
SHAKESPEARE NOW!
Book 1. The Trytth Chronicles
(The Tempest)
Download my essay Reinventing the classics: Shakespeare Now!
A Five Senses Education publication
ISBN 9878760322205 RRP $15.26
This novel is also available as an Anthology which contains all three books.
RRP: $ 31.46
After Prospero destroys a small space-ship owned by his brother Alonso, and Miranda and Ferdie fall in love, Ariel and the young couple are kidnapped by Caliban and flown to the dangerous planet of Trytth.
Prospero, the rightful CEO of Naples2Meta-Planetory-Corporation and his daughter Miranda, have been exiled by Prospero’s brother Alonso to an isolated spaceship where the aliens Ariel and Caliban also live. Prospero destroys Alonso’s small spaceship, but rescues the seven men on board. When Ferdie and Miranda meet, they fall instantly in love. Attempts by Zacharius and Antonio to murder Alonso, and Caliban and the comedians Trinithi and Stephano to take over the ship, are foiled by Prospero and Ariel. However, during an elaborate betrothal ceremony where Alonso apologizes to Prospero for having wronged him, Caliban steals a tube of ‘Blue Power’ and flies Ariel and four humans to the tropical but dangerous planet of Trytth…
Reviews
The Trytth Chronicles
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis — Booklover, Writer, Reviewer & Interviewer
The Trytth Chronicles is adapted from The Tempest, one of Shakespeare’s final plays. This is cleverly converted to futuristic fantasy.
Alonso has overthrown his brother Prospero and taken control of the city of Naples2 that sits on Titan. Prospero, his daughter Miranda, Caliban, a vengeful and disfigured monster born on their spaceship, and the Trytth Ariel, have been away from their homes on a spaceship, for fifteen years.
Returning from his daughter’s wedding, Alonso’s starship is battered by meteors; a tempest engineered by Prospero. Forced to evacuate using four capsules, the seven occupants arrive through a tube connected to Prospero’s starship, landing in different areas.
Ferdie, Alonso’s son, arrives first. He meets Miranda, and they instantly fall in love. Here begins a love story intertwined with jealousy, corruption, planned revenge, retribution and absolution, and where all the characters go through trials and tribulations before a resolution is reached.
Written in a complex but easily followed storyline, and set in a fantasy world of warring creatures and threats from amazing composite animals and the elements, that include the emotional turmoil of the characters, Alexander creates a riveting and imaginative read.
An intelligent, knowledgeable writer and former teacher of Shakespeare,
Goldie Alexander’s trilogy is presented with depth and credence. The trilogy also comes in an Anthology.
Shakespeare Now!
Reviewed by Jan Bottcher
“Goldie Alexander’s ability to bring the past, present and future to life is realised in her latest astute retellings of popular Shakespeare plays that will captivate secondary school students.
This trilogy consists of:
‘The Trytth Chronicles’ – The Tempest
‘Gap Year Nanny’ – Macbeth
‘Changing History?’ – Romeo and Juliet
‘The Trytth Chronicles’ uses ‘The Tempest’ as a springboard for spine chilling adventures in space. Prospero, and his young daughter Miranda have been banished to a deserted space-ship where the aliens, Ariel and Caliban live. When Miranda and her cousin Ferdie meet they immediately fall in the love. But wicked Caliban, seeking revenge on Prospero, sends the lovers to the distant planet of Trytth and puts their life in danger.
‘Changing History?’ Dance student Taylor is thrust back in time into the Weimar Republic – a period of political turmoil, violence and economic hardship but also one of new social freedoms and vibrant artistic movements. The seedy Hummingbird restaurant and dancehall provides a gritty background as Taylor tries to help a couple in love, and prevent WW2 and the Holocaust from happening.
In ‘Gap Year Nanny’ the major characters are as unpleasant as in the original play! Ambitious Stuart Macbeth is persuaded by three internet gurus into destroying his opponents and finally himself. Merri’s account of his rise and fall and her interaction with the Macbeth family provides an interesting counterpoint to her own growing maturity.
The concept behind these novels is to demonstrate how classic characters and plots can be transformed into stories young adults will find intriguing by morphing them into contemporary settings. This is not unfamiliar territory as Goldie has already tackled the magical elements of ‘The Odyssey’ as a middle grade novel and a YA verse novel.
The Shakespeare Trilogy is a narrative introduction to the original plays with the intent that they become more accessible for students who find Shakespeare difficult. Students will be motivated to explore the plays and perhaps even write their own versions. Yet even without any previous knowledge of Shakespeare, these three novels provide enjoyable stories very suitable for YA readers.”
Shakespeare Now!
Reviewed by Virginia Lowes
“Making Shakespeare accessible and relevant to today’s kids, who often groan about having to ‘do’ Shakespeare, Goldie has written thoroughly modern stories with the same theme and message. See her website for full details.
I especially loved the world of Trytth – the world Ariel came from originally. It’s another planet world – a bit like those invented by the late Ursula Le Guin, where the people and the world run on an arrangement like a hive, with everyone doing their jobs and no fighting. That’s the one about The Tempest and the first part takes place on a space ship which is Prospero and Miranda’s Island. (John, in proofreading, thought it was odd that the modes of transport [ship wreck/space ship] and the lands [the Island and the planet Trytth] didn’t represent each other) but it’s quite logical in the book, I assure you.)
The other two are equally engaging. If you are thinking of becoming a nanny for a while, read Gap Year Nanny and investigate Macbeth’s world translated into the corporate world of today – backstabbing thrives still. And Romeo and Juliet again battle with their families with disastrous results in Changing History? Of course, in pre-war Germany with Nazis on the rise, the ‘fault in their stars’ is that they are Jewish and Christian – how can they marry? How can they be safe?”
‘SHAKESPEARE NOW! A TRILOGY ’
www.fivesenseseducation.com.au
This novel is also available as an Anthology which contains all three books.
Price for individual books: $ 15.26
Shakespeare Now: An Anthology: $ 31.46
Published 6th November 2018
ISBN: 981760322601