Gap of Time, The
Winterson, JeanetteIn this re-imagining of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, King Leontes is transformed into Leo, a hedge fund manager, his wife Hermione becomes Mimi, a French singer, and King Polixenes morphs into Xeno, a computer game-designer. With the kingdoms of Sicilia and Bohemia becoming London and the American Deep South, the stage is set for Leo's irrational jealousy and its tragic consequences: sexual obsession; friendships destroyed, hearts broken, exile and a child abandoned.
This is a timeless story of redemption and forgiveness, with the power and mystery of the original play cleverly captured by these contemporary characters and settings.
Pages
290
290
Year
2015
2015
Reviews
24-11-2023
Most of our all-male group enjoyed this read for its pace and modernisation of the original story. The characters were believable and the story flowed well. When we knew that this author, Winterson, had herself been an adopted foundling, we got a better understanding of her feeling for the original.
22-07-2020
Those who survived the first 'act', with the despicable Leo, ended up enjoying the remainder of the book with its whimsical characters and wittiness. As with Shakespeare some suspension of disbelief is required for the resolution, but we had some lively discussion, even though most had not actually read 'The Winter's Tale'.
27-05-2019
We found the book interesting, challenging, and worth a second read to explore the twists and depth of meaning. The formula was interesting and made us want to go back to the Shakespearean roots. We discussed our responses to the end which seemed uncertain and a possibly a bit over-staged ( which was fair enough given the formula). It made us want more - we will look for another Jeanette Winterson.
10-04-2019
Very clever and very stylish, and with a very unpleasant and irredeemable central figure in Leo.
20-03-2019
At the conclusion of a lively discussion about 'The Gap in Time', all the members of our group felt this was a book we would all like to own. Although the book was written in response to the challenge to re-write 'A Winter's Tale', it is a fantastic book in its own right. Our members particularly enjoyed the sometimes elliptical writing and the deft dialogue. Jeanette Winterson also brought a sympathy to the characters...
20-03-2019
The group liked this book. It was lively and amusing. Discussion centred on the question of how well it matched the play.
14-09-2018
Our group was divided over this book, with approximately a 50/50 split. It was interesting that half loved it, and the other half really disliked it - it was not a book that anyone felt lukewarm about. The Shakespeare connection was very polarising.
30-07-2018
Maybe it's a book better to read twice. Book notes were excellent. A clever, dark and savage piece of writing. Not many really enjoyed it, but a few did.
30-07-2018
What an amazing book! Such a clever writer with a wonderful connection on every page.