Fools and Mortals audiobook

My first Bernard Cornwell and I loved every second of it!Set in the Elizabethan era, this follows a group of theatrical players as they battle against the disreputable name of their trade, to hone their craft and strive to continue doing what they love. But this is not just any group of players. This group is the Lord Chamberlain Men, led by playwright William Shakespeare. And this renowned historical figure is unlike you have ever seen him portrayed before.I appreciated how the focus remained historically correct and factual (as far as I am aware) whilst also delivering an entertaining story-line. London has never been an easy place to dwell, but this really helped me to visualise the every-day struggles and strife of those who reside there. It depicted crowded streets, dank alley-ways, and noble manor houses with a flair of narrative that helped me to clearly visualise and to truly feel every facet of every scene.Focusing on actual historical figures always brings an additional entertaining element to fiction, but here I appreciated how the individuals were not painted as completely virtuous and pure, as many deceased and beloved fictional figures often are. William Shakespeare, especially, was shown to have violent fits of rage, be cold and underhand, often uncaring for human suffering, and focused only on his own creations and the success of their performance. These often scathing depictions came from the protagonist and William's brother, Richard Shakespeare. The family dynamic was an interesting one, that opened up these notorious historical figures and allowed them to become more than just two-dimensional impressions. They were real. They were human. And, so, they were flawed.I have read other reviews that state this as their least favourite of Cornwell's creations and I can, to an extent, see why. The pacing was rather slow. There was less action and intrigue and more of a slowly-built understanding of Elizabethan life formed. I found I adored this utter immersion into these past lives and found this an entirely fascinating insight. The pace was slow for a reason and really benefited this particular story-line, for me.I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Bernard Cornwell, and the publisher, Harper Collins, for this opportunity.

Translation widget on The blog!!!Un roman uimitor! Am citit cu plăcere această carte care mi-a făcut cunoștință cu stilul de scriere al autorului. O lectură intensă și captivantă, ce ne-a purtat în Anglia elisabetană și ne-a oferit o privire aparte asupra unui trecut binecunoscut.Recenzia mea completă o găsiți aici: https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/neb...

3.5 stars was my original rating, but having reviewed it now, I realise I got a lot from the history so I’m rounding up to a full 4 stars.I’m not sure that staunch fans of Bernard Cornwell would love this. I have loved some of his work but overall it’s too focused on war, battles and fighting. This is not action packed in a way that Cornwell lovers will be used to. So this story, set in Elizabethan times was a novel I was looking forward to. I am also picky about stories set in Tudor times. There’s a lot of fiction on the market about spies and the fervour against Catholics.What we do get is the same context obviously but framed through the eyes of the theatre.Entertainment had been mobile until this point in history. Players and entertainers travelled from town to town, spreading news, singing songs and providing people outside of big cities with opportunities of fun and showmanship. It was only right at the end of the 16th century, that permanent theatres started to be built. And herein lay the problem: prior to this a troupe of players only needed a few plays in its repertoire. When they moved onto the next town or village, their material could just be used again. But on a permanent site, where the same audiences would come again and again, new and exciting play scripts were required. This was a time of rivalry and intrigue. Each theatre needed its own playwright to write fresh material and competition was fierce.Another aspect that was interesting was this: actors were all men, with younger men and boys taking women’s roles. Here we saw how hard the transition could be between being young enough to play the women parts and being mature enough to play the male leads.During this time, the City of London was a Puritan stronghold so theatres had to be built beyond the city outskirts. The fact that Elizabeth was a patron of the theatre, was the only thing keeping the theatre alive at the time. Interesting too that the theatres shut periodically as the plague returned regularly.So from a history lovers point of view, this was an interesting novel. The plot itself was simple.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.Shakespeare? Check. Intrigue? Check. Plenty of fun? Check. I'm sold!Despite having watched The Last Kingdom on TV, I've never got around to reading any books by Bernard Cornwell, so I was delighted to give this one a go. And very entertaining it was too! The protagonist is Richard Shakespeare, the younger (and better looking) brother of William Shakespeare. He's an actor, and is sick and tired of playing lady's roles; especially as he's got his sights on a particular girl called Sylvia...However, this isn't just a book about love and acting. It's also a wonderful observation of life at the times; the role of the playhouses in society, the life of an actor, and the competition between acting troupes. Cornwell's writing is pleasantly accessible, with plenty of bawdy moments, swearing, plus some very convincing scenes, which felt impressively authentic. As someone who knows quite a bit about Shakespeare, there were no obvious errors that I noted - though one tiny comment - a female character makes reference to the rhyme 'round and round the mulberry bush' at one point... I'm sure this rhyme came about in the 1800s from a women's prison? Forgive me if I'm wrong (I'm being so nitpicky anyway; this detail in no way detracts from the book!). Overall, a brilliantly fun read; I was hooked right through. I'll have to keep my eye out for more of his books now.

"Lord, what fools these mortals be." A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Scene 2With prodigious historical-fiction writing skills, Bernard Cornwell now brings his focus to the Elizabethan era with this delightful novel set in London in 1595. It is told from the first-person point of view of Richard Shakespeare, a young actor in his brother William's theatre company. Richard runs away from home as a teen and hopes his brother Will will take him in when he reaches London. Instead, Will takes him to study with Sir Godfrey, a master of mischief and worse, who teaches boys more than just acting skills. As the story opens, Richard is working with the theatre company in women's roles, dearly hoping to be promoted to male roles now that his voice is changing. Through his eyes, the early days of theatre come to life...and the street scene of London, all the sights and nasty smells. Thank goodness Queen Elizabeth is supportive of plays in general because the Pursuivants of the Puritans love to run rampant over the populace, looking for evidence of sedition and stomping out any signs of beauty, joy or happiness. The Theatre group is hired by the Lord Chamberlain to present a play at his mansion in Blackfriars in honor of his granddaughter's wedding and it is hoped that the Queen, Lord Hunsdon's cousin, might attend. The actors will be performing A Midsummer Night's Dream and it will be quite a lavish production with the family sparing no expense. But in the midst of rehearsals the original script is stolen! Was it a rival theatre group? And among the missing papers is a new play that Will has just finished--his Romeo and Juliet! Richard thinks he knows the identity of the thief and where he might have taken the scripts. If he can get them back, he hopes William will be so grateful he will give Richard the starring role in Romeo and Juliet!Lots of action and adventure keep the reader turning pages! Lovers of Shakespeare's plays are sure to enjoy this glimpse into the period. Cornwell ends the book with Historical Notes that shed more light on how important was Queen Elizabeth's role in allowing theatre to grow and flourish in her lifetime. This era saw the birth of permanent homes for the production of plays. Before that, groups of players traveled from place to place and could repeat the same plays endlessly in front of fresh audiences. But with a permanent home and repeat audiences, a need for a constant stream of fresh plays was born. Enter Shakespeare and others like him who could dash off plays quickly. How amazing that his work has survived the test of time and is beloved to this day!

This is a wonderful, fast-moving story about theater during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Told in first person by an actor, most of the important characters were real-life personages. The protagonist, Richard, is a good actor who has just turned 21. He is sick and tired of playing the parts of women

The times and adventures of Shakespeare's younger brotherThe title of a review posted on Amazon is, "Sharpe and Uhtred it Ain't". If you are looking for a story of that sort, you should most definitely look elsewhere. The book's description itself makes it clear, "New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell MAKES A DRAMATIC DEPARTURE ( my caps) 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."No wars. No combat scenes. But plenty of Elizabethan England, intrigue, skullduggery, villainy and violence in Shakespeare's London. That is Richard Shakespeare not William. An adventure for Shakespeareans and the historically minded alike. Well done!Cornwell's almost rabid antipathy to Christianity is not as strong in this novel as it is in many of his others. However there is a rather nasty priest (there is rarely any other kind in Cornwell's work). Also anti-theater Puritans are among the villains of this tale.

A fascinating 5-star read!Fools and Mortals is a story about William Shakespeare’s acting troupe at the Theatre in London, told through the perspective of his younger brother Richard. Richard ran away from home in Stratford as a young teen to escape a cruel apprenticeship, but his brother isn’t exactly warm and welcoming.A very lovely-looking young man, by age 21 Richard has spent years as a player at the Theatre, although not a full member (Sharer) with a stake in the earnings. When he performs, he earns money. When there’s no part for him, or when there are no performances due to bad weather, he gets nothing. Richard lives in a dingy boarding house, constantly threatened with being thrown out if he can’t pay his back rent, and resorts to petty thievery to keep from starving.On stage, he specializes in women’s parts, but he wants to be taken seriously. He yearns to be allowed to grow up, cut his hair, grow a beard, and take on the significant male roles that will allow him greater status as an actor. But Will doesn’t seem to have any interest in his brother’s goals, and when he finally promises him a man’s role, there’s still a trick involved that means Richard will end up playing a woman once again.Meanwhile, there’s intrigue and action afoot. Will has earned a commission to write a play to be performed at the wedding of the Lord Chamberlain’s daughter — the play that will become A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Will is also working on an Italian play, which will be Romeo and Juliet.But rival companies are also building huge theaters, and original scripts are invaluable in the theater world. If another company can get their hands on one of Will’s plays, they’ll be able to perform it and Will will have no way to get it back or claim it.So when the new scripts go missing, there’s plenty of suspicion, and Richard is one of those accused of stealing the scripts in order to make some needed money. It’s up to Richard to get them back, but doing so is likely the most dangerous thing he’s ever done.I won’t go further into the plot itself, but trust me — it’s fascinating! I loved the characters and the behind the scenes look at how a play like A Midsummer Night’s Dream came into being. Through Fools and Mortals, we get to see the complicated business of patronage and protection, the terrifying power of the Persuivants (known as Percies) — the vehemently Puritanical force who have the power to arrest and convict anyone suspected of heresy — as they threaten the players, and the deadly serious competition and scheming related to gaining and keeping players and scripts.William Shakespeare himself comes off as cold and heartless when it comes to his brother, but of course, we do get to see his brilliance as well. I was enthralled by the descriptions of how the players learn their parts, figure out the staging, interact with their audiences, and more.This book was such a treat! So thank you, once again, to my book group, for getting me to read a book that I probably would have completely missed otherwise.If you enjoy Shakespeare, historical fiction, the Elizabethan era, theatrical history, or really, just plain good writing, check out Fools and Mortals!

When I mentioned to a literary friend that I had purchased Bernard Cornwell’s latest, he merely shrugged.‘I’ve read about ten of Cornwell’s books,’ sneered my friend, ‘but only one story. He’s always the same.’Well, I had to admit that the Sharpe books always feature a special mission, a pompous superior officer, a renegade Spanish priest or warlord and a major battle…but it’s quite indelicate to say so when he does it so well.The Saxon series also can get a tad formulaic and by the end of 1356, Thomas of Hookton had actually turned into Sharpe.Nevertheless, Bernard Cornwell is an outstanding writer who is expert at creating atmosphere and an authentic sense of time and place – which is the main attraction to historical novels – experiencing a story in a different milieu where humans act and think differently from today.And so to Fools and Mortals. It is NOT a novel from the standard Cornwell model. BC has truly stretched himself this time for the story is not set against the backdrop to a battle. It is set against the backdrop to the first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1595.The main character is Richard Shakespeare – William’s younger brother – a struggling actor in the stinking and brutal London near the end of Elizabeth’s reign. Richard is a member of his brother’s theatre troupe but (despite being good) is trapped. He is too young to play a main male part but becoming too old to play a serious female part (women playing female parts was regarded as extremely offensive by the Puritan thought police of the times). Thus, he must convince his brother (who seems to despise him) to give him a serious male role or find other employment. The opportunity to find other employment suddenly comes in the form of a rival playhouse desperate for new plays. Richard is given a massive temptation and few would blame him, given his needs and the way he has been treated, but he chooses the honourable path – and that’s when the trouble really begins.It was a riveting read, but I did have one or two issues with it. The need for a lot of characters in the acting troupe inevitably rendered too many of them only partly drawn. BC is usually brilliant at making characters come alive and too many had little more than a name.The ending also (to the conflict) was a little too neat and quick, but I was able to forgive that given the story can be interpreted as analogous with the comedy of Shakespeare’s play. ‘It is a nonsense,’ says Shakespeare, ‘but a nonsense that works.’Fools and Mortals works also – a wonderful glimpse of late Elizabethan London and a classic piece of storytelling. Cornwell is the Bard of historical novel writing.

This astounding standalone novel by Bernard Cornwell is another delightful treat for all readers.The historical details concerning this book are to be found at the end of the book within the extensive and well documented Historical Note.Storytelling is as ever from this author of a top-notch quality, and once again all the characters, whether they are real historical or fictional figures, come splendidly to life within this exciting tale about the Theatre, the Players and life itself in these turbulent times of persecution and betrayal.Also the atmosphere of London in Elizabethan England come extremely well to the forefront with its dark dangerous streets, grand palaces as well as the people, friends and foes alike, who deal with each other in order to gain the most benefit to betray them when necessary, whether out of ambition or deceit.The book is mainly set in London and in the years AD 1595-1596 during the reign of the Tudor Queen Elizabeth I.The story is about Richard Shakespeare, younger brother of the great William, who tries to make a living in one of the London playhouses, the Theatre from Finsbury Fields and of which his brother William is one of the Sharers, and when he becomes penniless and a priceless manuscript is missing, the play of Romeo and Juliet, somehow the suspicion falls on Richard while the real culprit is someone else entirely.What will follow is a grand tour of force by Richard Shakespeare in order to learn where that manuscript is being held, and to prove his innocence by retrieving that same manuscript, and finally along with his fellow Players of the Theatre they deal with the culprits, so that they can produce that play at an important wedding at Lord Hunsdon's Blackfriars mansion with the Queen attending.Really very recommended, for this is another triumph in Bernard Cornwell's repertoire and that's why I like to call this book: "Only -"Fools and Mortals"- Superb Acting Scene"!

Purtroppo il libro si butta un po' via proprio sul finale. La quarta parte rovina quanto di buono fatto fino a quel momento, pare quasi che Cornwell non avesse idea di come tirar fuori Richard dai guai in cui lo aveva infilato e così arrabatta una conclusione affrettata, in cui il protagonista se la cava inspiegabilmente a buon mercato, i cattivoni svaniscono come neve al sole e tutto finisce per il meglio. Questo è, a mio modo di vedere, il tallone d'Achille di un libro che, tutto sommato, consegna al lettore quel che ci si aspetta quando si prende in mano un libro di Cornwell (nel bene e nel male). Azione, intrighi, una buona ricostruzione storica, ma anche personaggi secondari scarsamente caratterizzati e una certa ripetitività nell'esposizione (un marchio di fabbrica di Cornwell: non so quante volte avrà ripetuto "siamo attori" o "siamo commedianti"). Difetti a cui guardo con occhio clemente, però, perché quando leggo Cornwell so quello a cui andrò incontro. Lui è uno dei miei scrittori preferiti, ma è quello di quando voglio staccare la spina, di quando cerco una lettura leggera, magari a seguito di testi impegnativi. E poi stavolta ci sono anche le opere di Shakespeare (davvero protagoniste anche loro, credetemi) e naturalmente l'immancabile Nota Storica finale che mette i puntini sulle i.Quattro stelle dunque, invece che 5, per questo che è stato un buon libro ma sarebbe potuto essere anche migliore. Menzione finale per il titolo dell'edizione italiana. Di congiure dei fratelli Shakespeare non se ne sono viste proprio, quindi un ennesimo titolo buttato lì senza averne un'idea.