Prospero's Daughter: A Novel

[b:The Tempest|12985|The Tempest|William Shakespeare|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275657977s/12985.jpg|1359590] will never be the same now that I've read this book. Prospero's Daughter is an updated telling of Shakespeare's classic, set in Trinidad when it was a colony of the British. The book spells out the connections between this one and Shakespeare's, but it helps to know the Bard's tale to get the full effect of what this book is saying. Or, perhaps reading this book helps get the full effect what the Bard says. Colonialism and the brazen racism that went with it is found on every page in the book. It's almost shocking how the British (or any colonizing country) could be so blind to their own hypocrisy and prejudice. What makes people think that white is better than black? Thankfully, the British officer Mumsford only narrates the first few chapters, so I was not subjected to the first-person racist thinking the whole time.

Colonialism is not the only theme, however. The book also explores oppression against women. Is it just a sick mind that makes a man think he is better than those not like him? Is it Gardner's greed that makes him this way? The book does not really explore his "magic" but it is there in his cape, staff, and book, just as Prospero has.

There's a lot to discuss about this book. But the author's note at the end, where she references [b:Will in the World|137717|Will in the World How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare|Stephen Jay Greenblatt|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172090588s/137717.jpg|1221914], which notes that Shakespeare's last three works, The Tempest, Pericles, and A Winter's Tale, are all about father/daughter relationships. Apparently Shakespeare was fascinated by his daughter, Susanna. Prospero, a sort of self-modeled character, feels unexplicable guilt. Is the explanation Nunez gives for Gardner's guilt connected to Shakespeare's guilt? That's why my view Prospero has changed. ( )

Doesn't end the same way The Tempest does (much happier ending!), and I wish there had been a little more explanation, e.g. of the father's "magic" and of the insinuation that Virginia isn't really his biological daughter. Overall though, I did like it, especially once I got past the first section, where Mumford is the narrator. ( )

This title got my attention right away because of its link with Shakespeare. It's supposed to be a modern retelling of The Tempest, and I was interested in seeing what Nunez would do with that story. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a successful retelling.

Prospero's Daughter is about an orphan named Carlos who lives in the Caribbean. Peter, who has escaped England with his small daughter to avoid a scandal, steals Carlos's home and forces Carlos and another native woman to work as his servants. When the time comes for Peter to give his daughter, Virginia, lessons, Carlos feels sorry for the girl, since she isn't able to learn them fast enough for her father and is yelled at constantly. Carlos, whose parents taught him to read, secretly teaches Virginia how to read at night so that she can impress her father. Eventually, they end up falling in love, and when Carlos tells Peter of his intentions to marry Virginia, Peter accuses Carlos of rape and launches an investigation, in the hopes of getting Carlos arrested.

I think that the enjoyment you get out of this book really depends on what you're reading this book for. It's a great book about colonization, and what the natives go through when the English come in and take over their island. The story is well-written, and is generally enjoyable; however, if you're reading this as a modern retelling of The Tempest (as I was), or even for the "romance" you may be disappointed.

I'm all in favor of authors changing original plot points and characters to fit in with their retelling of the story. I don't think that happened enough in Prospero's Daughter, and when it did, I wasn't sure why the story changed. For example, I found it strange that Peter is portrayed as a mad scientist and Carlos describes him putting on a robe decorated with stars to do magic. I didn't get this. At first, I thought it was Carlos's imagination, but later, I wasn't sure. Though he's supposed to be a stand-in for Prospero, this didn't make sense to the story in general, and I think that Peter would have been a perfect Prospero without the "magic robe." Especially since The Tempest is directly mentioned in the story and Carlos blatantly calls Peter Prospero. One thing that changed that I didn't like was the fact that Carlos teaches Virginia to read, whereas in the play, Miranda teaches Caliban. I'm not sure what purpose this change was supposed to serve, especially when other things are so strictly adhered to, even when it doesn't make sense within the world that Nunez has created.

Though many people consider this a romance, I definitely do not. There is romance in this novel, but it's not really the main focus of the story. Actually, it's more of a plot device for the author to show the mistreatment and discrimination of the natives by the English. I also don't think that the resolution of what separates Virginia and Carlos is very well done. A romance between an English woman and a native from an island that the English have colonized will never be without its problems, and I think that Nunez overlooks the fact that there are some real challenges that people in the position of Virginia and Carlos would have faced.

As for listening to the audiobook version, I have no complaints. I think that Vance did an amazing job with all the voices and the characters. The switching of points of view and the dialogue were all extraordinarily easy to follow. I only wish that the story could have been better so that I could have enjoyed Vance's narration all the more. ( )

A wonderful novel, set on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, exploring the impact of colonization on people’s relationships with each other.

The action in Prospro’s Daughter takes place in Trinidad in 1960, shortly before the island became independent of Great Britain. The political context of approaching independence creates the backdrop of the personal stories of individuals whose interactions reflect the personal meaning of colonization. The sophisticated abstractions which often characterize discussion of the meaning of colonization are woven into the fabric of Nunez’s characters and thus given a rare reality.

Read more:
http://mdbrady.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/prosperos-daughter-by-elizabeth-nunez/