Fiction's Fools: Wise and Witty Reads

Abstract

April begins with the celebration of fools, and when one searches for fools in literature, one never has far to go. Fiction's fools are of the laughing-on-the-outside, crying-on-the-inside variety, and their tales blend a turbulent mix of comedy and drama. Hollands discusses a number of books that feature fools as main characters.

April begins with the celebration of fools, and when one searches for fools in literature, one never has far to go. Fiction's fools are of the laughing-on-the-outside, crying-on-the-inside variety, and their tales blend a turbulent mix of comedy and drama. Set in worlds of history or fantasy, these books appeal to fans of stories filled with humor (often bawdy), twisting plots, and characters who use their wits as weapons in navigating the corridors of power.

The 1959 historical classic King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes (Sourcebooks Landmark. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4022-1902-3. pap. $14.99) tells the story of Henry Tudor from the perspective of young Welshman Will Somers, a real but little-known historical figure. Henry, impressed by Will's puckish wit, names him king's fool. Will is present through all the dramatic events and marriages of Henry's reign. He's forever on dangerous ground-permitted, even expected, to make humor from cruel truths about Henry and his court. Will stands by Henry, but his devotion to Katherine of Aragon and young Mary makes their friendship bittersweet. His love for Joanna, highborn daughter of his mentor, adds romantic flair.

The first title in Alan Gordon's "Fool's Guild" series, Thirteenth Night (Mystery Company. 2004. ISBN 978-1-932325-03-4. pap. $14) imagines a 13th-century guild of fools who serve as superspies, juggling diplomatic secrets as well as clubs and tumbling through intrigue as easily as pratfalls. Protagonist Feste rises from an inebriated haze when informed that Duke Orsino has fallen to a suspicious death. Disguised as a merchant, Feste returns to Illyria, where he mingles with Olivia, Sebastian, Viola, and other characters whom he knew 15 years earlier (during events described in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ). Mixing tidbits about various historical subjects into the whodunit, Gordon successfully kicks off a twisty series, now at eight books, that takes readers into intrigue against popes and kings, each time delivering a satisfying puzzle.

The Fool is a great secondary character in the fantasies of Robin Hobb, one often veiled in different, sometimes gender-bending identities. He first appears as an albino-skinned, riddle-speaking servant and advisor to King Shrewd in Assassin's Apprentice (Spectra: Bantam. 1996. ISBN 978-0-553-57339-8. pap. $7.99), the first book of the "Farseer" trilogy, where he both torments and befriends young Fitz, bastard son of Prince Verity. Fitz trains as apprentice to assassin Chade, falls forever for his friend Molly, learns the telepathic magic of the Skill and the animal bonding of the Wit, and becomes deeply involved in power struggles among Shrewd, Queen Kettricken, and princes Regal and Shrewd. The Fool's role also grows, stealing scenes with wordplay and the mystery that surrounds him. He also appears in female guise in the "Liveship Traders" trilogy and takes his most important role in the "Tawny Man" trilogy. All three series are masterworks of character-based epic fantasy.

Impetuous Gwirion stars in Nicole Galland's The Fool's Tale (Harper: HarperCollins. 2006. ISBN 978-0-06-072151-0. pap. $13.95). In youth, Gwirion is tortured by English baron Roger Mortimer in the attack that kills Cadwallon, king of the Welsh kingdom Maelienydd, but refuses to reveal the hiding place of the prince. As king, Noble rewards this sacrifice by making Gwirion his fool and lifetime confidant, despite Gwirion's intemperate pranks and jokes that sometimes create serious political problems. The triangle of king, queen, and fool becomes ever more tempestuous as the years pass, ultimately leading to tragedy. The history is largely imaginary and sometimes anachronistic, but emotions are the glue that binds Galland's stirring tale.

Christopher Moore's Fool (Morrow. 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-059031-4. $26.99) is the vulgar, raunchy retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear , with the fool Pocket elevated to a starring turn. He must survive the king's stupid vanity, the sadistic schemes of Goneril and Regan, and the truth of sweet Cordelia, while protecting the kingdom from Edmund the bastard and other villains. Full of shagging, wanking, and heinous debauchery, this novel is a rollicking delight from start to finish.

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone: S. & S. 2004. ISBN 978-0-7432-6982-7. $22.95) presents us with a different kind of fool. Hannah Green, a Jewish girl chased from Spain by the Inquisition, lands in the Tudor court where her stepfather, Edward Dudley, places her as seer, or "holy fool," for Queen Mary. In danger for seercraft from the church, politically for spycraft, and for her ethnic background, Hannah is torn between her loyalty to mentor Dudley, for whom she spies, and her growing love for the embattled Mary.

This column was contributed by Neil Hollands , Adult Services Librarian, Williamsburg Regional Library, VA. His newest book is Fellowship in a Ring: A Guide for Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Groups (Libraries Unlimited)