Ophelia [Paperback]

Lisa Klein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2007

In this re-imagining of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen’s most trusted lady-in-waiting.  She catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, and their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and ultimately, Ophelia must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever . . . with one very dangerous secret, she is pregnant with Hamlet’s child. Sharp and literary, dark and romantic, this dramatic story holds readers in its grip until the final, heartrending scene.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her impressive first novel, Klein retells Hamlet, expanding on the romance between its hero and Ophelia, who narrates this version. Keeping true to the framework of the play, the heroine, now 16, reports the tragic events in the troubled Elsinore castle. When she first speaks to Hamlet, Ophelia is a 10-year-old ragged tomboy tagging along after her brother, Laertes. A year later, Ophelia is accepted into Queen Gertrude's court ("Becoming a lady, I learned, was not easy"), and she grows into a beautiful, rather outspoken young woman with an interest in herbs. Her quick wit attracts the prince's attention, and their Shakespearean-style banter will delight readers. Hamlet and Ophelia secretly become husband and wife, and on their wedding night, the ghost of Hamlet's father appears at the castle; Horatio, at the stroke of midnight, barges into the newlyweds' bedroom calling, "To the ramparts, Hamlet. It comes!" Readers familiar with the play will know that Hamlet's feigned madness to seek revenge eventually proves to be his undoing. As things rage out of control, Ophelia fears for her own safety ("My life... is worth no more than a beast's"). Klein smoothly weaves in lines from the play and keeps her characterizations true to the playwright's, even as she rounds out the back story. Teens need not be familiar with Shakespeare's original to enjoy this fresh take—with the added romance and a strong heroine at its center. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up—Using Hamlet as the basis for her tale, Klein relates the familiar events from the play, with Ophelia as the focal point. Thus, readers see the social-climbing Polonius as a negligent father, the queenly Gertrude as a concerned and observant mentor, the bewildered Hamlet as a fervent lover, and Horatio as a loyal friend who loves Ophelia from afar. But the novel goes beyond the life of the play for, instead of dying, Ophelia secretly weds Hamlet, escapes Elsinore (taking refuge in a convent in France), bears Hamlet's son, and reunites romantically with Horatio to bring the story full circle. Easy to follow and moving at a rapid pace, the story introduces new characters who add depth to the tale. Klein sets the story in the Elizabethan era rather than in the medieval time frame of the original play; her detail-rich text conveys considerable information about courtly life, intrigue, and the societal mores of the times. She includes adapted versions of some of Shakespeare's best-known lines to keep the flavor of the Bard's work; however, the changes in the language may strike a discordant note with purists and with those who prefer the poetic text. Nonetheless, this is a successful and engaging story that is more thought-provoking than Lisa Fiedler's Dating Hamlet (Holt, 2002), as it deals with issues of justice more than revenge, with wholeness of character more than romance. It is sure to be popular with young women struggling with issues of honor, betrayal, and finding one's path.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1st edition (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599902281
• ISBN-13: 978-1599902289
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a lifelong reader and lover of words who said to myself one day, "Maybe I can write a novel." So in 2001 I sat down and began writing Ophelia, which was published in 2006. By that time I had completed a Ph.D., taught English literature as an assistant professor for nine years, married, had two sons, and finished two nonfiction books. Oh, and read more books than I can possibly recall. But one of my favorites growing up was Gone With the Wind, which I read seven times as a teenager. Thirty-odd years later, I wrote my own Civil War novel, Two Girls of Gettysburg. And the high-school parody of Macbeth that won our class first place in the homecoming skit competition eventually morphed into more sophisticated retellings of Shakespeare: Ophelia and Lady Macbeth's Daughter. I love doing research for my novels and retelling history and Shakespeare's plays from a fresh, female-centered perspective.
I live in Columbus, Ohio with my husband, two teenage sons, a dog and a cat.
You can visit my website at www.authorlisaklein.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ophelia's story, November 28, 2006

By 

Fussy Guy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ophelia (Hardcover)

Lisa Klein's Ophelia is a tightly-written, pacey and lively spin-off of Hamlet in novel form, as told from (you guessed it) Ophelia's perspective. The plot begins years before Hamlet's timeline and ends years after, allowing for Ophelia's character to be drawn out much more fully from Shakespeare's sketchy and puzzling portrayal.

Klein chose to set the novel not in the period of Hamlet's Denmark, but in the period of Shakespeare's writing of the play. Interwoven with the plot of Hamlet are allusions to a number of contemporary works, including Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It, in addition to conceits from sonnets by (among others) Lady Mary Wroth, all against a backdrop of romance, conduct literature, hagiography and other genres for and about women.

The fact that Ophelia is a woman allows Klein to intersperse a range of historical detail appopriate to women, including negotiations with cultural requirements for chastity, obedience and silence and a rich tapestry of herbal lore (as suggested by Ophelia's preoccupation with flowers in Hamlet). The characters' language is also suggestive of early modern literary dialogue.

However, these scholarly elements are by no means overpowering: the novel walks a careful line, never losing track that it is first and foremost a modern romance intended for the enjoyment of a wide readership without specialist knowledge. Whether intentional or not, it's a story that's crying out for a film.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The NEW Ophelia, March 22, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Ophelia (Hardcover)

I have read Hamlet. Yes, and I think Ophelia deserved better. Her husband mad, her life shattered -- kind of tragic, don't you think, after she died.

Ophelia provides a new story. Ophelia really didn't die. She faked her death and ran off to the convent of St. Emilion. And yes, she finds new love. :) Yay!

Ophelia is one of those stories I could read again and again and again! I feel like I know Hamlet, Horatio, Ophelia, Laertes, and Elnora. I realize how suffocating Elsinore Castle was. It makes me want to dig up Shakespearian tales and say, "What were you thinking? Ophelia is MUCH cooler than this!". Although not perfect, it's a great read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing twist on Shakespeare's Hamlet, January 4, 2007

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ophelia (Hardcover)

Ophelia is born in the year 1585 in the village of Elsinore. Her mother dies giving birth, and her father is distant and aloof, oftentimes absent from their home for days while seeking employment in the king's court. So Ophelia's older brother becomes her playmate and protector. They swim in the river, explore in the forest and run wild in the streets with other children. Their father does hire a tutor for Ophelia's brother, and though girls at this time usually are not educated, he gives his permission for Ophelia to learn as well, just to keep her out of trouble.

But life changes drastically when Ophelia turns eight. Her father finally gets a job working for King Hamlet, and the three of them move to Elsinore Castle.

Living at the Castle is so very different from their old life in the village. The castle is dark and drafty, yet filled with beautiful furniture and rugs, delicious food and drink, and people dressed in fancy clothes. Ophelia and her brother soon meet the king and queen at a banquet, along with their son, Prince Hamlet. Being around the same age, Ophelia's brother and the likable prince often engage in wrestling, archery and sword dueling. Hamlet even takes the time to tease starry-eyed Ophelia.

As Ophelia gets a little older, the queen takes notice and invites Ophelia to join her ladies-in-waiting. There Ophelia finally receives a bit of female guidance and learns to be a "proper lady." Ophelia could do without the endless hours of sewing, but she loves having access to books. In fact, when the queen finds out how well educated Ophelia is, she becomes one of the queen's favorites, spending hours reading aloud and sharing discussions with the queen.

The queen isn't the only one who notices Ophelia getting older; Prince Hamlet has his eye on her as well. But because she never would be accepted as a suitable match, Hamlet and Ophelia must keep their love a secret. With the help of Hamlet's trusted friend, Horatio, they dress as poor peasants and meet away from the castle in the orchards, gardens and an abandoned cottage. They soon decide to defy traditions and secretly elope.

But before they can gather the courage to announce their elopement, the king is murdered! Overcome with anger and grief, Hamlet becomes totally obsessed with discovering his father's killer and forgets his new bride. Ophelia falls into deep despair. But when the murderer begins to suspect that he or she may be exposed, Ophelia decides that her existence is worth saving and must escape for her very life.

Lisa Klein has done an incredible job with OPHELIA. She has taken one of Shakespeare's famous plays and written a tale that is a little more user friendly in today's world. Placing the story in young Ophelia's point of view will attract the female readers, especially when joining Ophelia in declaring a woman's life in the 1600s to be completely and unfairly ruled by men. Add castles, adventure, romance, murder and fleeing for one's life, and you have an amazing story.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK