By Any Other Name: More Shakespeare Retellings

[Spartan Girl]

Since Still Starcrossed started out as a YA, I was wondering if anyone else has read other Shakespeare retellings.

A really good one is Ophelia by Lisa Klein.  Basically Hamlet in Ophelia's POV, and those that were dissatisfied with her role in the play will be happy to read this more feminist version, which has some HUGE changes.  A movie version is coming out next year starring Daisy Ridley, which I'm really excited for.

And if you want another Romeo and Juliet retelling, I highly recommend Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen.  Again, it does deviate from the source material, but in a way that's pretty believable from a Shakespeare plot.

[jhlipton]

Can you talk about Shakespeare retellings and not mention Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard?  Two of the more incidental characters from Hamlet get the center stage. 

For the truly weird, there's MacBird! by Barbara Garson, with Lyndon Johnson as the title character!

[Guest]

I read a book called Saving Juliet that I thoroughly enjoyed.  An actress and actor playing Romeo and Juliet are somehow transported into the story for real, and they are able to save Romeo and Juliet.  

[luckyroll3]

On 6/2/2017 at 11:54 PM, jhlipton said:

Can you talk about Shakespeare retellings and not mention Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard?  Two of the more incidental characters from Hamlet get the center stage. 

This is one of my favorite books.

[meep.meep]

The BBC did a series of short (1-2 hour) retellings in modern settings within the last 10 years.  MacBeth was set in a restaurant kitchen.  Taming of the Shrew was about politicians competing to become party leader.   There were more.

[Spartan Girl]

On June 5, 2017 at 2:08 PM, deaja said:

I read a book called Saving Juliet that I thoroughly enjoyed.  An actress and actor playing Romeo and Juliet are somehow transported into the story for real, and they are able to save Romeo and Juliet.  

I read that one. Cute YA fluff.

I also read Falling for Hamlet, which basically resells the whole story in a modern royal family, and Hamlet and Ophelia as a teenaged Will and Kate. Perfect for fans of The Royals TV show.

[jhlipton]

1 hour ago, ursula said:

Oh boy. A friend of mine and I nearly came to blows over this. Sadly, that's the version of Richard III that most people take as historical fact. Which goes to show that stories are never just stories. 

Do you think lending them The Daughter of Time would help?

[ursula]

13 hours ago, jhlipton said:

Do you think lending them The Daughter of Time would help?

Maybe? What is it about?

[jhlipton]

Quote

The Daughter of Time is a 1951 detective novel by Josephine Tey, concerning a modern police officer's investigation into the alleged crimes of King Richard III of England.

Although it's fiction, it is highly regarded as one of the most important works in restoring the name of Richard III.  (It's also a fun read!)

[Spartan Girl]

Tempest fans may enjoy Miranda and Caliban by Jaqueline Carey, a different take on the character that is supposed to be the "villain ".

[luckyroll3]

On 6/6/2017 at 3:44 PM, meep.meep said:

The BBC did a series of short (1-2 hour) retellings in modern settings within the last 10 years.  MacBeth was set in a restaurant kitchen.  Taming of the Shrew was about politicians competing to become party leader.   There were more.

This sounds really cool.  What's the name of the series?

[jhlipton]

16 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

This sounds really cool.  What's the name of the series?

ShakespeaRe-Told

[meep.meep]

ShakespeaRe-Told

[jhlipton]

3 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

ShakespeaRe-Told

Ha ha -- beat you!!!  LOL

It's on DVD but doesn't seem to be available on BBC America, NetFlix or Hulu.

Edited June 26, 2017 by jhlipton