Fortune's Fool [Hardcover]

Kathleen Karr (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

CONRAD THE GOOD serves as court jester to a most unworthy master: Lord Otto “the Witless,” who rarely appreciates jesting and acrobatics and more often rewards his good fool with a good whipping. So one night, Conrad flees, leaving Otto’s realm in search of a more enlightened master—taking with him only his noble horse, Blackspur, and his beloved, the servant girl Christa the Fair. As they take to the road, they soon learn that along with their quest comes hardship. But for all the hardships they encounter, there are as many unexpected joys and friends in unexpected places, and there is always their love for one another. And always, their destination lies before them: somewhere, a sanctuary where they’ll have the freedom to be together and be themselves.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–9—Conrad, a court jester by birth, attempts to escape the whims of Otto, an unjust lord. Set in Germany in 1365, the novel portrays the teen's search for a new master. In the guise of a boy, Christa, a "serving wench," demands to follow her beloved Conrad, and they tromp around Germany entertaining priests, burghers, and lords. They pick up strays—a boy they cut down from the gallows and another jester. Conrad immerses himself in trouble by defending the downtrodden, usually at the expense of his own hide. Bargaining the construction of a giant clock for the Fortress of Rosenberg in exchange for their freedom from their new master, Conrad and his companions achieve some independence and a home. After a stiff beginning, the story warms up with enchanting characters who keep the pages turning. It is hard to deny Conrad's Robin Hood charm or the gallows cheat's wit. The romance between Conrad and Christa balances plenty of fighting and details of medieval society, giving appeal to both genders. Beyond the story, readers will find food for thought in the religious practices described—jesters could not be baptized or marry. The novel has minor flaws, however. The conclusion lacks Karr's usual focus. Given the generally realistic treatment of medieval times, Conrad's newfound Seigneur seems improbably democratic; and the final jollity is a tad chaotic, with numerous characters and merging story lines. Nonetheless, for readers who like medieval fiction, this title is consistently entertaining.—Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT
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From Booklist

Conrad, court jester to Otto the Witless, has fled his former ill-tempered master in search of a more enlightened ruler. It being fourteenth-century Germany, the 15-year-old’s prospects are not exactly promising. But he has the company of Christa, his lady love (who, for safety’s sake, is disguised as a boy), his noble steed, Blackspur, and his considerable wit. Aside from her hero’s possibly anachronistic lust for personal liberty, Karr does a splendid job of recreating the medieval milieu, especially the life of a professional entertainer with all of its challenges and hardships. Some readers may find the book’s slow pace and sometimes ornate language a bit off-putting, but others will be captivated by Conrad’s cleverness, charmed by his relationship with Christa, and intrigued by the several hints of magic at work in the real world. An open ending suggests the possibility of a sequel. Grades 7-12. --Michael Cart

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375848169
• ISBN-13: 978-0375848162
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,583,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review by a (ren faire) fool, May 28, 2008

By 

Gomerel (Fantasyland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fortune's Fool (Hardcover)

A sweet, enjoyable love story.

Parental notes: Conrad and Christa sleep together (at least in the literal sense. If they "sleep together" in the figurative sense, it is not explicitly mentioned.) He sees her naked.

Like everything about the middle ages, this is a religious book. Unlike most people of the middle ages, Conrad thinks about and makes his own decisions about religion. Though not religious, myself, I liked what the book said.

The book reinforces the stereotype that nearly all medieval rulers were sadistic pigs. Actually, most jesters were probably treated very kindly by their masters, indeed like members of the family. I recommend "Fools and Jesters at the English Court" by Southworth for a historically accurate picture.

The book also paints the standard image of clergy as being rather more interested in wine, women, song, and rich food than salvation. Other than that, most of the religious characters are portrayed positively

The book implies that all entertainers were denied the rites of the Church. I'm not sure that this was always true, although often it probably was.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 13, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fortune's Fool (Hardcover)

As an orphaned teenage jester in the court of a medieval German lord, Conrad doesn't enjoy the best treatment.

He entertains Lord Otto with acrobatics learned from his jester father, now dead, and he makes friends with others at the castle, but he sleeps in a stable and has few human comforts. When he receives a particularly painful beating for speaking out against Lord Otto's unjust taxing of the peasants under his control, he resolves to leave in search of his freedom, or at least for a lord who will not be as cruel.

He intends to leave alone, but his love, Christa, one of Lord Otto's servants, refuses to let him leave without her, and they travel the German countryside, Christa disguised as a boy. Along their journey they meet with hardships in the form of terrible weather, more cruel lords, and restrictive laws, but they also meet up with engaging characters. My personal favorite is a young boy, Second-Chance Max, whom Conrad and Christa save from death and who then travels with them, learning the ways of a jester.

It's a pleasure to watch the growth of Conrad from a boy jester who's still unsure of his place in the world to a young man capable of leading a company of friends in the jester's art.

This book paints a historically accurate picture of late 1300s Germany, and the author's enthusiasm for historical detail never gets in the way of the reader's understanding. If anything, it enhances the experience of the story. From the food Conrad eats to the people he meets to the places he sees, every detail helps to set the scene. It is a world in which his characterization seems natural and believable. The author includes a note upon the history of the time and a list of the sources she used for her research, so more ambitious or interested readers have an outlet for discovering more about the world of Conrad and Christa.

Reviewed by: Candace Cunard