Shakespeare shaking in his grave
Written: Apr 20 '08 (Updated Apr 20 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: it’s about Shakespeare—specifically, the authorship question
Cons: plot-holes; unsympathetic protagonist; lack of chemistry between leads; obvious villain; didactic at times
The Bottom Line: You’d be hard-pressed to suspend disbelief as protagonist demonstrates no sense of self-preservation, blithely eluding the law and plunging headlong, with a stranger, into dangerous waters.
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| jc_hall's Full Review: Jennifer Lee Carrell - Interred With Their Bones |
Kate Stanley is an American Shakespeare scholar who has turned her back on academia to direct one of the Bard’s most beloved play, Hamlet, at the Globe theatre in London, England. But while rehearsals are taking place, Kate’s estranged mentor, Professor Rosalind Howard, appears with a little box and an intriguing message for Kate. Before Kate can make heads or tails of the mysterious box thrust into her possession, Professor Howard is murdered and the Globe theatre almost burns down.
Instead of handing the box over to the investigating detective, Kate embarks on a continent-hopping investigation of her own, for no reason other than that her ex-mentor had bade her follow where the box leads. Having eluded the law in rather cavalier fashion, she then takes up with a handsome stranger hired by Professor Howard (or so he claims) to protect Kate. She promptly takes him at his face value, and continues, against all odds, to stay one step ahead of the law, uncovering clues that point to a veritable treasure—a missing Shakespearean play that may yet be found.
Meanwhile, she leaves a trail of murdered bodies behind her, as her investigations always prove the kiss of death to her interviewees. But like a right trooper, she carries on regardless, with no discernible sense of self-preservation or even regret for the carnage left in her wake. After all, there’s a missing Shakespearean play to be found! More, there’s the authorship question to wrangle over, and a convoluted plot to render the location of the missing play even halfway plausible.
While an erstwhile missing Shakespearean play would certainly act as a dangling golden carrot for any Shakespearean scholar, it takes a much further leap of imagination to believe that said Shakespearean scholar would throw caution and common sense to the wind and plunge headlong into dangerous, uncharted, territory with nary a thought for self-preservation, especially when violent death follows her like a celebrity stalker.
Indeed, you’d be hard-pressed to suspend disbelief early on in the tale. But such is my investment in the Shakespearean authorship question that I read on till the bitter end. The question therefore becomes, ‘Well, was it worth it?’ Listen, I threw up my hands many times from plot-holes that should have been caught by a good editor. But I have to say I kept reading for the details of authorship (albeit didactic at times) and even the convoluted (yet clever) machinations needed to place the missing play in its improbable location. It should also be said that the author writes well and some descriptive passages are beautifully written, with apt and unusual metaphors that often merit a second reading.
The author, like a true Shakespearean fan, had the conceit of dividing the novel into a prologue and five acts. There are brief ‘interludes’ at the end of each act except the last one, at the end of which is an Author’s Note that gives the reader a glimpse of how the novel was conceived. While the author’s note is interesting, the interludes are set in the Elizabethan period and despite their briefness, jarred on this reader.
I had such high hopes for this book I actually used it as a reward to make myself finish a project before allowing my hot little hands to flip open that promising cover. Alas, my hopes were quickly dashed. Not only does the protagonist, supposedly a highly intelligent character, exhibit absolutely no sense of self-preservation, the love-interest fails to sizzle and plot-holes abound, and we’re barely out of the first few chapters! Yet I did keep reading and things did pick up near the end. I’m ambivalent about recommending this novel, as I can’t imagine a regular reader of thrillers would be any too pleased with it, but a Shakespearean aficionado may well be willing to forgive the myriad annoyances as the premise is intriguing enough to excuse the often-clumsy execution.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jc_hall
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Member: JC Hall
Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 199
Trusted by: 54 members
About Me:
Going back to Vancouver for Christmas! Happy Holidays, everyone!!
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