Customer Reviews

Hamlet II: Ophelia's Revenge

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Unlike other reviewers, I did not pick this up thinking it was a "modern retelling" of the Shakespeare classic, just a horror-style sequel. I actually only picked it up after the second Bard's Blood book came out.

Cameron Dean is a football star at Globe University. His father is dead and his mother is shacking up with his father's sister (Aunt Claudia). Messed up as that is, he suddenly finds himself heir to four-billion dollars and a castle in Denmark. But he cant collect until his 21st birthday (just a few weeks away).

Cameron decides to invite the team (and their sweeties) to the castle for his birthday. Nearly a hundred people head out for the party including comic relief Rosenberg and Gyllenhal.

But the castle has a secret as Ophelia's ghost rises from her peat-bog grave intending to destroy all love in the castle and reclaim Hamlet (his soul is tied to Cameron's).

Ophelia is an interesting character as she finds herself able to possess the bodies of women. The side effect is that she is changed by them and begins to think in more modern terms (a clever trick by the author so he would not have to match her personality to Shakespeare's original).

Like the play it purports to be a sequel to, this book is a tragedy. But all of the cute little Shakespearian references were quite entertaining and while there is some gore involved, most of the imagery is more classic ghost tale.

I am looking forward to more in the series.

Feeling the stress from having an essay due for my Famous Vengeful Danish Ghosts in Elizabethan Dramatic Plays 201 course, I picked up a copy of this book, hoping that it would give me some idea of what this Shakespeare guy is all about. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the unpretentious, yet undeniable intelligence buried deep within author David Bergantino's modern, stylish adaptation of this supposedly well-known play. I could not have been more relieved not to have to slog through the original. Bravo, I say, to Mr. Bergantino's writing, and I can't wait for the next installment of this soon-to-be classic series.

Ok, I have only read about half the book, but I have to say that they should have just tried to market this as its own book, not a "modern re-write" of Hamlet. Why? Well, for one, the book is pretty dang bad. It is brought even farther down by the fact that it is being compared to Hamlet, a classic work of Drama.

To start things off, well, this is suppose to be a YA book, right? Wrong. No YA book I have ever read has ever had so many f-bombs!!! In the first chapeter alone there are three or four. So the 12-16 crowd is out. Plus all the characterization is completely messed up. If they are following Hamlet then the relationships should be at least a bit similar. For example Ophelia's counterpart, Sophia. In Hamlet she is a faithful daughter, and a loving sister. In Hamlet 2: Ophelia's Revenge she is...well, a complete witch. The way she treats her brother alone keeps her from being at all what Ophelia was. And replacing the war issues with Football works a bit, except that the author over does it a bit. Having the Ghost of Hamlet's father appear in the end zone? COME ON!!! Ugh!!!

If you want a "so stupid its fun" type book pick this up, maybe. And the next book in this series worries me. A horror version of Midsummer's Night Dream? Why wouldn't they try and conquer an easier task, like say Hamlet or even The Tempest? Well if it is half as slow as this book, I will end up doing a Bard's Blood Bonfire.

I really can't say enough about this book. From start to finish, the story is printed using the finest quality inks onto clean, beautiful, yet recycled paper. The dust cover contains images of an art-like origin, and it does, indeed, have it's own unique ISBN.

As for the story itself, it is a better sequel than, say, Legally Blonde 2, and makes House Party 2 look like House Party 3.

In summation, this book is the perfect compliment to any reader's collection. Best enjoying with an ice cold Bailey's while listening to Kenny G and/or David Hasselhoff.

Quite possibly the most disgusting thing about this book is the back cover's attempt to use this as a way to "sell" Hamlet to young readers. While it's true that Shakespeare's tragedies are very bloody, they are also filled with psychological complexity which this homophobic garbage has utterly jettisoned. And of course, the author has made sure to turn the initially nerdish Prince of Denmark into Everybody's All-American football hero. Just avoid it, and the rest of the forthcoming "Bard's Blood" series.

David Bergantino is a brilliant writer. I have been a fan of his work for many years now and I must say it just keeps getting better...
All I have to say is "Keep on writing, elder!"