Before I review this, I need to provide some background. I have several Shakespeare selections on my reading list, but to be honest I'm not excited about them. It's not that I hate Shakespeare- he clearly had talent and produced a large amount of amazing material- it's just that it's hard to read something meant to be enjoyed as a play. Throw Elizabethan English into that mix, and even basic comprehension of a short passage can be challenging. Thus, it's with some trepidation that I picked up Hamlet.
At the highest level, Shakespeare's works can be separated into three categories: comedy, history, and tragedy. Hamlet is a tragedy, and a well-known one at that. The play summarized in three sentences: Hamlet, a prince of Denmark, finds out that his father (the king, of course) is killed. Hamlet's mother is not long a widow- she marries his uncle quickly, and Hamlet comes to find out the uncle is indeed responsible for his father's murder. Hamlet goes crazy, lots of people die (him included).
It's a good story, and though the English is archaic and nigh unreadable at times, there are a number of very good quotes and thoughtful insights on life. I enjoy the different manner of speaking and old expressions, some of the time- but it can get old when it feels like every sentence becomes a fight for comprehension. Modern readers can certainly get the gist, but many nuances or jokes will pass you by, unless you're overly familiar with Elizabethan England.
In the end, there is value here. While I don't count Hamlet as my most enjoyable read, I can't be too harsh, for I should see it in play form, and the insights and comments on life presented in the play make it worthy of your time.
Rating: B
As much as I love reading, I'm amused by the thought of lit lovers cringing at my words . . . the engineer in me feels I have some obligation to enjoy such a scenario :-D. I've heard your reference but don't know which play features it . . . I'll find out soon enough.
ReplyDeleteI believe I poisoned myself with respect to plays. Being a Futurama fan, when I read a play, I picture Calculon (a robot TV star on the show) "emoting" through a scene and I just laugh. I find plays amusing that are tragedies (Bender, another robot on the show, echoes this sentiment), but again, I'm reading something that's meant to be acted. So, I shouldn't judge or laugh, but I confess that I do.
The other things that work to my disadvantages concerning plays:
1) I'm German, and thus devoid of most emotion. Plays seem to be people making much ado about nothing (hey, that's catchy :-D)- just man up, people!
2) I don't like analyzing works in-depth other than the Bible. Reading Hamlet, I felt it was a decent story, and could see some different interpretative possibilities. But I don't care enough to think about them. Again, I feel lit lovers cringe. Forsooth, a literary buffoon am I!