Thirteenth Night: A Medieval Mystery

by Alan Gordon

Book Overview

A medieval mystery tale based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Twelve years after the events of the play, the Duke of Orsino has been murdered and the duchy is in a state of political turmoil. Feste, the fool, is sent by the Guild to stabilize the political situation and uncover the culprit.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312976844
• ISBN13: 9780312976842
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.1" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding Entertainment

This is one of the most purely enjoyable mysteries I've read in ages. The plot is complex but not in a contrived way, the characters shine, and the writing is superb. Like Stephen Saylor, Gordon can write passages that demand to be reread for the sheer pleasure of it. The dialogue is pitch-perfect and wryly witty without slipping into the coyness that mars the work of other authors.That would be pleasure enough, but the plot contrivance on which the book is based is truly brilliant. Gordon posits that the jesters in Shakespeare's plays are all the same person--who is not merely a jester but an agent working for a secret, international guild of fools whose purpose is to keep the barbarity of various rulers and armies to a minimum. The interweaving of the central mystery, plot strands from Shakespeare, and guild intrigue is irresistible. Note: The connection to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is presented so well that it won't interfere a jot if you haven't read or don't remember the play.

Intriguing Take-Off on Twelfth Night.

Alan Gordon says that he got the idea for this book during a seminar on Shakespeare which took place for four-hour meetings once a week. After a while, he started thinking "what if every fool in Shakespeare's plays were the same man?" Years later, the idea was still in his head and he couldn't resist any longer. So he wrote this fascinating and convoluted tale of "Feste", who is summoned back to the Duchy of Illyria/Orsino (where the Shakespeare play "Twelfth Night" took place) by the message "Orsino is dead." Now that his work to foil a wicked plot by Saladin has been endangered, Feste returns to the scene and is beset by plots, counter-plots, and returning villains. The scene is set wonderfully, with details aplenty and a few cameos by historical figures which were quite fun in their own right. Feste's voice is wry and satirical, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series with glee.

Intrigue Heightened by Wordplay

The tale told in this intriguing little book takes place over the 12...er..13 days of Christmas and will be appreciated by those who love the English language and enjoy a little repartee or extemporized rhyming as well as a good mystery. The storyline builds on Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" so the play's the thing to read initially. According to the dust jacket, this is the author's first book-length mystery (he is a lawyer by day), and while his ingenuity is apparent, this is as polished a piece as any of the grenre. Familiarity with the 13th Century is probably not necessary, but some of the "jests" must be better appreciated by one with a sensitivity to the conflicts of the period--betwen Guelph and Ghibelline, Saracen and Crusader, Rome and Constantinople, and Albigensian and Orthodox. The only complaint I have is the books brevity--must come from writing briefs.

great fireside reading

This mystery's jester-narrator is a great character, combining intelligence and a (sometimes wicked) sense of humor.Author Alan Gordon deserves special applause for his fabulous idea -- returning to the setting and people of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, adding a "secret agent" in jester's garb, and mixing in an excellent plot. Get your hot chocolate, put on your slippers, and sit by the fireside to enjoy this winter read! I hope there is a sequel underway...

The Bard would stop for this mystery from his Twelfth Night

In December 1200, The Fool's Guild learns that Duke Orsino of Illyria unexpectedly died. The jesters and clowns who make up the behind the scenes, politically influential guild suspects foul play. Fifteen years earlier, one of the Guild's members, Feste, influenced events that led to Orsino loving Viola and halting a Saladin plot. The loser of that affair, Malvolio, vowed vengeance and the Guild wonders if he finally succeeded. The Guild leadership agrees to send Feste back to Illyria to learn the truth and, if necessary, stop any plot led by one of their greatest enemies, Malvolio. Feste disguises himself as a merchant. Another Guild member accompanies him as a jester to throw the spotlight away from Feste. Soon Feste realizes several unnerving facts. People age rapidly in a decade and a half, thereby changing their appearance. He cannot find his foe, who searches for him to complete his act of vengeance while plotting to complete his failed earlier mission. Either Alan Gordon wears white jackets with special buckles or he is a certifiable genius. No one except perhaps Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) would rewrite even an iota of the Bard, but Mr. Gordon does so fabulously. Taking up fifteen years after Twelfth Night ended, the writer provides a riveting historical mystery. The story line starts a bit slow like a roller coaster creaking up the first ramp, in this case to establish roles and motivations. However, once cleared, like the rest of the roller coaster ride, the novel is non-stop. The insight into the machinations of the Fool's Guild and the overall era brings to life Medieval England in a manner that would make Shakespeare proud because the Elizabethan influence is not a factor.Harriet Klausner