Foolscap: Or, The Stages of Love [Paperback]

Michael Malone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Young drama professor Theo Ryan's life is turned upside down when he meets Joshua "Ford" Rexford-America's most acclaimed playwright and the most impossible and most talented man he's ever encountered. Because of Ford's influence, a journey begins that encompasses quirky scholars, bickering university faculty, the Renaissance giant Sir Walter Raleigh and, of course, ingenious plays.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In top comedic form, Malone follows a North Carolina English professor's merry chase across the Atlantic after a play of his that has been purloined.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- Embarrassed by his past, Theo Ryan, professor of Renaissance drama, tries to hide the fact that he is the child of ``show-biz'' parents. He literally and figuratively pursues his own play, Foolscap , when the only copy of his script is stolen by Ford Rexford, American playwright and international scoundrel. As Theo tries to retrieve his masterpiece, he travels to England where he meets the famous and eccentric scholar, Dame Winifred Throckmorton, as well as the equally bizarre Jones Marsh. The novel satirizes the worlds of academe, the theater, and the English privileged class. It is an inviting blend of character study, intrigue, and theater lore. It's a book for those interested in writing, theater, or having a good laugh.
- Patricia Bowers, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570717575
• ISBN-13: 978-1570717574
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,429,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, inspiring and daffy, October 2, 2002

By 

Kathy Napierala "kncpep" (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Foolscap: Or, The Stages of Love (Paperback)

I first read Foolscap in its hardcover release and was taken with its blend of wacky plot, warm-hearted character development and erudite but accessible literary and historical reference.

As the years have gone by, I find myself returning to the book when I need a good kick in the butt - it makes a marvelous case for taking chances and believing in yourself in order to build a rich, satisfying life.

Also, Michael Malone has a talent for creating some of the most attractive male characters I've ever come across. Theo Ryan from this book and Cuddy and Justin from the Hillston series are great guys to spend some time with.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great academic satire, July 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Foolscap: Or, The Stages of Love (Paperback)

As a former academic, I loved this book! Malone does a great job revealing the lunacies which characterize modern academia. The professors at Cavendish University will be very familiar to anyone who has spent any time at all at an American university.

The story itself is also quite fun---even if you aren't a fan of Walter Raleigh (as Malone clearly is---this is not his first book to discuss Raleigh).

Malone has a great sense of humor and the book, which follows the exploits of Theo Ryan, mild-mannered professor turned literary forger, is the kind which makes you laugh out loud. Avoid reading this in public unless you are comfortable having people watch you suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational academic parody, August 24, 2000

By 

william woolum - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foolscap: A Novel (Hardcover)

The world of academia has always taken itself very seriously, and so when a writer like Kingsley Amis, Jane Smiley, David Lodge, or Robert Grudin parodies this seriousness, it makes for wonderful reading. Malone's parody of a fictional North Carolina university extends the parody beyond the ivory tower and into the worlds of publishing and theater. It tells the story of biographer, playwright, literary forger Theo Ryan, a professor with a big heart and a sound mind who is a bit naive. It's his touch of innocence that makes his tale so charming as Ryan goes back and forth between England and the USA, trying to do well by all and finding himself in farcical situations, despite his good will. It's a sometimes dark, but ultimately cheering comedy where love wins out and the truth prevail!