Beautiful teenager Ophelia is in love with the eligible Prince Hamlet of Denmark. He loves her too, but many things are not right in Castle Elsinore. Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost, who gives details of his murder by the man who is now King. This may be medieval times, when girls are supposed to stick to simple hobbies like growing flowers, but Ophelia has a few ideas of her own about how to remedy this situation.

This is partly a story about a woman who refuses to accept her station in life. Ophelia is not content to be beautiful and beloved; indeed she is disgusted by the number of men who lust after her. She cannot believe how comfortable it feels to wear breeches, and is convinced that being forbidden to wear them is just one more example of “injustice against our sex”. Ophelia is determined to make a difference in a world where almost everyone, including the men, seem resigned to letting fate happen to them.

Although not written in true Shakespearian English (or metre), this book does make use of some old-fashioned vocabulary and grammar, and includes numerous quotations from Shakespeare’s play. Some readers may find this aspect of the story daunting; many others will find it increases the enjoyment of their reading experience.

Fundamentally, Dating Hamlet is a love story, about a girl who refuses to accept her boyfriend’s death sentence, because she couldn’t bear to live without him. The romantic exchanges between the couple are sweet, even under the influence of Hamlet’s notorious philosophising.

In Hamlet, both Ophelia and Hamlet go mad, although some have argued that Hamlet is only pretending to be crazy, so that he can catch the King out in his guilt. In Dating Hamlet, this idea is explored further, with Ophelia learning unexpectedly that not everything that happens to you while you’re pretending to be insane is good for you. (“No one thinks to dry a dead girl.”)

The plot of Shakespeare’s play is kept largely in tact, but in this story the author makes a few crucial twists. Only the bad guys really die – but then, who are the real baddies in this story, anyway? Anyone familiar with this novel would have much less trouble understanding the classic tragedy, but I also feel that this book would be worth reading independently of the play. However, that’s only a guess, as everyone I know who’s read this book has also been familiar with Shakespeare.

This was a very sweet read. I have not read the original work, Hamlet, but I found that it was not necessary to understand or enjoy this book. I am sure, however, that those who have read the original can enjoy this book on a different level. The book focuses on Ophelia and her deep devotion to her love, Hamlet. She is a strong, smart, and witty character and her loyalty to Hamlet makes her a dangerous and vengeful person to anyone who plans to harm her Hamlet. She is a strategic planner and is knowledgable enough in botany underneath a beautiful shell, a combination that prooves to be very lethal. I found my self disapointed when the book ended, as I wanted to continue reading about them. I especially loved the little references to Shakespear's other works, adding to the humor of the book. I strongly recomend this book to all ages. ( )

This book provides a different point of view through which to reimagine the story of Hamlet and Ophelia. She is no wimp in this version, but mayhem still ensues.

A playful retelling of Hamlet. Most of the action of the novel takes place between the scenes of the play. In this version, Ophelia is an amateur botanist (she calls herself an alchemist) and soon to be Hamlet's wife (in a nicely understated scene, she gives up her "virtue" to him, shortly before he appears mad before the court). The novel reveals a different reason for Ophelia's purported madness (like Hamlet's, it is a feigned "antic disposition") and offers an extended ending to the play's conclusion, beginning once the bodies of Hamlet, Laertes, and the Queen are taken to the castle morgue. Purists would cringe, but I like the more positive re-imagining of Hamlet and Ophelia's fate -- much like Ann-Marie MacDonald's reinterpretation of Desdemona's and Juliet's roles. My only complaint with the novel is the dialogue: it's roundly awful. ( )

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