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)

Brilliant adaption

Clearly based on Shakespeare's classic tale, but beautifully re-written; making something new and exciting. Well worth it.

Compelling Expansion of the Play

"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel" was a superb expansion of the play by William Shakespeare. Obviously there are limits to how far in depth a play can go and this story was able to push on to reach those depths in a most satisfying way. The psychology driving each of the primary characters was expressed vividly, especially in the interaction between Hamlet and Yorick.

As for the performance, I have long appreciated Mr. Armitage's work on stage and screen but to say I was blown away here would be a gross understatement. Each character was so distinct it was difficult to remember that it was actually only one person performing them. I can't imagine how he was able to keep them all straight but he certainly did.

I am now anxiously awaiting "Romeo and Juliet: A Novel" and ecstatic that Mr. Armitage will be performing that one as well.

Rave Reviews for Good Reason

If you could sum up Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel in three words, what would they be?

Imaginative, Entertaining, Adaptation

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

One of the best narrations on Audible. He did an excellent job of bringing all the characters to life. Too often, male narrators make female voices annoying. This narrator is top notch.

Any additional comments?

This is an adaptation of Hamlet, but I never read the original in high school. This book actually made me go back and research/read different parts of the original Hamlet.

The authors took liberties with the original story and really did a great job of enhancing the story. The addition of the Yorick character was brilliant and entertaining. In the end, when you learn the truth about Yorick, it is a complete surprise.

Simply Beautiful

How it was told was beautiful and of course Richard has a great and powerful voice.

Not the Play but Worth a Listen

This novelistic retelling is certainly not the play. It is inspired by the play and adapts it. The story is interesting and the performance by Armitage superb.

A powerful and creative interpretation.

The intelligence with which this play was interpreted, and the way it kept me spellbound, really surprised me. Highly recommended!

outstanding reimagining

this is a thrilling and engrossing tale tapping new depths of familiar characters
a worthy addition to Shakespeare's vision

Superbly Done!

This tragedy as written and performed was overwhelming to me. I so wish that when I had to read it a long time ago in high school that this audio version was available to supplement it. I would have gotten a lot more out of this powerful story. As it is, I am now searching for other Shakespearean plays rewritten by theses authors and performed by Richard Armitage. I want to have my breath taken away again.

Spectacular Interpretation

Where does Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is, without question, the audiobook I have enjoyed the most. It is well written and well performed. It makes Hamlet attainable for the most current of audiences, and easily understood.

Have you listened to any of Richard Armitage’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to other performances of Richard Armitage. I am constantly impressed with his ability to maintain the integrity of multitudes of characters. He is always able to make the character voices easily distinguishable, even with only the slightest change of accent, timbre, intonation, cadence. I enjoyed this greatly. I found it very easy to lose myself in the story and not lose track of which voice belonged to which character.

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

It's hard to choose just one.

Any additional comments?

If you've not listened to this yet, you're missing out.

the expanded adventures of Hamlet......

I wasn't sure about this when I started listening, but I got more used to the interpretation of the novelization format, the more I got to like it. Unlike a play, this format leaves little interpretation to one's imagination and, in fact, gives the characters ideas and actions that never appeared in the play. That's not necessarily bad, just different, and I think those who are Shakespeare-philes might have a problem with the new interpretation of Polonius or Ophelia.

The novel also expands on the action and expands many of the mentioned events, like the pirate attack and the activities in Fortinbras' camp. Very enjoyable, and well read. It's not "Hamlet", but it's good all the same.

Hint: Be sure to listen to the afterwords, which help explain how the authors used primary sources as part of their work in writing the novel.