Customer Reviews (1)

A classic in its field
This book is a standard as a survey of mission history in China, beginning with the work of the Nestorians in the seventh century, to the Franciscans, and an extensive coverage of the work of the Jesuits.Cary-Elwes incorporates some extended quotes from works that had not yet been translated into English, which is quite helpful in bringing the human element into this history. I found this to be a delightful read: scholarly work, but not "dry as dust" history. ... Read more

Product Description
Arriving home disillusioned from the Crusades, Hugh discovers that his village has been ransacked and his wife abducted by knights in search of a relic worth more than any throne in Europe. Only by taking on the role of a jester is he able to infiltrate his enemy's castle, where he thinks his wife is captive.With the unstoppable pace and plot of a page-turning Alex Cross novel, THE JESTER is a breathtakingly romantic, pulse-pounding adventure-one that could only be conjured by the mind of James Patterson. Everyone who has ever hoped for good to defeat evil or for love to conquer all will not be able to stop turning the pages of this masterful novel of virtue, laughter-yes, laughter-and suspense. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (303)

its great
i was surprised when i went to look at the reviews to see that there were many that didnt like this book. i think that most of them are people that like james pattersons thriller mystery stuff. funny thing is that this is the first book by him that ive read. but ive really liked it. its got a great main character. i guess many people that dont like the book are ones that only like to read information about facts. of course im a historical novel buff but i have to have a great story and meaningful characters. and this story has both. so to anyone whos looking to read a book with a lot of heart and wants a cast of characters that have feelings...this is a good one to pick up. please dont listen to the negative reviews of this one. yes the chapters are short...but is that really a reason to judge a book? give it a try i think you will like it. :)

So good, I Couldn't Put It Down
A friend recommended this to me as being Patterson's best book, and now that I have read it, I agree. It is part Braveheart, part Gladiator. Hugh De Luc runs a small village inn with his beautiful young wife. But the tyrannical Lord Baldwin and his minions terrorize the village and exact huge taxes and kill and torture citizens. Hugh De Luc goes to war to fight for a better world, only to be disillusioned by the violence. He comes home to find that he has a young son who was killed and that his wife was abducted. He goes on a single minded mission to find her, becoming a jester so that he can infiltrate Baldwin's court. Along the way, he is aided by a beautiful noble woman and a wise old jester.

The book is about love, loyalty, and the dream of a world at peace. One of the best books I've ever read.

It was Fun
There is little to no personality in most of the characters, they are developed little beyond simply being what their archetype (the hero, the beautiful maiden, the greedy duke, etc.) would be expected to be, with the possible exception of the protagonist who, since we're told the story from his point of view, lets us see his struggle with belief in God while fighting in the Crusades. Still, the personalities of the characters in the story are not particularly interesting.

No attempt is made to make the dialogue resemble eleventh century dialect, it is written in modern speech, with most of the Jester's jokes sounding like the sort of things you'd hear at a Renaissance Faire.

I mention those two paragraphs at the beginning, because as long as you can get past that, the book is a very fun read. The focus is not on character development or historical accuracy, the focus is on the action and plot progression. The story moves very fast, you're never left waiting for something to happen.

The story itself is fairly straightforward: the good guys are clearly good and the bad guys are clearly bad, no attempt is made at moral ambiguity (generally something I view as a fault, but something I can accept in light reading), and the story consists of watching to see what new terrible thing the bad guys will do to the good guy's loved ones to fuel the conflict and then watching the good guys prevail.

The book plays heavily the themes of corrupted power and authority, and how power affects the common man's life. The book seems like it wants to say something about religion, but throughout the book it seems content never to clearly endorse or condemn it one way or the other.

Basically, if you're looking for a deep read, you obviously won't find it here; if you're looking for a light, fun read then The Jester is a good choice.

the Jester,
The first couple of Chapters had me a little confused, but once I got into the book, I continued and can't wait to finish. I like the writing. Easy to read. Quite interesting how this character gets in and out of trouble.

outstanding
I have not read anything else by Patterson, so I am not sure what his fans expect from his work.However, I did purchase this for a long road trip, and was exceptionally pleased.I have listened to it a second time as I did a house reorganization project.I Loved the vivid details that allowed for such a clear picture, and the story was well developed with a thick plot.I have to say this is on the top of my list for all audio books I have chosen for many road trips.I have recommended it to several friends as well. ... Read more