A review by nattygsmith
The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

4.0

In The Gap of Time, Winterson undertakes the challenging task of modernizing the characters, plot, and language of one of Shakespeare's more quirky stories. It took me a while to appreciate this book, and it wasn't until I sat down and read the last third of the book straight through in an hour that I found what I was looking for. The modernized versions of Shakespeare's characters were fun all along, and while I didn't love her writing style, once I committed to reading quickly and sustainedly I was won over by the wonderful pace of well-done Shakespeare. The inevitable rush forward, headlong through misunderstandings, blunders, and redemptions, felt exactly right. The result is a fun and personal experiment, and just like in any theatrical production, a certain amount of the experience is left to chance.