Really more like 2.5 stars but I couldn't bring myself to 2-star this one for old time's sake. And hey, maybe if and when I actually get to see it perReally more like 2.5 stars but I couldn't bring myself to 2-star this one for old time's sake. And hey, maybe if and when I actually get to see it performed I'll feel differently.
My problem is two-fold. First, because this is a script and not a book, we don't get any of the feeling of reading books 1-7. There's no description, nothing that isn't dialog. I can't think of a better way to say that this just feels... different and strange. It doesn't feel like Rowling.
The other issue I have is that this story really does not want to be a play. The scenes are short and choppy, characters say things that no human being would verbalize because if it isn't in the dialog then the audience might not get it. There are so many characters for a play!
So if this story isn't suited to be a play, and the play format causes the magic (no pun intended) to be lost.... why is it a play? Why not a book, or a movie?
That all seems very negative, but I am glad I ran out and got it on day 1 and read through it in one sitting. The excitement to be back in that world is not insignificant. But, like our intrepid trio, I'm older now than I used to be. Maybe I expected too much? I didn't think I had any expectations at all, to be honest, but who knows. There are some great lines. Some that snuck up on me like a a gut-punch. And Scorpio is a really great character. Plus, I am truly curious as to how any of this works on a stage, so if only as an advert for the real show, this script book works....more
The lyrics annotations are nice, but they're pretty sparse and tend to be anecdotes about the creation of the show. That's not bad, I would listen to The lyrics annotations are nice, but they're pretty sparse and tend to be anecdotes about the creation of the show. That's not bad, I would listen to Lin talk about pretty much anything pretty much indefinitely. But if you want to know EVERYTHING about the lyrics, Genius has you covered. The real meat of Hamiltome is a) the beautiful photographs, and b) all the lovely background about the creative process and everything that went into the production, from when it was still a mixtape through off-Broadway and into the era of street-blocking Ham4Ham crowds. Good stuff, and a fun read.
I didn't read it straight through when I first got it, since I was a bit on Hamilton overload. But I picked it back up after I was lucky enough to see the show in SF, and I enjoyed getting some additional depth past my own scattered memories of the live show!...more
It would be unfair to expect another Arcadia, but this play struck me as the first half of a much better play. Questions are raised and articulately aIt would be unfair to expect another Arcadia, but this play struck me as the first half of a much better play. Questions are raised and articulately argued, but the arguments just go in circles. More disappointingly, the characters are flat and don't develop. The Dawkins-esque skeptic/scientist/materialist/jerk character especially just seemed like lazy writing. I'm not sure it's a bad play so much as just... well, it's just not Arcadia. Which I will now go reread....more
Of course I love Tom Stoppard, but this is by far my favorite of his plays, probably my favorite play period. Great characters (both male and female),Of course I love Tom Stoppard, but this is by far my favorite of his plays, probably my favorite play period. Great characters (both male and female), hilarious wit, a puzzle story that's engaging to follow, and healthy doses of physics, math, history, and literature. It can be a little hard to follow when reading-- you really need to see it for the full effect. Watch the tortoise!...more