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Author Name: Garfield, Leon
Title: Shakespeare Stories II
Binding: Paperback
Size: 914x704x86 158
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company 2000
ISBN Number: 0-395-89109-4 / 9780395891094
Book ID number: 2765
In this magnificent companion volume to Shakespeare Stories, superbly illustrated by Michael Foreman, Leon Garfield presents in narrative form another nine of Shakepeare's best-loved plays. Skillfully, the author conveys the plots, characters, settings and moods of the original works, and reveals their unique theatrical impact for today's reader. While he has refashioned the dramas as stories, Garfield has retained much of Shakepeare's own language, so that his tellings remain true to the essential spirit of the plays themselves. From the light romance and comedy of Much Ado About Nothing to the dark political drama of Richard III, all of the flavor and tone of the plays is evoked in these clever retellings, accompanied by stunning paintings which complement and reinforce the text. By turns playful, stirring, gentle and stark, Michael Foreman's color and black-and-white illustrations provide a wonderfully rich visual interpretation of the many-faceted masterworks. Together, Leon Garfield and Michael Foreman have produced a literary and illustrative tour de force that pays homage to the world's most celebrated playwright. Children's Literature - Gisela Jernigan Using a narrative prose style that seems quite close to the original Shakespeare, the author retells nine of the plays not included in his first collection, Shakespeare Stories. There is a good variety of plays, from the comedy and mistaken identities of Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It, to tragic, historical works like Julius Caesar and Richard the Third. The illustrations, which are a mixture of full color watercolors and small, black and white drawings, match the different moods of the stories well. While somewhat simpler and easier to understand than the original plays, the stories would still require a mature, disciplined reader and would probably appeal most to young adults and teachers. The book might be very useful in conjunction with actually viewing or re-enacting one of the original plays. KLIATT This sequel to Shakespeare Stories is a worthy addition. Garfield once again uses his skillful storytelling ability to relate, in his own prose, the tales of Shakespeare. Secret loves, corrupt governments, gruesome murders, deceptive truths, and numerous misunderstandings abound in this collection of adaptations of several of Shakespeare's best plays. Included in this collection are prose retellings of Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Cymbeline, King Richard the Third, The Comedy of Errors, and The Winter's Tale. This well-constructed selection of tragedies and comedies is perfect for reluctant readers of Shakespeare and may provide assistance as well as enjoyment for students studying any of the plays included in this collection. Well written, accessible and entertaining, this collection is highly recommended for all libraries and a must for libraries owning the first title. KLIATT Codes: JS*-Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1994, Houghton Mifflin, 284p, 23cm, 94-10515, $16.00. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Ginger Armstrong; Principal Lib. Assoc., Chesterfield Cty P.L., Chester, VA, September 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 5) School Library Journal Gr 6 Up-A worthy sequel to Shakespeare Stories (Houghton, 1991). The first volume covered 12 plays, primarily the more familiar. This one has only nine, and several are unusual fare for young readers. They have mature and often jaded perspectives, which, if not incomprehensible to adolescents, we can hope might seem a bit remote. But Antony and Cleopatra is an interesting follow-up to Julius Caesar; Measure for Measure offers complex fare for morality discussions; and the peculiar magical aspects of Winter's Tale offer an interesting contrast to The Tempest. Reading such enriched retellings of plays students might miss in high school will enhance those they do study. For the guaranteed curriculum basics, such as Julius Caesar, here is an alternative to yellow study guides, one in which explication is subliminally avail
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