John Updike's 51st book is a very cheerful affair. He has looked at
Hamlet and wondered just why Gertrude became the wife of the
incoming King Claudius in such a rush. In other words he has taken
the spotlight off the moody young Hamlet and turned it on his
delightful, and often ignored, mother. This is a tale of modern
womanhood, as Gertrude, the daughter of a king and the wife of
another, decides to live for herself. Gertrude's husband, King
Hamlet, has a brother called Feng (who is later to be Claudius), an
interesting romantic freelance, operating mostly in southern
Europe, far from the cold flatlands of Denmark. He and Gertrude
have a strong attraction for each other, which develops into love,
and finally, in middle age, into a rollicking and dangerous affair.
Polonius connives in their affair, lending Gertrude his remote
country house for their trysts. When the king finds out what has
been going on, Polonius's life is just as much in danger as Feng's.
It is Polonius who suggests the murder of the king while he is
asleep in the orchard. There are many sympathetic acknowledgements
of middle age, and one of them is the king's habit of taking an
afternoon nap. Also true to Updike's belief that sex should be
tackled head on, the affair between the ageing warrior and the
'fat, spoiled, forty-eight year old former princess' (her words),
is both ironically and richly described. We are left in no doubt
that this is her story, rather than Hamlet's; Hamlet, despite her
best endeavours, has always been a supercilious and cold son. The
story gathers pace. Ruefully, Gertrude discovers that in kingship
her lover loses some of his spark, but she resolves to make this
second marriage work. As the book closes, the new king rashly
concludes that things are on the up in Denmark: he is looking
forward to a close relationship with Hamlet, married bliss and
stability. Alas, the action of the play is about to begin. Reviewed
by Justin Cartwright, author of Leading the Cheers (Kirkus UK)
Using details of the ancient Scandinavian legends that were the inspiration for Hamlet, John Updike brings to life Gertrude's girlhood as the daughter of King Rorik, her arranged marriage to the man who becomes King Hamlet, and her middle-aged affair with her husband's younger brother. As only he could, Updike recasts a tale of medieval violence and presents the case for its central couple that Shakespeare only hinted at. Gertrude's warmth and lucidity, Claudius's soldierly yet peaceable powers of command are seen afresh against a background of fond intentions and familial dysfunction, on a stage darkened by the ominous shadow of a sullen, disaffected prince.
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