The Fool's Girl Hardcover – Bargain Price, July 20, 2010

A mild and slightly depressing retelling of a classic comedy. The character development is crude, and there were really no tense or exciting moments. The imagery helps make up for the the lack of character complexity and blasé story development. Overall it was a mildly amusing distraction occasionally bordering on tedious.

I love how the story of twelfth night continues on with the children. Shakespeare is a major part in this story. Feste is also here....I thought it was a retelling, but it's like a sequel. Very detailed and well written.

Not gripping like some of her others. Still haven't finished it.

Another great read from Celia Rees. Sovay was the first of her books I read and I fell in love. I recommend both books!

One of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint!

The better you know Shakespeare's comedies "Twelfth Night, ""As You Like It," and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the more you will get out of this ambitious and intriguing story for teen readers. The first part of the book wobbles as bit, changing narrators and mixing present action with gritty flashbacks. Once the story settles down (however implausibly) in Shakespeare's London, it becomes more centered, eventually turning into a real page-turner.Celia Rees does a masterful job of bringing to life William Shakespeare, his troupe of actors, and his wife Anne. She creates a convincing picture of the intrigues of the Elizabethan court and the landscape of southern England. Unfortunately, the Illyrian characters, including the heroine, Violetta, are a little less real, even (I hate to say it) a little Disneyfied, and so are their enemies. On the other hand, the denizens of the Stratford area are delightfully Tolkien-esque (the books, not the movies).I suspect "The Fool's Girl" is a book that will be even more enjoyable on a second reading, when one knows where the story is heading.There are many other YA books about Shakespeare and his acting troupe; including Susan Cooper's time-travel story "King of Shadows" and Harry Turtledove's alternative-history "Ruled Britannia." A thoughtful young reader might want to read and compare several of these. They all have a similar message, that Shakespeare could not have written such enduring masterpieces if he had not been a deeply humane, compassionate, and courageous person.

Twelfth Night was the first Shakespeare play I ever saw, and it remains my very favorite. I was in seventh grade and had been nervous about my own capacity to understand Shakespeare's language. But as soon as the local university production of the comedy began, I was instantly hooked by the romance, the humor, the mistaken identities --- and, yes, by the language, too. The quick-witted Viola, the pompous Malvolio with his ridiculous yellow stockings, the boisterous Sir Toby Belch, and the surprisingly complicated Fool, Feste, all combined to make me fall in love with the Bard.And apparently I'm not alone in my affection for Twelfth Night. Popular author Celia Rees has used the play as the inspiration for her new novel, THE FOOL'S GIRL, providing in her typically detailed, well-researched style both a sequel of sorts to the play and a dramatic explanation of how and why Shakespeare chose to dramatize this story.Short version of Shakespeare's play: Shipwreck victim Viola washes ashore, disguises herself as a boy to gain entry to the court of Duke Orsino, who pines for the countess Olivia even as Viola secretly longs for Orsino himself. When he sends the disguised Viola to plight his troth, Olivia falls for the young messenger instead. Much confusion ensues, but ultimately Orsino and Viola are wed, as are Olivia and Viola's long-lost twin brother, Sebastian.In Rees's novel, Illyria, where Twelfth Night is set, is a real place, known primarily for its possession of a holy relic, the container in which one of the Magi brought a gift to the infant Jesus. But Malvolio, who, since the events eventually memorialized by Shakespeare, has become not only arrogant but also cruel, has stolen the relic and, in the wake of a rebellion staged by Sebastian, left Illyria for England with prisoners in tow. He's bent on seizing another mystical item --- a fortune-telling stone --- and on making life as miserable as possible for Violetta (daughter of Orsino and Viola) and Stephano (son of Olivia and Sebastian). Violetta, accompanied by Feste, is determined to retrieve the relic and restore it to her home country (and, she hopes, restore Illyria's fortunes as well). She and Feste have hatched a plan for the young playwright William Shakespeare to help them. But is it possible that Violetta's childhood friend Stephano has betrayed her? Can she trust him with her secrets --- and with her heart?Rees's affection for Shakespeare's play shines through every page of THE FOOL'S GIRL. She has provided readers with countless well-researched details about Shakespeare's London, the culture of Elizabethan performance, and the plays themselves. Told in an engaging narrative style that travels forward and backward chronologically and that allows a half-dozen characters to share storytelling duties, the novel unfolds briskly and suspensefully. Like Shakespeare's plays, it treads the line between lyrical and bawdy, as Rees uses earthy humor that would undoubtedly have appealed to Shakespeare's audiences as much as it will to the youth of today.Although THE FOOL'S GIRL will be of most interest to students who have already read Shakespeare's play, it can still be read and enjoyed by those who long for romance, drama, and a heady mix of history, magic and literature. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Violetta and her companion, Feste, are far away from home. Memories of Illyria and the state in which they left the country haunt their dreams. Their quest is daunting - perhaps impossible.An ancient relic, considered sacred by the Illyrian people, has been stolen. The evil Malvolio has left Illyria in shambles and run off with the holy artifact. It is Violetta's duty as noblewoman to restore Illyria to greatness, but can it be done?Violetta and Feste must devise a plan, and they will need the help of many people to complete their task.Celia Rees has put an interesting spin on Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT. The story is told from several different characters point of view, including that of William Shakespeare himself. In exchange for Violetta's story, Shakespeare vows to help her find the missing relic and deliver her safely back to Illyria.Young female readers will appreciate Violetta's strength and courage. She is willing to do anything to restore her country and its people. This is definitely a great addition to Rees' already outstanding body of work.Reviewed by: LadyJay

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: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.

I hugely enjoyed this book. Whether you know and love Twelfth Night and its characters or not, I still think you'd find this enjoyable. The characters are well-drawn, the story arc of what happens to the characters of Twelfth Night after the play ends is very believable, and the new characters are great.A must-read for anybody who likes Shakespeare, Celia Rees, strong heroines, and/or Elizabethan England.

No problems as expected.

Love it.