Friday, August 16, 2013

ARC Review: A Wounded Name

**Sorry this is late-I forgot to prep it before the Taylor concert; I definitely have thoughts and will try to get them up this weekend!**

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison
4/5 stars
Carolrhoda Lab, 2013
310 pages
YA Retelling
Scheduled to release September 1

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Spoilers if you are not familiar with the play "Hamlet"*

Though I'm not the biggest Shakespeare fan, I do find myself inevitably drawn to the works that pay direct homage to his writing such as this take on "Hamlet," which focuses in on the tragic figure of Ophelia. I tend to prefer comedies so I was a little worried about how the drama and tragedy would play out.

Almost immediately though I was swept away by the beautiful writing and the intriguing updates to the characters. This variation follows (from what I remember) the Hamlet play very closely but because it is a novel from Ophelia's perspective, it emphasizes her feelings and actions a lot more. Here the twisted relationship between Ophelia and Dane (as Hamlet is known) takes center stage; though love is spoken of, it is dark and painful, abusive even at times. We also see a lot more of Ophelia's mother who is a ghost, seen only by Ophelia. Her mother's legacy hangs heavily over Ophelia until that inevitable conclusion.

I do have some problems with the world. I appreciated that it was all set at Elsinore Academy, its tight confines restricting the characters. But while references to computers and phones indicated it was set in the present day, it also felt very out of time. It seemed very old-fashioned especially emphasized with the school's odd curriculum that cultivates women to be ideal hostesses and companions to their successful husbands. Do places like that really still exist in this day and age? Do families really send their daughters off to expensive boarding schools content that they're getting an inferior education to their brothers? Coming from a family of just daughters that strongly values education, that is very difficult for me to wrap my head around.

This atmosphere is the kind that raised Gertrude who has always seen herself as the hostess, wife to the headmaster and that attitude really helped me to see how she so quickly married her husband's brother. She had grown up with both boys and had never really evinced a preference. When brother Claudius is posed to become headmaster, she remembers that childhood and her position as headmaster's wife and desires to retain it.

As for the end, my disappointment is that the book is narrated by Ophelia. If you remember what happens, she dies before the end of the play and the book follows that meaning we don't get to see the final duel between Dane and Laertes though we know how that shakes out. Still I wish there had been a way to actually show it all (note: I'm not complaining about the tragic nature as I was prepared by the source material and also because it seemed so fitting. No one was making very smart decisions so of course there's going to be a lot of death.)

One last note so I don't forget is that a lot of lines from the play are incorporated into the story. It has been probably about five years since I read it and even I managed to recognize some lines. A more recent reading would probably add greater depth to your connection with this story.

Overall: A beautifully written ethereal experience-a perfect companion to reading the play itself (I mean, the play's the thing :)

Cover: One might think I was drawn to the purple flowers that match so perfectly with the title. But it is front foot that grabs my eye-I do not think mine can arch quite like that and it makes me think she's a dancer.

Other Opinions:
Bibliopunkk
Flying Kick-a-pow!
Katie's Book Blog

16 comments:

  1. I think I will pass. I don't know much about the play and the problems with the setting would also turn me off. Thanks for honest review though

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    1. Oh sad-I thought it was worth reading but I know how you like your fantasy!

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  2. Yeah, I'll pass too. I've never read Hamlet (I'll do it for school this year) but I have read some adaptations in Ophelia's perspective that I enjoyed, especially Falling for Hamlet. I loved the world building in that one and the premise behind this one doesn't draw me in as much.

    -P.E.

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    1. Well maybe you'll change your mind after you do read Hamlet-I thought it was just a fascinating take.

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  3. It's an interesting idea for a book, but I think I'd rather just see a novel from actual Ophelia's POV. The setting for this does seem strange. A compelling cover I agree!

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    1. I feel like there is a book like that (blanking on who wrote it though) so I thought this updated retelling was a cool twist.

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  4. I have this one and I want to pick it up and read it but I wondered about it - I probably should brush up on Hamlet, at least a gloss-over, before starting this one. I agree that the cover is beautiful and it (being a cover girl) drew me to the book to begin with.

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    1. I would definitely recommend reading the wikipedia summary at least just to keep track of what's going to go down.

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  5. I don't looove Shakespeare but for some reason I watch all movies based on his work.
    This book sounds interesting.

    Does the girl on the cover look weird or is it me? I mean her legs. She's not siting but she's not floating either....

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    1. She's walking precariously on rope/stones over the water, which actually is in the book!

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  6. I think I might have an issue with the academy. Do we really have to stereotype women (and men, for that matter)? What if a guy wanted to take those classes? Would they let him? And, seriously, do places like this still exist? Maybe the author did that so it fit the story and harkened back to Shakespeare's story. Dunno. Sounds like the writing makes up for a lot of faults, though!

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    1. I sure hope places like this don't exist but I can see how for some privileged people, this would be desirable.

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  7. Interesting -- I really like Hamlet so maybe I will try that one. There was another YA retelling of Hamlet that came out a year or so ago and I meant to read that too….

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    1. Would love to see your thoughts Jen! Not sure it's our usual kind of read but I ended up quite liking it.

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  8. I have this one too, I'm hoping to have it read prior to 9/1 (but I may not.) I am such a SUCKER for books with the PRETTY WORDS so I think that part of your review excites me most. It has been a LONG while since I read or saw the Hamlet so I may need to do a Wikipedia/Clift Notes review before stating this. But the subject of Ophelia is one of my favorites in art (especially John Everett Millais version) so I ADORE this cover!

    Great review!

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    1. Now that I know you studied art, this reference makes a lot more sense to me-his Ophelia is gorgeous. I hope you can get to it (and really it's not *that* long.)

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