Summary
Dunbar is a 2017 novel by British novelist Edward St Aubyn. A modern retelling of William Shakespeare's King Lear, the novel was commissioned as part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series.
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Edward St Aubyn |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Hogarth Press |
| ISBN | 978-1101904305 |
Conception, development, and writing edit
The novel retells the Shakespeare play King Lear as part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project.[1] When his agent approached Hogarth about St Aubyn participating in the project, St Aubyn was between novels.[2] He was allowed to choose which of Shakespeare's plays he wanted to adapt from the group of plays not yet adapted by other authors.[2] The "Lear" character of the novel, Henry Dunbar, founded a media conglomerate; St Aubyn felt someone rooted in the "permafrost of power" would make a better analogue to a king than a temporarily elected official.[3] St Aubyn has denied the character has a basis in reality, saying he was not based on Rupert Murdoch, Sumner Redstone, or Donald Trump.[2]
St Aubyn began revisiting King Lear by watching Peter Brook 1971 film adaptation.[4] At the outset of writing the book, St Aubyn experienced some anxiety about the project, which abated as he continued working.[2] St Aubyn wrote the book at home, as opposed to cafés, as he had earlier works.[3] When he began writing the novel's conclusion, St Aubyn was not sure how he would end the book, but knew he wanted to avoid a happy ending as found in Nahum Tate's The History of King Lear.[2]
Reception edit
Critical reception edit
Sophie Gilbert's review in The Atlantic praised the novel, highlighting a perceived connection between St Aubyn's personal life and the subject matter of King Lear as well as the dialogue.[5] Writing for NPR, Annalisa Quinn compared the novel favorably to other entries in the Hogarth series.[6]
Dunbar received a more critical review in the Chicago Review of Books. Critic Greg Zimmerman compared it less favorably to other Hogarth books, referring to it as a "solid if not spectacular entry in the...series".[7]
References edit
- ^ Dickson, Andrew (27 October 2017). "Dunbar by Edward St Aubyn — 'King Lear' with added gall". The Financial Times. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Alter, Alexandra (28 September 2017). "Edward St. Aubyn on the Challenge of Reimagining Shakespeare (Published 2017)". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ a b Derbyshire, Jonathan (20 October 2017). "Edward St Aubyn on fiction and the complexity of truth". The Financial Times. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Edward St. Aubyn: Dunbar". Folger Shakespeare Library. 1 November 2017.
- ^ Gilbert, Sophie (10 October 2017). "King Lear Is a Media Mogul in 'Dunbar'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Annalisa (5 October 2017). "'Dunbar' Is A Moving, Brutal And Apt Update Of 'King Lear'". NPR.org. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ Zimmerman, Greg (19 October 2017). "In 'Dunbar,' King Lear is a Media Mogul". Chicago Review of Books. Retrieved 26 January 2021.