Pocket, the foul-mouthed court jester to King Lear, attempts to prevent the kingdom of Britain from collapsing into bloody chaos. When the aging monarch decides to divide his realm among his three daughters based on a vanity contest, he banishes his only faithful child, Cordelia. Accompanied by his silent, massive apprentice, Drool, Pocket navigates a landscape of murder, incestuous betrayal, and ghosts. He manipulates the schemes of the sisters Goneril and Regan while trying to secure Cordelia’s return and a French alliance.
Readers who enjoy irreverent historical fiction and Shakespearean parodies will find a crude, high-energy reimagining of a classic tragedy. This book serves those who want the political stakes of the Elizabethan theater mixed with modern profanity and slapstick humor. You walk away with a cynical perspective on royalty and a detailed understanding of how a fool uses wit to survive in a violent court. The story replaces the original’s bleak ending with a convoluted, comedic set of revenge plots and narrow escapes.
Outward-looking and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2009
- Language
- EN
