The Jester (novel)

The Jester is a novel by James Patterson (with Andrew Gross).

Plot synopsis

The Jester is a novel focussing on a young man named Hugh. He is living in a time of unrest, when nobles treat peasants such as him as dirt. The region is ruled over by a tyrannical ruler called 'Baldwin.' Seeking freedom, he joins the crusade, (the mass army seeking to wipe the Turks off the face of the holy land and find the symbols of christendom hidden in the Turk cities). However, when they manage to invade one of the Turk cities, he sees the horror around him, and decides he cannot face it. He passes a church, where he sees a priest being beaten, and kills the men attacking him. However the priest is already dead. At the priest's side lays a staff, which Hugh decides to carry with him from then on.Hugh flees the Holy Land, returning to his home village of 'Veille du Pere", to find his wife kidnapped, his son dead (His wife Sophie gave birth after he left) and his inn destroyed. Townfolk say the attackers wore no colours, they were black, dishonoured knights who seemed to be looking for him alone. Half mad with grief, he stumbles into the forest, only to be attacked be a boar, which he kills, but from which he sustains heavy wounds. A beautiful woman known as Emilie saves him, reminding him so much of his dear Sophie. She turns out to be highborn. Hugh's plan is to infiltrate the castle of his hated lord Baldwin. With Emilie and the jester, "Norbert"'s help, he adopts the pretext of a Jester. After winning his Lord and the Lord's crowds' ear, he soon finds that his wife was never in Tours, with Baldwin. He travels to Blois to see Emilie once more.Winning Anne (Emilie's mistress)'s ear, he eventually finds that his wife, Sophie was in the dungeon of Bois all along, and that Anne had been lying to him. Killing three of the Tafurs (the guards of Anne which turn out to be the dishonoued knights who took his wife), Hugh runs back to Veille du Pere. By then he is sure men are hunting him, but he knows not for what. The Tafurs launch an attack on Veille du Pere, but Hugh and his friends had prepared traps, and so killed all of them but one. This one attacks Hugh before his escape, and breaks his staff, but not the object within, which turns out to be the Holy Lance that pierced the Lord Jesus Christ's side as he lay on the cross. Peasants flock to the spear, so Hugh marches on Tours and takes Baldwin prisoner. Next he marches on Blois, but try as they might, they could not take it. Finally the leader of the Tafurs, "Black Cross" attacks Hugh and his Peasant army, but they rebuff them, Hugh killing Black Cross as they did so.Steve (Anne's evil husband who had recently returned from the Crusades), threatened to kill Emilie, but a plot by Hugh and Anne save her. Steve runs into the castle with Hugh in pursuit, Anne eventually killing Steve with the Holy Lance of Christendom. Emilie turns out to be the daughter of the King of France, and Hugh and Emilie get married, and live together for ever.

Book information

* Description: 457 p. ; 24 cm.
* Subject: France -- History -- Medieval period, 987-1515
* Genre: Historical fiction.
* ISBN 0316602051