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Orson Scott Card's Hamlet

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Jordan Azor Ahai from Westeros Since: Jan, 2001
Azor Ahai
#1: Sep 8th 2011 at 12:08:24 PM

See here. Or more specifically, his moralizing, anti-gay Hamlet.

Oh no Orson Scott Card, no.

I admit this is Complaining About Shows You Don't Watch from me, and as the article notes, it's a reprint rather than a new work, but it still sounds pretty bad.

Also, for the sake of fairness, I will note that the idea that Hamlet's father could have been a deceptive evil spirit was definitely considered by the Elizabethan audience and is mentioned in the play, so in itself, that element isn't problematic. Everything else though...

edited 8th Sep '11 12:15:10 PM by Jordan

Hodor
MildGuy I squeeze gats. from the bed I made. Since: Jan, 2011
I squeeze gats.
#2: Sep 9th 2011 at 12:46:32 AM

Oh, Scott Lynch, have I ever told you you are my hero? Mocking rebuttals of awesome away!

Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd...

And the follow up:

The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.

edited 9th Sep '11 12:48:27 AM by MildGuy

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#3: Sep 9th 2011 at 7:56:33 AM

Reading some samples from that...ugh. After all this time, Card's greatest flaw - a tendency to fall into a Featureless Plane of Disembodied Dialogue - has gotten even worse. *

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#4: Sep 9th 2011 at 2:06:15 PM

What is this? This is so offensive and self-aggrandising, I just don't know how to discuss it with a cool head.

Jordan Azor Ahai from Westeros Since: Jan, 2001
Azor Ahai
#5: Sep 9th 2011 at 6:57:49 PM

Just want to check, you mean Card's book, right, not (I hope) my post?

Hodor
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#6: Sep 10th 2011 at 4:26:07 AM

[up]Sorry about that. I thought it was pretty clear that I was referring to Card's story.smile

Actually, now that I've calmed down... could this possibly be as straightforward as it seems? He's written "Hamlet" (don't really want to use that name, as he seems to have none of the characteristics of Shakespeare's character) as a Marty Stu who possesses absolute certainty about everything, up to and including the life after death. Then, not-Hamlet goes to hell. Doesn't that invalidate his perfect certainty on moral and metaphysical matters? Or is Card really obtuse enough to think that he can send his hero to Incest Buggery Hell and still have the readers accept him as morally right?

I almost want to read it now to find out, but I'd probably regret it.

edited 10th Sep '11 4:40:03 AM by DoktorvonEurotrash

ElderAtropos Since: Jan, 2012
#7: Sep 10th 2011 at 9:45:51 AM

Or maybe he's just not very consistent.

Ender's Shadow proves that, actually.

Jordan Azor Ahai from Westeros Since: Jan, 2001
Azor Ahai
#8: Sep 10th 2011 at 12:33:10 PM

I love this 5-star Amazon review:

"I've never actually read it, but it is the perfect height to prop up that wobbly table leg that's been bothering me. Strongly recommend."

Hodor
DomaDoma Three-Puppet Saluter Since: Jan, 2001
Three-Puppet Saluter
#9: Sep 13th 2011 at 9:00:48 AM

Wha...?

At least he had the good grace not to mention this shit on Hatrack.

Hail Martin Septim!
Moth13 Since: Sep, 2010
#10: Sep 15th 2011 at 5:20:22 PM

-reads link-

Oh...

oh

Oh WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Jesus Christ in a bucket. That sounds hideous.

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#11: Sep 22nd 2011 at 12:50:55 PM

You know, this actually makes me want to read it just to find out if it's really that fucking bad. But then I also once put out a cigarette with the palm of my hand for much the same reason.

Trump delenda est
PulpFreeBookworm Post Tenebras Lux from Everywhere and Nowhere Since: Sep, 2011 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
Post Tenebras Lux
#12: Sep 26th 2011 at 11:41:28 PM

I know nothing about Orson Scott Card aside from the fact that apparently he wrote Ender's Game. But if he did...THAT to my favorite Shakespeare play, I don't think I like him much at all sad

The baby bat/ Screamed out in fright,/ 'Turn on the dark,/ I'm afraid of the light.'
ElderAtropos Since: Jan, 2012
#13: Jan 28th 2012 at 1:22:23 PM

Yup, that thing was pretty bad.

Anyway, I just found that I'm not on SA's Official List of Tropers(TM)![1]

What a bunch of tasteless douchebags![2]

1. In which they say that annebeeche(who I deeply respected while she was here)was the one who would 'tell tropers what horrible people they were whenever one of them had a terrible opinion (read: all the time)'. Ignoring all the times annebeeche was actually part of the MAJORITY opinion in the thread! And the thread on Orson Scott Card's Hamlet, which was highly CRITICAL and specifically called it 'offensive' and 'hideous'!

2. I'll enjoy The Triumphant's literary snobbery(in which he will no doubt accuse me of being a 'weaboo aspie' and will point to his vast knowledge of classic literature as proof of his obvious superiority) and the rest of them hideously overreacting to this, just as they do to all hyperbole and facetiousness.

edited 28th Jan '12 1:23:13 PM by ElderAtropos

LizardBite Shameless Self-Promoter from Two Galaxies Over Since: Jan, 2001
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