An Antic Disposition

by Alan Gordon | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0312300964 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 3/2/2017
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, March 2, 2017
I got this fair-condition ex-library hardcover from Better World Books. I've been enjoying the series, which starts with Thirteenth Night, and wanted to read them all!

This one's a bit of a change of pace, as most of the story is a flashback to a case from decades before, as recounted to Feste and company by Father Gerald while the Fools Guild is in hiding from Pope Innocent III. (They do tend to mess around in political matters, and sometimes those in power decide to strike back.) But this story is set in Denmark during its civil war, in which a dead king is replaced by his brother, who marries the widow, to the dissatisfaction of the son... Sound familiar? Oh, yes!

In addition to the fun-with-cultural-references there are the usual detailed historical elements and accurate period detail - and the witty banter, though as this tale predates the relationship of Feste and his wife, we only get to enjoy their chat during the intermittent present-day scenes.

Despite that, it's a dandy story, with intrigue and heartbreak and tragedy - and with some highly significant ramifications for Feste...

I enjoyed this very much, including the mental exercise of trying to work out which characters from the back-story would be significant to our heroes - and which of many (many, many) different identities would turn out to belong to which of the key figures in the tale.

There are too many wonderfully quotable bits to cite without bringing in the whole book, but one of my favorites had to do with an aside from one of the Fools Guild children while listening to the story. Distraught at the body-count in the final act - er, chapter - of Gerald's tale, he wails "What good is a story where everyone dies?" But Gerald points out that the tale isn't over yet... as I suspected, given what I know of the Fools Guild by now!

The author's historical notes at the end are worth reading too, as they reveal some of the sources for this - and for Shakespeare's version of the story .

[There's a TV Tropes page on the series.]

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Bow St. (See Notes For Details) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, November 5, 2017

Released 6 yrs ago (11/5/2017 UTC) at Bow St. (See Notes For Details) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I plan to leave this book in or near Moxy restaurant (on Penhallow, off of Bow St.) this evening, while stopping by for dinner. Hope the finder enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2017 E-less release challenge. ***

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