I've been dragging my feet on reading this one, a little bit, mainly b/c the other books I've read in this reimagining Shakespeare series have been kind of mediocre. But I needn't have worried--Atwood's take on The Tempest--a play within a play, set in a prison!--is totally engrossing. And honestly, educational! The Tempest is not a play I know super well, but I really learned a lot about it from reading these characters discussing the work. My main complaint is that Atwood leans way too heavily on the rap version of Shakespeare thing. For one thing, it's like the recent Lin-Manuel Miranda SNL sketch about the enthusiastic substitute teacher. For another, reading rap verses on a page will NEVER have the same effect as hearing them, and honestly, it didn't feel authentic at all. By the end I was pretty eye-rolly about it. But like, otherwise this was good? B+.
Content warning for a lot of discussion of rape threats in a Shakespeare play.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.
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