Review: Hamlet and Ophelia

Title: Hamlet and Ophelia

Author: John Marsden

Release Date: February 14^th, 2011

Series: None

Number Of Pages: 228

Publisher: HarperTrophy Canada

Source: Bought

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To be or not to be. That is still the question.

            Trying to cope with the sudden death of his father, and reeling from the marriage of his mother to his unclem Hamlet has a midnight encounter with his father’s ghost. The ghost’s horrifying accusations plunge the young Prince of Denmark into the middle of a murder mystery. It seems that the only people he can trust are the beautiful Ophelia and his best friend, Horation. But they are no longer sure that they can trust him.

            Hamlet & Ophelia is a compelling read – sexy sultry, spellbinding. In following the contours of Shakespeare’s play, John Marsden has created a stunning tale that brings new life to a timeless classic.

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I was hoping to really enjoy this book. After all, I enjoy Shakespeare. I was curious to read how Marsden adapted the story to a modern setting. Yet, I was far from satisfied.

The thing is; the story stays really close to the original story. So close, that sometime I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be modern or not. I just felt like it was a pale copy of the real play. Why would I read this one, when I could read the original, which gives us the beauty of Shakespeare’s writing?

I was disappointed. The title made me think that maybe the story would give us a bigger insight of the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet. Maybe even a different outcome. Still, it didn’t make me feel like I got anything out of this book. Maybe I would have appreciated it more if I hadn’t read the original. Maybe it is a good book to introduce Shakespeare’s play to a younger audience that isn’t interested to read old classics.

If you’ve read the original, don’t bother putting it on the top of your TBR pile. It is the same story. If you’ve never read any Shakespeare because of the language, it could be a great start for you.