Hamlet

by mckeown-adam

A prose retelling of Shakespeare's play about treachery and murder in the kingdom of Denmark. Includes background information, character summary, and commonly asked questions.

Genres: Shakespeare, Classics, Retellings, Plays

80 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2003

Reviews

[Virgil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not enough Horatio.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautifully and simply written. To write this play a a story with chapters was a brilliant idea, especially for younger audiences. That being said I would recommend it for any high-school student studying this play. A delight to read regardless of age. Beautifully illustrated.

[alisonwonderland (Alison) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this just prior to seeing a production of ‘Hamlet’ at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam McKeown does a superb job with the texts of his Shakespeare retellings. This is in chapter-format and would be great to use as an introduction to Hamlet in middle or high school.

I didn't care for the illustrations; they seemed to make cartoon-like caricatures of the characters, and it just seemed inappropriate to the tragic themes of the story.

Note: The phrase "God's blood" is used to curse. A ghost, murder, poison, and death are all themes in Hamlet.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced prose version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that provides a worthwhile introduction to the famous play.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated, accessible version for middle school (or early high school) students. This author has a whole series of Shakespeare adaptations for young readers. I think that these versions can be great supplements for students who are working on Shakespeare plays in theatre and don't have a solid grasp of the time or the language. The Young Reader's Shakespeare series includes introductions about Shakespeare and frequently asked questions & answers. If you are new to teaching Hamlet or just want something to help some of your nervous students, this book is great. Also, since it is a paperback, it doesn't look like a children's hardcover book. I love Bruce Coville's Shakespeare adaptations, but some of my older students automatically think "children's book" and won't really spend any time with them.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't hard to read and it makes the story of Hamlet accessible and understandable for children and adults alike. Now that I've finished this version, I want to experience the original again.