Hamlet's Father by Orsen Scott Card

Title: Hamlet's Father
Author: Orson Scott Card
Type: Audio Book (Unabridged)
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
Genre: Fiction
Series: No
Copyright: 2012(for audiobook recording only)
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:
This is a reinterpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. This varies from the play in that it focus more on Hamlet's feeling towards his father and his lack of knowledge about his father. As a child Hamlet always felt that his father picked his companions over him and that they were the ones he loved rather than him. After his father's death Hamlet us asked to avenge his father and Hamlet learns more and more about his father. The Hamlet we encounter in here is much different than Shakespeare's Hamlet, he is devious and skilled in the art of deception.While Hamlet is using deception to his advantage is he really as smart as he thinks he is?

Feelings:
I enjoyed this audiobook mostly because of the narrator, Stefan Rudnicki, who did an excellent job reading the book, but found that sometimes I drifted off to sleep because it wasn't all that interesting. I don't normally fall asleep while I'm listening to an audiobook. It is short which is nice about 2 1/2 hours. It does not stay true to the play itself which I found interesting. I did find it to be a bit homophobic which I guess is just the author's point-of-view being reflected in the writing. One could almost not think of it as homophobia and as pedophilia, if it were not for one pivotal scene that clearly makes it about homophobia. It gives a new insight into the King, who was previously a rather minor character but a very important one. There are some aspects that stay true to the Shakespeare play in that death is a theme, and yes pretty much everyone dies. But there is a twist that I did not see coming. For lovers of Hamlet I would not recommend this because it is a reinterpretation and does not stay true to the play itself. One good thing about this version is the language is clear and easy to understand. I can't say I really liked the message or that I would recommend this to many people just because it deals with a pedophile and homophobia.