Selected Works of Nigel Tomm 2006/2007, Shakespeare's Sonnets Remixed 2006 / Shakespeare's Hamlet Remixed 2007 / Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet ... Love Me Tender Remix 2007) Nigel Tomm is The

by Nigel Tomm

The Selected Works of Nigel Tomm (2006/2007) contains three major texts of Nigel Tomm from which the phenomenon of literature's remixing has 'Shakespeare's Sonnets Remixed' (2006), 'Shakespeare's Hamlet Remixed' (2007) and 'Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Remixed' (2007); plus, the book includes previously unpublished 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender Remix' (2007).

454 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2007

About the author

There has always been and possibly will always be an air of mystery about Nigel Tomm, but it is certain to the that he stands as one of the authors of contemporary literature today. His first work, a collection of remixed Shakespearean sonnets, was published in 2006. Since then, Nigel Tomm has written over 36 abstract novels and books. In 2008, he directed a series of film adaptations of classic literary pieces; each film consisted of a different color screen for a specific duration of time. (These full films can be viewed at IMDb.com) Tomm's most recent film is a 44-minute documentary about the hairless sphynx cat, and it can be purchased from Amazon.com

Nigel Tomm continues to release abstract literature and art frequently. It is rumored that his next novel will be a remix of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex."

Reviews

[Marzi Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody knows that J.D. Salinger has banned anyone from adapting "The Catcher in the Rye" into a movie. Nigel Tomm has ignored this proclamation though. His film adaptation of the novel is tagged with the brief description, "This is 75 minutes and 6 seconds of pure blue screen. Nothing less and nothing more." After learning about similar film adaptations, I discovered that this Nigel Tomm is an author as well as a filmmaker. Having enough interest, I purchased this book, pursuing it to be the best starter collection to his literature. Luckily, I made the right decision after all.

First is "Shakespeare's Sonnets Remixed," a vast series of free-verse poems that presents an e.e. cummings approach to the otherwise trite and boring sonnets from the trite and boring William Shakespeare. Oftentimes these remixed sonnets will require a few repeated readings in order for the most clear of possible meanings to shine. I believe that they work for that reason though. Poetry ought to be a free yet complex expression of ideology or emotion, and its readers should not always need to dissect prosody if they want to find the most meaning. The introduction to this book (with the longest title ever) presents that Nigel Tomm is truly a legit poet. Apparently, he did not want these sonnets to be published and sold at first. I can't imagine what his reasoning had been, since "Shakespeare's Sonnets Remixed" is an absolute literary treasure.

Next is "Shakespeare's Hamlet Remixed," a much more inventive and challenging prose selection. This is not traditional prose or drama at all. It is more accurately a puzzle of fragmented thoughts that string together in order to form loose yet comprehensible images and ideas. There is no precise grammar nor punctuation, but otherwise the novel would not work to its full potential. As someone who has read the original Shakespearean "Hamlet," I was delighted by certain grainy scenes such as Hamlet placing an electronic head onto a table. Also, the death of Polonius will never be written more vividly than how it is written in "Shakespeare's Hamlet Remixed."

The third selected work is "Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Remixed," which I personally believe is the highlight of the collection. This novel tests the reader instantly with a period after every one to five words. For those of you like me who need to place a mental pause with each period, the flow will seem a bit too abrupt at first. Further into the novel, the pace should quicken though. Unlike "Shakespeare's Hamlet Remixed," this selection actually has a less figurative plot. It is not solely philosophical, though it does maintain an avantgarde/absurdist style. "Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Remixed" paints the story of a play within a play within a play. The outside narrator is an inside character, and the reader is involved into the actual plot as well. Each character has an ability to transcend and distort reality, forcing him or her to be an actor at one moment and a role at the next. (clown may be one of my favorite characters from any book I've ever read.) Everything that happens is supposed to be a symbol of love somehow, which may be a satirical insult to how flowery Shakespeare was. I would believe it.

Overall, "Selected Works of Nigel Tomm..." is absolutely fantastic and unique. His works are not for everyone, of course. I love Nigel Tomm because whatever he does is deemed as either "brilliant" or "retarded," and there can be no other adjectives to use. I myself am choosing the former.