Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope (William Shakespeare's Star Wars, Bk 4) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I got a copy of this book to review from the Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. When I saw this book was releasing I really wanted to read it, I love Shakespeare and Star Wars and was eager to see what would happen when the two are put together. The result was very pleasant; I enjoyed the dramatic way Star Wars is done in play form and the wonderful illustrations throughout. I really enjoyed reading this.
This book covers Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in a very Shakespearean format. The book is broken down into Acts and Scenes. Each line is prefaced by who is speaking it (just like in a play). There is a Chorus that covers action scenes too. The whole thing is written in very Shakespeare like language. The book is also interspersed with some wonderful drawings of our heros in their Shakespeare-modified gear.
The only bad part about this book is that I already know how the story goes and ends. So given that, there werent a lot of surprises here...but there were some. One of my favorite additions were R2D2s soliloquies. Sure he may speak in squeaks and beeps when others are on stage with him, but as soon as he is alone then the soliloquies start. R2D2 does elaborate asides on C3POs annoying personality and on his own sneaky plans. These are hilarious, add a lot of depth to R2D2, and are just perfect for him.
There are some other additions to the story as well. For example in an aside Obi-Wan debates what and what not to tell Luke about his father. These little asides actually add a lot of humor and thoughtfulness to the story. I thought they actually even improved the story some and made it more complex and interesting.
The language is very Shakespearean, but I still found it easy to read. I absolutely love reading Shakespeare and love the way it sounds. As with all Shakespeare it is best if read out loud, or at least out loud in your head. The banter between Han Solo and Princess Leia in this Shakespearean style is especially amusing. The only thing I would caution is that if you have historically really disliked or had trouble reading Shakespeare then you may not enjoy reading this.
The illustrations throughout added a lot to the story too. Some of them are pretty funny, for example Jabba the Hut in an Elizabethan Collar...or the picture on the back of the book where Vader realizes the Death Star has been blown up. I enjoyed the etch-like quality to them and thought they matched the tone of the story well.
Overall I approached this genre mish-mash with skepticism and a bit of tentative excitement and ended up very pleasantly surprised. I loved the way this was put together and thought it was incredibly well done. Doescher does an excellent job of blending the drama and wonder of Star Wars with the dramatic qualities of a good Shakespearean play. In fact Star Wars kind of lends itself to this type of reinvention. The additions Doescher have made (such as R2D2s asides) have added a lot of depth and interest to the story as well. Highly recommended to Star Wars fans...and especially Star Wars fans who love Shakespeare.
This book covers Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in a very Shakespearean format. The book is broken down into Acts and Scenes. Each line is prefaced by who is speaking it (just like in a play). There is a Chorus that covers action scenes too. The whole thing is written in very Shakespeare like language. The book is also interspersed with some wonderful drawings of our heros in their Shakespeare-modified gear.
The only bad part about this book is that I already know how the story goes and ends. So given that, there werent a lot of surprises here...but there were some. One of my favorite additions were R2D2s soliloquies. Sure he may speak in squeaks and beeps when others are on stage with him, but as soon as he is alone then the soliloquies start. R2D2 does elaborate asides on C3POs annoying personality and on his own sneaky plans. These are hilarious, add a lot of depth to R2D2, and are just perfect for him.
There are some other additions to the story as well. For example in an aside Obi-Wan debates what and what not to tell Luke about his father. These little asides actually add a lot of humor and thoughtfulness to the story. I thought they actually even improved the story some and made it more complex and interesting.
The language is very Shakespearean, but I still found it easy to read. I absolutely love reading Shakespeare and love the way it sounds. As with all Shakespeare it is best if read out loud, or at least out loud in your head. The banter between Han Solo and Princess Leia in this Shakespearean style is especially amusing. The only thing I would caution is that if you have historically really disliked or had trouble reading Shakespeare then you may not enjoy reading this.
The illustrations throughout added a lot to the story too. Some of them are pretty funny, for example Jabba the Hut in an Elizabethan Collar...or the picture on the back of the book where Vader realizes the Death Star has been blown up. I enjoyed the etch-like quality to them and thought they matched the tone of the story well.
Overall I approached this genre mish-mash with skepticism and a bit of tentative excitement and ended up very pleasantly surprised. I loved the way this was put together and thought it was incredibly well done. Doescher does an excellent job of blending the drama and wonder of Star Wars with the dramatic qualities of a good Shakespearean play. In fact Star Wars kind of lends itself to this type of reinvention. The additions Doescher have made (such as R2D2s asides) have added a lot of depth and interest to the story as well. Highly recommended to Star Wars fans...and especially Star Wars fans who love Shakespeare.
Nada A. reviewed William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope (William Shakespeare's Star Wars, Bk 4) on + 1396 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/09/william-shakespeares-star-wars.html
William Shakespeare's Star Wars is, as the title implies, the Star Wars story retold as a Shakespearean play. This book tells the story of the original Star Wars movie - the one that is now Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
If Star Wars is not for you or you are not familiar with it, then this is not the book for you. If, however, you are a Star Wars fan, then this is a great addition to the collection. I really enjoyed this book for several reasons.
First of all, it is a book that I can happily share with my children - even the somewhat grown up ones. These days, a book that helps start a conversation is a positive thing. We have all seen the Star Wars movie several times. They have had occasion to study Shakespeare in school. It is fun to compare and contrast and lead into discussions - both of things modern and things long gone.
In fact, the online resources for this book include a study guide designed for high school or college classes. The study guide outlines the way in which this book references or uses dialogue from Shakespearean plays such as Henry V, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
Second, the book is true to the story of Star Wars. The plot is unchanged. Reading this book is like watching the movie in my head with a Shakespearean dialogue. Because I know the story, I can appreciate the Shakespearean language. I understand the meaning before I read it; so, I can focus on the rhythm of the iambic pentameter so particular to Shakespearean writing.
Third, the book is funny. One aspect of Shakespeare that the book fully adapts is the asides
- remarks or passages by a character heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play. In particular, hearing what R2-D2 and C3PO "think" is such fun. For examples, here's a R2-D2 gem, "A plague on 3PO for action slow, A plague on upon my quest that led us here, A plague on both our circuit boards, I say!"
Overall, a delightful read for those familiar with the Star Wars story.
William Shakespeare's Star Wars is, as the title implies, the Star Wars story retold as a Shakespearean play. This book tells the story of the original Star Wars movie - the one that is now Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
If Star Wars is not for you or you are not familiar with it, then this is not the book for you. If, however, you are a Star Wars fan, then this is a great addition to the collection. I really enjoyed this book for several reasons.
First of all, it is a book that I can happily share with my children - even the somewhat grown up ones. These days, a book that helps start a conversation is a positive thing. We have all seen the Star Wars movie several times. They have had occasion to study Shakespeare in school. It is fun to compare and contrast and lead into discussions - both of things modern and things long gone.
In fact, the online resources for this book include a study guide designed for high school or college classes. The study guide outlines the way in which this book references or uses dialogue from Shakespearean plays such as Henry V, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
Second, the book is true to the story of Star Wars. The plot is unchanged. Reading this book is like watching the movie in my head with a Shakespearean dialogue. Because I know the story, I can appreciate the Shakespearean language. I understand the meaning before I read it; so, I can focus on the rhythm of the iambic pentameter so particular to Shakespearean writing.
Third, the book is funny. One aspect of Shakespeare that the book fully adapts is the asides
- remarks or passages by a character heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play. In particular, hearing what R2-D2 and C3PO "think" is such fun. For examples, here's a R2-D2 gem, "A plague on 3PO for action slow, A plague on upon my quest that led us here, A plague on both our circuit boards, I say!"
Overall, a delightful read for those familiar with the Star Wars story.
