Ann Sharman reviews Shylock's Daughter

ANN SHARMAN's review:

As a secondary school English teacher I welcome a novel for young people which will help them to understand something of the background to a Shakespeare play. I found the wealth of information about Judaism in Europe at the time a valuable resource for my own studies on Renaissance Italy. I think the story expanded the Shakespeare plot in a convincing way, although I was disturbed that in the main the non-Jews were negative and unpleasant characters, including Portia, who was seen as a rather vapid and clever schemer.

My enjoyment of the book was somewhat sullied by the fact that I had read most of the splendid Carnegie shortlist earlier in the summer, and had been delighted by the fact that Aidan Chambers' 'Postcards from No Man's Land', my favourite, had won. Those books were the pick of last year's releases, and I'm afraid that I can't imagine that Shylock's Daughter will be shortlisted for this year.

The story was, in the main, narrated by a storyteller, with some chapters from the viewpoint of Dalilah. I found this rather confusing, particularly as I did not find the characters apart from Dalilah to be well developed or convincing. I was never able to feel the emotions I felt when reading 'Postcards'. I really was expecting to feel sympathy or revulsion for Shylock, but sadly neither came - his own stubborn and arrogant nature had caused his downfall, and I could not empathise with him at all, and neither could I get under the skin of Jessica.

My main criticism is with the language. It was pedestrian, sluggish, and, frankly, boring, and the vocabulary was, well, ordinary, and too many sentences started with the subject. I was never brought short by a stunning phrase, or delighted by metaphor or other imagery. I was sometimes irritated by the patronising explanations of Jewish ritual which often slowed the action and interfered with the story, and I think young readers would be less patient than I.

One of the Carnegie books was Susan Cooper's marvellous 'King of Shadows'. This is also a book welcomed by English teachers because it takes a modern young American boy back to Shakespeare's Day, and his theatre company. That book really sang; the story moved with pace, and was difficult to put down. I am afraid that Shylock's Daughter simply does not reach that standard.

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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	ANN SHARMAN's review: As a secondary school English teacher I welcome a novel for young people which will help them to understand something of the background to a Shakespeare play. I found the wealth of information about Judaism in Europe at the time a valuable resource for my own studies on Renaissance Italy. I think the story expanded the Shakespeare plot in a convincing way, although I was disturbed that in the main the non-Jews were negative and unpleasant characters, including Portia, who was seen as a rather vapid and clever schemer. My enjoyment of the book was somewhat sullied by the fact that I had read most of the splendid Carnegie shortlist earlier in the summer, and had been delighted by the fact that Aidan Chambers' 'Postcards from No Man's Land', my favourite, had won. Those books were the pick of last year's releases, and I'm afraid that I can't imagine that Shylock's Daughter will be shortlisted for this year. The story was, in the main, narrated by a storyteller, with some chapters from the viewpoint of Dalilah. I found this rather confusing, particularly as I did not find the characters apart from Dalilah to be well developed or convincing. I was never able to feel the emotions I felt when reading 'Postcards'. I really was expecting to feel sympathy or revulsion for Shylock, but sadly neither came - his own stubborn and arrogant nature had caused his downfall, and I could not empathise with him at all, and neither could I get under the skin of Jessica. My main criticism is with the language. It was pedestrian, sluggish, and, frankly, boring, and the vocabulary was, well, ordinary, and too many sentences started with the subject. I was never brought short by a stunning phrase, or delighted by metaphor or other imagery. I was sometimes irritated by the patronising explanations of Jewish ritual which often slowed the action and interfered with the story, and I think young readers would be less patient than I. One of the Carnegie books was Susan Cooper's marvellous 'King of Shadows'. This is also a book welcomed by English teachers because it takes a modern young American boy back to Shakespeare's Day, and his theatre company. That book really sang; the story moved with pace, and was difficult to put down. I am afraid that Shylock's Daughter simply does not reach that standard.