November 2017 Book of the Month
The title of course refers to Puck’s line in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “Lo what fools these mortals be!”. It is a new period for Cornwell who is most famous for his Regency “Sharpe” series and more recently for the Viking Last Kingdom series. This has less battles and bloodshed, more intrigue and infighting, as William Shakespeare’s younger brother struggles to survive as an actor amid the squalor and splendour of Elizabethan London. He wants to grow up and “take men’s parts” in the plays but his youth and good looks keep seeing him cast as a girl, a dilemma peculiar to the period. I love Cornwell’s writing. His detail and characterisation well deserve the praise they so often receive. As I said this book is less bloody than many of his others. It is also set in a period more familiar to lovers of historical novels. It is wonderfully well-written and a must for his fans.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
Fools and Mortals follows the young Richard Shakespeare, an actor struggling to make his way in a company dominated by his estranged older brother, William. As the growth of theatre blooms, their rivalry - and that of the playhouses, playwrights and actors vying for acclaim and glory - propels a high-stakes story of conflict and betrayal. Showcasing his renowned storyteller's skill, Bernard Cornwell has created an Elizabethan world incredibly rich in its portrayal: you walk the London streets, stand in the palaces and are on stage in the playhouses, as he weaves a remarkable story in which performances, rivalries and ambition combine to form a tangled web of intrigue.
Fools and Mortals features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller and Suspense, eBooks of the Month, UK Top 10 Books, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations
Fools and Mortals is available in Paperback, CD-Audio, Hardback
Fools and Mortals was written by Bernard Cornwell and published by
Fools and Mortals has 416 pages
£9.89
