it good

4Q, 3P - high school and adult. This is an engaging re-envisioning of Hamlet in contemporary environs. ( )

I read the book Hamlet: A Novel by John Marsden. I chose this book because, while I am a fan of Shakespeare, I don't always understand everything and I know I am far from the only one who has this problem.

The other reason I chose this book is because I often hear teens complaining that they hate Shakespeare because they can't understand it. Hamlet: A Novel takes the original play and presents it using modern English. It even incorporates modern events, such as Hamlet and Horatio playing soccer. Marsden is able to bring the tragic story and its intriguing characters to life in a narrative that is psychologically intense and complex. Marsden's portrayal is witty, lyrical, and engaging.

So, while the author incorporates modern events in the story, he retains the original storyline, doing it justice.

Here is a quote from the book that I believe would generate a discussion:

“A beggar who goes fishing may use a worm which has feasted on a king as his bait. And the fisherman may eat the fish caught with that bait. What does this tells us? Well, it tells us that a king may progress through the guts of a pauper.”

I gave Hamlet: A Novel a VOYA rating of 5Q: Hard to imagine better written, and a Popularity rating of 3P: Will appeal with pushing. ( )

Highly recommended. Honours the imagery and language of the original text while telling a gripping story for modern readers. I read it in two sittings.

I didn't realize until I was updating the tags of this book that it was supposed to be young adult. Sure, I heard about it on the Guys Lit Wire blog, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily supposed to be young adult.

That changes it a little bit for me. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but it was a really fast read. I guess the fact that it's YAL explains that at least a little bit.

I definitely enjoyed the book more for having read the play first. I'm a huge fan of Hamlet, and I liked that there were lines from the play interwoven throughout the novel. However, it was missing the "psychological complexity" that the description inside the front cover promised. If it's supposed to be a young adult, angst-ridden take on the (already quite angsty) play, then that does make more sense to me.

I enjoyed this read, though it was short-lived. Anyone who really likes Hamlet would enjoy this novelization, but don't expect anything overly detailed or in-depth.