Oh my stars. Of course John Updike is about the finest writer we’ve got around today, but who would have guessed he would have presumed to write a prequel to Hamlet, of all things, and have pulled it off beautifully in the hilarious Gertrude and Claudius?
He even answers some of the wilder questions in Shakespeare’s play, changes some of the names to keep you guessing, makes motives really interesting, and I think makes Shakespeare proud.
If you’re not familiar with Updike I don’t think this is where you’d like to start with him. And if you’re not familiar with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, you probably don’t want to start here either. But if you’re familiar with both, I think this’ll give you a really good time. Like I said, I love John Updike, and I do like Shakespeare and this blend is a beaut.
