Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: December 2007

Ophelia by Lisa Klein is perfect for those who love Shakespearean fantasies. Ophelia is an early feminist who must battle her conscious, the orders of her father, and the ambiguity of her husband. The novel begins years before her father finds employment at the royal court. Klein invites us to see the contrast between country life and the lives led in the suffocating Elsinore castle. We see Ophelia as a little girl who happily rolls in the dirt, wrestles her brother, or swims in the river. Her scandalous, tom-boy behavior lands her a position as one of Queen Gertrude's women; however, she must first master the proper behavior of a Lady. Upon Hamlet's return from studying abroad, he is instantly captured by Ophelia's feminine transformation and her wit. Following a clandestine marriage are the familiar events as they unfold in Shakespeare's play. The tragic events that take place in Elsinore's halls are shocking and Ophelia must escape Denmark or risk death at the hands of tyrant King Claudius.

Ophelia is a close re-examination of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, from a woman's view. Shakespeare wrote from the sphere of men, while Lisa Klein uses Ophelia's character to discuss courtly matters, oppression, and the dangers of womanhood. Ophelia is a well-written novel that will please a wide range of readers. Lisa Klein effectively breathes new life into an old story.