Scan barcode
A review by nglofile
New Boy by Tracy Chevalier
3.0
The idea behind this Othello update is delicious. Playgrounds are ripe for drama (especially one with a pirate ship to climb – btw, kudos to the optical illusion of the cover design), and sixth grade can be an especially provocative time. A single day, as this story proves, can absolutely contain the action of a full five-act play. The setting choice of Washington, D.C. in the 1970s sprinkles in additional flavor, and I am here for it.
Though not perfect, this adaptation has insight, creativity, and richness. Even the elements I found to be problematic might make for a thoughtful discussion, given the right group. One struggle is with the racial commentary – not its inclusion, but the execution. The issues were believably integrated, but some of the articulation attributed to sixth graders, especially of that era, was forced to a degree that felt revisionist at best. Osei’s internal monologues were stronger, but I confess to the same discomfort expressed by one of the hosts of the So Many Damn Books podcast: was a white female author the best choice to reimagine this particular play?
The story felt a bit uneven, though it seemed to come alive during dialogue. It’s not a prescriptive that plays can’t be successfully adapted into novels, but the manner of adaptation will make all the difference. If large swaths of information are shared via arm’s length narration, it will equally distance the readers from the characters. One can only imagine an author would be skittish about allowing too many lines of script to have mirrors in inserted dialogue, but Shakespeare plays have not endured based solely on plot. Not only is there an art in the poetic language, but there is a compactness of meaning and feeling communicated through speech. Unfortunately, a novelization, even an imaginative one, may suffer by comparison – though, to be fair, there are examples to the contrary.
This is all seeming as though I enjoyed the read much less than I did. It is worthwhile, and I look forward to the conversations this work will undoubtedly spark.
Though not perfect, this adaptation has insight, creativity, and richness. Even the elements I found to be problematic might make for a thoughtful discussion, given the right group. One struggle is with the racial commentary – not its inclusion, but the execution. The issues were believably integrated, but some of the articulation attributed to sixth graders, especially of that era, was forced to a degree that felt revisionist at best. Osei’s internal monologues were stronger, but I confess to the same discomfort expressed by one of the hosts of the So Many Damn Books podcast: was a white female author the best choice to reimagine this particular play?
The story felt a bit uneven, though it seemed to come alive during dialogue. It’s not a prescriptive that plays can’t be successfully adapted into novels, but the manner of adaptation will make all the difference. If large swaths of information are shared via arm’s length narration, it will equally distance the readers from the characters. One can only imagine an author would be skittish about allowing too many lines of script to have mirrors in inserted dialogue, but Shakespeare plays have not endured based solely on plot. Not only is there an art in the poetic language, but there is a compactness of meaning and feeling communicated through speech. Unfortunately, a novelization, even an imaginative one, may suffer by comparison – though, to be fair, there are examples to the contrary.
This is all seeming as though I enjoyed the read much less than I did. It is worthwhile, and I look forward to the conversations this work will undoubtedly spark.