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A LITERARY
BLOG ABOUT BOOKS How they affect us. How they shape our lives.
Note: Postings
made when muses strike. Watch for blog alert notices via email, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. "We read to know we are not alone." C.S. Lewis Copyright 2011-2018
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12 Reading Recommendations Please click a book image to purchase it on Amazon.
Novels, books, and musicals June has written and published: Click a book image to purchase it on www.amazon.com
"Meditations
for New Members is a beautifully written little book...a gem. The thoughts are striking and orginal--a
few are quite profound." --Fiona Hodgkin, author of The Tennis Player from Bermuda
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Ah, There's the Rub
Shakespeare has never been
my strong suit. Oh, I studied his more popular "classic" tragedies and comedies in high school and college—and
got the good grades—but he was never a favorite playwright of mine. I don't sit up at night pining to read his works,
preferring his basic themes to be rehashed in more modern literature and cinema. If maybe that makes me less of a scholar,
then, as the Bard would say, "So be it!"
That being said...
Once you realize the name of its main protagonist, “Thelma”,
is the anagram of “Hamlet”, the first puzzle piece is in place of Hunting for Sparrows **, an intricately involved psychological thriller by Beatrice Gerard set in the über-rich, elite society of the modern
corporate world. Following the plot lines of Shakespeare’s tragedy, the author renames and switches genders of four
characters and sets their story in present-day West Palm Beach.
The Bard’s tales have been rehashed and
often tritely retold many times over the centuries. However, Beatrice Gerard—nom
de plume of a well-known British Literature professor and fiction author—brings a fresher, more diabolical
approach to this tale of greed and lust that comprises “the very basic life staples. Violence, corruption…deaths,
betrayals, [and] lies,” as Lauren—Horatio’s’ female counterpart—recaps just before this novel’s
surprise ending, which gives a whole new, sharp edge to the oft-told tale.
I didn’t realize Hunting for Sparrows was a present-day account of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, until after reading
the vaguely familiar first half, bogged down by outré, often stilted orations and prognostications by Thelma to Cindy,
who shares a “dire” secret that is obvious to the Shakespeare-savvy reader. (Hint: Ophelia’s gender is not
changed.). It was only until Lance recalls Polonius’ famous advice speech to his son, Laertes—and figuring out
the anagram—did I have the “aha” moment: this is Hamlet
retold with a twist. While Gerard is a decent writer—I reluctantly conclude—some of her phraseology is a bit overplayed,
especially when juxtaposing arcane Shakespearean euphemisms into 21st Century jargon. The dialogue flows as if
reading a script, but some of it seems forced, until the exciting denouement which sweeps us away to the final, tragic almost
all exeunt ending.
While I found “Oh, poor Georgina!” (Alas, poor Yorick!”), when Thelma finds
a childhood maid’s skull, and “Good night, sweet princess” scenes, as well as the two secondary lawyer-henchmen
characters, Rosen (Rosencrantz) and Katz Guildenstern), overly trite and stilted, I found this self-published (March 2012)
novel to be an overall satisfying read; almost as satisfying as a well-staged production of the original play. Missing, though,
was Thelma’s mother’s ghost—or was she? The ending—atypical William Shakespeare, typical Beatrice
Gerard—is an “I gotcha!” moment; one not to be missed by both general fiction as well as scholarly Shakespearean
readers.
In Hunting for Sparrows , something once rotten in the bygone days of the State of Denmark has
survived to span the ages, corrupting and sullying the corporate-America greedy elite of West Palm Beach—easily anyplace—where
one continually asks, “Who really is the hawk? Who really are the sparrows?”
~~~~~~ ** ©
2012 Beatrice Gerard. 364-pgs; ppbk. Self-published through CreateSpace.
12:53 pm edt
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June
J. McInerney, the host of this Literary Blog, is
an author, poet, and librettist. Her currently published works include a novel, a book of spiritual inspirations,
two
volumes of poetry, stories
for children (of all ages) and
a variety of children's musicals. Her titles include: Miss Elmira's Secret Treasure:
A Novel of Phoenixville during the Early 1900s Colonial Theatre: A Novel of Phoenixville
during the Roarin' 20s Phoenix Hose, Hook & Ladder: A Novel of Phoenixville during
World War I Columbia Hotel: A Novel of Phoenixville during the Early 1900s the Schuylkill Monster: A Novel of Phoenixville in 1978
The Prisoner's
Portrait: A Novel of Phoenxville during World War II
Forty-Thirty Rainbow in the Sky Meditations for New Members
Adventures
of Oreigh Ogglefont The Basset Chronicles. Cats of Nine Tales Spinach
Water: A Collection of Poems Exodus Ending: A
Collection of More Spiritual Poems
We Three Kings Beauty and the Beast Bethlehem Noah's
Rainbow Peter, Wolf, and Red Riding
Hood
Originally from the New York metropolitan area, June currently lives near Valley Forge Park in Pennsylvania with her constant and loving companions, FrankieBernard and Sebastian Cat. She
is currently working on her sixth novel.
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