On a few (or perhaps more than a few) occasions in this blog, the post has dealt with fate or coincidence. I still recall when I came across the topic of this post, the novel Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray. I was at an outlet mall perusing a bargain bookstore. You may know the type. The books are all new but discounted. The store's sections are differentiated by genre, but there the order ends. Books sit on shelves nearly at random--no alphabetization by author or title or anything. Many of the books sit with only the spine showing, substantially decreasing the odds that they will be chosen.
As I wandered the shelves, my cell phone buzzed. It was the boss of one of my jobs at the time, texting to see if I could work that evening. Although the outlet mall was a distance from home, I texted back that I probably could make it. I put the phone back in my pocket and then noticed the cover and title of the book that sat directly before me. "First comes love, then comes madness." Falling For Hamlet. Although work did not pan out that night (I cut short my excursion and headed for home, only to find a "Sorry I got someone else" text. I quit that job.), the day was not a total loss. My Hamlet collection had a new member.
It took a while for the book to make it to the top of the "To Read" pile, but it finally got there. And now it has moved to the "Read" pile. This one is an interesting, modern retelling of the Shakespearean story. By the author's admission, she wrote it "as part of [her] ongoing quest to make [her students] love Shakespeare" as much as she does. Even for this reader, who has been around this block many times, it works.
The story takes place in Denmark in modern times. Many of the characters from the original are here, although some of the names now refer to different roles. For instance, Francisco and Barnardo are agents for the Denmark Department of Investigations, which is headed by Fortinbras. Yorick appears only as the name of a local music group, the Poor Yoricks. (At least he's there; alas, poor Osric was written out entirely!) The gravediggers are not present, but their discussion regarding the nature of suicide is carried by a pair of commentators on a TV religious program. There are some new characters as well. They are members of Ophelia's personal circle, outside of the castle.
This novel takes Ophelia from side character to protagonist. Told entirely from her point of view, it tells about her role in the events of the original story and their effect on her. The bulk of the story runs in three separate accounts. The main account is first-person from Ophelia to the reader. There also is a third-person account of Ophelia appearing on a talk show (shown in italics in the book). The third account is that of a transcript of the interview of Ophelia by Francisco and Barnardo (shown in a typewritten font). Generally each chapter starts with the talk show account, moves to the first-person story and then concludes with the interview. The tripartite structure works well, providing foreshadowing while keeping the story moving ahead.
The majority of the action in the story corresponds directly to Hamlet. The author does create more of a backstory for Ophelia, actually giving her a private, personal life. Beyond that, there is one major difference. A spoiler alert might be a little late if you read the last paragraph; that Ophelia is the storyteller (and this is not a tale from beyond the grave) is a none-too-subtle hint. The circumstances, while a bit of a stretch, work within the context of this story. The modernization, with cell phones, closed-circuit cameras, TV programs, and elevators, is not terribly shocking. In fact, it's nothing that is beyond what has been done in other modern versions of the original.
The duel is replaced with a lacrosse game, the annual Elsinore Academy alumni game. The stage for it had been set with a throwaway description early in the story, namely that Hamlet knew one of Ophelia's male friends "from the lacrosse team in high school." It leads to a strange, inventive climax, new and yet true to the original. I wondered about lacrosse figuring into the novel, and then I read the author's biography at the end of the book. Upon discovering that she graduated from Tufts College, the proverbial bulb lit. Her alma mater is a well-known college lacrosse power; I have announced several games featuring Tufts, with both favorable and unfavorable outcomes.
(Speaking of fate, as I sit typing this, there's Peter Friedman--a one-time Polonius--on my TV in an old episode of Law & Order. See 8/21/2017 post.)
A fitting denouement, the author provides a note at the close of the book. It serves as an explanation of how she came to write this enjoyable novel. She summarizes it beautifully.
If you're familiar with the original, I hope this book has provided you with an entertaining twist on a great story. If you don't know Hamlet, I encourage you to see it. Note that I didn't say "read it." As I say to my students, Shakespeare is meant to be performed, not read. Do as you like...Then try another Shakespeare. And another. The man could tell a story.
Michelle Ray has succeeded. It was indeed an entertaining twist and certainly a novel worth reading!
