Something Rotten

Alan Gratz said he'd been working with the character of Horatio Wilkes for 17 years. Well, it paid off. Something Rotten is a modern rendition of Shakespeare's Hamlet, set in the small town of Denmark, Tennessee. Horatio visits his friend Hamilton for a month and discovers Denmark's unique quality right off the bat: the smell. Hamilton's family runs a highly successful paper mill that is polluting the river.

Horatio has keen wits and a smarter mouth, so he quickly tangles with Hamilton's mom, uncle-turned-step-father, and Olivia, Hamilton's ex. When Hamilton discovers that his father was murdered, Horatio promises to act detective and get to the bottom of the mystery. Oh, the tangled web...

Gratz writes cleverly, and adapts the story well. If one is familiar with the play, it is possible to match scenes as our adventure progresses. I must admit, there were some surprises. For one, Olivia is a strong environmentalist and becomes very ill after drinking the polluted water straight from the river for a publicity stunt. No, she does not die. For another, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" do die- in flames. No pirates, though.

This story is as interesting as it is witty, and both rank up there. I was glad to have given it a try, and I might just take a look at some more of Gratz's work.

Blue