Therein is just one piece philosophy from William Shakespeare — or, shall we say, the ghost of William Shakespeare, an apparition who plays a key role in the plot and in helping to explain matters of the human soul in Thomas Garlinghouse’s entertaining and inventive novel, “Such Stuff As Dreams” (Open Books).
But more about that quote in a moment.
The story takes place in 1936 Hollywood, with stars like Clark Gable and Carole Lombard shining, and a screenwriter named Joe Holliday trying to make his mark in the ultra-competitive industry. The head of Holliday’s film studio, C.L. Greenwood, is looking to “walk the fine line between highbrow and popular appeal.” As he says it, “I want the public’s money and the critics’ praise.”
To that end, he comes up with the idea to develop a movie script that is a modern-day version of “Hamlet.” And he wants Joe to write it. Get the picture?
Joe earlier had written an original screenplay with much promise. He also had in him an unfinished novel. But Greenwood rejects the screenplay so that Joe can focus his efforts on the “Hamlet” project. Joe is set up on the studio lot in a writers cottage with many comforts and no distractions.