"I must admit, I approached Gertrude and Claudius with a mix of excitement and trepidation. As a huge fan of Shakespeare's Hamlet, I was curious to see how John Updike would reimagine the backstory of two of the play's most complex characters.
Overall, I was impressed by Updike's masterful storytelling and his ability to breathe new life into these familiar figures. His Gertrude is a nuanced and multifaceted character, driven by a complex mix of motivations that are both relatable and flawed. Claudius, too, is skillfully drawn, his calculating ambition and desire for power tempered by a deep sense of vulnerability.
If I have any quibbles, it's that the book sometimes feels a bit too invested in its own cleverness. Updike's prose is, as always, gorgeous and evocative, but there are moments where it feels overly elaborate, even to the point of obscuring the story itself.
Still, these are minor complaints, and overall I found Gertrude and Claudius to be a fascinating and deeply engaging read. It's a book that will appeal to fans of Shakespeare and literary fiction alike, and it's a testament to Updike's skill as a storyteller that he's able to make these familiar characters feel both fresh and new." 4/5 stars.
