"He is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; she is simply Ophelia. If you think you know their story, think again.
In this reimagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. Ambitious for knowledge and witty as well as beautiful, Ophelia learns the ways of power in a court where nothing is as it seems. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately, she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever . . . with one very dangerous secret.
Lisa Klein's Ophelia tells the story of a young woman falling in love, searching for her place in the world, and finding the strength to survive. Sharp and literary, dark and romantic, this dramatic story holds readers in its grip until the final, heartrending scene."
Now, I truly wish that Ophelia remains dead and dead. Not some stupid Juliet twist or whatever. Dead is dead. No sleeping beauty thing. I hate that stuff. Ophelia should had remain dead, dead, and dead. Horatio should had been the only character who survived the play. Everyone else? Dead. Hamlet dies. His mother dies. His father dies. His uncle dies. Ophelia's brother dies. Ophelia's father dies. So many other people die. Death is everywhere.
I'll admit that I never read Hamlet, and never intend to after reading this book. This is like Romeo and Juliet all over again. I will kill myself, without my Romeo. Heh. Not funny. Anyway, Ophelia gives me the same feelings all over again. Death, irritation, annoyance, disappointment, and anger. I can list many more emotions (death is not an emotion; it is a joke), but I'm afraid I will bore you to death (not joke).
The ending is completely unsatisfying. (Oh, look, I'm doing the reverse, from ending to beginning). It left me confused and horrified. I really liked Hamlet and Ophelia thing forever (like Romeo and Juliet is forever). Now, apparently, Ophelia has the hots for Horatio, Hamlet's best friend. Um? No, thanks. I rather her dead. But I think Prince Hamlet Junior was a nice touch. Apparently, he even looks like Prince Hamlet. He is the heir in hiding, unfortunately.
The writing of Lisa M. Klein is enchanting. I rather enjoyed reading and listening the voice of Ophelia. She is an enchanting girl, with difficulties and hardship in her life. Political plays and forces drive her forward and backward. Eventually, she plays 'mad' so she can avoid everything that is hard on her. Klein describes Ophelia as an intelligent, sharp-witted, young woman, with hidden desires, family ties, and anger issues. It is all in a nice package. A fair package, I will add. Beautiful, I mean. Hamlet describes her as beautiful/fair.
The part I hated: The plot. It was rushed. Suddenly, Ophelia and Hamlet were married in secret. Hamlet's father died by poison. Then the ghost appears. Madness/insanity became so common that you can see it in the air. It slows down towards the end of the book.
Then there is the beginning. In the beginning, there is only a girl and a boy. The girl's name is Ophelia. The boy's name is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ophelia is the girl with the crush. Hamlet is the boy who doesn't see her until he grew older.
Rating: Two out of Five
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