BOOK REVIEW: "Fool" by Christopher Moore

“This is a bawdy tale…”

Gross understatement, indeed. Trust me.
“Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity…””

So continues Christopher Moore’s much-appreciated warning…right before he takes his audience through the literary equivalent of Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Well, a gladiator movie set in the Red Light District, to be exact.

Fool parodies several of William Shakespeare’s plays from the viewpoint of King Lear’s court jester, Pocket, or the Black Fool, as he is better known. Pocket does his job well, which is namely to keep his boss sufficiently amused so that the king would return the favor and spare him a hanging. True to this function in a Shakespeare work, his acerbic wit reflects the license court jesters were given…although one gets the feeling that Moore exaggerates just a bit. How so? It might be safe to say that calling Lear’s oldest daughter, Goneril, for example, an “insane tart” and advising his master to “get the girls some teachers who aren’t nuns” for “fuck’s sake,” would surely have led to a real jester (or anyone else) losing his life. But under Moore’s Lear’s protection Pocket runs amok, hurling well-crafted insults at all who tick him off. For his tenacity and creativity he earns ample heaps of wrath as well as the constant threat of finding his severed head on a stick. Much like his scepter sidekick, Joke.

For those of you who may have forgotten the plot, allow me: King Lear, faced with the daunting task of dividing his kingdom among his female heirs, instructs his three daughters to profess their love for him. No, a simple “I love you” won’t do; the pronouncement Lear expects is to be verbose, grandiose, befitting the pomposity of his station. The size of each girl’s property, then, will depend on her ability to make him swoon.

With her father’s court looking on, Goneril launches into a syrupy-sweet declaration of her unrelenting affection: “Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter/Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty/Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare/No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour/As much as child e'er loved, or father found/A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable/Beyond all manner of so much I love you.” Exactly what Lear’s ego wants to hear.

Next up is his middle daughter, Regan, who, not to be outdone, lavishes praise upon her father’s thirsty ears: Sir, I am made/Of the self-same metal that my sister is/And prize me at her worth. In my true heart/I find she names my very deed of love/Only she comes too short/that I profess/Myself an enemy to all other joys/Which the most precious square of sense possesses/And find I am alone felicitate/In your dear highness' love.”

Lear, drunk off the attention, immediately turns to Cordelia, his youngest daughter and obvious favorite: “What can you say to draw/A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.”

“Nothing, my lord.”

Although she does expound on the pointlessness of the exercise by explaining her love is indeed sufficient and genuine, Cordelia’s simple statement—also meant to expose the silliness of this charade—greatly offends Lear. Her honesty, in turn, gets her banished from the kingdom, and she is sent away empty-handed.

Where Pocket comes in—aside from holding court as the narrator—is as the mastermind of a plan to exact revenge on Edmund, the bastard son of Gloucester obsessed with undoing Edgar, his legitimate heir half-brother. He includes in this nefarious plan Goneril and Regan for not only double-crossing the king but also for treating Lear and Cordelia poorly. One senses, though, that he mostly wants to stick it to them for the hell of it. “I’m not built for these dark dealings—I’m better suited for laughter, children’s birthdays, baby animals, and friendly bonking.” (189)

The genius in Fool, however, is the painstaking detail that Moore invests in this very central character. Pocket’s back story—as absurd as it is (he was raised in a convent by a Mother Superior who shaved her beard daily and was blessed with an Adam’s apple)—exists not so much to inform who and what he is at the present—Moore’s not that sentimental—but to give credence to his role as the king’s confidante. Once we learn that Lear [NOT GIVING IT AWAY!] because he [STILL NOT GIVING IT AWAY!], we understand why Pocket loves the old man so much. Even though he calls him a “decrepit old looney” and an “arrogant old tosser.” To his face.

Moore also allows Pocket a cast of characters equally inane—from a well-hung apprentice named Drool who mimics voices to randy wenches who conveniently fall out of their dresses while doing the laundry to villains who must be coached through their villainous, um, -ness to a potty-mouthed king whose stature diminishes by the second to whoring princesses who sleep with Spaniards that speak no English to rhyming ghosts who enjoy a good shag.

There’s always a bloody ghost.

Yes, Fool is bawdy, and just how so continues to make me blush. Moore’s tome is very definitely replete with “gratuitous shagging, murder, maiming…” etc. If you are of a delicate sensibility and need your Shakespeare fix to follow strict tradition, I would implore you to take a pass. Err on the side of caution, you might say. You would, however, be missing out on something special. Fool is delightful—in a sadistic kind of way—and I, as a former English major, appreciate the intelligent, goofy take on the ostentatious elements of The Bard.


---Dianha Simpson
imagineatrium.com

Fool is out now.
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BOOK REVIEW: "The Shape of Mercy" by Susan Meissner

The Shape of Mercy is a rather simple story, told from the viewpoint of Lauren Durough, a college sophomore born into affluence. Her family’s money has afforded her many luxuries that she freely discloses at every turn, yet each casual mention of this inventory is coated with disdain. Lauren feigns rebellion, such as opting for a dorm room at UC-Santa Barbara in lieu of a condo at Stanford, and she readily—and frequently—applauds herself for choosing to live among the commoners. But to those who live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to survive, Lauren’s meager acts of rebellion are reminiscent of those of the hippies of the 60s and 70s, who could afford to spend their days fighting "The Man" and finding themselves because Mom and Dad were footing the bill.

One such mutinous decision finds our quasi-protagonist applying for a job transcribing the diary of Mercy Hayworth, an 18-year-old woman accused of bewitching her peers during the frenzy of the Salem witch trials. Lauren’s boss, Abigail Boyles, is a direct descendent of the diary’s author, and thus guards her familial treasure like an overprotective mother. The eccentric, crotchety Abigail hires Lauren specifically because she, too, is an only child borne into great wealth. What she ultimately needs from Lauren is two-fold: to give Mercy’s diary entries a place in history, and to help her peel back the layers of guilt that have suffocated her for most of her life. A tall order for a sheltered college student, indeed.

The problem with Meissner’s novel is that she fails to develop any of the characters beyond Mercy into ones that the reader should care about for longer than it takes to get through the book. Even Lauren’s supposed transformation rings hollow because its catalyst is no more believable than those who set it in motion. Her moral compass, appearing in the form of weak working-class stereotypes, are Esperanza, Abigail’s loyal Hispanic housekeeper; Clarissa, her working-two-jobs-to-put-herself-through-school roommate; and Raul, the devilishly good-looking medical-student love interest who is poor now but probably won’t be in the future. The first two routinely admonish Lauren for viewing life through green lenses while perched up high, languishing among The Haves. But, when the opportunity presents itself—Esperanza’s gifted condo and Clarissa’s salmon steak served on a silver platter by the Durough’s pool—both jump at the chance to abandon The Have-Nots. And Raul? Well, he remains devilishly good-looking and, like in all fairytales, rides in at sunset to save the day a la Prince Charming. How apropos for the princess.

The Shape of Mercy’s story-within-a-story would be worth a read if it was not mired in clunky dialogue (what’s with all the exclamation points?) and an uninteresting primary plot. What Meissner should have done was expand Mercy’s story and keep the parallels strictly between her and Abigail’s lives; both characters are strong enough and mysterious enough to hold the reader’s attention. Juxtaposing the younger woman’s naïveté with the older woman’s wisdom would have eliminated the need for pointless references to modern day materialism and added depth to the reading experience.


--Dianha Simpson
imagineatrium.com

BOOK REVIEW: "A Lion Among Men" by Gregory Maguire

A Lion Among Men, written by Gregory Maguire, is the story of the life of the “Cowardly Lion” named Brrr. It was a little slow going in the beginning and at first seemed overly written for my own tastes. But as the story progressed, the style was very fitting in reflecting the life and mannerisms of Brrr. At first glance A Lion Among Men seems to be about the political on goings of the different lands in Oz. Things are in turmoil with the death of the Wicked Witch of the West and the quick exit of the Wizard of Oz.

Brrr is on assignment as court reporter to the Emerald City Magistrates and he has sought out an oracle named Yackle to question her about her knowledge of a certain Madame Morrible. Yackle is an ancient human who is trying to die but has not yet been released from this life. It takes her a while to “warm up” to conversation with Brrr, first demanding to know his history before sharing any of her memories.

He at first tries to brush off her requests but soon is sharing the story of his life, how he became famously known as the “Cowardly Lion” and the events that happened up until the point of the interview. I wanted to feel sympathy for Brrr, given his beginnings as an abandoned lion cub. He learned to protect his own life by cowering down in the face of danger and playing dead. While this worked the first time he encountered danger, he continued to employ this same technique to every situation he encountered, thus entangling himself even more deeply than he ever wanted. What began as sympathy turned to just pity as his difficulty with facing challenging situations kept recurring. His ideals were enacted in his head, but he never went further than that, letting fate control him.

There is also a side story going on about a special clock being guarded by a dragon and a small group of attendants. They are also traveling through the land and eventually cross paths with Brrr, but I won’t give away the reasons why as this is a turning point in the story.

Overall, A Lion Among Men is not an easy read, but it pulls you in and gives you the chance to understand how early events can shape someone’s (in this case a talking lion’s) future life.


---Christine Moss
imagineatrium.com

BOOK REVIEW: "Inkdeath" by Cornelia Funke

Inkdeath is the third volume of the Inkheart trilogy. The story of Meggie, her parents, and the other characters picks up where Inkspell left off. By the end of Inkspell, a central character, Dustfinger, had been taken away by the White Women; and the evil Adderhead had been made immortal by Meggie’s father, Mo, in a bargain to win his family’s life and freedom.

Inkdeath begins with the quest (mainly of the boy Farid) to bring Dustfinger back into the Inkworld. The main part of the plot, however, revolves around the adventures of the Bluejay, Mo’s chosen identity when he is with the Black Prince and his men. It is a classic struggle of good against evil. At the heart of the struggle lies Mo’s goal of reversing the damage he did by making the Adderhead immortal. The Adderhead must die in order for good to win out.

At the core of the Inkheart is the interweaving of fiction and reality and the erasing of boundaries between worlds. The central premise of the first book is that someone with the gift to do so can read characters out of books and people into books. At first we know only that Meggie’s father, Mo, can do it, but later we find out there are others as well.

Coming in at 563 pages and 81 chapters, Inkdeath is a book of considerable heft, especially for smaller (younger) hands. The plot takes many turns, but not especially difficult to follow. The relatively short chapters neatly break the big book into manageable bites.

Since I have read both prior volumes it is a bit difficult for me to judge whether it could stand on its own, but I believe it can. I was a bit disappointed with the second volume, Inkspell. Whatever apprehensions I had about Inkdeath, however, soon disappeared. In this book Ms. Funke once again weaves a magic tapestry of two (or more?) worlds and takes her readers on a fantastic adventure. The characters are developed further and really come alive. The twists and turns of the plot keep you turning the pages in fear, anticipation, hope and joy. The descriptions of the Inkworld and its inhabitants leave enough room for the readers’ imaginations to take flight.

Originally my 11-year old son (who has also read the first two volumes) was supposed to read and review Inkdeath. Unfortunately, school work got in the way. He will most certainly read it eventually, and I hope he will enjoy it as much as I did.

--Tiina Medel
imagineatrium.com

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BOOK REVIEW: "Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth: A Novel" by Xiaolu Guo

"I have always wanted to leave my village, a nothing place that won’t be found on any map of China . I had been planning my escape ever since I was little. It was the river behind our house that started it. Its constant gurgling sound pulled at me. But I couldn’t see its end or its beginning. It just flowed endlessly on. Where did it go? Why didn’t it dry up in the scorching heat like everything else?"

Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth is a novel written like a memoir. It is a gritty coming of age story set in China and takes you deep into the mind of its spirited protagonist, Fenfang.

Fenfang is a twenty something Chinese woman who travels one thousand eight hundred miles from the silence and monotony of Ginger Hill Village to the excitement and risk of urban life in Beijing . She doesn’t want to end up like her mother, picking sweet potatoes for the rest of her life. Instead, she longs to find success as an actress or a screenwriter.

This is a story of escape, of a woman courageously searching for her place in the world and trying desperately to lead a modern life. In Beijing , Fenfang finds “a city that never showed its gentle side.” She becomes a film extra to earn a meager living and is captivated by two young men. Ultimately she gains her independence in an unexpected way and gains the wisdom that only comes from living.

Xiaolu Guo’s voice is like a breath of fresh air in literature. Her narrative is alive and vivid. She succeeds in transporting you to a fragile world far away, providing an intriguing glimpse of daily life and its struggles in post Maoist China.


---Jennifer Rossi
imagineatrium.com


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BOOK REVIEW: "The Lace Reader" by Brunonia Barry

The Lace Reader

Synopsis:

In Barry's captivating debut, Towner Whitney, a young woman descended from a long line of mind readers and fortune tellers, has returned to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, for rest and relaxation. Any tranquility in her life is short-lived, however, when her aunt drowns under mysterious circumstances.

Take a trip to the the still point at the center of the lace. Take a trip with Sophya (or Towner) Whitney as she travels back home to Salem, Massachusetts and her troubled family when her Great Aunt Eva disappears. It’s a trip in time and space and thought. For the women of the Whitney family are all . . . different, perhaps disturbed, perhaps strangely psychic. Watch as you slowly understand what happened years ago, and see the picture emerge.

This is a tale of the victory of the human spirit over adversity, of coping with difficult and horrifying realities. Ultimately it is a tale of love, the love one family shares. It is filled with wonderful and strange characters --- witches, abused women, the Red Hat ladies, a has-been policeman, the Whitney family, born-again Christians, wild dogs, and Towner. It weaves back and forth through time and memory forming an intricate lace pattern of its own. We are drawn into that pattern and read it more with each page.

The author, Brunonia Barry, lives in Salem, and the love she has for her hometown shines through. Both the Salem of today and yesterday and its troubled history are drawn with an amazing sense of time and place. This story could not have been as real set in any other place. The language and voice border on poetic, while the story is stark and frequently frightening as the pattern slowly emerges and you find yourself bemused and wanting to know more. I read it slowly because I really wanted to devour it, but sensed that it was deeper than a fast read should be. It was worth savoring. I spent a time living with the characters and am still haunted by the beauty I found in the pages of this book.

A GREAT read.

--Mary Cremen
imagineatrium.com



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BOOK REVIEW: "Anathem" by Neal Stephenson

Neal Stephenson announces in his acknowledgments in the beginning of Anathem that his latest novel is "a fictional framework for exploring ideas that have sprung from the minds of great thinkers of Earth's past and present." He then goes on to list some of these great thinkers for us, as if we were students in a college freshman philosophy class, hinting at the somewhat pompous tone of his book. Young students make up a majority of the characters in Anathem, endlessly expounding on scientific and philosophical points, all with words and terms that Stephenson made up (and that require a glossary) to emphasize the fact that the book is set on an alien planet. Anathem seems to attempt to do what other writers, most notably Umberto Eco, have already accomplished with far more success. Eco is a masterful storyteller and a true academic, and his books are elegant and mysterious stories packed with history, science and philosophy, told without condescension and without seeming as though he was the one to discover it all.

Stephenson does do an impressive job of creating an interesting alien world and culture. He's imagined a rich world that is compelling and fascinating. The mysteries of the plot take too long to play out, though, and not even the central characters ever become little more than mouthpieces for the pseudo-philosophical discussion that ultimately overwhelms the book. There are brief flashes of excitement, in the few places where real action related to the plot takes place, including an evocative and vertiginous spacewalk passage. But at over 900 pages, Anathem is a shockingly overindulgent book. If Stephenson had edited himself and whittled his story down to under 300 or so pages, he may have had a thrilling and interesting novel.

--Matthew Podsiad
imagineatrium.com


Anathem is available now.

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