- Paperback: 486 pages
- Publisher: Alyson Publications Inc (6 April 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1555834949
- ISBN-13: 978-1555834944
- Product Dimensions: 20 x 13.4 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,203,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of the best gay novels I've read.This story of a little spaced-out slightly narcoleptic tirthysomething in search of a man who he has seen in a dreamy state ,maybe real,maybe unreal,is a clear methapor of the elusiveness of True Love,and the illusions ,delusions and disillusions that True Love search entails.A Graal quest for the New Millennium.But this is also a funny and brilliantly written book.I loved it.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Fools Errand is a novel that brings together both comedy and pathos, whilst at the same time, often touching themes that many of us will associate with in our own lives.
It is unusual to find a novel that deals with 'Gay' Characters and Themes which at the same time will appeal to readers across the board.
The book centres on one Gay man's search for the ever elusive Mr Right, and the trials, tribulations and triumphs that encompasses.
An enjoyable read, this novel will not so much keep you turning the pages, unable to put down, but will rather keep you coming back over time for the latest installment in a plot that many of us can liken to our own lives.
All in all, excellent reading, and possibly a first of its type in the Gay fiction genre.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
44 reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
A real gem, not to be missed!
2 Oct 1999
Format:Paperback
I have just three words for M. Bayard - "More, more, more!" Louis Bayard's first novel is a small miracle! It's one of those "I wish I had written that," kind of books. There is no fuss and little flourish - just a comfy economy of words that strolls by easily and with the familiarity of a dear old friend. "Fool's Errand" speaks of the true Gay Agenda - not of toppling governments and insidious infiltration, but of all the "banal things...like lightbulb storage...that would be of no interest to any reasonable human being except themselves." The characters for once are not apologetic about being gay or dysfunctional except in the most human, endearing ways. Neither are they boring in their ordinariness. Bayard resists the parade of pectorals and stone-chiseled features to reveal the beauty of common lives like our own. And lest you begin to picture this book as dull, fear not! There are enough plot twists and quirky eccentricities of character to persuade you to lock the doors and read from cover to cover in a single sitting, and then go back and read again to savor the subtleties of Bayard's genius. If conspiracies, murder and mayhem are your cup of tea, you may wish to look elsewhere for a good read. If, however, you're looking for a sweet, feel-good story that will touch and amaze you over and over, RUN do not walk to your computer or bookstore and buy this book!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
A new favorite book
11 Jun 2000
Format:Paperback
Sure, the other reviews have said a lot of very true things about this book, but they fail to mention one of the things that made "Fool's Errand" a top-notch read for me. Lots of novels out there, especially gay novels, are so predictable -- you know exactly where everything is going from the outset. Bayard manages to keep you surprised up through the last page. Just when you think you know what a character is all about, he turns around and does something completely unexpected, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.
Beyond that, there were many times that I caught myself breaking into a big grin, or laughing out loud. "Fool's Errand" is light-hearted, well-written, funny. It's also, quite refreshingly, the first "gay" novel I've read in some time which is not hung up on AIDS, or soap-boxing gay issues on a universal level. Nobody dies; there's not even any graphic sex. It's just about this immensely interesting, likeable guy, who's on a journey, at once very simple, yet one that digs to the bottom of his soul. It's the kind of book that makes you say, gosh, this author would probably be a great guy to have as a friend.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Bay Area Reader Lost Out
9 Nov 1999
Format:Paperback
Although I'm not one to ordinarily write reviews, I felt compelled to respond to the review of "Reader from Bay Area" (the "Reader") who lost out by not finishing this amusingly touching novel. And no, I'm not a friend of Louis Bayard. But after reading "Fool's Errand" I find myself wanting to be.
It's pretty incredulous of the Reader to question the value of Patrick's father and his best friend, Marianne, after stopping "mid way through". It's obvious that if he failed to grasp their relevance, he did not understand the true meaning of Patrick's journey... the quest for love.
What I like most about this book is its ability to tell the story of a gay man who could be "any man", or for that matter, "any woman". Typically, only gay readers relate to gay novels. Bayard has broken barriers with "Fool's Errand".
That the story is told through much dialogue is a tribute to Bayard's ability NOT to need narrative. Real life does not unfold that way. We learn about the characters the way we learn about our neighbors, our friends, our family members and lovers - through their shared experiences. The Reader's comments make me wonder whether he needs to read his friends' and lovers' diaries to truly understand them... and perhaps himself.
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