Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable read
Review: I am nearly finished with this wonderful book and so hate to see it end! Some of these people are so real and all had horrible lives and times in which to be alive. Patterson has made this one of my favorites and I have read all his books.
Bravo!!!
Rating: 
Summary: very much like ken folletts --Pillars of the earth
Review: did it seem to you that this book was very much like Ken Folletts , "Pillars of the Earth"? Of course by far a simplified version. How about the wife situation? Lose one to tragedy but find another quickly. Did'nt that happen in both books? Ken Follett did a much better in depth story about that period of time. In fact I am surprised that Follett's is not a classic. The Jester was not one of Patterson's best.
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Summary: Best Book Ive ever Read
Review: This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. It only took me 4 days to read, I couldnt stop turning the pages. This is a book for people who are into romance, action, and fantasy all packed into one. I recommend this to all.
Rating: 
Summary: BLOOD, GUTS, AND GORE
Review: The "hero" of this novel, Hugh de Luc, begins as an innkeeper in rural France of the Crusades, who abandons his beloved wife Sophie and unborn son to join an ill-conceived and bloody attempted crusade to rescue Jerusalem from the Turks. He gets as far as the fortified Antioch, since he has no knowledge of geography or history and doesn't know how to fight, and returns to France to find wife kidnapped, newborn son killed, inn burned, various savage tribes of returning crusaders fighting each other for unnamed relics of the Holy Land. After about 250 pages I became so bored with the gore I flipped over to the end to see what they were fighting over, since it is usually the Chalice or a piece of the actual Cross (as in "Millenium", the cryptic former TV series), to discover it was -- the alleged sword that pierced the side of Christ. It must have had more magical powers than Excalibur. At least the Knights of the Round Table did not slaughter every man, woman, child, and animal in France.
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Summary: Oh, what a story!
Review: The story of love and war in the middle ages is so engrossing that you won't be able to put it down until you finish it. Hugh, the innkeeper goes off to fight in the Crusades but is disillusioned by the bloodshed and violence he experiences and goes back to France. He unwittingly brings home with him a holy relic that brings bloodshed and misery upon him, his family and his village. His simple plan of vengance leads him to romance and danger as he discovers the evil plans a nobleman has in store for him.
Rating:
Summary: From the Minstrel
Review: The Jester is a book you can not put down easily. Full of action and plot twists and turns, it is not for the faint of heart. A fascinating look at medieval life as viewed from the ground up,it has been well researched and offers fascinating and surprising views of life during the Crusades.
Rating: 
Summary: This page-turner will keep readers most interested
Review: The first time I heard the expression "gettin' medieval" was in the film Pulp Fiction. It's not a good thing; suffice to say it is not about chivalry, honor in combat or respect for a fallen foe. No, those were nasty times, those Middle Ages, the 13th and 14th centuries. It's a wonder that, between wars and the Black Plague, the species survived. However, our concept of real property and some of our ideas and practices of democracy arose from this era, so it certainly wasn't all bad. And literature! What a fertile field for stories lies therein. About the last thing one would expect, however, is for James Patterson to write a novel set during that era. That is exactly though what THE JESTER is.THE JESTER is another collaboration between Patterson and Andrew Gross. Gross quite ably contributed to 2nd CHANCE and again demonstrates in THE JESTER his shared ability with Patterson to keep things moving and interesting. The aim here is elementary in the idea, but difficult in the execution: keep the reader interested and keep the pages turning. Patterson and Gross succeed on both counts. The jester is Hugh De Luc, an innkeeper who the comedian Jackie Vernon would have described as "poor but poverty stricken;" in a moment of bad judgment, he joins the First Crusade. Sick at heart and disillusioned over what he experiences and witnesses, he returns to his village to find it laid to waste, his inn destroyed, his infant son --- whom he never knew --- murdered and his beloved wife, Sophie, abducted. The instigator of this carnage is a ruthless Duke who believes that De Luc is in possession of a priceless religious relic. De Luc, seeking revenge, disguises himself as a jester in order to infiltrate the duke's court, where he believes his wife is being held. He is aided in his quest by an enigmatic young woman named Emilie, who has more to risk by assisting De Luc than he can imagine. But that is not the only surprise that awaits De Luc. He soon finds that his quest for rescue and revenge will take him to places far beyond any he could have anticipated. THE JESTER will appeal not only to Patterson's regular readers, but also to those who, when the dust settles and the smoke clears, simply enjoy a good story. There is also, among the graphic descriptions of violence contained in THE JESTER, a real tale of romance here. Patterson again demonstrates that he is capable of doing anything --- and doing it quite well. And Gross's contribution to this process cannot be ignored. Further collaborations between these gentlemen will be most welcomed. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating:
Summary: entertaining very colorful historical fiction
Review: In 1096, French innkeeper Hugh de Luc joins the Crusades in an effort to obtain his freedom from his nasty overlord Lord Baldwin. However, he finds the war not to be anything like he expected as he witnesses atrocities on both sides as they crazily trek for seemingly endless miles towards Jerusalem with no end in sight. Unable to cope, Hugh deserts. He returns home with some treasures he took from the Holy Land only to learn that Baldwin abducted his beloved wife and murdered his son. Wanting to liberate his spouse and avenge his child's murder, Hugh masquerades as a JESTER to gain entrance into his enemy's castle. However, he meets a noblewoman, who he begins to love, which sidetracks Hugh from his quest. Meanwhile his foe seeks him out based on a rumor that Hugh brought back the holiest of relics. As his village is ravaged by Baldwin's thugs who search for him, Hugh starts a counterrevolution to destroy the noble or die trying. JESTER is entertaining very colorful historical fiction tale that vividly brings to life the late eleventh century. The tale strips away the romanticizing of the Crusades, laying bare a vicious war. The characters engage the audience whether they are an everyman like Hugh forced into heroics or a vile villain like Baldwin. James Patterson's myriad of fans and anyone who appreciates an enjoyable medieval tale will want to read this delightful novel co-authored with Andrew Gross (see SECOND CHANCE). Harriet Klausner
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Summary: "Braveheart" or "Romeo & Juliet"
Review: Definitely a surprise! I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. All I could picture in my mind when the main character "Hugh De Luc," came to be, was Mel Gibson leading his army of common folk in the movie "Braveheart." That in conjunction with a "Romeo & Juliet" love story, brings you, "The Jester". It was a let down for me, especially after Andrew Gross and James Patterson co-authored "2nd Chance." In a positive note, the book was very easy reading and the story was easy to follow. In my opinion, this does not fall into the top 5 for James Patterson novels. I love his novels and have read every one of them. This was just a total surprise, kind of like "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas," a book which I thouroughly enjoyed. I guess I'm just to used to the Mystery and suspense that Mr. Patterson is known for and when a book like this shows up, it is as I stated above, a surprise!
Rating:
Summary: Just Terrible!!
Review: I read the first 150 pages of THE JESTER and, deciding that I'd already wasted more than enough of my time, put it down. This is an awful and absurd novel that no reputable publisher would have touched were it not being shoved down their throats by a best-selling author. I was taken in by the attractive book jacket and the misguided Publishers Weekly blurb featured in the NY Times ad. It's been many years since I've read a James Patterson book. His earlier work was fairly interesting. Though marred by terribly misogynistic scenes (e.g. in KISS THE GIRLS the villian sticks a snake into a woman he's torturing and in POP GOES THE WEASEL a couple of female corpses are found in an apartment, one with her tongue glued to the other's private parts)and silly plotting, the books had a pretty high energy level that kept me reading to the end. But, although he's still employing his short chapters, which are wholly unsuited to historical fiction, Mr. Patterson -- with the assistance of Mr. Gross -- manages to be both inauthentic and dull this time out. For outstanding historical fiction written by a thriller writer one should turn to Ken Follett's masterful PILLARS OF THE EARTH and steer way, way clear of Mr. Patterson's latest effort.
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