katie_83's review
5.0
The Ghostly Father
By Sue Barnard
5 stars
Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog
When I first read the blurb for this book I was really excited – Romeo and Juliet is one of my all-time favourite classics to read, I’ve also loved the film adaptations of it too – it is just one of the timeless stories that can be enjoyed time after time. So I was really looking forward to seeing how this author could put a modern twist on a classic and I have to say she did it really well! I loved what I read and found it hard to put down. The author’s attention to detail was exceptional and it definitely made my reading experience all the better for it. The new twists that the author added made for a very exciting read and I loved that even though I know the original story so well she was still able to surprise me with the direction in which she took this tale.
If you are a fan of Romeo and Juliet then I think you will absolutely love this new modern take on it – I know that I wasn’t disappointed!!
By Sue Barnard
5 stars
Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog
When I first read the blurb for this book I was really excited – Romeo and Juliet is one of my all-time favourite classics to read, I’ve also loved the film adaptations of it too – it is just one of the timeless stories that can be enjoyed time after time. So I was really looking forward to seeing how this author could put a modern twist on a classic and I have to say she did it really well! I loved what I read and found it hard to put down. The author’s attention to detail was exceptional and it definitely made my reading experience all the better for it. The new twists that the author added made for a very exciting read and I loved that even though I know the original story so well she was still able to surprise me with the direction in which she took this tale.
If you are a fan of Romeo and Juliet then I think you will absolutely love this new modern take on it – I know that I wasn’t disappointed!!
jessica42980's review
5.0
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
~~~~~
I received a copy as I was part of the blog tour.
~~~~~
Ever since we had to read Romeo & Juliet in ninth grade, I have been a fan of the story. I don’t know why it resonated with me so much. We watched the 1968 film version in school which I also loved. And while I was in high school, the 1996 version with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes came out and I loved everything about it, including the director’s new take on the ending! I have not watched either movie in years, but reading The Ghostly Father had me wanting to watch these films again!
The Ghostly Father is a very unique retelling of Romeo & Juliet: What if the story we all know was actually real and was very different in reality? The Ghostly Father takes place in present day with Juliet Roberts translating a very old Italian manuscript for her grandfather. Once she realizes this is the real story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ she is transported into the past and has no idea how this ‘story’ will end.
I highly enjoyed that the manuscript takes place with a different character perspective: ‘Friar Lawrence’ (Brother Lorenzo) is our narrator! I always liked him, but why was he so interested in these young people’s lives? I enjoyed that we got to know him as a person. Barnard gives us her take on the story and it does not disappoint! She is faithful to Shakespeare and the original characters and makes it her own including many twists; you really don’t know what will happen next or what Barnard will change from Shakespeare’s story. Will different people live and die? How will this version end?
If you are a fan of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, give The Ghostly Father a read. You will not be disappointed.
The Ghostly Father is very highly recommended!
~~~~~
I received a copy as I was part of the blog tour.
~~~~~
Ever since we had to read Romeo & Juliet in ninth grade, I have been a fan of the story. I don’t know why it resonated with me so much. We watched the 1968 film version in school which I also loved. And while I was in high school, the 1996 version with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes came out and I loved everything about it, including the director’s new take on the ending! I have not watched either movie in years, but reading The Ghostly Father had me wanting to watch these films again!
The Ghostly Father is a very unique retelling of Romeo & Juliet: What if the story we all know was actually real and was very different in reality? The Ghostly Father takes place in present day with Juliet Roberts translating a very old Italian manuscript for her grandfather. Once she realizes this is the real story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ she is transported into the past and has no idea how this ‘story’ will end.
I highly enjoyed that the manuscript takes place with a different character perspective: ‘Friar Lawrence’ (Brother Lorenzo) is our narrator! I always liked him, but why was he so interested in these young people’s lives? I enjoyed that we got to know him as a person. Barnard gives us her take on the story and it does not disappoint! She is faithful to Shakespeare and the original characters and makes it her own including many twists; you really don’t know what will happen next or what Barnard will change from Shakespeare’s story. Will different people live and die? How will this version end?
If you are a fan of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, give The Ghostly Father a read. You will not be disappointed.
The Ghostly Father is very highly recommended!
zooloo1983's review
4.0
Wow! I absolutely loved this book! A retelling of one of my favourite Shakespeare stories, with a fresh spin on it! This story just kept on giving! When reading it though, I did have in my head all the actors from the Romeo and Juliet film with Clare Danes and Leo Di Caprio! But let me say again wow!
I can not say too much about the plot because as I said it is a fresh twist on the story. However, I was sucked in from the opening pages, with Juliet being handed an old journal by her Grandad and for his birthday he would love for her to translate the story. With some interjections to from Juliet, we are whisked back into time to a well-known story, so it was so easy to be immersed in the book.
This time we are shown a new perspective, not the star-crossed lovers but the monk Fra Lorenzo and his secrets. It is his story we are told, his perspective and it was so fresh and riveting!
I seriously want to say so much more about the book, but I will not ruin it for anyone. This story of Montecchi and the Capulet is perfect for anyone who loved Romeo and Juliet, but also for anyone who does not know the story. It breathes life to a classic, writing for a new audience, using the language of Shakespeare but with a more current voice.
I really do not know what else I can say apart from I LOVED this book and I urge you all to take the time to read this respectful and current working of the star-crossed lovers.
I am loving so much that in February, I can safely say I have added another book to my top ones of the year! The rest of the year has a lot of competition.
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