Rating: 
Summary: Another amazing work of art
Review: James Patterson has to be the most addictive novelist that I've had the pleasure of reading. His books suck me in and I'm right there the whole time, as if I had been written in myself. In the month or so that I've been reading his books, I've read most of them. A few I'm still waiting on.
When I first started reading "The Jester" I was thinking that I may not like it, it's a bit off the beaten path for Patterson, but after I read the first few chapters, I couldn't get enough.
Once again, Patterson has proved why it is that he's a bestselling author. I will be recommending his books to everyone I encounter for a long time to come!
Rating: 
Summary: Boooooring!
Review: I've listened to two of the eight cassettes in this book, and I've finally decided to stop. I'm too bored to continue. I borrowed it from my library, and there are several people waiting to listen to it. Too bad that I can't warn the other patrons to forget it!
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: I usually enjoy Patterson but his one was just not able to hold my interest. It is still sitting here half finished. Maybe one of these days when I run out of reading material I will finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: The Jester
Review: This book combines solid historical backdrop and great storytelling ability. The jester, a humble man made great by passion and needs, rises above his own renenge. He shows his townspeople that freedom must be first claimed and then defended. A colorful medival story with love, the crusades, villians, a dwarf and of course a hero.
Rating: 
Summary: The Jester is a loser
Review: Very few times have I started a book, got half way thru it and gave up. The book stinks, To use modern day terms in a time period such as this book was in, is really dumb! An example, calling some one a "Dick", as if they used that term in the Biblical times. I have and will continue to read James Patterson,but if this book is at a garage sale for [money amount], don't bother to buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: First Stab at Historical
Review: James Patterson takes his first stab at historical genre with co-author Andrew Gross in a medievial tale set in 11th century where an impoverished inn-keeper Hugh De Luc decides to fulfil his destiny in joining The Crusades to Jerusalem. Patterson's punchy style sets the frenetic pace of the tale and pitches the massacre with action and violence. He arrives back to discover his wife Sophie and son kidnapped by black 'faceless' men. Hugh battles his way in search of his wife and leads the townspeople to revolt against two oppressive dukes. Little did he know that Filled with doses of humour and warmth, Patterson's characters shine with wits and intelligence regardless of the genre. Though the history in the book comes across as fleeting, it is nonetheless an entertaining romp galvanized with energy.
Rating:
Summary: Primitive trash
Review: I like historical fiction, and I was deceived by the editorial review. This book would do for an early teenage boy audience, if it had less graphic descriptions of gore, violence, and sexual actions. The editorial review pointed out that one could learn about medieval life from this book. All I could learn that they often had sex (in various ways), many of them enjoyed sadistic torture, murder and rape, and that contemporary ladies were not offended by the outpouring dirty jokes jesters indulged their audiences. Indeed, much of the book consisted of nothing but these three components, and heavily loaded with foul language. The plot was simple-minded, and far from being original. The punchline (the identity of Lady Emilie) was obvious well ahead of the "revelation". The style of the book hits a new low. Most of it is written in the first person, as if the book was written by Hugh de Luc, the Jester/Inn-keeper. Well, he might have written it, because it does not read like anything written by a professional writer. The reason I know it was not written by Hugh de Luc is that he would have been less contemporary in his "insights" and jokes. Oh, yes, the jokes. I knew most of them - or at least a variation of them. It seems that there is nothing new under the sun, and the same jokes make (some) people laugh for over a thousand years. Or is it perhaps (?) the other way around, and the authors waste pages on borrowed contemporary jokes dressed in a jester's costume? The book was supposed to be a page-turner. To make sure it happened (and not to exhaust the limited attention span of a certain segment of the reader population) the chapters were very brief. To be sure, one could write a page-turner also by captivating the reader, and keeping him/her engaged with excellent story-telling and style. The short chapters are poor substitute for literary quality. Some of the chapters were not written in the first person. These chapters were disperesed throughout the book to describe events the Jester could not have known, and were written by "the authors". The mixing of the two viewpoints was not confusing, but was an easy way to escape the difficulties inherent in telling the story from the viewpoint of the main character. I was not convinced that this mixed form of storyline works well, but it certainly was not stylish. At least that's a consistent feature of the book. I can't believe that this book was intended to serve any other purpose than to cater to the least common denominator in order to sell more copies and to make more money. In fact, I found "financial incentive" attached to the pages of the book to promote it among my friends. Unfortunately, the book's trashy values ('values' may not be the right expression) just make a negative dent on some developing readers' aesthetic concepts. I am happy to decline the financial gain. Knowing my friends, I could not recommend this book to any of them. I would lose their respect for good... I took this book to the beach, and although I thoroughly despised it, I forced myself to read it from cover to cover. That way, at least, I could honestly write my opinion about it. I would strongly recommend anyone against wasting money on this piece of trash. Some commented that this book was prime Patterson. If this is prime, how bad are the rest? I think I read two books by him, when I read The Jester. The first and the last. I just can't see myself spending on any of his books.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A GREAT BOOK!!!
Review: i LOVED THIS BOOK. IT WAS MY FIRST JAMES PATTERSON BOOK, MY HUSBAND IS READING IT NOW, IT'S HIS FIRST JAMES PATTERSON BOOK AS WELL. jUST A GREAT STORY WHILE ASLEEP I WOULD DREAM ABOUT IT AND THEN HAVE TO WAKE UP AND READ THE REST.
Rating:
Summary: 20th century plot filled in a 11th century bottle
Review: I doubt that any research at all had been done about the 11th century that this book is supposed to have pictured.
The plot is too boring and monotonous.
I just cannot understand why so many people - judging from the number of reviews - bought this book.
Spend your money on Michael Crichton's timeline instead.
Rating:
Summary: AWFUL!
Review: If I could give this book a zero rating I would. It is awful...trite plot, shallow characters, endless blood and gore, which, in many cases, doesn't advance the plot...just seems to fill time/pages.
I LOVE the Alex Cross series, but James Patterson should be taken out and beaten for this one. Over-blown plot line and silly hypothesis.
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