Hamlet, except it takes place in the contemporary US South at a family BBQ. Take my money!

I had never heard of the author, did not know this won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, etc. But I saw that cover, saw the premise and was instantly sold. Retellings and whatnot can be extremely mixed, with some received really well (The Lion King, for example), and others not so much. But I saw this and thought "why not?"

Juicy is our Hamlet, and a young and queer Black man attending his mother's BBQ/wedding. The ghost of his father, Pap, shows up and demands Juicy avenges his murder. His uncle has married his now-widowed mom, so Juicy is already dealing with some family drama. And we're off.

Honestly, I thought this was pretty terrible. I never felt one way or another about Hamlet, beyond knowing the general story (last time I read the play in full was probably high school, not even college). I think as a story it has far more adaptability compared to other retellings, especially if the retelling is more of a reimagining than an attempt to adapt the original to the modern era on a 1:1 scale.

Maybe because it's a retelling (and therefore not a "fresh" story), maybe because it's a play, maybe I just wasn't in a mood for something like this but overall I was bored. That it won a Pulitzer is actually usually a warning sign for me, since I rarely adore books that win prizes (and I mean this for any award, books that get all the raves, etc.) the way others seem to.

BUT it'd probably make for a fantastic play and/or an adaptation for a streaming service, maybe the big screen. I could see this do well, especially if it was framed as more of the comedy in this retelling vs. the serious tragic blah blah blah nature of the original. Would also probably be a good book to see on a class syllabus as a way to teach Hamlet to high schoolers (or others) vs. reading the original or as an examination of how to update stories to today and examine what works, what doesn't, what themes transcend time, etc.

It wasn't for me but I'm sure it is for someone else. Borrowed from the library and that was best for me. ( )

Pulitzer Prize winner for best drama and deservedly so. The premise is very unique. A gay Black man (Juicy) is visited by the ghost of his dad who recently dies. His dad tells him to kill his uncle who who is going to marry his mom way too soon after his pop's death. The play takes place at a celebration for the new couple which seems way to early and in very bad taste. You meet many well drawn and unique family members as we wonder what Juicy is going to do, ( )