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A review by daphne_the_library_elf
The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
4.0
Before reading this review, here are a few things that guided¬ how I approached this book: 1) I am a fan of Shakespeare, 2) I particularly enjoy adaptations of Shakespeare’s work, 3) I have read The Winter’s Tale, and 4) I was previously unfamiliar with Jeanette Winterson. I also had a more detailed review written, but my cat stepped on my keyboard and deleted it before I could post it (this actually happens in real life).
About a third of the way through reading the book, I was unsure about what to think. I was leaning more to the side of dislike. Then I put down book for the night and thought about what I would want to see from a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s work in novel form. I would want an exploration of character and the themes of the work. And that is exactly what Jeanette Winterson is giving with The Gap of Time.
I found the addition of backstories for Leo, Xeno, and Shep particularly satisfying. Shep's story, which the novel begins with, does a particularly good job and expanding the character and explaining actions that would be seen as inappropriate (not to mention illegal) in the updated time frame of the near future. Though Perdita is my favorite character in the play, Shep easily became my favorite character in the novel. His fatherly love is truly the heart of this version of the story and serves as a fantastic counterpoint to failings of both Leo and Xeno as parents. The backgrounds for Leo and Xeno help to explain their actions, which largely lack context in the play.
At the end of the book, Jeanette Winterson explains her attachment to and interpretation of the play (in all honesty, I would recommend the book based on this discussion alone). She identifies three main themes: revenge, tragedy, and forgiveness, and her cover version explores all of these themes and expands on what drives the characters to do what they do. This expansion also makes it easier to understand why certain characters are forgiven and for the readers themselves to (or not to) forgive the characters.
One problem I had with the book was the naming of characters. Some names are unchanged from the original text (most notably Perdita), but most of the other names are versions of the originals. Some of these, like Leo, Pauline, and Shep, did not bother me, but others, must notably Zel (Florizel) and Xeno (Polixenes) took be out of the story. I would have preferred the names were changed and the reader was trusted to figure out which character in the cover version corresponded to which character in the play.
More than anything else, this book is an extremely personal one for Jeanette Winterson. In press releases and in the book itself, she talks about her connection to the play. Each of the three sections are split by interludes, bearing a decidedly personal and poetic feeling. It is hard to detach the play, the cover version, and the intimate personal connection.
Overall, I see The Gap of Time as a good way to start Hogarth’s Shakespeare cover series. It shows that the idea of the books to is maintain the stories while giving more depth to characters and further exploring and interpreting themes of the work, while incorporating all of this into a given author’s style. I look forward to seeing the remaining books in the project and how the themes and characters are treated and the stories are updated, particularly concerning the plays I love and authors I am more familiar with.
About a third of the way through reading the book, I was unsure about what to think. I was leaning more to the side of dislike. Then I put down book for the night and thought about what I would want to see from a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s work in novel form. I would want an exploration of character and the themes of the work. And that is exactly what Jeanette Winterson is giving with The Gap of Time.
I found the addition of backstories for Leo, Xeno, and Shep particularly satisfying. Shep's story, which the novel begins with, does a particularly good job and expanding the character and explaining actions that would be seen as inappropriate (not to mention illegal) in the updated time frame of the near future. Though Perdita is my favorite character in the play, Shep easily became my favorite character in the novel. His fatherly love is truly the heart of this version of the story and serves as a fantastic counterpoint to failings of both Leo and Xeno as parents. The backgrounds for Leo and Xeno help to explain their actions, which largely lack context in the play.
At the end of the book, Jeanette Winterson explains her attachment to and interpretation of the play (in all honesty, I would recommend the book based on this discussion alone). She identifies three main themes: revenge, tragedy, and forgiveness, and her cover version explores all of these themes and expands on what drives the characters to do what they do. This expansion also makes it easier to understand why certain characters are forgiven and for the readers themselves to (or not to) forgive the characters.
One problem I had with the book was the naming of characters. Some names are unchanged from the original text (most notably Perdita), but most of the other names are versions of the originals. Some of these, like Leo, Pauline, and Shep, did not bother me, but others, must notably Zel (Florizel) and Xeno (Polixenes) took be out of the story. I would have preferred the names were changed and the reader was trusted to figure out which character in the cover version corresponded to which character in the play.
More than anything else, this book is an extremely personal one for Jeanette Winterson. In press releases and in the book itself, she talks about her connection to the play. Each of the three sections are split by interludes, bearing a decidedly personal and poetic feeling. It is hard to detach the play, the cover version, and the intimate personal connection.
Overall, I see The Gap of Time as a good way to start Hogarth’s Shakespeare cover series. It shows that the idea of the books to is maintain the stories while giving more depth to characters and further exploring and interpreting themes of the work, while incorporating all of this into a given author’s style. I look forward to seeing the remaining books in the project and how the themes and characters are treated and the stories are updated, particularly concerning the plays I love and authors I am more familiar with.