Messing with a classic, whether by writing a "what happens next" or "what happened before" is always a tricky, scary business. So, how would a prequel to Hamlet, one of the all time Greats, fare? I really enjoyed it--it raises just as many questions as Hamlet and provides a logical depth to many of the characters. It was good enough to make me think about hunting up Hamlet again, but I haven't done it yet. And good enough to make me want to read more of Updike (one of those authors I'm somewhat ashamed I hadn't read previously--one of my English profs talked about him all the time).