Hamlet: The Novel

by Alan W. Lehmann

When Norwegian warrior Prince Fortinbras enters Elsinore, the capital of sixteenth-century Denmark, he finds not a stable kingdom but a scene of bloody carnage—one including the murder of the entire Danish royal family. Assuming the throne of Denmark, Fortinbras tasks Prince Hamlet’s trusted friend Horatio with explaining the events that led to the chaos. Loyal to his friend and nation, Horatio accepts the duty, determined to record the truth. What follows is a tale of ambition, lust, conspiracy, murder, and revenge. In response to the death of his father, Hamlet begins a desperate search for justice, hampered by the hazards of a seemingly relentless and tragic fate and the threat of his own madness. Using contemporary language, this retelling of the classic Shakespearean play explores a timeless story of power, politics, and personal crisis in which love, courage, faith, and friendship are tested to their limits.

386 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2015

Reviews

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing effort to rewrite one of the greatest works of English drama as a modern novel. Hopefully it will make this sublime classic accessible to those readers who are put off by the Elizabethan English of the original.

[Andrew Bendelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually much more interesting and well-written than I imagined it would be! Some good back story on Yorick, and a more nuanced view of Gertrude than one might expect.