A review by karamello
Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein

4.0

The best parts of Lisa Klein's Ophelia are when she sticks close to Shakespeare, weaving in bits of the play's original dialog and reading between the lines to find much more there. The scene between Hamlet and Ophelia while Claudius and Polonius spy on them is inspired! I've never been a big fan of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a character, but Klein's representation gives me new insights into Shakespeare's play, helping me imagine Hamlet as a lively, charming prince, heightening the tragedy still further. I must admit that the story does lose a bit of luster in the last section as it continues the story where Shakespeare left off. Still, this may be the best literary retelling I've ever read and I'm becoming something of a connoisseur.