The Feast of Fools

"That, of course, is the great secret of the successful fool -- that he is no fool at all."

~ Isaac Asimov

As April Fools' Day winds to a close, take a look at some recommended reading focused on some of our favorite fictional jesters, jokesters, and fools. They'll be sure to put a smile on your face!



-- Fool by Christopher Moore

Of all of Shakespeare's tragedies, King Lear is one of the darkest. It tells the story of a king who pits his daughters against each other, tearing the family apart as Lear himself slowly spirals into insanity. And the consequences, as one can imagine, are catastrophic.

So was it a stretch for humor novelist Christopher Moore to turn it into a comedy?  It's surprisingly hard to say. Told from the perspective of Pocket, Lear's court jester (unnamed in the original play), Moore spins a tale that blends together elements of King Lear with a number of other Shakespearean stories -- while throwing generous dollops of his own racy and twisted humor into the mix. The result is a bawdy satire that you don't have to be a Shakespeare fan to enjoy (although it won't hurt).

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-- The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

Phillippa Gregory is best known for The Other Boleyn Girl and its sequels, in which she uses her in-depth historical research to imagine the lives of the family, court, and citizens of Tutor England.

In The Queen's Fool, Hannah is a young teen girl from Spain who currently lives on Fleet Street with her father. Disguised as a boy to protect herself, Hannah nonetheless ends up being recognized as having "the Sight" -- that is, the power to see the future. She soon finds herself a member of the court of Edward VI (Henry VIII's son) as the "holy fool." What follows through this fictional character's eyes is the historically-accurate unfolding of the fates of two queens, Mary and Elizabeth, as Hannah herself is trained by the jester Will Sommers -- a real-life historical figure.

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-- Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

"When shall we three meet again?"
"Well, I can do next Tuesday."

Terry Pratchett has been known and loved for his Discworld series for over thirty years. Starting life as a straight-up fantasy satire, the Discworld series has evolved into an always-hilarious series that -- while still parodying other authors, stories, and genres -- tells fantastic tales in its own right.

Wyrd Sisters, which makes clear nods to the world of Shakespeare, centers on a trio of witches (the naive Magrat, the irrepressible Nanny Ogg, and the stern-and-practical Granny Weatherwax). But there's also the Fool, who has his hands full trying to avoid a destiny he's not entirely certain he's cut out for. When reading Pratchett, the ideas as are much fun as the story itself -- so this is a novel not to be missed.

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-- Hop-Frog by Edgar Allan Poe

Sharing similar themes to The Cask of Amontillado, this short story tells the tale of a court jester who has his own ideas as to what makes rulers great and what makes jesters funny -- and he's determined to open the people's eyes to these truths with his last, and "greatest," jest. To say more would spoil the twists and turns of this horror-filled tale from Edgar Allan Poe, which delivers a surprisingly poignant message on the nature of power and and prejudice.

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-- Mad Love by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm

All's fair in love, war ... and supervillainy. In the world of comic books, the Joker is the constant thorn in Batman's side -- but he's not always alone in his schemes and scams. He's got a right-hand henchwoman to help him out: the jester-like Harley Quinn.

In this classic graphic novel, written by Harley Quinn's original creators, we get the back story into one of the more twisted romantic relationships in comic book history. Formerly a psychiatrist, Quinn's now got her own problems, namely: how to get her best guy to pay a little bit more attention to her and a little less attention on defeating his arch-enemy. The solution seems simple to Harley: it's time to put a stop to the Bat once and for all. Of course, like any good scheme, things don't always go exactly according to plan.

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-- Post by Ms. B