To Be or Not to Be

• Memories of a legendary Hamlet production: a gripping read, bringing the world of theater with all its highs and lows to life
  

It is and remains a great mystery: how does a work of art come about? In this magnificent novel Klaus Pohl manages to get to the bottom of this mystery.

This novel tells the story of the creation of a truly great work of art: the memorable 1999 production of Hamlet by the famous director Peter Zadek, with actress Angela Winkler as Hamlet and the author himself  as Horatio. 

We experience how a group of the recent decades’ best theatrical actors embarks on a journey into the unknown and we witness one adventure after another; fierce battles and tender love stories, anger and devotion, competition and friendship, hysteria and self-doubt, tragedies and comedies, and, ultimately, the incomparable joy of discovery and success – not only on the rehearsal stage but also in the lives of everyone involved, from the big shot director to the set designer and prompter…

At the same time, Klaus Pohl’s novel about this production isn’t just a cultural-historical document but a poetic artwork in its own right, filled with surprising twists and intimate portraits.

"Is this book a theatre novel? Of course, but far more! Is this book a romance novel? That too. Is this book a diary, a a comedy, a tragedy? All of that." - Joachim Meyerhoff