King's Fool

I have read many books about Henry VIII, and while different in their own ways, they still tended to be the pretty much the same. The King's Fool, however, was a completely different take on Henry, and I enjoyed it immensely. I'm not going to summarize since it's already been done here, but Will Sommers is such a likeable, caring, every-day kinda man. He's not abusive of the Kings friendship, he's not out to make a fortune or to climb as high as he can in Tudor society. He can't be bought with bribes, or intimidated by the men who happen to riding high at the moment, because he knows they can only climb so high. Many of the men Henry once found favor with ended up losing their heads. Will Sommers is also a simple man. He became the Kings fool quite accidentally, but he rose to the challenge and did something almost no other man could do...have a genuine and deep 20+ year friendship with the King. He married the woman he was head-over-heels in love with, had a family, and led a quiet, humble life during his 'off' time. Overall, I absolutely recommend this. HOWEVER!...if you are unfamiliar with the story of King Henry VIII and his 6 wives, I do NOT think you should start with this book. Many important thing are omitted from this story or mentioned only in a sentence or two (my guess is because they didn't affect Will directly), and unless you know when everything takes place, time could be very difficult for a Henry armature to decipher. Will rarely mentions specific years, so the only thing you really have to go on as far as finding out what year you're reading about, is to see which wife Henry is married to at the time. That aside, this was a GREAT book! It was my first Margaret Campbell Barnes book, but certainly not my last!

I've read several of Margaret Campbell Barnes' books, and enjoyed them, but this is the best I've read so far. I am a Tudor history buff (and history major), and almost everything in this book is accurate, with a couple of exceptions, that do not detract from the enjoyment of the book. The life of Will Somers, the King's Fool, is accurate with all the known details, and very sympathetic. Also, King Henry VIII is portrayed very sympathetically, which is somewhat unusual, but this makes sense because Will's character is so close to the king and his family, and he has liberties no one else does, being a court fool. Not only does this book help one to understand Will Somers and the court of King Henry VIII in general, it also helps to explain sympathetically the motivations of the king, whose dynasty was able to prevent civil war (not that I condone the King's treatment of his wives, but one can see his motivations for doing so - not only personal but political).

King's Fool is a story about Will Somers, a shy boy from Shropshire who becomes jester, friend and confidante to one of the most extraordinary of monarchs, King Henry VIII. Narrated by Will himself, we are given a special glimpse into the King Henry that only he knew. A chance meeting with King Henry was all it took for the King to take a liking to Somers and offer him to join his court. Will was a well-rounded man - honest, compassionate and loyal - he fastly became a member of the royal family and was well-liked by the court. If at first the title of jester didn't appeal to him, he quickly changed his mind when told of all the perks - jesters had free reign (sorry - bad pun) over court and could pretty much blend in anywhere. Will was jester throughout all of Henry's marriages and provides us with an unbiased account of all six debacles, as well as, the relationship between Henry and his children. What I liked best about this book was the relationship between Will and King Henry. Will was probably the only true friend Henry ever had. I really enjoyed seeing the hidden side of Henry, the not so arrogant side - when he becomes Henry the man, not Henry the king. Henry the man is much more likable! In the very least, it made me have a bit of sympathy for Henry - it's not a life I would've wanted. All in all I really liked this novel - Barnes is an excellent writer and manages to fit a lot of life into 300 pages, but for me I wished it had been longer. If after reading this book, you're itching to get more in-depth with Henry VIII, then I suggest Margaret George's The Autobiography of Henry VIII as told by his fool, Will Somers. This is very similar to King's Fool, albeit in reader's digest form, as George's novel is over 1000 pages.

I've wanted to learn more about Will Somers since reading Philippa Gregory's books about the women in Henry VIII's life. How interesting it would have been to be within Henry VIII's inner circle, but not to be considered a threat by such a powerful man. Will Somers was in just such a position. Born in Shropshire, England Will Somers was the only son, only child actually, of a churchman father and a Welsh mother, she died of the plague when Will was only four. Will had pretty happy life until his beautiful singing voice broke at 14; his father taught the choiristers and this seemed to be their big connection. Soon after, Will moves in with his Uncle Tobias, a farmer. On his uncles farm is where Will Somers meets Richard Fermor, a wool merchant. Meeting and becoming part of the household of Master Fermor is only the first of some very big events in the life of Will Somers.

Will Somers' life started out as a simple one, living and working in the country with his family. However, circumstances led to Will getting the attention of the most important man in England at the time... King Henry VIII. Will soon finds himself in a dubious position of power. As the KING'S FOOL, he has unprecedented access to the notorious king but all Will craves is the love of one woman. Will's tale is one of love lost and gained as he recounts the history of King Henry VIII and his six wives through the eyes of the KING'S FOOL. KING'S FOOL is a reissue of a 1959 book that clearly stands the test of time. Margaret Campbell Barnes' knowledge and attention to historical detail is both meticulous and entertaining. What a brilliant concept to bring us the story of King Henry VIII through his fool, a man constantly in close contact with the King! Assuredly, Will Somers had access to many of the King's inner thoughts and was the one man in the court who could safely mock the King... and yet he could also bring a smile to a man racked with turmoil and doubts. Margaret Campbell Barnes intertwines the historical details of the events transpiring at court with the simple desires of his fool. The love story of Will is a beautiful one and keeps KING'S FOOL from being simply another retelling of history. Instead, Margaret Campbell Barnes injects an air of humility and straightforwardness to a time period most famous for its intrigues. Will Somers is an excellent choice for the narrator. His humble beginnings give an excellent contrast to the excesses of court while still providing some perspective on the inner thoughts of King Henry VIII. Margaret Campbell Barnes provides readers with a different view of King Henry VIII and she does a solid job at backing up her interpretation of this fascinating historical era. King Henry VIII is often vilified for his role in history but through Will's eyes we see an almost tragic figure. KING'S FOOL is brilliant! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES