Enter the Body Review

 

Module 2: CYBILS 2023 Finalist- Enter the Body

 

Enter the Body by Joy McCullough

 Bibliography

McCullough, J. (2023). Enter the body. Dutton Books. ISBN 9780593406755

 Summary

Enter the Body recounts some of Shakespeare’s notable works through the perspective of three, young female characters he brutally killed in his plays. Juliet (from Romeo and Juliet), Ophelia (from Hamlet), Cordelia (from King Lear), and the mute Lavinia (from Titus Andronicus) are the main characters in this new version of old stories. The book opens with a content warning notifying readers that references to “sexual assault, mutilation, and death by many forms…” are within these pages followed by a list of dramatis personae. The novel is split into three parts: the first provides background stories where Juliet, Ophelia, and Cordelia tell their background stories in verse. In the second part the girls, on the trap door under the stage which serves as a type of purgatory, discuss what would happen if they authored their own stories; this is done in play format. And in the third section, the girls tell what their stories would be if the Bard didn’t write it-also in verse form.

 Analysis

The overall book was very entertaining with a nice balance of verse and script. The verse was user friendly for a modern-day teen audience. Juliet’s voice is always in free verse and very clear like when she sees Romeo after he killed Tybalt “When I saw him again/ the grief in his eyes/ sliced through me/ like the sword/ that slew Tybalt” (2023, p. 47). This approachable use of poetry eases the readers into the novel and story before we hear Ophelia and Cordelia’s lesser-known stories.

 When we finally hear Cordelia speak, she speaks with a unique rhythm. Later, in the trap room, it is revealed that she speaks in iambic pentameter. She says she like the structure of it and how it sounds, “Of course he wouldn’t let me rule alone;/ two suitors for my hand were ushered in:/ the Duke of Burgundy; the King of Fance” (2013, p. 124). This is a unique way to introduce iambic pentameter to young readers without throwing them into Shakespeare; using iambic pentameter with accessible language is wonderful!

 When the girls are under the stage speaking in play form, it does jolt the reader out of the beauty of their story telling in verse. For a more mature reader, this is distracting because they speak like modern teenagers. However, I think that this approach is actually appealing for young readers because they could see themselves in these young women.

Excerpt

 Heart in mouth, part 3

Dear Father,
dear Britannia,
dear home I’ve ever known,
dear mother who departed before I could draw
      breath

 I did everything you asked me,

became the girl you formed
and for my pains I’m foreign, reviled.

It’s cruel, even for you.

 Activity

I would pair this novel with a Shakespeare unit. Reading this part novel in verse is an excellent way to introduce Shakespeare to a class as it provides a general background to the stories and makes the characters relatable. Even though they are not the main characters, I think that would make the original plays more interesting for students. This novel provides many talking points including how women are used as pawns in the game of success for men-especially several centuries ago.

 Reviews

 From Booklist: “While readers familiar with the original works will get the most out of this striking combination of formats in the shape of a novel, Shakespeare novices will appreciate the masterful command of prose, script, and verse alongside the classic stories from unexpected perspectives. A great choice for better understanding of the source materials in the classroom or for pure enjoyment that gives the brain a light workout.

 From Horn Book Magazine: “This shifting, experimental format will surprise and challenge readers’ ideas of ­storytelling and “classic” literature. By innovatively mining feminist themes of autonomy, exploitation, and patriarchy, McCullough boldly ­reconceptualizes ­Shakespeare’s version of the female point of view for a new generation of Bard enthusiasts.”