Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike

I’m a sucker for a Shakespeare connection, so I loved the idea of exploring Hamlet’s mother’s perspective as she marries Hamlet’s father and then, after his death, quickly marries her old brother-in-law. Getting inside her head is an interesting concept, and we follow her from girlhood to middle age.

I liked the descriptions of ancient Danish culture, and Gertrude is a likeable character. Her complicated relationship with Hamlet and his father are well fleshed out. It’s a very plausible psychological portrayal.

I just don’t know if there’s enough really “going on” for a lot of the book, and there’s a massive 20+ year jump somewhere in the narrative that feels jarring to me. Maybe I wanted more Hamlet somehow?

I haven’t read anything else by John Updike, and I feel like I will have an eye out for him now. This was well-written.