Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream becomes a murder mystery in this retelling by the author of King Lear spoof Fool. With too many suspects and too little time, Pocket—the hero of Fool— must work his own kind of magic to find the truth, save his neck, and ensure that all ends well.
Peter Quince, superseded as stage-director by Pocket, insists that the mechanicals’ play remains 'completely suitable for ladies and children,' which is not entirely true of Mr. Moore’s story. Pocket proves to be a master of inventive verbal rudeness, and there is a good deal of fairy frolicking, but no one could call it anything but lighthearted. Christopher Moore has written a wonderful diversion for hard times. Even Shakespeare would have appreciated the jokes. Maybe.
... there are far better Moore 'starters' than this bizarre take on the Bard. That being said, fans of Moore and his incomparable wordplay will rejoice at having the jester Pocket of Dog Snogging...return in yet another nutty take on Shakespeare ... In the literary world of Christopher Moore, this is a harbinger of great things to come.
Moore's trademark humor is on full display with his cast of strangely lovable characters. This is Shakespeare with an edge and will not only appeal to Moore's fans but garner new ones.
