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The Fool's Girl
Young and beautiful Violetta may be of royal blood, but her kingdom is in shambles when she arrives in London on a mysterious mission. Her journey has been long and her adventures many, but it is not until she meets the playwright William Shakespeare that she gets to tell the entire story from beginning to end.
Violetta and her comic companion, Feste, have come in search of an ancient holy relic that the evil Malvolio has stolen from their kingdom. But where will their remarkable quest--and their most unusual story--lead? In classic Celia Rees style, it is an engrossing journey, full of political intrigue, danger, and romance.
This wholly original story is spun from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and includes both folly and suspense that would make the Bard proud.
Violetta and her comic companion, Feste, have come in search of an ancient holy relic that the evil Malvolio has stolen from their kingdom. But where will their remarkable quest--and their most unusual story--lead? In classic Celia Rees style, it is an engrossing journey, full of political intrigue, danger, and romance.
This wholly original story is spun from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and includes both folly and suspense that would make the Bard proud.
297 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2010
31 people are currently reading
3290 people want to read
About the author
Celia Rees
45 books1,134 followersCelia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's, YA and Adult fiction.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
September 21, 2011
I normally love Celia Rees. However, I just couldn't get into this book. It felt disjointed, I never felt any sympathy towards any of the characters, I never really cared about their situations, and I felt like things just happened, they really didn't have any driving force behind them. I never felt a threat from the antagonists, and things happened too easily and too fast.
There are things mentioned about Violetta - mentioned, but never actually shown to us. We see her in the beginning of the novel tumbling around, but that's about all of her "performances" that we see. And suddenly, towards the middle, she's talking about how much she loves to perform, how she wishes she was up on the stage. It just didn't work, and I found that a lot of things in the book were like that. It's mentioned how Feste loves Violetta, but he doesn't do much more than scowl at Stephano. At one point, an actor who professes his love for Violetta follows her, and he's directed away from the path that she took. Nothing more comes of it. I never got a real sense of danger, of desperation, and everything was so disjointed that I struggled through this book for almost a week. I almost didn't finish it, and was so happy when I reached the end of a novel.
I do find it very disappointing, because normally I read a Celia Rees novel in one sitting and think about it for days after. Oh well, I don't have to love every single work an author publishes!
There are things mentioned about Violetta - mentioned, but never actually shown to us. We see her in the beginning of the novel tumbling around, but that's about all of her "performances" that we see. And suddenly, towards the middle, she's talking about how much she loves to perform, how she wishes she was up on the stage. It just didn't work, and I found that a lot of things in the book were like that. It's mentioned how Feste loves Violetta, but he doesn't do much more than scowl at Stephano. At one point, an actor who professes his love for Violetta follows her, and he's directed away from the path that she took. Nothing more comes of it. I never got a real sense of danger, of desperation, and everything was so disjointed that I struggled through this book for almost a week. I almost didn't finish it, and was so happy when I reached the end of a novel.
I do find it very disappointing, because normally I read a Celia Rees novel in one sitting and think about it for days after. Oh well, I don't have to love every single work an author publishes!
July 24, 2012
Gorgeously intricate - a tale that transcends time and spirits you across the seas to find the kind of magic that exists in Shakespeare's plays, with a courageous young heroine whose quest to save her homeland is as heartwarming as it is engaging.
March 26, 2020
1.5 stars. I tried not to be harsh, but this just doesn't work for me. I didn't care about the characters at all, and I still don't know what most of them look like, their ages, even their last names!
April 6, 2014
Since Twelfth Nightis my favorite Shakespeare play, when I learned that Celia Rees had written a kind of sequel, I had to read it. I also loved the fact that Shakespeare was a character who was participating in the plot and being inspired to write Twelfth Night as a result. This is very recursive, but that only makes it more appealing to me. There are also 16th century social issues and an unusual outlaw of the greenwood. I think this is one of my favorite Celia Rees novels.
December 17, 2010
Boring, boring, and ten times more boring. The only mildly interesting part was William Shakespeare and it's really hard to mess him up unless you're an absolute fail. There was this huge, *huge* background info dump that went on for chapters and chapters. My mind was smashed into little bits from hardening into a statue of boredom.
No. Not enjoyable at all.
No. Not enjoyable at all.
dnf
June 16, 2019I stuck it out for a hundred and fifty pages, dabbled in practicing speed reading, tried unsuccessfully to figure out what age range a book is for when it leaves out all graphic details but has many mentions of things like rape, brothels, slit throats, and the like, and finally admitted that I was completely bored by this story. Interesting seeming things were happening, but I didn't care about any of it, and all the character's POVs sounded exactly the same. I'm skeptical about reading any of the author's other books I had on my TBR now...
July 29, 2010
A young woman emerges from the sea, a lone survivor from a shipwreck, onto a foreign land. To preserve her virtue she presents herself to the Duke of Illyria as a man. In this disguise many mix-ups and mistaken identities are plotted through before Viola is able to reveal her true self to Orsino, the man she loves. Thus the story of Violetta's parents is portrayed by Shakespeare. But what has Shakespeare to do with Violetta, and what is she doing so far from home in England?
The Fool's Girl is many things, Stephano's girl, Viola's daughter, Duchessa of Illyra's, but she is no Fool's Girl. I really wanted to like this book, there are so many elements that on their own are exciting and mysterious and if explored more would have been very interesting. There are pirates, politics, Shakespeare, allusions to faeries, and love. Unfortunately the end product is a story of a girl who is always protected by one shinning knight or another.
The Fool's Girl is many things, Stephano's girl, Viola's daughter, Duchessa of Illyra's, but she is no Fool's Girl. I really wanted to like this book, there are so many elements that on their own are exciting and mysterious and if explored more would have been very interesting. There are pirates, politics, Shakespeare, allusions to faeries, and love. Unfortunately the end product is a story of a girl who is always protected by one shinning knight or another.
January 20, 2020
The cover put me off a bit, but glad I looked passed it. This is no YA romance fan fic. This is a refreshing gem: a tale of both the epilogue and an alternate telling of the Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but done with respect to the original (and cleverly leaving the original intact as well, side-by-side with the reworking).
The ending collapsed far too quickly and neatly (I was beginning to worry I has accidentally picked up only the first of a multi-volume set as I neared the end of the book), but otherwise well done.
The ending collapsed far too quickly and neatly (I was beginning to worry I has accidentally picked up only the first of a multi-volume set as I neared the end of the book), but otherwise well done.
August 4, 2023
The Fool's Girl was a interesting concept that could've been a wonderful book, but it was not executed well. The novel was written in third person, which made the text confusing because most of the time I was reading what I though was Violetta's thoughts but it turned out to be a completely different character. Continuing with the writing, it was also in Shakespearean and if you've read Shakespearean before you under stand the complexity of how it is spoken/written. I really think that if the book was written in first person that the Shakespearean would have been easier to understand and therefore I could've gotten closer with the plot and the characters.
July 8, 2024
A pleasant read. Different from what I've been reading. Set in Elizabethan Era England, with hints of magic and wonder, with William Shakespeare as a key character. I enjoyed it as a fun read. 😀
April 20, 2010
I know almost nothing at all about Shakespeare. Apart from wading through Macbeth many years ago at school, my experience of the great bard is almost zero (should I have admitted that?). This in no way affected my enjoyment of A Fool’s Girl and in fact, I found it fascinating. I’ve heard of Twelfth Night, but until reading this book, knew nothing about it. Rees bases The Fool’s Girl around the famous play, in that the events that happened in Illyria were real, and Shakespeare is inspired to tell the story, known as Twelfth Night, after meeting and helping Violetta. Rather than feel alienated by my lack of knowledge I felt I actually learned from the book and also had my interest in Shakespeare himself piqued. I actually WANT to go and see/read some Shakespeare straight away! I was also able to pick up on some references to some of the plays, such as the three old herbalists who I presume later become the witches in Macbeth.
Where Celia Rees absolutely excels is bringing history to life. Descriptions of sights, sounds and smells all create such imagery that for a while I actually was in seventeenth century London. She doesn’t shy away from the grisly truth so at times the book is violent and slightly disturbing, especially in her descriptions of the fate of prisoners and betrayers. But this makes the book seem all the more authentic. Seventeenth century London wasn’t the nicest of places after all, with the heads of criminals hanging from London Bridge and the lack of sanitation.
Violetta is an inspiring character. She’s strong, determined, loyal and proud so even in hard times she never loses sight of herself. I found myself really routing for her and sympathetic of her plight. However at times I did feel that the emphasis on Shakespeare was too much and Violetta became a little lost. The book is told in an alternating third person narrative and then first person from several characters. I would have preferred a little more from our heroine herself, as I thoroughly enjoyed her voice, and the story was, after all, hers to tell. Feste provided a humorous and fascinating character and is complex with his moods and personality, although his devotion to Violetta never wavers.
The book is full of action, myth and romantic legends, which I absolutely adored. In particular, Violetta’s retelling of her parent’s life in Illyria is captivatingly beautiful. Rees’ writing is incredibly readable, while remaining extremely intelligent and I read the book very quickly. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me gripped and I finished the whole 320 pages in just over a day.
There was one area I was a little disappointed. There is a romantic thread that begins in Violetta’s childhood and continues throughout the book. I found it a little lacking, in that it felt slightly contrived and without real passion, which was a shame. Perhaps the reason for this goes back to what I said earlier, that Violetta’s voice could perhaps have been used more and thus made the romance more believable and exciting? I still enjoyed the book very much, but felt if this had been developed a little more, it would have been amazing.
Where Celia Rees absolutely excels is bringing history to life. Descriptions of sights, sounds and smells all create such imagery that for a while I actually was in seventeenth century London. She doesn’t shy away from the grisly truth so at times the book is violent and slightly disturbing, especially in her descriptions of the fate of prisoners and betrayers. But this makes the book seem all the more authentic. Seventeenth century London wasn’t the nicest of places after all, with the heads of criminals hanging from London Bridge and the lack of sanitation.
Violetta is an inspiring character. She’s strong, determined, loyal and proud so even in hard times she never loses sight of herself. I found myself really routing for her and sympathetic of her plight. However at times I did feel that the emphasis on Shakespeare was too much and Violetta became a little lost. The book is told in an alternating third person narrative and then first person from several characters. I would have preferred a little more from our heroine herself, as I thoroughly enjoyed her voice, and the story was, after all, hers to tell. Feste provided a humorous and fascinating character and is complex with his moods and personality, although his devotion to Violetta never wavers.
The book is full of action, myth and romantic legends, which I absolutely adored. In particular, Violetta’s retelling of her parent’s life in Illyria is captivatingly beautiful. Rees’ writing is incredibly readable, while remaining extremely intelligent and I read the book very quickly. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me gripped and I finished the whole 320 pages in just over a day.
There was one area I was a little disappointed. There is a romantic thread that begins in Violetta’s childhood and continues throughout the book. I found it a little lacking, in that it felt slightly contrived and without real passion, which was a shame. Perhaps the reason for this goes back to what I said earlier, that Violetta’s voice could perhaps have been used more and thus made the romance more believable and exciting? I still enjoyed the book very much, but felt if this had been developed a little more, it would have been amazing.
April 26, 2010
The Fool's Girl sees us in Elizabethan England. Shakespeare is living in London, working as a player for Burbage in the years before his career really takes off. The Fool's Girl is not a story about Shakepeare but of the life of Violetta and Feste. In this tale the events of Twelfth Night have been reworked. Violetta comes to England in search of Shakespeare's help to restore her country Illyria. She is the daughter of Duke Orsin and Viola - one of two couples who found love in despite many disguises in the famous play. Violetta's story is a sad one marked by loss and betrayal at the hands of her Uncle Sebastian. He is a bitter man twisted by the friendship his sister had with his wife the Lady Olivia - Olivia and Sebastian are the other lovebirds from the play.
Twelfth Night was always my favourite Shakespeare play as I was growing up. I am a reader who prefers happy stories andI naturally warm to Shakespeare's comedies. About two years ago I went with hubby to see The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe which must be the best place to watch the master playwright's work. So now I think maybe that is my favourite play because it is just so funny and full of sauciness. Anyway, this is an aside. I was really excited to read The Fool's Girl because it has so many things that appeal to me as a reader.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book as much as I expected to. The narrative structure made this book feel quite alien to me. You read parts of the story from Violetta's viewpoint, parts from Feste and parts from Maria. Then you have the general third person narrative which is the thread which pulls the story together. As I was reading, I didn't feel that I was inside the story. The characters were not real to me but rather felt like they were puppets being used for a purpose. Naturally when you read a story, you want to care about the characters, to feel their every emotion and this is not my experience of this book. The only exception to this was Feste. Perhaps that is why the title suggests he is the one with the power in this novel. He was entertaining, cantankerous and endearing. I wish the whole story had been told from his point of view.
The book certainly has many strengths: the quality of the writing - Rees' use of figurative language is melodic and the authenticity of Elizabethan England was palpable - you really get a sense of place through this novel. I thought the ending was brilliant and unfolded in a spectacular fashion with constantly building dramatic tension. Actually, the end made me wish I had tried harder to feel the beginning of the story. I think The Fool's Girl requires effort on the part of the reader to concentrate and to be in the right mood to step into Violetta's shoes.
Overall, this book was not what I expected yet I think those expectations are a failing on my part rather than the author's. The novel captures the experience of being an Elizabethan player and the brilliance of the fool. I think fans of historical fiction will enjoy this because of its depth and attention to detail but they must be prepared to commit to the story because this is not an easy read.
Twelfth Night was always my favourite Shakespeare play as I was growing up. I am a reader who prefers happy stories andI naturally warm to Shakespeare's comedies. About two years ago I went with hubby to see The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe which must be the best place to watch the master playwright's work. So now I think maybe that is my favourite play because it is just so funny and full of sauciness. Anyway, this is an aside. I was really excited to read The Fool's Girl because it has so many things that appeal to me as a reader.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book as much as I expected to. The narrative structure made this book feel quite alien to me. You read parts of the story from Violetta's viewpoint, parts from Feste and parts from Maria. Then you have the general third person narrative which is the thread which pulls the story together. As I was reading, I didn't feel that I was inside the story. The characters were not real to me but rather felt like they were puppets being used for a purpose. Naturally when you read a story, you want to care about the characters, to feel their every emotion and this is not my experience of this book. The only exception to this was Feste. Perhaps that is why the title suggests he is the one with the power in this novel. He was entertaining, cantankerous and endearing. I wish the whole story had been told from his point of view.
The book certainly has many strengths: the quality of the writing - Rees' use of figurative language is melodic and the authenticity of Elizabethan England was palpable - you really get a sense of place through this novel. I thought the ending was brilliant and unfolded in a spectacular fashion with constantly building dramatic tension. Actually, the end made me wish I had tried harder to feel the beginning of the story. I think The Fool's Girl requires effort on the part of the reader to concentrate and to be in the right mood to step into Violetta's shoes.
Overall, this book was not what I expected yet I think those expectations are a failing on my part rather than the author's. The novel captures the experience of being an Elizabethan player and the brilliance of the fool. I think fans of historical fiction will enjoy this because of its depth and attention to detail but they must be prepared to commit to the story because this is not an easy read.
July 29, 2010
For starters, isn't the cover of this book beautiful? . . . Just beautiful . . . so captivated was I by the picture on the cover, I couldn't resist buying it, even after reading many non-glowing reviews. I really should have taken the advice: "Don't judge a book by its cover," a bit more seriously.
When I first started reading I loved Celia Rees's descriptions--they were vivid, effective, and thorough. Then, as I kept reading I began to grow bored of them. Not because they were any less wonderful, but because they seemed to take the place of character development. It didn't bother me that the book changed back and forth from first to third person, I am in fact, usually a fan of third person, but in this particular case I found the third person narrative boring. The character of William Shakespeare I found particularly dull. I am a fan of Shakespeare, I love his poetry, and have great respect for his plays--but as a character in a story he just wasn't captivating. I don't know if that is the fault of his living a rather dull life or if the author just didn't know how bring out his inner-life.
The most interesting character by far was the fool, Feste, who had a tendency to tell the truth even at the expense of other people's feelings, hopes, and dreams. He was more flawed than the protagonist and her love interest, thus more likable. The main character, Violetta, I never really got to know. The book was full of descriptions of her beauty, talent, and spirited ways, but lacked any real glimpses into her thought processes or feelings. Even though she was the focus of the book, I felt I knew even less about her than I did about Shakespeare.
Even less developed than Violetta was her love interest, Stephano. We see from other people's observations that he was madly in love with the main character. We see how he risked his life for her, doted on her, and traveled far distances to see her, but we never understand much about him as a person. His inner-struggles, if he had any, remain a mystery to me. There was no chemistry between the two main characters because you couldn't see things from either one of their points of view for long. Descriptions of places, as I said earlier, were vivid, beautiful, and well done--but descriptions of emotions were sadly lacking. Example: "Stephano kissed her and Violetta felt her emotions tip and tilt." What does that mean? How does an emotion tilt? What does it feel like to have an emotion tip? Wouldn't it have been more effective if Ms. Rees had written something more concrete like: "Stephano kissed her and Violetta's toes curled and the room seemed to spin."
The ending of the book was well done and captivating, but not until page 270. And for the record, the book was 297 pages long. As a writer I feel I could learn a lot from Ms. Rees. I'm sure she would write magnificent poetry. I envy her wonderful descriptive abilities and enjoyed picturing Shakespeare's England. I'm not saying this book was a total waste of time, just somewhat of a disappointment.
When I first started reading I loved Celia Rees's descriptions--they were vivid, effective, and thorough. Then, as I kept reading I began to grow bored of them. Not because they were any less wonderful, but because they seemed to take the place of character development. It didn't bother me that the book changed back and forth from first to third person, I am in fact, usually a fan of third person, but in this particular case I found the third person narrative boring. The character of William Shakespeare I found particularly dull. I am a fan of Shakespeare, I love his poetry, and have great respect for his plays--but as a character in a story he just wasn't captivating. I don't know if that is the fault of his living a rather dull life or if the author just didn't know how bring out his inner-life.
The most interesting character by far was the fool, Feste, who had a tendency to tell the truth even at the expense of other people's feelings, hopes, and dreams. He was more flawed than the protagonist and her love interest, thus more likable. The main character, Violetta, I never really got to know. The book was full of descriptions of her beauty, talent, and spirited ways, but lacked any real glimpses into her thought processes or feelings. Even though she was the focus of the book, I felt I knew even less about her than I did about Shakespeare.
Even less developed than Violetta was her love interest, Stephano. We see from other people's observations that he was madly in love with the main character. We see how he risked his life for her, doted on her, and traveled far distances to see her, but we never understand much about him as a person. His inner-struggles, if he had any, remain a mystery to me. There was no chemistry between the two main characters because you couldn't see things from either one of their points of view for long. Descriptions of places, as I said earlier, were vivid, beautiful, and well done--but descriptions of emotions were sadly lacking. Example: "Stephano kissed her and Violetta felt her emotions tip and tilt." What does that mean? How does an emotion tilt? What does it feel like to have an emotion tip? Wouldn't it have been more effective if Ms. Rees had written something more concrete like: "Stephano kissed her and Violetta's toes curled and the room seemed to spin."
The ending of the book was well done and captivating, but not until page 270. And for the record, the book was 297 pages long. As a writer I feel I could learn a lot from Ms. Rees. I'm sure she would write magnificent poetry. I envy her wonderful descriptive abilities and enjoyed picturing Shakespeare's England. I'm not saying this book was a total waste of time, just somewhat of a disappointment.
February 16, 2011
Als William Shakespeare der jungen Violetta und ihrem Narren Feste das erste Mal begegnet, ist er sogleich fasziniert. Die beiden kommen aus dem fernen Land Illyrien und wurden nach der Eroberung durch die Venezianer aus ihrer Heimat vertrieben.
Augenblicklich erahnt seine Dichterseele, was für ein dramatischer Stoff sich ihm hier bietet. Während Will zum einen immer mehr von der Vergangenheit des Mädchens, und der Begegnung ihrer Mutter Viola mit dem Herzog Orsino erfährt, verstrickt er sich gleichzeitig immer tiefer in die gefährliche Geschichte.
Denn der verräterische Priester Malvolio hat ihrem Land den heiligsten Schatz entwendet, den es je bessesen hat – ein Gefäß mit Myrrhe, das einer der Weisen dem Jesukind als Geschenk überreichte. Violetta ist fest entschlossen, diese Reliquie nach Illyrien zurückzuholen und den Titel in Anspruch zu nehmen, der ihr von Geburt an zusteht.
Doch ihre Feinde trachten ihr nach dem Leben und sie ist gezwungen zu fliehen. Und während sie immer noch an ihrem Plan festhält kann sie sich bald schon nicht mehr sicher sein, wem sie noch trauen kann…
In „Der Narr und das Mädchen“ schafft Celia Rees eine Geschichte, die auf Shakespeare’s Werk „Was ihr wollt“ aufbaut.
Bereits auf der ersten Seite wird der Leser in das Buch hineingezogen, mitten in den Angriff der Venezianer auf Illyrien. Ein Sog, der bis zum Ende des Buches anhält.
Shakespeare ist einer meiner liebsten Dichter, und „Was ihr wollt“ gehört abslout zu meinen Lieblingsstücken. Doch nicht nur aus diesem Grund hat mich das Buch begeistert. Rees gelingt es auf wunderbare Weise, die Handlung des Stückes weiterzuführen, schafft Charaktere mit Persönlichkeit.
Der Narr Feste ist eine besonders außergewöhnliche Figur, schwer zu durchschauen, manchmal auch schwer greifbar, jedoch Violetta treu ergeben. Violetta, obwohl noch jung, hält an ihrem Zielen fest, lässt sich von nichts beirren, und bleibt trotzdem glaubhaft und wirkt keinesfalls überzogen.
Eine historisch belegte Person in einem Roman auftreten zu lassen, birgt zwar immer Schwierigkeiten, allerdings ist über Shakespeare selbst ja recht wenig tatsächlich belegt. Ich fand die Art und Weise wie Rees Will darstellte glaubhaft und fernab des Bildes, das dem ein oder anderen vielleicht durch den Film „Shakespeare in Love“ im Kopf herumschwirrt – bei dem übrigens auch eine Möglichkeit der Entstehung des Stückes „Was ihr wollt“ gegeben wird.
Die Geschichte ist durchweg spannend, und die Autorin hat einen wirklich sehr fesselnden, angenehmen Schreibstil, der es einem schwer macht, das Buch aus der Hand zu legen.
„Der Narr und das Mädchen“ entführt in die Welt der Theater, der Intrigen und des Verrates, und begeistert mit wunderbar glaubhaften Charakteren und einer fesselnden Geschichte. Absolut empfehlenswert, auch für Leser die sonst mit dem Genre des historischen Romans nicht allzu viel anfangen können. Ein wahrer Buchschatz, und aufgrund der wunderschönen Umschlaggestaltung ein wahres Schmuckstück für jedes Regal.
Augenblicklich erahnt seine Dichterseele, was für ein dramatischer Stoff sich ihm hier bietet. Während Will zum einen immer mehr von der Vergangenheit des Mädchens, und der Begegnung ihrer Mutter Viola mit dem Herzog Orsino erfährt, verstrickt er sich gleichzeitig immer tiefer in die gefährliche Geschichte.
Denn der verräterische Priester Malvolio hat ihrem Land den heiligsten Schatz entwendet, den es je bessesen hat – ein Gefäß mit Myrrhe, das einer der Weisen dem Jesukind als Geschenk überreichte. Violetta ist fest entschlossen, diese Reliquie nach Illyrien zurückzuholen und den Titel in Anspruch zu nehmen, der ihr von Geburt an zusteht.
Doch ihre Feinde trachten ihr nach dem Leben und sie ist gezwungen zu fliehen. Und während sie immer noch an ihrem Plan festhält kann sie sich bald schon nicht mehr sicher sein, wem sie noch trauen kann…
In „Der Narr und das Mädchen“ schafft Celia Rees eine Geschichte, die auf Shakespeare’s Werk „Was ihr wollt“ aufbaut.
Bereits auf der ersten Seite wird der Leser in das Buch hineingezogen, mitten in den Angriff der Venezianer auf Illyrien. Ein Sog, der bis zum Ende des Buches anhält.
Shakespeare ist einer meiner liebsten Dichter, und „Was ihr wollt“ gehört abslout zu meinen Lieblingsstücken. Doch nicht nur aus diesem Grund hat mich das Buch begeistert. Rees gelingt es auf wunderbare Weise, die Handlung des Stückes weiterzuführen, schafft Charaktere mit Persönlichkeit.
Der Narr Feste ist eine besonders außergewöhnliche Figur, schwer zu durchschauen, manchmal auch schwer greifbar, jedoch Violetta treu ergeben. Violetta, obwohl noch jung, hält an ihrem Zielen fest, lässt sich von nichts beirren, und bleibt trotzdem glaubhaft und wirkt keinesfalls überzogen.
Eine historisch belegte Person in einem Roman auftreten zu lassen, birgt zwar immer Schwierigkeiten, allerdings ist über Shakespeare selbst ja recht wenig tatsächlich belegt. Ich fand die Art und Weise wie Rees Will darstellte glaubhaft und fernab des Bildes, das dem ein oder anderen vielleicht durch den Film „Shakespeare in Love“ im Kopf herumschwirrt – bei dem übrigens auch eine Möglichkeit der Entstehung des Stückes „Was ihr wollt“ gegeben wird.
Die Geschichte ist durchweg spannend, und die Autorin hat einen wirklich sehr fesselnden, angenehmen Schreibstil, der es einem schwer macht, das Buch aus der Hand zu legen.
„Der Narr und das Mädchen“ entführt in die Welt der Theater, der Intrigen und des Verrates, und begeistert mit wunderbar glaubhaften Charakteren und einer fesselnden Geschichte. Absolut empfehlenswert, auch für Leser die sonst mit dem Genre des historischen Romans nicht allzu viel anfangen können. Ein wahrer Buchschatz, und aufgrund der wunderschönen Umschlaggestaltung ein wahres Schmuckstück für jedes Regal.
August 16, 2014
The events of the story are dark and tragic and tinged with magic and superstition. Will Shakespeare hears the story of events in Illyria from Violetta, Feste, and Violetta's kinswoman Maria. Much of the story is given over to those past events. The book is a little short on action as a consequence. The action sequences are fairly brief except for the final confrontation. There is lots of violence and bloodshed and no funny moments. Shakespeare fans and scholars will recognize situations, people and lines from his plays that the reader must believe influenced his works. What I really liked about the book were the descriptions of Illyria and the creation of the culture of that land. I also loved the depiction of Elizabethan England with one foot rooted in superstition. The author weaves in magic and superstition to create a fully believable world. I came to care about Violetta and her homeland but I wanted a bit more action in the story. I felt that it concluded too quickly. Fans of Celia Rees's other books will not be disappointed by this one.
July 21, 2011
Violetta has a story to tell—about the magic of the sea, enchanted relics, and the terror of a city being sacked. A story that just might even grip the greatest storyteller of all. Will Shakespeare.
At least it might if she—and her savior, Feste the clown—play their cards right.
But will their story be gripping enough to keep Violetta alive? With so many people out to kill her?
Celia Rees has a wonderful writing style. Enough drama and danger to get you hooked. Vivid detail. And prose so smooth you forget you’re reading historical fiction.
At least it might if she—and her savior, Feste the clown—play their cards right.
But will their story be gripping enough to keep Violetta alive? With so many people out to kill her?
Celia Rees has a wonderful writing style. Enough drama and danger to get you hooked. Vivid detail. And prose so smooth you forget you’re reading historical fiction.
May 21, 2015
All I can remember is that the writing was gorgeous and the plot inane.
April 17, 2016
After plowing through several chapters but never finding any reason to continue reading, I gave up on this book. I liked the idea of a Shakespearean tale, but this just couldn't deliver.
July 3, 2016
Couldn't finish this book, it was just too slow!
October 16, 2019
I'm an on again-off again fan of Celia Rees. I've always found her writing to be strong and lyrical, and her characters complex, but in a way that tends to bore me.
This one was engaging, but extremely niche.
I happen to have read Twelfth Night several times, for school and for pleasure, along with the majority of Shakespeare's other works. So it was fairly easy for me to follow the characters and plot.
I really don't think the same could be said for anyone less familiar with the play. It's a very high threshold of understanding and enjoyment for someone who doesn't already recognize what's going on from the start, despite the bits of background Rees weaves in.
But on the whole, I'm not sure how much anyone would even want this story, if they weren't already a Shakespeare fan. And since Rees clearly is one, I can't really fault her for making the niche book of her dreams.
That aside, it's a fairly decent book. As a Twelfth Night fan, I'm not sure it's exactly what I would have wanted from a sequel either, but it does achieve that sort of dream-like feel Shakespeare's comedies tend to have, and it does include drama, romance, political intrigue, and fights that are all as engaging as what you might see in an Elizabethan play.
It does have its weak moments, though. The end feels a bit deus-ex-machina'd by one of the few magical realism elements woven into the story, and it does sort of drag here and there. Things end up very twee, which is sort of par for the course for a Shakespearean comedy...But what you mostly notice, in the inevitable comparison here, is the lack of consequence.
In most of Shakespeare's plays, even as you laugh or cheer at the villain's downfall, you do feel a certain sympathy for him or her. They're well-developed characters with meaningful motives in their own right, and while you can recognize their incredible flaws and inherent wrongness, you do feel, even as the heroes win, that someone else has grievously lost. This one...Well, evil is evil, and there's not much more than that.
I don't know that I'd recommend it to anyone who hadn't read and enjoyed Twelfth Night, but if you did, you could check it out. You probably won't like it half as much as the original plot of the play, but you might like it enough.
This one was engaging, but extremely niche.
I happen to have read Twelfth Night several times, for school and for pleasure, along with the majority of Shakespeare's other works. So it was fairly easy for me to follow the characters and plot.
I really don't think the same could be said for anyone less familiar with the play. It's a very high threshold of understanding and enjoyment for someone who doesn't already recognize what's going on from the start, despite the bits of background Rees weaves in.
But on the whole, I'm not sure how much anyone would even want this story, if they weren't already a Shakespeare fan. And since Rees clearly is one, I can't really fault her for making the niche book of her dreams.
That aside, it's a fairly decent book. As a Twelfth Night fan, I'm not sure it's exactly what I would have wanted from a sequel either, but it does achieve that sort of dream-like feel Shakespeare's comedies tend to have, and it does include drama, romance, political intrigue, and fights that are all as engaging as what you might see in an Elizabethan play.
It does have its weak moments, though. The end feels a bit deus-ex-machina'd by one of the few magical realism elements woven into the story, and it does sort of drag here and there. Things end up very twee, which is sort of par for the course for a Shakespearean comedy...But what you mostly notice, in the inevitable comparison here, is the lack of consequence.
In most of Shakespeare's plays, even as you laugh or cheer at the villain's downfall, you do feel a certain sympathy for him or her. They're well-developed characters with meaningful motives in their own right, and while you can recognize their incredible flaws and inherent wrongness, you do feel, even as the heroes win, that someone else has grievously lost. This one...Well, evil is evil, and there's not much more than that.
I don't know that I'd recommend it to anyone who hadn't read and enjoyed Twelfth Night, but if you did, you could check it out. You probably won't like it half as much as the original plot of the play, but you might like it enough.
May 7, 2021
This story is a nod to the twelfth night and its characters and of course William Shakespeare.
Violetta the Duchessa (the equivalent of a young princess), has fled her home country to come to London in search of a holy relic taken from her home in Illyria so that she can restore it to her people. She has the companionship of Feste, her clown from childhood. When they meet playwright William Shakespeare, their fortunes finally seem to turn around.
I adore Celia Rees’s writing. She captures the past magnificently. Her descriptions are always rich and details. Pirates and Witch Child are phenomenal books, I would highly recommend both. However…
The fool’s Girl, I really struggled with. It just took me a long time to settle into the story. The characters and timeline jump back and forth (which is quite normal for both the historical fiction genre and Celia Rees’s writing) but on this occasion, it left me struggling to keep up and pinpoint what was going on.
Once I got into the story, I did enjoy it. The action was great, the love story was enjoyable as was the characters introduced. The historical landscape of London was really visibly brought to life and I was of course left really intrigued by Illyria.
I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:
Overall View: I begrudgingly gave this a four-star but in reality, for me, it was a bit less, 3 and a half would be more accurate. A mixed bag, great writing, loved the historical aspects but just a lot of effort upfront to get to the good bits.
Violetta the Duchessa (the equivalent of a young princess), has fled her home country to come to London in search of a holy relic taken from her home in Illyria so that she can restore it to her people. She has the companionship of Feste, her clown from childhood. When they meet playwright William Shakespeare, their fortunes finally seem to turn around.
I adore Celia Rees’s writing. She captures the past magnificently. Her descriptions are always rich and details. Pirates and Witch Child are phenomenal books, I would highly recommend both. However…
The fool’s Girl, I really struggled with. It just took me a long time to settle into the story. The characters and timeline jump back and forth (which is quite normal for both the historical fiction genre and Celia Rees’s writing) but on this occasion, it left me struggling to keep up and pinpoint what was going on.
Once I got into the story, I did enjoy it. The action was great, the love story was enjoyable as was the characters introduced. The historical landscape of London was really visibly brought to life and I was of course left really intrigued by Illyria.
I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:
VIOLETTA
…Until the year when I was ten years old and everything changed. At the end of each summer, the palace was closed up and we went back to the city. I saw less of Stephano during the winter, but that year he did not appear at the summer palace at all.
‘Sebastian has claimed him,’ Lady Olivia said. ‘Made him his page. He wants to make a man of him.’ She laughed but there were tears in her eyes as she said it.
I missed him sorely, but I hid my sorrow in the way that children do. I always had Feste to teach me new tricks and laugh me out of my misery. He’s no child, but he can enter into a child’s world.
Overall View: I begrudgingly gave this a four-star but in reality, for me, it was a bit less, 3 and a half would be more accurate. A mixed bag, great writing, loved the historical aspects but just a lot of effort upfront to get to the good bits.
June 28, 2018
This strange brew of history, Shakespeare, and fantasy bubbles with rich, vivid prose, but never forms into something compelling of its own. Readers who are familiar with Shakespeare's works will enjoy spotting the myriad ways his plots and characters are woven into the fabric of this story, but the borrowing is so widespread and little-disguised that the novelty wears off long before the first third of the book. The dark grittiness that the book frequently employs, especially when dealing with the aftermath of a city's invasion, is at odds with the fanciful air of some of the other passages, such as the peacetime descriptions of Illryia or the Forest of Arden. The story's worst fault, however, is that most of its main characters never go beyond brightly painted cardboard cutouts. No matter how much description and backstory Violetta got, I never could relate to her character. She was always at a distance. Stephano and Guido are far worse, and the early promise of Todd peeters out by the end. The storyline plays with which love interest is trustworthy, and while the author successfully kept me guessing, she did so at the expense of making any of them actually likable. Way too much of the narrative is spent on Violetta slipping off for soft-focus makeout (or more) sessions with a guy that I was just as happy to see dead.
The only character that really shines in this story is Shakespeare. The author offers a compelling portrait of a man of sharp insight into human nature and a love of imagery and words, whose artistic nature is constantly being balanced by the more pragmatic concerns of running a theatrical company, meeting the demands of patrons, and being drawn into political concerns he'd much rather stay out of. I loved Rees' interpretation of Shakespeare, but I would much rather have seen him in a more grounded story about events that might have actually happened.
The only character that really shines in this story is Shakespeare. The author offers a compelling portrait of a man of sharp insight into human nature and a love of imagery and words, whose artistic nature is constantly being balanced by the more pragmatic concerns of running a theatrical company, meeting the demands of patrons, and being drawn into political concerns he'd much rather stay out of. I loved Rees' interpretation of Shakespeare, but I would much rather have seen him in a more grounded story about events that might have actually happened.
January 28, 2021
I thought this was an alright book. I love the idea of the story, but it took so long to get into the book. I like the characters, but the plot took so long to get going. It was not until the end of the book where it became action packed and a page turner. I like the idea of the book being told from different points of view. Violetta is one of my favorite characters and I also love the idea of having Will Shakespeare. And having a story behind one of his most famous plays Twelfth Night.
August 12, 2022
Found it by chance at the library and had no expectations - except that I LOVE her earlier book Pirates! - and what an amazing read it was! History, London and Shakespeare, what a treat, this is definitely a new favourite of mine.
The pace is quite slow and there is a lot of walking and talking, mixed with scenery and romantic descriptions, which did it for me.
The ending felt a bit rushed, but other than that I have no complaints.
The pace is quite slow and there is a lot of walking and talking, mixed with scenery and romantic descriptions, which did it for me.
The ending felt a bit rushed, but other than that I have no complaints.
June 24, 2021
This book was the perfect love story. It was full of love for Shakespeare's storytelling, his mysterious life, and his beautifully realized characters. As a fan of the Twelfth Night, this book allowed me to play along and live in the magic of the tale. I understand that it isn't a story for everyone but a lover of the Bard will enjoy the moments lived in this novel.
November 24, 2016
In the end I couldn't read this book with love, mostly because it was not as interesting as I'd hoped! The characters are forgettable and the book just makes you want to put it down but well,the idea was good!!
February 24, 2018
DNF
To the thrift store with thee.
I usually like Celia Rees, and Twelfth Night is my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, so I was sure this would be a winner.
I was wrong.
To the thrift store with thee.
I usually like Celia Rees, and Twelfth Night is my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, so I was sure this would be a winner.
I was wrong.
September 30, 2019
This was a very interesting premise but I just couldn't get into it. It seems The Fool's Girl is a book for a specific type of reader and I'm just not it.
January 14, 2020
I was intrigued by the concept since I love all things Shakespeare but the pace of the book was just to disjointed and slow for me to really enjoy the book.
March 11, 2020
Dull. The characters were hard to relate to. The ending was predictable.
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