Review: The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s “late plays.” It tells the story of a king whose jealousy results in the banishment of his baby daughter and the death of his beautiful wife. His daughter is found and brought up by a shepherd on the Bohemian coast, but through a series of extraordinary events, father and daughter, and eventually mother too, are reunited.

In The Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson’s cover version of The Winter’s Tale, we move from London, a city reeling after the 2008 financial crisis, to a storm-ravaged American city called New Bohemia. Her story is one of childhood friendship, money, status, technology and the elliptical nature of time. Written with energy and wit, this is a story of the consuming power of jealousy on the one hand, and redemption and the enduring love of a lost child on the other.

Jenanette Winterson lends her unique voice to a story from one of the masters of English literature and theatre. I love reading Hogarth’s take on these Shakespearean stories (this is my third this year) because the author’s words really shine. And, The Gap of Time, is no exception. Winterson’s characters leap from the page and consumed this reader quickly–flying through the 288 pages really quickly.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and hope to read more of the series soon! 2016 has been quite the year for The Winter’s Tale, as this is the second book based on that play I have read this year (the first was Exit, Pursued by Bear).

I received a copy of this from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are my own.