To Play the Fool

Book Description

Celebrated author Laurie R. King dazzles mystery lovers once again in this, her second Kate Martinelli mystery. The story unfolds as a band of homeless people cremate a beloved dog in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. When it comes to incidents like this, the authorities are willing to overlook a few broken
regulations. But three weeks later, after the dog's owner gets the same fiery send-off, the SFPD knows it has a serious problem on its hands. Other than the fact that they're dealing with a particularly grisly homicide, Inspector Kate Martinelli and her partner, Al Hawkin, have little else to go on. They have a homeless victim without a positive ID, a group of witnesses who have little love for the cops, and a possible suspect, known only as Brother Erasmus. Kate
learns that Erasmus is well-acquainted with the park's homeless and with the rarefied atmosphere of Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, yet he remains an enigma to all. It's apparent that he is by no means crazy--but he is a fool. Kate begins the frustrating task of interrogating a man who communicates only
through quotations. Trying to learn something of his history leads her along a twisting road to a disbanded cult, long-buried secrets, the thirst for spirituality, and the hunger for bloody vengeance.

Customer Reviews:

Very Good, But Not Mystery.......2007-04-19

I really enjoyed this book. I was looking for another mystery from Ms. King after reading A Grave Talent and this one kinda was but not really. You don't really know who the killer is until the end but this book is more about the process of a tragic human being. I'm not going to go into a plot summary since so many others have already did this on Amazon. But I was fascinated with the characters. Ms. King writes such rich, complex characters. Throughout this series she has been letting you see more and more into the characters. I agree with others that I had hoped that Al was in this book more but I do realize that Kate is the main lead character of the series. This book I really got into the secondary characaters. Ms. King explores their mind sets and why they do what they do. There are some twists in the book that you don't see coming which are reasonable and logical in the book. I would highly recommend this book.

Place and Character.......2006-08-21

Laurie R. King's knowledge of California, religous movements, the GTU (if only they had a church music program..."sigh"), and her skill in creating enigmatic and fascinating characters combine to create one of those fantastic late-night page turners wherein you know you needed to go to bed three hours ago, but you just can't put it down.

A Saintly Fool is Accused of Murder.......2006-08-13

To Play the Fool is the second of a series of mystery novels by Laurie King that feature the San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli. The first book, A Grave Talent, was an Edgar Award winner.

This book picks up about a year after the first, and finds Martinelli and her partner Al Hawken investigating the death of a homeless man in Golden Gate Park. There are no witnesses or evidence, but an enigmatic old man called Brother Erasmus who speaks only in quotations becomes a prime suspect. Quickly the story changes from a homicide investigation to an attempt to find out about the mysterious Erasmus, who is either a saintly fool or mentally ill.

Laurie King is in her element as the scholarly street person quotes from the Bible and Shakespeare to answer all questions, leaving the two worldly detectives to puzzle over his meaning. Either he killed the man, or he knows who did. They must find a way to make him talk in a way that will make sense to the legal system to solve the crime.

As with A Grave Talent, King creates wonderfully complex characters that draw the reader into the story. Also her plot is sufficiently complex to keep you guessing. I fell in love with the kindly Brother Erasmus and the people who were drawn to him. A delightful story that is well told.

Wonderful Mystery - Excellent Characters.......2006-07-27

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The well-developed characters make the mystery. Each character has a unique quality that, when intertwined they manage to draw a full spectrum of emotions from the reader. Not one of the characters is underdeveloped, which means the characters themselves pull you into the mystery.

My only complaint would be the ending. But in all fairness, I appear to have issues with the endings to a great many of the books I read lately. My issue this time is with the character who, in the end, "breaks character."

No Sophomore Slump Here.......2005-12-18

This is Laurie R. King's second Kate Martinelli book, and it's a well-chosen follow-up to her previous novel. Slimmer and more concise than the sometimes-wordy first volume, this book places its focus on Brother Erasmus, a homeless preacher, committed Fool, murder suspect, and one of the most interesting characters in recent popular fiction.

When a much-loathed panhandler is found partially cremated in Golden Gate Park, all the evidence points to Brother Erasmus. After all, the two had butted heads in the past; the disposition of the body mirrors how Erasmus took care of a beloved dog; and Erasmus is incapable of defending himself, since he speaks only in quotes. But somehow Brother Erasmus, both gentle and crafty, doesn't feel right for the crime. Did someone else really do it, or is Kate losing her edge and getting sentimental?

Brother Erasmus is surely one of the most interesting characters in ANY genre of fiction in the last several years. He feels like someone you know and want to trust, but he also remains enigmatic. And Kate's efforts to crack his shell reveal as much about her as they reveal about him.

As in the previous book, character is more important than crime. The resolution of the mystery is almost an afterthought; indeed, the mystery itself is important mainly to introduce us to Brother Erasmus. Not everyone will like this style, which more closely resembles mainstream literary fiction than most paperback mystery. But for readers willing to invest themselves in the story and the characters, this is one of the most interesting and promising character-driven stories published in over a decade. Highly recommended for mystery fans and newbies, this novel is one that will sit in a treasured place on your shelf for years to come.

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best of Shepard Vol. II
These plays range from the surreal to the all too real...

Fool for Love and Other Plays
Sam Shepard
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553345907
Release Date: 1984-11-01

Book Description

Here are eight of Pulitzer-prizewinning Sam Shepard's most stunning plays. This brilliant American dramatist creates what The New Yorker dubbed "Shepard Country"--a landscape of the imagination, a unique theatrical experience that captures our culture and consciouness, our fears and fantasies.

FOOL FOR LOVE * ANGEL CITY * GEOGRAPHY OF A HORSE DREAMER * ACTION * COWBOY MOUTH * MELODRAMA PLAY * SEDUCED * SUICIDE IN Bb

With an Introduction by Ross Wetzsteon

“Sam Shepard is phenomenal...the best practicing American playwright.” —The New Republic

“Sam Shepard is the most exciting presence in the movie world and one of the most gifted writers ever to work on the American stage.” —Marsha Norman

“The most ruthlessly experimental and uncompromising of today's young writers.” —John Lahr

“Sam Shepard fills the role of professional playwright as a good ballet dancer or acrobat fulfills his role in performance. That is, he always delivers, he executes feats of dexterity and technical difficulty that an untrained person could not, and makes them seem easy.” —Michael Feingold, The Village Voice

"One of the most original, prolific, and gifted dramatists at work today.” —The New Yorker

“Increasingly recognized as one of the more significant dramatists in the English-speaking world.” —Charles R. Bachman, Modern Drama

Customer Reviews:

best of Shepard Vol. II.......2007-05-25

This collection contains 8 of Pulitzer-prizewinning Sam Shepard's best plays. Shepard has a way of capturing our imagination with a wild collection of characters in even wilder stories. "Fool For Love", "Angel City", "Geography of a Horse Dreamer", "Action", "Cowboy Mouth", Seduced", "Suicide in B", "Melodrama Play".
Shepard is one of the great American voices in theatre. These are all classics that deserve to be remembered and studied.

These plays range from the surreal to the all too real..........1998-07-07

With this collection, Shepard demonstrates his remarkable ability to portray America in the realistic ways most contemporary authors/playwrights/poets are afraid to do. The dialogue is captivating and moving, and the action is fast-paced. Definetely an excellent buy.

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A companion to "Twelve Plays for Theatre" also by Robert Cohen

Eight Plays For Theatre
Robert Cohen
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0874848504

Book Description

This collection represents a complete range of Western drama since the beginning of recorded dramatic history. This anthology and the anthology above offer a choice to those instructors who prefer complete works to excerpts.

Customer Reviews:

A companion to "Twelve Plays for Theatre" also by Robert Cohen.......2006-01-23

Please note that translated plays (Sophocles, Moliere, Chekov, etc) may be different from other current translations, but are still good.

The plays included are as follows:

1. Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannos
2. The Plaie Called Corpus Christi, Part 1: The Beginnings
3. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
4. Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), The Bourgeois Gentleman
5. August Strindberg, Miss Julie
6. Anton Chekhov, The Three Sisters
7. Samuel Beckett, Happy Days
8. Sam Shepard, Fool for Love

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Illusion and Reality
Fool For Love

Fool for Love
Sam Shepard
Manufacturer: Dramatists Play Service Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822204150

Customer Reviews:

Illusion and Reality.......2002-05-15

In Fool for Love , Sam Shepard analyzes the complicated relationship between May and Eddie who are involved in a love-hate, fascination-repulsion 15-year-long relation which is once more in the `on again' phase.
Set in a low-budget motel room on the edge of the Mojave Desert, May and Eddie play out an unpredictable encounter. Traveling close to 2,500 miles to come back into her life, Eddie attempts to once again declare his faithfulness and commitment to the unconvinced May, who tells him: "You gotta give this up. You've been jerking me off like this for fifteen years. Fifteen years, I've been a yo-yo for you". May screams for Eddie to leave yet pleads for him to stay upon his repeated exits. Through their arguing, the chemistry and history the two have shared becomes apparent and it is obvious that the characters are deeply in love. "We've got a pact...we've made a pact", Eddie said to May. "You know we're connected, May. We will always be connected...that was decided a long time ago", he added.
A bottle of tequila blends the couple's arguing into the narration of a story that deepens on May and Eddie's past revealing how the two were already completely in love when the truth was learned about their true relationship. At this point of the play, Shepard had gotten illusion and reality finely combined that it takes a while to understand that the Old Man observing, and occasionally interacting with the characters, is just their distant father's ghost.
Shepard has done an amazing job in this play managing illusory conversations naturally flow within the real ones. May and Eddie seem to have both independent and joined conversations with the Old Man.
A fourth character, Martin comes into the story, as the shy, naive date of May to reminds us that the conversation between the protagonists is "real". As Eddie, now drunk, continues his story of how he came to know May, the old man yells for him to stop the story, but ends up discovering facts of his own past as well -- which confused me since his presence is not real but illusory only.
The fact that at the end of the play, the motel gets burned down by Eddie's mistress, -- as May refers to her -- May is forced to move away again, suggesting us that the vicious cycle in which the characters live, will be repeated once again following what Eddie once told May: "You'll never get rid of me. I'll track you down no matter where you go".

Fool For Love.......2000-01-08

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results. We learn of Eddie, Mae, their father, and a "Man" (Martin) coming for a date blind to the status of the relationship of his date and her brother and their father. I am a Senior at Lindenwood University in St. Charles Missouri, double majoring in Theatre and Mass Communications. This April, I will be directing "Fool For Love" as my senior project. This play, as analyzed in a previous modern drama class and in my current working analysis, is highly identifiable with anyone who has ever been involved in a severely dysfunctional relationship that won't go away. Mr. Shepard creates four intricate and powerful characters sharing both realistic and ethereal existances.

The Gospel in Greasepaint: Creative Biblical Skits for Clowns, Mimes, and Other Fools for Christ

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I was a Fool

The Gospel in Greasepaint: Creative Biblical Skits for Clowns, Mimes, and Other Fools for Christ
Mark D. Stucky
Manufacturer: Piccadilly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0941599302

Book Description

This books is packed with 42 entertaining clown skits based on biblical themes. Children love clowns and clowns love children--so what better way to show God's love and teach His gospel than through clowns? All the skits are based on Bible stories and teach Christian ethics and morals in a way that is fun and entertaining.

Both adults and children will enjoy seeing as well as participating in these creative skits. No memorization is needed. All of the skits are presented in a variety of pantomine and acitng situations with appropriate narration.

You can use these skits wherever you have a group of kids. Makes an ideal resource for clown and youth ministry groups. Clown skits provide an exciting way to teach Bible knowledge, encourage cooperation, build group unity, share the gospel with others, and have fun!

Customer Reviews:

I was a Fool.......2006-08-29

I looked into this book because I needed Christian material for a mime. The skits in this book are parables and stories from the Bible that are acted out with a narrator or at least 1 person talking. This may be all right for a program in a church setting. But a mime working at a festival is often working alone or with another mime. And a mime is expected to "Respect the WHITE". In other words a mime is never to talk while he/she is wearing the white makeup. The skits in this book were good, but were no help for what I needed and I felt misled by the title.

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Full of twists and turns...
A Good Start
What's on the OUTSIDE is what matters...

Everybody Plays the Fool: A Novel
Brandelyn N Castine
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0595349994

Book Description

For Melody, a twenty four year old graduate of UC Berkeley, being the girlfriend of Major, an ex-college football star turned Medical student, has been the definition of her happiness. Through heartbreaks, accomplishments and everyday life, Melody's relationship has provided her with the security she always wanted. Yet a chance meeting with Mecca, a smooth talking poet from New York causes her to reminisce on her life with Major. As Mecca begins to revive feelings long since left cold by Major, Melody begins to question if she is willing to let go of the history and stability she has with her boyfriend and try something new.

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Customer Reviews:

Full of twists and turns..........2006-09-22

Anyone person who went to college or wants to know about the college experience and life after college should read this book, especially if you want things from an African-American point of view. As a black woman, I really felt like I could relate to the main character. I loved the end of the novel, it was full of twists and turns. I also loved how the main character and her friends were like sisters.

A Good Start.......2005-07-14

This book is pretty good to be the author's first novel, and it is self published at that. The story line is simple and easy to follow, and hints at the style of Erick Jerome Dickey. At the end there is a surprising twist that pops out of the blue, and really engages the reader to reflect on the novel as a whole in the context of the title. The middle does get a bit habitual and slightly repetitive, but the book is short enough for the reader to plow through the little lull without a problem. I think this is a solid novel that shows growth and promise in the author's future works. There's nowhere to go but up!

What's on the OUTSIDE is what matters..........2005-04-21

All I have to say is, the cover of this book is what pulled me in. The artistry is hauntingly brillant, simple yet emotionally intense. However, as I began to read this novel, I fell asleep. No depth whatsoever, so don't be fooled by the genius artistry of the cover.

Mirth and Morality of Shakespeare's Holy Fools (Studies in British Literature)

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Mirth and Morality of Shakespeare's Holy Fools (Studies in British Literature)
Sandra J. Pyle
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0773484809

To Fool the Eye: The Adaptation of Jean Anouilh's Leocadia

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Fun "Fool the Eye"

To Fool the Eye: The Adaptation of Jean Anouilh's Leocadia
Jeffrey Hatcher
Manufacturer: Dramatist's Play Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822218461

Customer Reviews:

Fun "Fool the Eye".......2007-01-11

"To Fool The Eye" by Jeffrey Hatcher is a delightful adaptation of the great french playwright Anouilh's "Leocadia." In this tale a young woman who has just been fired from her job is offered a fantastic, yet strange, new position by an odd, quirky old member of the aristocracy. The job: to pretend to be her son's dead lover, an eccentric opera singer who was the only person that ever made him feel love. While the young prince is offput at the woman's initial attempts to fill the void left by his lost love, eventually they find common ground, and fall in love with each other for whom they actually are.

I found this play to be very enjoyable. There is excellent material here for both men and women, young actresses and old. This is farcical comedy with style. The scenes are well developed and the play moves along briskly. It is an enjoyable read and no doubt would make a fine production for any theatre. Reading it is not a life changing experience, mind you, but it will give you an hour or two of enjoyment and laughter.

Kroetz: Plays : 1 : Stallerhof-Request Programme-The Nest-Tom Fool-Desire-Through the Leaves (Methuen Contemporary Dramatists)

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Kroetz: Plays : 1 : Stallerhof-Request Programme-The Nest-Tom Fool-Desire-Through the Leaves (Methuen Contemporary Dramatists)
Franz Xaver Kroetz
Manufacturer: A&C Black
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0413774015

Book Description

First English-language publication of Germany's most famous -living playwright. This collection includes Through the Leaves,, his acclaimed study of the frail, flawed relationship between a middle-aged woman tripe butcher and a loud-mouthed factory worker, which became a West End hit in the summer of 2003.

Franz Xaver Kroetz is Germany's most produced living playwright. His plays characteristically describe a tension between post-modern pessimism and the bold exploration of taboo subjects.

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wow what a play!!!!!
Fools
Humor Unseen in some time
Tremble-Tremble
A foolish review of a foolish book.

Fools
Neil Simon
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394523903
Release Date: 1982-04-12

Customer Reviews:

wow what a play!!!!!.......2003-12-07

Niel Simon is by the greatest pla write ever!!!! It is full of laughter but still has a plot with a meaning full value to tell in the end. I myself played Sophia and enjoyed ever moment of it!!!! Be prepeared to laugh ur self silly

Fools.......2003-05-28

This is by far the best Neil Simon play ever.
It tells a funny story of a small town under a fake curse. This has it all love, humor and even serious moments. I highly recommend that you read this.

Humor Unseen in some time.......2002-11-21

When I first was told of "Fools," I didn't know what to expect. I was skeptical of the plot, but was happily surprised. The play's witty humor makes me enjoy Simon's work even more. If you are sarcastic or just like to laugh, this play is for you.

Tremble-Tremble.......2000-09-09

At first I was skeptical of how I would like this play. You see, our high school is putting this on as their Fall Play. "Fools" will make you "tremble-tremble" with laughter! You'll want to read it by the "light of the drapes". It takes place in the Ukraine when it was still part of Russia in about the 1890's. Every person who was born in the village of Kulyenkitkov (ok, i spelt it wrong, so sue me)is very stupid, not knowing love or the thinking process. In this town you meet many wonderful characters including The Masgetrate who will live to be 80, though he's 79 right now, Yenchna the vendor who milks her cow upside down to get more cream, Slovitch the Butcher who is really quite stupid anyway, Something Something Snetsky who can't remember his own name, Mishkin the Postmaster who gives away people's mail to other people for enjoyment, Count Gregor Yousekevitch who makes the whole town tremble-tremble with fear, Dr. Nickolai Zubritsky who marks his book pages with maple syrup, Mrs. Lenya Zubritsky who set the drapes on fire because she couldn't find her candle, Sophia Zubritsky who is 19 and just recently learned to sit, and finally the new school master, Leon Tolchinsky who has come to break the curse Kulyenkitkov (sorry again, i spelt it wrong!!) How does he brake the (what do you call it? It sounds like nurse or maybe Hearse... OH!) curse? You'll just have to be a sport and read the play yourself...and remember, if you stay in the village long enough, you too will become a FOOL!

A foolish review of a foolish book........2000-03-31

"Fools," by Neil Simon, is one of the more humorous plays I have read in my lifetime. The Russian village of Kulyenchikov, a small, make-believe town is put under a curse, rendering its inhabitants completely stupid. Count Gregor, a name that makes the people of Kulyenchikov tremble in fear, cast this horrible spell. A young school teacher is sent to this town to educate a Sophia, a young, beautiful, and incredibly unintelligent lady of Kulyenchikov. On his way to Sophia's house, Leon meets many of the inhabitants, such as "Something Something Snetsky," and Yenchna the vendor who tries to sell flowers while claiming they are fish. Will Leon be able to teach the unteachable and break the curse of Russian Kulyenchikov? Simon had a lot of fun writing this play, as the readers will have a great time reading it. This play is utterly amusing, even hysterical! I would recommend it to and Neil Simon fans, and to anyone with a sense of humor.

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