I had no idea what was swirling around this book until after I purchased it. I've been an avid reader of Orson Scott Card since High School when a friend suggested I give Ender's Game a shot. From that book I read both branches of the Ender/Bean saga, his Alvin Maker series, and a few random books of his here and there. Suffice it to say, I've read a majority of his books.

I told my room mates that i had ordered the book (Since I couldn't find it on my Kindle) and they both balked at the purchase. It was then that I was far more then just a simple rewrite of Hamlet, it included anti-gay themes that had recently upset the gay community to a froth. I was then posed with two choices A) Return the book or B) Read it for myself. I decided on the latter because I was a fan of Orson Scott Card and I wanted to see if the rage online was justified or if it was overreaction.

To clarify, the book (Novella) is really short. less then 100 pages (Keto joked I could finish it in a couple hours -- I did). It was originally published in an anthology of various works from various authors and didn't draw as much attention to itself until a publisher decided to print it as a stand alone book.

To get right down to it, yes, there is anti-gay tendency in the book right from the beginning. If you've never read anything by Card it usually is a journey of a young boy into adolescence and then adulthood. However, during a lot of those "boyhood" chapters, Card finds ways to make sure the boys are naked, in showers, etc, however his books never exhibited anything in terms of a homosexual relationship (or even a heterosexual, beyond a kiss or two).

The books strife between Hamlet and his father is he feels shut out of his father's word from a very early age. All he wants is to be taken on the hunt which he is always left behind. However, on each hunt one of Hamlet's friends is always taken and returns sad or disturbed. Horatio, upon his return from the hunt with Hamlet's father, is in near tears and very forlorn.

The book continues with elements such as this; Hamlet's friends are taken to have private time with Hamlet's father while Hamlet wonders what he's done wrong. There are remarks such as "You are the luckiest boy in Denmark," or "You have no idea how much your father loves you," implying that Hamlet's father is, obviously, not taking his son to be molested and raped out in the woods.

Ultimately the big reveal happens right at the end of the book with the confrontation of Cladius, where Hamlet's mother and Horatio reveal what really happened. In tears, Horatio explains that he is broken because of what happened with Hamlet's father (he actually tried seducing a young squire) and goes on to list all of Hamlet's friends, some of whom are angry and disturbed or who formed "foul" sexual relationships with one another.

So, in essence, the anger about the book is justified. It obviously casts homosexuality in a negative light but also classifies homosexuality in the same realm of pedophilia, molestation and rape.

It honestly surprised me that Card had written such things, using homosexuality and pedophilia as a literary avenue to move the plot along. There was no need to do this (granted it is a rewrite but this was very, very specific in terms of making gay = bad). The idea a famous author could do something like this, a writer who is actually being used in schools (Ender's Game) could publish such anti-gay sentiment. In a way one of my favorite authors is forever tainted in my eyes. I don't think I can ever truly enjoy one of his books again without thinking about Hamlet's story.

However, if (when) Card dies and they find his gay child porn folder on his computer I'll just say "HA" with the rest of the world.

That's all.

-Tibs