A Book Review – The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet…
20 Feb
The LUNATIC, the LOVER, and the POET
Shakespeare Turned Topsy-Turvy
A Novel
I was intrigued with Myrlin Hermes’ new novel, The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet, so I bought it. (I am fascinated with books based on a prior literary work, but expanded into its own story, and this one did not disappoint!)
Although I took an AP Shakespeare course in high school and read many of his plays, I am not an English Lit major, nor do I have an MFA in Creative Writing. I am also not a professional book reviewer. And although I am myself a writer, I am basically an average woman with an average life. But I wanted to comment on this book.
It is a fictional tale of the relationship between Horatio and Prince Hamlet. I must admit I had to refresh my memory with the historical background of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but then I jumped right into the story.
The book was very well written – it was witty, and creative. When reading it, you truly feel as if you are participating in that piece of history. Hermes did an excellent job of using the language of the time period. I almost expected one of the characters to appear at my side any minute.
Most of the novel was written from Horatio’s point of view, and Hermes has made him a likeable, believable character with whom we can easily empathize. The plot of the book is very interesting, containing creative twists and turns. It revolves around love and devotion, and of course – romance and eroticism. What more can you ask for?
Bottom line – Read the book!
To find out more about the book, and the author, visit Myrlin Hermes’ website . She is a truly creative and interesting person, in more ways than just writing books. And if you want to go ahead and purchase, here is the Amazon listing.
