Rating: 
Summary: 11th Century France meets "Speed"
Review: Though I do love mystery novels, I've never taken the mainstream route and given James Patterson a try. Now I understand why he is so popular. What makes this book special is the blend of nice historical setting with a smoothly compelling, easy reading style.The Crusades do not generally make for light reading. Our modern sensibilities grate at the medieval attitude toward infidels, and the practice of sending unskilled, barely armed innocents to be slaughtered far from home. Patterson's zippy style lightens 11th Century France to such a level that any fiction fan can enjoy this book. It felt like watching the movie "Speed"-momentum kept me turning pages, though I guessed at large chunks of the plot well ahead of their appearances. The hero, Hugh, is a thoroughly modern man struggling against medieval law and custom. He balks at the epidemic injustice inflicted upon peasants owned by noble lords, and first absents himself to the Crusades in an attempt at freedom. Of course, history reveals that the Good Lord did not smoothe the way for European Crusaders. Hugh's ugly experiences in the Holy Land only turn him back home to the loving wife he left behind. The horrors of war chafe even more than the bonds of serfdom. Back home, the nobles have been up to their usual evil ways, and Hugh finds his town and family ruined. Like Michael Douglas in "Falling Down", he's had all he can take and the rules of life no longer seem to apply. Hugh sets out in a borderline berzerker state to avenge his family, and, symbolically, all indentured people like him. A helpful noblewoman is the one to suggest that a fool-the jester of the title-might be an excellent pretext for infiltrating high society to gain access to those to whom Hugh's sworn revenge. The story runs quickly and is compelling. While not a complex historical to rival Clavell's "Shogun" or Iain Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost", a serious reader of historicals might find this a perfect beach or airplane book. There are no glaring or offensive historical inaccuracies to insult the sophisticated reader, though that delightful sense of being completely absorbed into another time is also somewhat less. I'm left with only one real complaint. The book opens in modern-day France, where an archaeological find has just been discovered in the grave of a jester. Though an excellent opener, the book never comes back to our time at the end, nor does it make any other use of the information from those first few pages. It feels like a clever hook was used to get us into the story, but the authors never bothered to tie it thoroughly in. As a devoted historical fiction fan, I jumped at the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of "The Jester" by James Patterson. I work in a bookstore, and being able to comment on Patterson's latest will be a great benefit to my customers. I do not regret the experience, and I would happily spend more time in future with some of Patterson's other work.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: This book is totally engrossing. I listened to it while commuting in my car and it made the time fly by.
I'm a Patterson fan and wasn't sure I'd like a historical novel, but the story is wonderful, full of great characters.
Rating:
Summary: A middle age masterpiece
Review: I loved this book!!! it was quite a change from Patterson's usual novels
I felt for hugh when his poor wife and son were murdred and the revenge he seeked . The battle scenes are straight out of
Braveheart . if you love historical fiction you will love this book .
Rating:
Summary: Bravo for this Book - when does it become a movie!
Review: I loved this book, the story had a great flow and gave the reader details of the time period with the story, rather than having pages of dull dry details of what life was like in the middle ages.
The battle scenes are well written and the story makes you want to keep going to find out "what happens next"
I think that those who do not like this book are the ones who are fans of the mystery style of Mr Patterson's work.
This book could easily becime a movie.
I hope he writes another of this style - I will be first in line for it!
Rating:
Summary: James knows how to write
Review: If you expect in this book a thriller like The Da Vinci Code you will be very disappointed. You have to read this book like a novel, or better like a love story which doesn't have anything to do with reality. I'm pretty sure that JP didn't make any investigation to write this book. He just wrote a novel to entertain his readers and he made it quite good. Don't expect to learn something out of this book, just sit down, read and enjoy the book. It's worth every word in it
Rating: 
Summary: Medieval Skit
Review: I had never read anything before by James Patterson...and based on this book, I never will again! Perhaps his contemporary novels don't grate on the nerves quite so jarringly? I had picked this book up because I'm interested in the Crusades era, and thought that this one sounded interesting from the description and the glowing reviews. What a disappointment. The story is set during the Crusades, but the characters act and speak in contemporary ways. The medieval setting is as shallow and unbelievable as a painted backdrop for a high school skit. The plot barrels along at breakneck speed, so I suppose if you want something quick and diverting to read on an airplane, this might be adequate. However, if you want a fascinating book that immerses you in medieval times with realistic characters...this isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Great and Original!!!!!
Review: Although this is off Patterson's usual beaten path, it is a wonderful read!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Midieval Mythology
Review: 'The Jester' tells the story of a inn keeper turned crusader that finds he doesn't have the taste for the Crusades and leaves the Holy Land for home. When he returns to France, he discovers the Inn he and his wife, Sophie, had built has been burnt to the ground. Worse, he discovers that his wife has been carried away by rebellious knights. Seeking revenge, Hugh (the inn keeper) sets off in a fury weilding only a staff he picked up during the crusades. A fair lady attendant of the wife of a local baron rescues him from trouble and sets him up with the pretext of the role of a Jester to further his plot...
James Patterson teams up with Andrew Gross to bring us this novel. Readers of Patterson's other works, such as the Alex Cross series, will be familiar with the usual plot twists and short chapters that make his books page turners. However, although this book is set in the eleventh century, and the bibliography of sources the authors used suggests they did they research, it doesn't have the ring of historical accuracy. The story seems to have been modernized for current tastes, with the most notable example being the language.
Overall, the book is enjoyable. The plot is not entirely complex, and in a few points, somewhat predictable. My biggest gripe is that the authors would have us believe Hugh would be surprised to find that his wife was missing and his inn burnt down after the book starts with a scene of Knights doing just that in Hugh's presence when others had left for a "people's crusade." The language is frequently coarse, and there are some highly explicit sexual descriptions and violent encounters. I wouldn't recommend this novel for young readers, but older readers looking for a quick read should enjoy this.
Rating:
Summary: Fiction, yes. Historical? Only as a backdrop.
Review: I picked up this story hoping for historical fiction, that is, insight into another era using a storyline as a tool to stir interest.
What I found was --- blah. Predictable storyline, no character development, an egocentric "hero," 7th grade bathroom humor lacking any subtlety, and no more insight into history than one gathers as general knowledge through movies.
Where is the author that can write a true historical fiction on the middle ages, with the same depth and insight as found with Pearl S Buck and China? Please tell me!
However, if you're looking for a lot of brutal violence, template romance and tiresome "sex" jokes, and only care to spend 2 minutes per chapter, here is your book!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous historical fiction.
Review: This was my first James Patterson book and I loved it! Impossible to put down, Jester torments you with it's realistic portrayal of life in medeival times and the Crusades. I recommend this book to everyone who likes historical fiction. I guess some people did not realize that this is not strictly a murder mystery like Patterson books seem to be, but it is much more interesting than that! This book has war, violence, romance, and beauty. It is a poignant and epic classic.
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