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)

Hamlet comes back from the dead

A retelling of Shakespeare's famous play brings the story to life. This novelization adds superb descriptions, dialogues, and even characters in order to make the story feel just as lively as a real-life performance.

Hartley and Hewson approach the classic tale with knowledge and reverence, and are balanced and thoughtful in what they choose to tinker with. The afterword provides some helpful perspective on their approach as well as some interesting history. Equal to the novel's writing is its narrator. Richard Armitage provides the best narration that I've heard in an audiobook.

If you're a Shakespeare fan or even somebody who was happy to put Hamlet to rest in high school, this audiobook is well worth a listen.

A novelization that does Shakespeare proud

Having recently watched Benedict Cumberbatch play Hamlet in the latest West End production, I decided now was as good a time as ever to give this a listen. I wasn't at all disappointed! "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" serves as the perfect companion piece to Shakespeare's classic play. The authors have taken single lines from Shakespeare's Hamlet and made them full set pieces. Hamlet's escape of his ship bound for England and subsequent fight with pirates is recounted in full here, and this and other events that don't get more than a mention in the play help to turn "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" into quite the compelling thriller.

What hasn't - nor should it - go unmentioned is Richard Armitage's extraordinary narration. What a difference a professional actor like Armitage brings to the proceedings. Whether it's the pronunciation of names and places or voicing the various characters, Armitage is simply the best narrator I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

All in all, a highly recommended listen. I'm already getting my ears primed for "Macbeth."

Good retell.

This fleshes out some of the classic Hamlet tale. I enjoyed it being told in the thriller fashion.

Brilliance itself

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

The drama, the passion, the complexity of characters.

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

His narration was pitch perfect, neither over dramatised not monotonous. I think this is a story to be heard, rather than read.

Who was the most memorable character of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel and why?

I would say poor Claudius.

Any additional comments?

Thanks to all involved for bringing this to life.

Loved it!

Excellent adaptation of the play with great narration! Characters are made even more interesting. Extremely well done. Loved it! Couldn't put it down.

Fantastic

Truly a big positive surprise in all aspects, and the best narration I've heard so far😊

Amazing

This book was great. One of my favourites. I especially loved the creative licenses the authors took on Claudius, Yorick, and Ophelia.

Absolutely Amazing!

Hamlet has always been my favorite of the Bard's tragedies since I first read it in high school. That being said, I wasn't sure how I would feel about a re-telling of the story. I was pleasantly surprised! The story doesn't use the language of Shakespeare but doesn't dumb it down either. The story is fleshed out without taking away the integrity of the original story and gives perspective to many of the characters so we can understand their motivation.This version of Ophelia is one I enjoyed immensely and without giving away any spoilers, I have to say my favorite character is Yorick!

Damn what a treasure!

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

That timbre of his voice is uncanny and made this story so much more gothic, and mystique.

Any additional comments?

I'm so glad I listened to this book, this adaptation, this version against the original Hamlet Story. Be aware this will not be the same story you might have "read" in high school. But you will hear why in the post script. It is phenomenal, an original yet genuine piece of work. I enjoyed every melodramatic muse, every over emphatic declaration, everything was a joy. You will love it. You may hate it. But you cannot escape this story. You will listen cover to cover.

Spellbinding!

This is best audiobook I've yet to encounter. Do yourself a favor and give this masterfully crafted story and performance a try.