If You Like Shakespeare

And if you like romance and suspense, then you might be interested in this book:

Ophelia by Lisa Klein tells her story.  And it was beautifully done.

I picked this book up from the library on Monday (wait, that was yesterday) and I finished it about a half hour ago.  You should see my house . . . It's labeled as young adult fiction but I would put it in the upper teens, true young adult realm -- not the "tweeners."

Quick synopsis: Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius, a man who spends his life scheming on how to get into the castle and the good graces of the king.  This puts Ophelia in Elsinore at a young age where she is trained up as a lady's maid to the queen and falls in love with Hamlet -- first as a girl, then as a young woman.  Hamlet returns that love, but then of course his own tragedy unfolds.  

The twist?  Klein's Ophelia doesn't actually die.  Her death is a ruse very much in the vein of Romeo and Juliet (I think Shakespeare would approve) and she escapes in fear for her life to France where she takes refuge in a convent and seeks to find solace after the tragedy that she has experienced -- the death of her father, brother, and Hamlet.  I don't want to give away the ending but it is good.  Both a good read and a happy ending.

Synopsis aside, I've been thinking about this book nonstop.  Ophelia is a complex, but real character and I love Klein's portrayal of her.  She is independent and smart but not so much that you think it unrealistic for the 16th century.  She loves Hamlet and is somewhat ruled by him but also seeks to sway him from his revenge.  Her time in the convent did drag a little, but her struggles with herself felt so genuine.  Part of her healing in the convent is discovering who she is for herself.  And when she finds herself, then she is truly happy.

Please note, there is some sexual content.  Nothing graphic (I was so glad!!), instead it was more referential to how things work in the castle (soldiers and serving maids, etc.) and Ophelia spends a bit of time deciphering for herself what love is.  It was more romantic than romance though, which I've always preferred.  

I really thought that Klein stayed so true to Shakespeare's Hamlet while at the same time giving Ophelia her own story wonderfully told.  I might even have to go back and read the play to refresh myself on the original character.

And I just love this John William Waterhouse depiction.

A Birthday for the Bard!

As a former English teacher I can't let the day go by without acknowledging that today is Shakespeare's birthday!

Since it's Easter weekend, we're involved in Easter activities but I've been cooking up some ideas for  a Shakespeare party and am kind've sad that I can't pull it off this year!

Every party needs to start with the food right?  You're more likely to get a good turnout if the food is good I think . . . 

So start with a "hamlet" for breakfast.  Ok, it's really a mini ham and egg cup from Our Best Bites.  But after a student told me on their extra credit question that one of Shakespeare's plays was called "omelet", I've never been able to think of an omelet with ham as anything other than a hamlet!  Strange?  Well, it makes me laugh every time honestly . . . 

Because of a lack of ingredients, I did not use spinach and roasted red peppers.  Instead I just used fresh green pepper but they were quite tasty regardless!  And because they're muffin-size, I think the name hamlet fits quite well -- it's a small village of egg and pepper and cheese . . . and that's probably another stretch!

Anyway, on with the food!  For a dinner celebration . . . 

Don't forget a Julius Caesar salad -- super easy with romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, a good Caesar dressing (I do like Newman's Own), some croutons, and maybe some chicken in there.

And of course Funeral Potatoes and chicken baked with rosemary and butter.  I have no idea where the name for the potatoes came from but that's what they've always been called around me and since everyone dies in his plays . . . 

Shakespearean Funeral Potatoes

Mix together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 4 Tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 cup shredded onion, 1 cup grated cheese,  and 1 pint sour cream.  Stir in 1 32 oz. bag of southern style hash browns and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes . . . so good!

And dessert?  Well anything that invokes love of course but what would really take the cake would be an English pudding.  Hmmm, maybe I'll see if I can get a good recipe . . . 

Entertainment?  Of course!  You can't celebrate Shakespeare without entertainment.

My favorite movie options are West Side Story, Much Ado About Nothing starring Emma Thompson (lovely!) and Kenneth Branagh (please be aware there is bare back in this one -- oh and it also has Robert Sean Leonard whom I have loved since I was fifteen, sigh)

  The Taming of the Shrew starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor is FABULOUS! 

 Hamlet with Mel Gibson (and Helena Bonham Carter -- one of my favorite actresses ever)

 and for the younger set -- The Lion King. 

 Please be forewarned that anything Shakespeare is liable to have some questionable material but these ones in particular are so good!

There are a million more out there of course -- Shakespeare has permeated so much of life.  I could go on and on for hours.  In fact, I think I'll do a separate post on books and teaching Shakespeare -- make that 10 separate posts.  There's just too much!