Manga Shakespeare: Othello [Paperback]

Richard Appignanesi (Adapter), William Shakespeare (Author), Ryuta Osada (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Manga Shakespeare | Publication Date: March 1, 2009

Othello and As You Like It are the newest additions to the imaginative world of Manga Shakespeare. In the face of the false evidence produced by the conniving Iago, Othello cannot trust his wife, and his mistrust leads to the play’s tragic conclusion. In As You Like It, Rosalind, dressed like a boy, falls in love with Orlando. A mistaken-identity comedy follows, with a happy ending (or the ultimate justice served) for those who deserve it. Both plays have been refreshingly updated in the style of manga while maintaining Shakespeare’s beautiful language.

F&P level: Z

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Osada has populated his version of Othello with a bestiary of part-animal, part-monster characters with third eyes; second sets of arms, wings, and tattoos; and sadomasochistic or infernal overtones. Sometimes the design choices seem to be thematic–Cassio looks quite young, Othello is vaguely angelic–to reinforce an individual aspect of a given character or to provide a small irony. But overall, the effect is mystifying and distracting, and the characters are chimeric aggregations with no sense of purpose or place. The opening of the play focuses on the fact that the marriage between Othello and Desdemona should be stopped because of his Moorish origins–but how can this be an issue when the challenge is being put forth by an anthropomorphic fox? One finds oneself asking why these design decisions were made, and the lack of evidence of any thoughtful intent makes the adaptation unintentionally comic and bizarre. Coupled with a lackluster use of tone and shade, and a series of monologues that lacks narrative form, this volume would seem unlikely to convert manga readers to Shakespeare, nor to lead literature readers to comics.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH
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From Booklist

By marrying comfortably recognizable manga elements with the potentially intimidating Shakespearean oeuvre, the Manga Shakespeare series offers yet another serviceable introduction for dubious teen readers. The art unfortunately pushes the fantastical, detracting from Othello’s essential otherness by casting him as an otherworldly winged being and from Iago’s terrifying insidiousness by giving him a painfully childish face. But with Shakespeare’s original (though abridged) dialogue and an appended plot summary, there’s no denying this book’s appeal as a “respectable” graphic-format addition to teen collections. Check out Mustashrik’s Julius Caesar (2008) for the pinnacle of this worthwhile subgenre. Grades 7-11. --Jesse Karp

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Amulet Books; 1 edition (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810983508
• ISBN-13: 978-0810983502
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #822,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but a bit confusing., August 11, 2011

By 

llamaboy (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manga Shakespeare: Othello (Paperback)

The manga/graphic novel is a great way to tell a play. Ever try reading a play without any actors? It's boring and, thus, no very effective. At least I don't think it is. What high-schooler is going to pay attention and really get what is going on?
But, with this format, there are actors, acting out the scenes. Moreso, no fake blood, bending knives, mispronounced words, etc. It just works, and it held my interest (23 year old, high-school educated, non-neurotypical male) quite well.
I'm not going to review the story. It's been printed and reprinted and used and bent in every way for a long time; so there's no point in giving any opinion on it.

Art - The art in the book was well done; the characters were interesting and distinct. This interesting-ness was a bit of a problem at times. Sometimes, it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. I could understand the symbolism (why Rodrigo was a dog, etc), but it gets to where it's strange enough to distract from the story more than to tell it at times. I think I could have gotten more out of it if the characters were a bit more normal. Cassio's cuteness was a little over-the-top.

Language - It's all original, which is good. It would have just been nice to have notes every once in awhile on more confusing statements; as when Othello yells "Goats and Monkeys!" Shakespeare is difficult, the pictorial format helps, but I don't believe the summary at the end was quite enough--I believe they should have gone into more detail.
BUT, this has an advantage. This encourages the reader (especially a student) to ask a teacher what is going on, or Googling it and figuring out exactly what The Bard was trying to say.

All in all, it's good. Good for anyone interested in Shakespeare, good for the reluctant student, even good for a good student. I'd like to see a teacher catch him or her reading it in class, snatching it up, giving it back, apologizing, and asking where it came from.

If you're a parent who cares about your kid getting a little of the Arts in their lives, grab this book and give it to them one day, and see what happens.

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite nice, but..., October 25, 2009

By 

Orapin Chuanromanee - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Manga Shakespeare: Othello (Paperback)

Although Manga Shakespeare definitely makes Shakespeare easier, real/hardcore manga fans may have an issue with the manga.

Firstly, the manga is supposed to be read from left to right, not right to left. This is meant to make it easier to people who aren't used to reading manga, but I for one have an issue with this. It feels awkward to read it the "wrong" way.

Secondly, the language is strange. It's "authentic" Shakespeare, which does help a bit, but it still seems weird for manga characters to speak that way. But some people like it, and it helps make Shakespeare easier.

I'd recommend you read or flip through this in a bookstore or library before purchasing this. Otherwise, it's not bad.