (if weird) but the other books in the 500 kingdoms were MUCH better!
Amazon.com
Veteran children's lit professor Coleen Salley tells a variation on her signature story, an archetypal "noodlehead" tale based on the time-honored Southern legend of Epaminondas. A "sweet patootie" named Epossumondas headlines here as a be-diapered young possum who follows his mama's instructions a little too literally.
"Queen Coleen" (as Salley sometimes goes in her native New Orleans) tells her story in slow, old-South cadence, repeating a cycle where Epossumondas visits his auntie "most every day" and receives something to take home to his mama's. His gifts, however, never seem to arrive intact: After Epossumondas arrives home with a piece of cake that's been squinched into a fistful of crumbs, his mama scolds, "Oh, Epossumondas, you don't have the sense you were born with! That's no way to carry cake! The way to carry cake is to put the cake on your head, put a hat on your head, and come along home." But the next day, Auntie gives him butter, which then gets carried home cake-style (on his head). The next day, he gets "a sweet little puppy," which then gets carried home butter-style (wrapped in leaves and cooled in a brook), etc.
Caldecott Honor-winner Janet Stevens has obvious fun capturing Epossumondas's ridiculous errands in watercolor and colored pencil, especially as other bayou animals look on in puzzlement. But Steven's biggest coup has to be conveying the story's subtle secret--that Epossumondas might not be as dumb as he looks. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes
Book Description
Who's Epossumondas? Why, he's his mama's and his auntie's sweet little patootie, that's who. He's also the silliest, most lovable, most muddleheaded possum south of the Mason-Dixon line!
Better choose your words wisely when he's around, 'cause otherwise you never know what you'll get. Epossumondas just might bring you a fist full of crumbs, or a soaking wet puppy, or a scruffy wad of bread--oh, you just wouldn't believe it!
Renowned storyteller Coleen Salley and Caldecott Honor illustrator Janet Stevens team up for this outrageous twist on the Southern story of the noodlehead who takes everything way too literally. (Or is that Epossumondas just pulling his mama's leg?)
Customer Reviews:
Its Coleen!.......2007-09-08
Ms. Salley has brought her love of storytelling to print and we should all be grateful. For many years Ms. Salley was a beloved professor of children's literature at the University of New Orleans. She is a well-known and respected storyteller, entertaining children and adults every year at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Not to mention her Mardi Gras parade of many years, with shopping cart in tow.
This book is loved by children of all ages as the illustrations are glorious and the text is great fun to read. A secret... the woman in the illustrations is based on none other than Ms. Salley!
Daughter's book.......2007-06-27
My daughter love's this book. They have it at daycare and somedays she would just out of nowhere start reciting something. She's 3 so I didn't completely understand her but it was the same every time. I finally asked her what she was saying and now she has her own book.
LOVE THIS BOOK!.......2007-06-09
The style in which this work is written is absolutely priceless! When reading it to children I do suggest you practice your southern accent (if you don't already have one), as the story hinges on the wonderful dialect and silly words. Our little hero, Epossumondas mixes it up with a big old Louisana Snapping Turtle and the story is absolutely hilarious. The art work by Janet Stevens fits the story line perfectly and the style was made for a tale such as this. I will agree, sort of, with another reviewer who felt that those who live in the south might appreciate this more than northern folk. This may or may not be so. I do know that this is one of the works that the kids at school will ask to be read to them over and over again and they love the pictures. I also must admit to a certain bias when it comes to these strange little creatures. For several years now I have had one (along with a raccoon) that sets on the back poarch with me each evening eating the cat food I place there. We have had some wonderful conversations. Highly recommend this one and other works by the author and illustrator.
Practice Your Southern Accent.......2006-12-18
Epossumondas is the story of a foolish possum that is adored by his Mama and Auntie. Each day, Mama sends Epossumondas to visit his Auntie, and Auntie sends Epossumondas home with a gift. Epossumondas brings each gift home according to his Mama's directions. Unfortunately, Epossumondas is unable to determine the best way to carry the gift home. He applies Mama's most recent directions to the new gift.
Salley includes a note to explain "noodlehead" stories. This is a great read-aloud for kindergarten-third grade! The language in the story leads the reader to read with a Southern accent. Coleen Salley and Janet Stevens fit the text and illustrations on the pages perfectly so that nothing is revealed too soon.
My favorite children's book..........2006-12-09
I completely adore this book, as do my children. Every year in their schools, there is a 'Read Across America' day. All day, volunteers and invited guests come in to read to the children from their own favorite books in honor of Dr. Seuss. This is one book I take every time. I tried to avoid reading it to my daughter's third grade class after having read it to them the previous year, and they DEMANDED it (I had it with me to read to a different class next, who hadn't heard it yet).
You truly must read it with a heavy Southern accent (regardless of where you are from!), and the children think it's delightful. They are riveted and laugh uproariously at his goofyness.
I personally love this book, and if you end up thinking it's funny too, you need to also buy, 'The Tiny, Tiny Boy and the Big Big Cow', by Nancy Van Laan Knopf . Hilarious, and so much fun to read!
Book Description
One hundred illuminating tales of the foibles and follies of everyday fools, this elegant, humorous, and masterful little book of wisdom is a welcome addition to the Buddhist canon "The One Hundred Parable Sutra" is known as the most humorous sutra in all of Buddhist literature. Here, Kazuaki Tanahashi, the celebrated translator, calligrapher, and Dogen scholar, and Peter Levitt, an award-winning poet, storyteller, and Zen practitioner, have translated and retold these jewel-like parables with storytelling panache for students, teachers, and seekers everywhere. With appropriate commentary, each tale becomes a simple lesson for everyday living. From the potter who seeks fame to the woman who possesses great lust, these tales are told with a gentle clarity that magnifies our appetites and delusions. In doing so, they become an accurate mirror of the human condition. A Flock of Fools is a perfect little book of wisdom, laughter, and compassion. Beautifully designed for gift giving, this handsome volume is illustrated with seventeen original brushwork drawings by Tanahashi, one of the world's most renowned calligraphers.
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The Fool and the Fish
Alexander Afanasyev , and
Gennady Spirin
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Tale of The Firebird
ASIN: 0803708610 |
Average customer rating:
- Moral: Riches make one clever
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- My Favorite Picture Book
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- A lad finds people with unusual traits and a flying ship.
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The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: A Russian Tale
Arthur Ransome
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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ASIN: 0374424381 |
Book Description
When the Czar proclaims that he will marry his daughter to the man who brings him a flying ship, the Fool of the World sets out to try his luck and meets some unusual companions on the way.
Customer Reviews:
Moral: Riches make one clever.......2004-05-18
The story of the fool and his remarkable flying ship is a classic through and through. The classic tale of how a single man is able, with the help of his clever friends, to fulfill every task the local ruler (in this case, the Czar) sets before him is both a pleasure to read and a joy to reread. In the case of the 1968 edition of this story, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz, I can't say that this is the definitive version of the tale to read to your kids. It's enjoyable, yes. It has a nice text and it flows rather well. Unfortunately, the illustrations are a bit lax and while the book is a good read, it doesn't endear itself as much as it might to the average child reader.
In this book, there was once a boy who was a fool who had two elder brothers who were intelligent. The Czar commands that whosoever brings before him a flying ship shall marry his daughter. Intrigued, the elder brothers take off to do the deed and are never heard from again. The fool also goes off and in his travels he meets a wise old man. After sharing his repast, the old man gives the lad some strict instructions that sound ridiculous but ultimately lead to a beautiful flying ship. Once the lad takes off he gathers with him every man he sees on the road, no matter how bizarre. After landing in the Czar's backyard, the peasants on the ship do not sufficiently impress the lofty ruler. He then proceeds to set a series of incredibly difficult tasks for the fool, but in the end the magic men and the boy overcome every last one. Finally, the fool marries the princess and (as a result of his riches) is now handsome, clever, and impresses everyone he meets. The end.
Completely disregarding an ending where not only do the clothes make the man but wealth as well, the book is a good one. Randsome has a nice grasp on the best ways in which to tell this tale, and the escalating silliness is impressive. I don't wish to put down the art that illustrator Uri Shulevitz worked so hard to produce for the book, but let's face facts. This is fairly bland stuff. Drawn with rather sketchy pencils and lines, the book is adequate but by no means overwhelming. The fool appears as an apple-cheeked young rapscallion but you don't really feel anything for him. Undoubtedly there are those that have loved these pictures since their youth and will be deaf to any criticisms I might offer. In such cases as those I'll merely say that should you wish to purchase this story, I recommend you sample other versions as well until you find just the right one. I doubt you'd be disappointed by a little comparison shopping. Though a fine creation and a loving book, it could do with a little pepping up in the art department.
could be even better.......2003-06-17
The story is great, if a little predictable. The young fool sets off to find a flying ship and thereby win the princess. A magical old man helps him find the ship, then the fool picks up a bunch of people on the way to the czar's palace, all of whom have these weird special talents. Once at the palace, the czar doesn't want to hand over his daughter and sets before the fool a number of tasks, which amusingly, but somewhat predictably line up with the special skills of each of the people he picked up along the way.
The illustrations leave a lot to be desired. Although they are fun, detailed and colorful, they miss many chances to illustrate the story more dramatically. This is surprising given that the illustrator claims in his bio to be a filmmaker in addition to a children's book author. His illustrations need some close-ups and more interesting angles!
Still, I would recommend this book, it is a wonderful example of a Russian folk tale. In the hands of another author and illustrator, it could be even better!
My Favorite Picture Book.......2001-06-29
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome with illustrations by Uri Shulevitz is easily my favorite picture book. Everything is perfect about the book. First of all the pictures are marvelous. All of Shulevitz's books have good pictures, but this might be his best. The pictures jump off the page with their color and with the humor portrayed in them. The story is, of course, the best part of the book. The story is hilarious with marvelously interesting characters. It also has some good morals like "God loves simple folk." I work in a library, and adults and kids all love this book. I have also seen the book performed for children, and it proved to be excellent for reading aloud. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is an amazing picture book and deseves is Caldecott Medal and its classic status.
Humorous Tale of Magic and Faith with Great Illustrations.......2001-05-16
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship won the Caldecott Medal in 1969 as the best illustrated American children's book in that year. The illustrations feature bright colors, subtle shadings, and stylistically interesting pen highlights to suggest outlines and details. The illustrations take you enjoyably into a magical world for a fascinating journey, and greatly add to the pleasure of this traditional Russian tale. The story is build around the theme of: "You see how God loves simple folk."
A family has three sons, two who are clever and one who is foolish. "He was as simple as a child, simpler than some children, and he never did anyone a harm in his life." The parents were proud of their clever sons and disappointed in their foolish one. When the news comes that the Czar wants a flying ship, the parents support the efforts of the two clever sons. They set off and are never heard from again. When the foolish son sets off, he gets the the minimum of support and encouragement.
He soon runs into "an ancient old man with a bent back, and a long beard, and eyes hidden under his bushy eyebrows." The foolish son offers to share his meager food, apologizing to the ancient man. But when he opens his bag, marvelous food appears instead. The ancient man has magical powers and teaches the foolish son how to make a flying ship for the Czar. The ancient man also advises the foolish son to take along everyone he meets on his trip to the Czar's palace to deliver the flying ship.
Along the way, the foolish son meets a most unusual set of people with great individualized talents. As you read the book, you will be wondering what their significance could possibly be. They turn out to be a sort of 19th century X-Men.
The promised reward for bringing the flying ship had been the hand of the Czar's daughter in marriage and a rich dowry. When the foolish son arrives, the Czar's men report that those in the ship are only a bunch of uncouth peasants. As a result, the Czar doesn't want to make good on his promise, so he sets up extreme challenges (not unlike the Wizard of Oz). Using the remarkable talents of his passengers, all of the tests are met by the foolish son.
The foolish son is married to the Czar's daughter, and they live happily ever after. The foolish son then "became so clever that all the court repeated everything he said."
As you can see, the story is also a satire on the people who think they are clever or know how to identify cleverness. They often outsmart themselves. The Czar wanted a flying ship, but would have been much better off making good use of the talents of the peasants who were already part of his kingdom. Also, we are never told what use he made of the flying ship. It appears that he gave his daughter away for a whim. The winning man might as easily have been a terrible person. The courtiers also thought that anyone who was powerful was clever. I laughed aloud several times while reading the story.
Unlike most children's stories for this age group (4-8), this book has a richness of plot, character development, and humor that makes it more like a novel.
After you have finished enjoying the story with your child, I suggest that the two of you have some fun talking about places where "clever" people act foolishly and vice versa. You can help your child see the bright side of much of the nonsense that goes on around us.
Be foolish in providing and seeking out help, and a great bounty of friendship will be yours!
A lad finds people with unusual traits and a flying ship........1999-05-15
This children's book is a retelling of an old Russian tale by Arthur Ransome, who had first published the story way back in 1916. It is about an honest and innocent young boy who tries to find a flying ship and, in so doing, encounters several men with unique abilities. At the end of the story, the boy wins the hand of the Czar's daughter and the boy is no longer regarded as a fool. I am certain that I shall be in the minority in my opinion because I see a slightly darker side to the old folktale. I think that the young lad is more foolish than the original author intended. He had discovered flight yet failed to use it to help others or to advance his kingdom. He found people with magical and unusual powers but fails to use them to help others or to better the Kingdom after the original "mission" had been completed. The book was illustrated by Uri Shulevitz and it won the 1969 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a book for children.
Book Description
A saying: It pays to have a little chutzpah (nerve). With Old World charm, universal humor, and just a bit of chutzpah, Simms Taback offers this lively spin on thirteen playful tales—as only he could. Paired with his trademark vibrant and hilarious artwork, these stories illustrate ultimate universal truths and important life lessons, from the difference between a shlemiel and a shlimazel to the idea that just because you can talk doesn't mean you make sense.Taback delivers the perfect combination of wisdom and humor—just the way your zayda (grandpa) would.
Customer Reviews:
Classic Simms Taback And A Good Introduction To Yiddish!!.......2007-09-27
Gottenyu, I haven't seen a Simms Taback book I haven't liked!! This one is excellent. It has the same wonderful syle of illustrations you've come to love in Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Caldecott Medal Book), There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Caldecott Honor Book), and This is the House that Jack Built, but this book is fundamentally different.
Like Joseph, it's set in a shtetl, but it's not one story. It's a collection of very short stories that teach about Jewish culture and also teaches some basic Yiddish words and phrases. The short glossary (52 words) in the back of the book is quite useful too.
The description on Amazon says it's aimed at ages 4 - 8, but I'd say more like ages 6 - 10. I don't think it will hold a preschooler's interest, but is an absolute must have in your child's library. Not to be a kibitzer, but every Bubbe or Zayda should buy this for their grandkids!
THE PERFECT GIFT.......2006-03-09
Although this book is considered a childrens book, it reaches all ages. Short stories giving meaning to common Yiddish words through short humorous stories and magnificent illustrations. I gave the book to a 6 year old who loved it; a thirteen year old boy roared with laughter and a 50 year old non-Jewish woman who loved seeing words that she had heard but was not sure of their meanings.What a find! I highly recommend this book.
Schlemiels and Schmendricks for your enjoyment and gezundt.......2005-10-03
With kinetic Jewish drawings and a book design that only Taback can achieve, the author retells 13 stories that were told to him by his zayda. The inside front and back covers are filled with famous Yiddish axioms in primary colors (well, most are Yiddishisms, others might be from Poor Richard's Alamanac). Idioms include From the lowly potato you get the choicest latke; Words are like arrows - both deliver with speedy aim; Words should be weighed and not counted; "Keep you eye on the bagel, and not the hole; and It is easier to be a critic than an author. Each of the 13 stories is followed by axiom. Each story is about 2 pages, maybe 4, but who's counting? One story is about a fish monger, and his neighbors (they all have to put in their two cents cuz they are kibitzers.) Another is about a shnayder, a tailor. Is he a genius, or just bad? One story is about a sick chicken (look closely at the thermometer). Some stories seem like they are from Chelm, one might be from Mel Brooks (hehe); but all have a twist. Of course, there is a well drawn colorful story about the difference between a shlemiel and a shliMazel. In a story about two brothers, God has an important insight into the human condition. In one story we find out when a Labish Noodleman can be a Yankel. My faves: If I Were a Rockefeller; and The Caretaker. The book closes with a glossary of over 45 words, including cheder; meshugge; megilla; klug; Gottenyu; and even gonif.
Average customer rating:
- Eagerly awaiting the sequel...
- Great Fun
- Not a Fool's Path
- Lovely story
- Psychological Evaluation by Maggie Hunt-Cohn
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The Fool's Path: A Tale from the Lothemian Legacy
Nancy J. Attwell
Manufacturer: Bowman's Press, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 1933142138 |
Customer Reviews:
Eagerly awaiting the sequel..........2007-01-16
A wonderful book! Nancy Attwell blends action, intrigue and romance in a story that is realistic yet grand and noble. Her characters, both those central to the weaving plots and those just passing through, are vibrantly alive, and your concern for their fate carries you through the story and draws you deeper into the land of Lothemia. Swordfights and battles, wit and revenge, love and loyalty- this book has a very wide appeal. A rare find that manages to have something for everyone without sacrificing quality.
Great Fun.......2006-12-17
This was one of those books that once you start, you just want to keep reading. I ended up reading it in one sitting. The fairytale influences woven into the real world made for an entertaining read, and the characters were beyond the often one dimensional characters found in historical/fantasy writing
Not a Fool's Path.......2006-12-03
This is a page-turner brimming with lifelike characters, interesting historical detail and surprising plot twists. Ms. Attwell's crisp prose propels the tale forward, and populates the world of the 13th Century with characters both true to their time, and timeless. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in traveling back in time for a rollicking adventure filled with romance and intrigue.
A note on stars: I seem to be the only one withholding that last star. The book is very fine historical romance. I think this means only that I'm a tougher grader, and my 4 stars is equivalent to someone else's 5.
Lovely story.......2006-03-03
Great book. Story was unpredictable and very enjoyable. I loved the characters and was sad when the book ended.
Psychological Evaluation by Maggie Hunt-Cohn.......2006-02-20
Nancy's wonderful imagination created a world of people unfettered by today's "oh, you shouldn't feel this,,, you shouldn't feel that." With fairy tales as her inspiration, she shows a father and son interchange that would be considered dysfunctional in 2006, and a fight scene to allow one to dig out one's most painful hot button so successfully one could just throw away one's sword and walk happily away from disposing of the perpetrator permanently.
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Rabbit Ears Treasury of World Tales: Volume 2: The White Cat, Fool and the Flying Ship (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears
Manufacturer: Listening Library (Audio)
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Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 0739350617
Release Date: 2007-05-08 |
Book Description
Rabbit Ears Treasury of World Tales Volume 2entertains and enlightens with these classic stories read by your favorite stars and featuring original music by some of today's greatest artists.
The White Cat
Read by Emma Thompson
Original Music by Joe Jackson
The king makes increasingly difficult demands of his three sons, who must travel the kingdom in search of his requests. The youngest prince soon befriends an enchanted cat-queen who helps him to meet all of his challenges. Their friendship turns to love as the prince releases her from an evil spell and discovers that she is in fact a beautiful princess.
The Fool and the Flying Ship
Read by Robin Williams
Original Music by The Klezmer Conservatory Band
A proclamation was sent through the lands of long-ago Russia that anyone who could build a flying ship would win the hand of the Tsar's daughter. but when a country bumpkin and his oddball friends show up to claim her, the dumbfound Tsar quickly has second thoughts. This hilarious Russian folktale is a delightful treat.
Book Description
Wales, 1198. A time of treachery, passion, and uncertainty. King Maelgwyn ap Cadwallon, known as Noble, struggles to protect his small kingdom from foes outside and inside his borders. Pressured into a marriage of political convenience, he takes as his bride the young, headstrong Isabel Mortimer, niece of his powerful English nemesis.
Through strength of character, Isabel wins her husband's grudging respect, but finds the Welsh court backward and barbaric, and is soon engaged in a battle of wills against Gwirion, the king's oldest, oddest, and most trusted friend. Before long, however, Gwirion and Isabel's mutual animosity is abruptly transformed, and the king finds himself as threatened by loved ones as by the enemies who menace his crown.
A masterful novel by a gifted storyteller, The Fool's Tale combines vivid historical fiction, compelling political intrigue, and passionate romance to create an intimate drama of three individuals bound -- and undone -- by love and loyalty.
Customer Reviews:
A tale of three fools-or maybe none at all.......2007-09-09
"The Fool's Tale" is at its heart a character study of three very selfish people, who, each in their own way, are demanding complete loyalty from the other two. There are those who would argue this point with me, saying the fool in question is more selfless than anything, but I believe in reading the book it is obvious that each character covets an essential piece of the others, with disastrous results. So maybe they're all fools.
The Plot: Nobel is the king of a small welsh kingdom right around the time that Llewellyn the great (the first official prince of Wales-welsh not English) was uniting the country (the 1190's.) Nobel came into his kingship when his father was murdered after being given a writ of safe passage by the English king, which was disregarded by the Mortimers, a clan of marcher barons. His best friend Gwirion is the only other survivor of the massacre, and saves Nobel's life by refusing, under torture, to give away his friends location.
Fast forward twenty years. Nobel is marrying a niece of the Mortimer clan, Isabel. She has high romantic hopes for the marriage, Nobel has high political hopes, and Gwirion, who by this time has become the equivalent to a "King's Fool" sees it as an impediment to his friendship with the King.
But war, hostage takers, and destiny change things. Nobel is reveled as a tyrant, Isabel as a beloved queen to an alien nation, and Gwirion as a man, not just a fool. But bear in mind what I said-everyone in this increasingly complicated equation wants something from the others they are not capable of giving up-until it may be too late.
"The Fool's Tale" is one hell of a novel. I was surprised by a lot of things in it (not the romance-that was predictable) but the endings, and the passions the people displayed for each other were astounding portrayed and very real. I do have to say that I could never get a very clear historical image of any of the settings in the book, which impeded my reading pleasure, but other than that the novel was well written and very surprising. In a good way. This is clearly an author to watch.
And there is an astounding sense of poetic justice to the meaning of Gwirion's name. For what is a true fool but one who speaks the truth when it is better to stay silent?
Four stars.
Highly entertaining.......2007-06-25
This book was actually one of the most exciting books I have read in a long time. It changes dramatically halfway through, and thank goodness I knew nothing of what was coming when I read it. (Do not read the Publisher's Weekly review if you can help it, it spoils the whole book in the first sentence.) It was well written, but I wouldn't really call it a historical novel, as other reviewers have pointed out. The history was sewn into the story, and it was secondary.
This book was so stimulating that I really could care less if about the minor flaws. It FUN to read. I cared about the characters. I was anxious, excited, annoyed, every feeling you can think of. It was damn entertaining. The stupid thing was in my car, and I found myself reading it at stoplights. Oh yes, I really did.
I recommend this book, great entertainment. Just enjoy the story and hang on. Try not to be a stickler for historical fact and enjoy the story.
Entertaining, fun to read, but hardly credible.......2007-05-22
Galland is an awesome writer with a gift for storytelling. I enjoyed A Fool's Tale immensely despite the fact that it's not a credible story. It's entertaining and a hard book to put down. But it's not historically accurate. In fact, it's a bit bizarre.
In the afterword, Galland admits that the story is more about the 3 main characters than the history of the times and place. In fact, the liberties she takes with the history makes it seem as if she forced the story into the setting.
Nonetheless, if you like stories that focus on the development of the characters; or if you like a well-developed romantic tale, then you'll probably like A Fool's Tale. On the other hand, if you want to learn something about the history, read Sharon Kay Penman - particularly, the Welsh trilogy beginning with Here Be Dragons.
Galland's characters are quite imaginative. In fact, they would make an intriguing psychological case study. I would have preferred an equally imaginitive setting. But this hardly detracts from the entertainment the book provides.
Wonderful!.......2007-05-09
A far cry from the norm in historical novels, Ms. Galland kept me nailed to my chair with astounding twists and turns and surprises. A must read!
Hmmm.......2007-03-05
You know, I came across it looking for Welsh based history novels. Its no Sharon Kay Penman, but its not a bad book. At the flip of the same coin its not fantastic either. Its a good story, characters were strong and more 3 demensional in the beginning, and as a whole it was creative and well executed, but it was so hollow and improbable, especially toward the end, that you just cant grasp onto it. Everyone you get to know and really like in the beginning turns into an asshead 5/8 of the way through. So it was dissapointing on a few notes. But, I would recommond it. Everybody has different likes. Other people seem to adore it. 3.469 Stars,.. haha, now Im an asshead.
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