Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel

By: A. J. Hartley, David Hewson

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

It is a tale of ghosts, of madness, of revenge - of old alliances giving way to new intrigues. Denmark is changing, shaking off its medieval past. War with Norway is on the horizon. And Hamlet - son of the old king, nephew of the new - becomes increasingly entangled in a web of deception - and murder.

Struggling to find his place in this strange new order Hamlet tries to rekindle his relationship with Ophelia - the daughter of Elsinore’s cunning spy master, a man with plots of his own. Hamlet turns for advice and support to the one person he can trust -- Young Yorick, the slippery, unruly jester, whose father helped Hamlet through a difficult childhood. And all the while the armed forces of Fortinbras, prince of Norway, start to assemble, threatening to bring down Elsinore forever.

Beautifully performed by actor Richard Armitage ("Thorin Oakenshield" in the Hobbit films), Hamlet, Prince of Denmark takes Shakespeare’s original into unexpected realms, reinventing a story we thought we knew.

A. J. Hartley is the New York Times best-selling author of the Will Hawthorne fantasy series and several thrillers, as well as the Darwen Arkwright books for younger readers. He is the Russell Robinson Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

David Hewson is the best-selling author of more than 20 novels, including the Nic Costa crime series and a trilogy of books based on the hit Danish television show The Killing. His most-recent novel, The House of Dolls, begins a new series set in Amsterdam.

Richard Armitage is known to movie audiences around the world as "Thorin Oakenshield" in the trilogy of films based on The Hobbit. Born in Leicester, England, and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Armitage has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and created memorable roles on Robin Hood, North & South, and other British TV series.

©2014 A.J. Hartley, David Hewson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"It's a fresh, contemporary take on Shakespeare's tragedy, one not afraid to create new characters or cut long soliloquies. We get a noirish Hamlet, who, when asked by Laertes if he's ready to fence, blurts out: 'I've been ready all my life.'" ( Associated Press)

"English literature teachers worried about getting pupils entranced by Shakespeare should plug them in to this imaginative gloss on Hamlet before starting on the real thing. Hobbit-fanciers will rejoice to find that Richard “Thorin Oakenshield” Armitage is an outstandingly versatile narrator. This is the one of the most powerful listening experiences that I’ve had." ( The Times London)

"Armitage is amazing. He's more than a simple reader, showing himself as a gifted actor. He gives distinct life to each of the many characters in the tragedy, making it easy to follow the story. You can actually close your eyes and listen to the work and imagine the scenes unfolding, thanks to Armitage's acting skills." ( AudioFile)

Prince of Denmark

This was Shakespeare in 20 first English. Finally I get it! The story is as old as the 15 th century and it still applies today. The narrative at the end is worth listening to.

Not Bernard Crowell but not bad

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend it because it is an interesting retelling and a pleasant narration.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting was the addition of junior Yorick and the development of Ophelia's character, including the social commentary suggested by the women's roles. The shipboard sequence with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was well crafted. The military storyline was not so well staged and harder to keep track of. The least interesting was the lack of descriptive detail for imagining the scenes and characters, and the lack of context clues, for instance, about Wittenberg.

What does Richard Armitage bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The characters are differentiated well and their relationships are given greater nuance than reading the script. He gave the minor characters consistent attitudes and the ambiguities in the major characters needed his interpretation given the lack of narrative support from the script. It was actually easier to follow than the audiobook narrated by a large cast. (To be honest, it was because I so enjoyed his narration of Lords of the North and the Heyer books that I tried this, and I was not disappointed in that regard.)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of Ophelia was riveting.

Any additional comments?

I would have liked a copy of the script to read with it, and I would definitely want to have that available for someone who isn't familiar with the play. Overall, though, it was worth getting and I will listen to it again probably more than once. In fact now I am curious about the Macbeth narrated by Allan Cumings. .

Richard Armitage is stellar, but beware!

Any additional comments?

I am both a Shakespeare fan and a Richard Armitage fan. Armitage always does a remarkable job in whatever he chooses to lend his voice to. You lose yourself in his characterizations (whether he is voicing an old woman or a stuttering teenager). In this audio book, Armitage is stellar despite the material being a rather uninspiring interpretation of Shakespeare's play. It would be unfair to the authors to expect the story to retain its Elizabethan tone or its oft quoted verse. It is a modern retelling: full of descriptive action, violence, court intrigue, internal dialog, and at times, dark humor. There are also some admirable creative back story elements and a twist ending. But overall, I was disappointed in the story itself and the dialog lacks the meaningful depth of Shakespeare’s verse. The most sympathetic character to me becomes Claudius of all people not Hamlet! And every great, quotable line from the play seems to be watered down or eliminated altogether here. When “the play’s the thing,” there should be something that keeps you interested. Armitage is, of course, what will keep you interested. He is this novelization’s saving grace. His interplay between Hamlet and Yorrick are dynamic, his arsenal of accents and characterizations will keep you entertained, his overall narration lifts mediocre material above perhaps what could have been a bargain bin book, and I did look forward to listening to him every morning on my way to work. In a perfect world, I would have much rather preferred to hear Armitage reading Shakespeare’s actual play instead of this. It would have then been both a pleasure to the ear and a pleasure to the mind. In sum, this is a great listen if you are an Armitage fan, he does not disappoint. But this will be rather uninspiring offering of the famous Dane’s tale if you are a Shakespeare fan.

Finally... "read" and enjoy Shakespeare!

What did you love best about Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel?

At 70+ years I have two requirements for books I read in the time I have left: 1) They must teach me something, and 2) I must enjoy them. This book gets 5 stars in both categories.

Over the years I had begun reading Shakespearean plays, and never finished - penetrating the Old English just took too much effort.... I now anticipate reading Macbeth and anything these guys [Hartley, Hewson, and Armitage] do to bring Shakespeare to "the rest of us".

Imaginative!

The creative backstory to Shakespeare's play stays true to the story we love, but adds details that make the characters more knowable.
The performance was perfect.

Shakespeare discovered

As a non-English national (Dutch nationality) always dreaded Shakespeare cause it would take me so much time but through this novel I discovered Shakespeare! Really loved what the authors did with the old words to make them into a great story.

The amazing narration by Richard Armitage made it a great pleasure to listen. His voice is amazing to listen to, his talent shines through in the different voices and accents to differentiate the different characters. It gives the characters My favorite? Yorick!

Definitely would listen to another narration by Richard Armitage! And to another Shakespeare

RICHARD ARMITAGE, THE ENTHRALLING VOICE

I have listened to this audiobook many, many times, and on every single occasion I have found something new to relish on. I guess it is due partly to the brilliant job done by authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson in the retelling of this universally known story, but mainly by the outstanding voice work of the great Richard Armitage. His performance is utterly engrossing and perfectly pitched. His velvety voice, by itself, is a treat to the ears!
Special mention goes to his embodiment of Ophelia. Through him, you can get right into her very mind and soul, revealing an incredibly rich and complex character. How he manages to convey the sensitivities and sensibilities of this heroine is a sheer mystery to me!
This audiobook has become a favourite of mine and I will be returning to it time and time again because it is simply mesmerizing!

Great Narration!

Richard Armitage is amazing. I forgot I was listening to a single person instead of a cast, one of the best narrations ever!

Back to School - in the good way!!

For the person that did their required reading in high school and/or college but wishes they had paid more attention and appreciated the time we had back then. The story and the performance bring it all back and make it all make sense. Me. Armitage makes you want to keep listening.

Mr. Armitage!

Accurate and passionate narration, full of emotions. Good adaption based on Shakespeare's work. Love that both authors explain their story-creation at the end of the book, kind of a bonus. Love it! 5-star narration and audiobook!