srsly Hamlet (OMG Shakespeare) - Hardcover

Shakespeare, William; Carbone, Courtney

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553535382 ISBN 13: 9780553535389

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015

Synopsis

Hamlet, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!
 
Imagine: What if Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, and the tragic Ophelia had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
 
A kingdom on the brink of war.
A stolen throne.
A boy seeking revenge.
 
<3 and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
 
 
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, checking in at certain locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens.
 
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.

About this title

About the Author

COURTNEY CARBONE studied English and creative writing in Baltimore, before moving to New York City to become a full-time children’s book editor. When she isn’t collaborating with the greatest playwright of all time, Courtney can be found studying various forms of comedy and trying to finish the joke, “Two groundlings walk into a bard. . . .”
 
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Reviews

Gr 8 Up—These titles strip Shakespearean plays of Elizabethan language and iambic pentameter, rendering modern retellings utilizing text slang littered with emojis. Content-wise, the authors remain true to the original story lines with no major omissions. Stylistically, the format has inherent strengths and weaknesses. Students will immediately understand "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have checked into Elsinore Castle" and this quite literally sets the scene. Yet, the reality of texting is that people are not face-to-face; thus, the text narrative format creates some clumsily contrived situations. For example, Romeo and Juliet arrive at the church to marry, and then precede to text their love to each other. Visualizing Romeo and Juliet together at the chapel, heads down texting, may cause readers to LOL, and as attempts at satire, these books definitely succeed. There is no shortage of WTF, STFU, and the like, yet F*ck is listed in the glossary (to define said shortcuts for adult readers unfamiliar with text-speak, one assumes). Students will no doubt recognize the many emojis, although Friar Laurence's use of an emoji representing a smiling pile of excrement is a bit much. This series raises an interesting question: what would Shakespeare's plays look like in today's world? Having students already familiar with the Bard's work compose text- and emoji-style retellings would make for a fun assignment. VERDICT More satirical than tragic and tirelessly trendy.—Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553535382
• ISBN 13: 9780553535389
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128