This book breathed new life into my soul. Seriously I think my hair was actually fuller while I read it. This is actually the second book in Christopher Moore's Fool series. It reads like a standalone novel though, which is great for me because i don't have the first one.

It is based on three works: Shakespeare's The merchant of Venice, and Othello, and Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. There are several characters from these works that have been woven into one identity. The Fool, Drool, and Jeff are original characters. 

The plotting was impeccable. I could tell the distinct works from the dialogue and what was original writing. It all flowed so well. There is also a VERY sarcastic narrator known only as the chorus.