So You Like Classic Rewrites?

On ten book recommendations that are based on classics...

Writing a novel is no easy feat. Writing a classic into contemporary society is even harder. Whenever I read a book that takes on the task of reimagining a classic—whether that be Shakespeare, Greek mythology, or more recent literary staples. I’m always in awe. Authors who manage to echo the original premise while placing it in a modern world, all while staying true to their own message? That’s pure talent. I'm constantly seeking out classic reimaginings—books that speak back to their source material and bring new angles into the conversation. Here are ten of my favourites.

Nutshell, Ian McEwan

A Hamlet retelling from the perspective of an unborn baby.

That’s right! It’s pure genius. A narrator who is always there—listening, observing, powerless yet full of insight—as his mother and uncle plot to kill his father. It’s strange, darkly funny, and surprisingly moving. McEwan doesn’t just riff on Shakespeare; he delivers a meditation on revenge, family dysfunction, and the absurdity of life before birth.

Home Fire, Kamila Shamsie

A retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone in modern multicultural British-Muslim society.

Antigone is probably my favourite Greek tragedy, so I’ll read any retelling of it. Shamsie’s novel is an incredible read, exploring what it means to be British-Muslim in today’s UK. It weaves in themes of identity, loyalty, politics, and immigration, and the connection to Antigone only deepens its emotional pull. It’s thoughtful, devastating, and deeply contemporary.

Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys

An alternative retelling of Jane Eyre from the voice of Bertha Mason.

Jane Eyre is a classic, but it’s also limited by its time and perspective. Rhys gives voice to the so-called madwoman in the attic and completely reorients the story. It’s lush, unsettling, and filled with colonial tension. I strongly believe Rhys’ novel should always be read alongside Brontë’s—to offer Bertha’s side of the story, to complicate what we think we know.

Hag-Seed, Margaret Atwood

A contemporary retelling of The Tempest.

The Tempest is my favourite Shakespeare play, and Atwood does a brilliant job translating its themes into the modern world. Her version is set in a prison, where a disgraced theatre director stages The Tempest as part of a literacy programme. It’s clever, meta, and surprisingly emotional. Like the original, it meditates on power, performance, and the magic of storytelling.

Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell

An alternative retelling of Hamlet from the women’s perspective.

I think most people have read this by now—and rightly so. It’s a beautiful, tender novel that reimagines the life of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, and the quiet grief of his mother, Agnes. What I love most is that Shakespeare is never named. He doesn’t dominate the narrative. Instead, O’Farrell gives us a story about love, loss, and the quieter figures who shaped one of literature’s loudest voices.

The Country Life, Rachel Cusk

A contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre.

This one is a loose reworking, but the parallels are definitely there. A woman flees to the countryside to become a sort-of governess, and chaos ensues. But it’s funnier, sharper, and—in my opinion—more powerful than Brontë’s version. Cusk’s prose is dry and smart, and the class satire is biting. I was smiling every other page.

The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker

A retelling of part of The Iliad.

I haven’t read many of the recent Greek retellings, but this one stood out. It’s brutal and brilliant, telling the story of Briseis, the woman passed between Achilles and Agamemnon. Barker doesn’t romanticise the mythology; she brings the violence, the silence, and the stolen autonomy of the women to the fore. It’s a hard read, but an important one.

I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpman

A retelling of Adam and Eve (without Adam).

This one’s harder to place but felt right to include. A haunting dystopian novel that follows a woman held in captivity with thirty-nine others, never knowing the world they came from. There’s no context, no backstory, just fragments. One way to read it is as a world of Eves. No Adams, no original sin, just survival and the search for meaning. It’s eerie and quietly powerful.

The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood

A retelling from part of The Odyssey.

Atwood again—because of course. In this slim but impactful book, Penelope finally tells her version of events. Atwood also gives space to the twelve maids hanged in the original epic, granting them a chorus-like voice. It’s witty, sharp, and deeply feminist, peeling back the layers of heroism and asking who gets remembered and why.

The Burial at Thebes, Seamus Heaney

A rewrite of Antigone.

Heaney’s version of Antigone is lyrical and heartbreaking. As with all his translations, there’s a kind of simplicity that doesn’t undercut the drama—it deepens it. His poetic voice brings the ancient conflict between state and conscience into clearer focus, making it feel as immediate as ever.