Rating: 
Summary: Great comeback
Review: The story was a welcome relief from James Patterson's latest efforts. The narrative moved along and the characters seemed more interesting. The novel is in the same spirit as Pillars of the Earth by Jeffrey Archer, being set in the time of the Crusades.
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying
Review: I like historical novels. I had never read a book by this author, but thought I would chance it, given the subject matter. I may never finish it, though, because the writing is awful. The dialogue is especially bad. I would guess that it is written for, or by, an adolescent. Pass it up.
Rating: 
Summary: The Jester
Review: BOOOOOOO! to you Mr. Patterson. Your writing becomes worse and worse. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE LAST NOVEL OF YOURS I WILL BUY. Shame on you.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: I enjoyed this book. As a busy mom, with not alot of time to devote to endless chapters ("Mom, can you help me?" "When I am done with this chapter."), I found his quick pace and short chapters enjoyable as well as the plots and the jokes that accompany it. Just an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun book to read
Review: I usually do not read james patterson. I took a chance a decided to read it and I finished it, in a weekend!
This book is about an inn keeper who sets his sites on earning his freedom by joing a war he did not believe in. Little does he know the tragedy lies ahead. During battle he realizes his need for his wife and returns home to discover his home burned down. What happened to his wife? (There is a twist there I don't want to give it away)
In search for her he discover his dired need to amend the wrong that was done to him. His movement becomes a movement of freedom for the wrongs the there lieges have done.
There are a few twist here and there especially toward the end. If you enjoy the middle age fiction you will like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very average book
Review: The jester is an entertaining book while at the same time extremely forgettable. We follow the Jester Hugh as he tries to lead a revolt against royalty, find true love, and preserve a religious artifact.Every thing about this novel is formula driven and there are no surprises. Even the historical detail wasn't that fascinating because it was so narrow in scope. This story could have been set in the 21st century and it would have worked just as well (with a few modifications). This book is more in-depth that some of Patterson's efforts and the characters aren't as dumb as Alex Cross has become. Read this if you have the time, otherwise, don't.
Rating:
Summary: Return to the past
Review: I loved the book-from beginning to end-The mystery surrounding the special"find "from ther past to the pleasant suprise ending. I thought the characters were well written and the book reflected a time when life was a struggle-to live, to eat -it was not easy. James Patterson & Andrew Gross did a splendid job of making the old seem new. I read this book in one day and was sad when it ended
Rating:
Summary: The Downward Spiral Continues
Review: Strange things are afoot with James Patterson's writing. He was once one of the greatest suspense novelists in the game, his books rivaling those of Sandford, Cornwell, and Grisham. Today however, quality has taken a backseat to quantity, and the suspense simply isn't there. His new "partner writing" trick is not serving him well, and all apprentices should be fired immediately. As for the whole premise of the book, it sounds like something out of a bad romance novel you'd see in the Harlequin section at Wal-Mart. This man is supposed to be writing detective stories, not books about men gallovanting across the countryside looking for their lady. The Jester begins in a small French village in the early days of the Crusades. Our hero, Hugh leaves his wife to join the fight against the nobility. In the first 100 pages of introduction, he meets several semi-interesting souls, who stay with him throughout the book. When he returns home, he learns that his wife was kidnapped by the evil right hand man of a king. In order to get her back, he sets off toward his castle. Along the way, he meets a young woman who aids him on his quest. With her help, he infiltrates the fortress where his wife is being held under the guise of the court jester. Weighing in at nearly 500 pages, the novel is far too long. The descriptions of every last minute detail are not needed, and take forever to get through. This could be forgiven if the storyline were not so completely predictable. Roughly halfway through the book, a light bulb goes off above the reader's head, and the story turns out just as everyone expects it to. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. If you insist upon reading it, get it at your local library, it's not worth the paper it's printed on!
Rating:
Summary: A 180 degree turn from the Alex Cross novels
Review: It's really hard to believe that this is the same James Patterson behind the Alex Cross series. The writing style is completely different (although that may be due to the influence of his co-author, Andrew Gross), and compared to the Cross novels, extremely simplistic. But that does not detract from the story being told, which is in its own way just as full of suspense as any of the Cross books. The plot has already been described in other reviews, so I won't rehash it here. I will say that despite its style the book is extremely well-written and the story is quite easy to follow. There are no sudden revelations, except at the end. But that revelation is somewhat far-fetched, even though hinted at throughout the book - and that, plus the simplistic writing style, and the fact that Patterson and Gross use modern idioms thoroughout the story, prevents me from giving "The Jester" a five-star rating.
Rating:
Summary: If it had pictures...
Review: it would be a comic book. Shallow characters, beyond belief.
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