Shakespeare Retold

In 2013 the Hogarth Press launched the Shakespeare series. This ambitious project tasked best-selling novelists to reimagine Shakespeare’s plays for a modern audience. In this study group, we will undertake a close read of three of the novels published so far. In Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (Hogarth Press, 2016), a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, a young woman balks at her father’s attempt to marry her off, but then sees that it might have some advantages. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (Hogarth Press, 2017), a version of Othello, concerns a young African who finds friendship but also jealousy and prejudice at his new school. Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn (Hogarth Press, 2017), a reimagining of King Lear, tells of an aging CEO who makes the mistake of handing control of his businesses to his two eldest daughters. Join us as we compare these new works to the plays that inspired them and consider whether this fresh approach provides a new way to read and understand Shakespeare.