Name: Fools and Mortals
ISBN: 9780007504138

Bernard Cornwell

A dramatic new departure for international bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, FOOLS AND MORTALS takes us into the heart of the Elizabethan era, long one of his favourite periods of British history.

Fools and Mortals

A dramatic departure for the #1 bestseller. A gripping story of rivalry and ambition, loyalty and love set in the heart of Elizabethan England.

I adore A Midsummer Night's Dream and loved that this book was so heavily focused around its first performance. 

However, the pretty blatant homophobia (always expressed by *characters* though) and rejection of anything androgynous or feminine in oneself were annoying, as was the spotty characterization which raised several serious questions about Shakespeare's character that were never dealt with satisfactorily. 

I was particularly horrified by how harshly one of the "villains" (here just an opponent, really) is treated and which the book seems to applaud: (view spoiler)[a gay teenager who has endured years of sexual child abuse commits a theft out of the wish to get a better job, and the protagonist - unnecessarily - breaks his cheekbone and blinds him on one eye - utterly destroying his beauty, on which his entire career as an actor playing women rested. The teenager is forced to become a beggar living on the street, which everyone seems to heartily approve of. In comparison, the guy who sexually abused him horribly for years gets a slap on the wrist (to be fair, the protagonist hates him and wishes that the horrible abuse could be stopped and punished, but this villain is too powerful tp be defeated in this book).  (hide spoiler)] Perhaps a second book was planned here, which would have remedied the situation at the end, as well as addressed the many open questions I had when I finished it. But since there is none, I can only assume this was meant to be the overall ending, which is very weird.

Overall, this benefited hugely from the many Shakespeare quotes and wonderful period detail based on really solid research. The writing was also very evocative and allowed me to see, hear and smell Elizabethan times in my imagination as if I'd been there. So this is why this book still gets an overall "it's okay" rating, despite of my misgivings mentioned above.

New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell makes a dramatic departure with this enthralling, action-packed standalone novel that tells the story of the first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream—as related by William Shakespeare’s estranged younger brother. Lord, what fools these mortals be . . . In the heart of Elizabethan England, Richard Shakespeare dreams of a glittering career in one of the London playhouses, a world dominated by his older brother, William. But he is a penniless actor, making ends meet through a combination of a beautiful face, petty theft and a silver tongue. As William’s star rises, Richard’s onetime gratitude is souring and he is sorely tempted to abandon family loyalty. So when a priceless manuscript goes missing, suspicion falls upon Richard, forcing him onto a perilous path through a bawdy and frequently brutal London. Entangled in a high-stakes game of duplicity and betrayal which threatens not only his career and potential fortune, but also the lives of his fellow players, Richard has to call on all he has now learned from the brightest stages and the darkest alleyways of the city. To avoid the gallows, he must play the part of a lifetime . . . . Showcasing the superb storytelling skill that has won Bernard Cornwell international renown, Fools and Mortals is a richly portrayed tour de force that brings to life a vivid world of intricate stagecraft, fierce competition, and consuming ambition.

Fools and Mortals

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