Laraine Barker reviews Shylock's Daughter

LARAINE BARKER's review:

I came to this book from the perspective of someone unacquainted not only with The Merchant of Venice but also with Shakespeare's work. We didn't study Shakespeare at school and I have trouble coping with 16th century English. If video and audio productions would only follow the plays exactly as Shakespeare wrote them, having the script in front of me might help.

In Shylock's Daughter, sixteen-year-old Jessica longs to escape the rules and persecution of the Jewish Ghetto and falls for Lorenzo, who seems to promise all she ever wanted. But Lorenzo is a Christian aristocrat, which means the relationship is forbidden. To chase her dream, Jessica must hurt all those she loves and even spurn the faith in which she was raised. Is Lorenzo worth the terrible price she must pay to be with him? Readers must make up their own minds about this, but my ultimate response was that he isn't. I suspect he will sooner or later find himself a Christian woman and throw Jessica aside without a moment's thought.

Shylock's Daughter certainly opened my eyes to the extent of the obscene persecution suffered by the Jews at the hands of so-called Christians throughout the ages. I had no idea of the extent of it. The Catholic Church is only now beginning to acknowledge that the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and other episodes in its history were inexcusable and something of which to be deeply ashamed. I expected the book to be told more from Jessica's point of view, especially as it's relatively short. Dalilah was the character with whom I had most sympathy, equalled perhaps by Amalia. What Dalilah did for Jessica's sake (and for Shylock) must have taken enormous courage. The world would have seemed so huge in the sixteenth century, especially to such a sheltered young girl.

One can't help feeling sorry for Shylock, of course, even though he does bring about his own downfall. Dalilah's love for her foster-sister shines through radiantly, but when seen through Dalilah's eyes Jessica appears not only vain but also lazy, though I could appreciate that her longing for Lorenzo and everything she thinks he has to offer would sap her energy. I would have liked more of Dalilah's story. A glossary explaining the terms used in the book would also have been helpful, especially for young people.

I had a little trouble getting into the story, obtaining a "feel" for both Venice and 16th century life. There was little real description of clothes and buildings, etc. The cover's pouting 20th century face with all its eye makeup didn't help, though I understand the reason for it: today's young readers are unlikely to pick up a book whose cover depicts a 16th century woman. The shortness of today's books for young people might be one reason for the lack of detail, but eventually I ceased to worry about it and got caught up in the story.

As a writer of fantasy for young people, I naturally read mostly fantasy. Though not rich in language like some of the fantasy I've been reading recently (e.g., The Stones are Hatching by Geraldine McCaughrean) Shylock's Daughter is still a thought-provoking and moving story that I'm sure many young people (and their parents) will enjoy. However, there is still so much more story that could be told. What happens to Dalilah? What happens to Jessica and Lorenzo's relationship? And what of Shylock himself? I do hope Mirjam Pressler writes a sequel.

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Laraine Barker Pauline Chandler Posey Furnish Mai Lin Li Sophie Masson Beverley Naidoo Rachel Newcombe Glynis Nickerson Liz Rose Ann Sharman Michael Thorn	LARAINE BARKER's review: I came to this book from the perspective of someone unacquainted not only with The Merchant of Venice but also with Shakespeare's work. We didn't study Shakespeare at school and I have trouble coping with 16th century English. If video and audio productions would only follow the plays exactly as Shakespeare wrote them, having the script in front of me might help. In Shylock's Daughter, sixteen-year-old Jessica longs to escape the rules and persecution of the Jewish Ghetto and falls for Lorenzo, who seems to promise all she ever wanted. But Lorenzo is a Christian aristocrat, which means the relationship is forbidden. To chase her dream, Jessica must hurt all those she loves and even spurn the faith in which she was raised. Is Lorenzo worth the terrible price she must pay to be with him? Readers must make up their own minds about this, but my ultimate response was that he isn't. I suspect he will sooner or later find himself a Christian woman and throw Jessica aside without a moment's thought. Shylock's Daughter certainly opened my eyes to the extent of the obscene persecution suffered by the Jews at the hands of so-called Christians throughout the ages. I had no idea of the extent of it. The Catholic Church is only now beginning to acknowledge that the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and other episodes in its history were inexcusable and something of which to be deeply ashamed. I expected the book to be told more from Jessica's point of view, especially as it's relatively short. Dalilah was the character with whom I had most sympathy, equalled perhaps by Amalia. What Dalilah did for Jessica's sake (and for Shylock) must have taken enormous courage. The world would have seemed so huge in the sixteenth century, especially to such a sheltered young girl. One can't help feeling sorry for Shylock, of course, even though he does bring about his own downfall. Dalilah's love for her foster-sister shines through radiantly, but when seen through Dalilah's eyes Jessica appears not only vain but also lazy, though I could appreciate that her longing for Lorenzo and everything she thinks he has to offer would sap her energy. I would have liked more of Dalilah's story. A glossary explaining the terms used in the book would also have been helpful, especially for young people. I had a little trouble getting into the story, obtaining a "feel" for both Venice and 16th century life. There was little real description of clothes and buildings, etc. The cover's pouting 20th century face with all its eye makeup didn't help, though I understand the reason for it: today's young readers are unlikely to pick up a book whose cover depicts a 16th century woman. The shortness of today's books for young people might be one reason for the lack of detail, but eventually I ceased to worry about it and got caught up in the story. As a writer of fantasy for young people, I naturally read mostly fantasy. Though not rich in language like some of the fantasy I've been reading recently (e.g., The Stones are Hatching by Geraldine McCaughrean) Shylock's Daughter is still a thought-provoking and moving story that I'm sure many young people (and their parents) will enjoy. However, there is still so much more story that could be told. What happens to Dalilah? What happens to Jessica and Lorenzo's relationship? And what of Shylock himself? I do hope Mirjam Pressler writes a sequel.