Customer Reviews

A Midsummer Night's Dream

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm surprised that none of the reviews I've read (I didn't read them all, but about 25) even mention the pictures in this wonderful edition by Bruce Coville. I've read the play and adore it, seen it several times, etc. But the reason one would buy this book rather than Shakespeare's words is for the clear, modern English storytelling and the gorgeous images. This is a wonderful book to introduce Shakespeare to anyone. I personally love the poetry of Shakespeare's lines but know that they are difficult for children and Shakspeare newbies. This book tells the story in clear words and great pictures, full of classical fairies and beautiful maidens and valorous youths (plus some great facial expressions on Bottom). Worth every penny.

Be warned, if you're looking for the original text of Shakespeare's play, this is not it - this is a retelling of the play by Bruce Coville in the attempt to introduce younger readers to the realm of Shakespeare.

In attempting that, he succeeds very well in bringing the text to a new format - all the components of the tale are here (though obviously abridged), and are clearly and smoothly told, keeping most of the spirit of the play, as well as the most important of quotes, for instance - "The course of true love never did run smooth," and "What fools these mortals be".

Three plot threads run throughout the story set in ancient Athens under the rule of the Duke Theseus about to be wed to his own Amazon-bride. Foremost is the love-tangle between the virtually indistinguishable Helena, Lysander, Hermia and Demetrius. When Hermia and Demetrius decide to elope, racing away into the woods, Lynsander follows (who has been promised Hermia by her father), and chasing after him is the spurned Helena, desparately (and pathetically) in love with him.
Meanwhile, the King and Queen of Fairies, Oberon and Titania are having what can only be called a domestic over a young changeling boy that Oberon wants to join his service, but who Titania is determined to keep in remembrance of his mother, her devoted friend. To punish his Queen, Oberon sends his servent, the hobgoblin Puck, to fetch a flower capable of making anyone under its spell fall in love with whatever creature they behold.
Finally, the group of players led by Peter Quince and joined by Francis Flute and the famous Nick Bottom journey into the forest to practice their play to perform on the Duke's wedding day, and fall the victims of Puck's prankish nature, when he transforms the head of Bottom into that of an ass. Of course, it is he that Titania first spies when she awakens from her slumber...

It is a complicated and intricate play, full of mayhem and havoc in which everybody falls in love with everybody else, but Coville handles it well and keeps it simple to the point of abridging much of the final act in which Bottom and the players finally get to perform. However, such a scene is somewhat un-neccessary in the "storybook" context of this retelling, and its removal was probably a good idea. The themes of wayward love and its fickleness is still in place, whether it be the mis-matching of the young lovers, the quarrels between husband and wife, or the ridiculousness of the romantic, suicidal couple that the actors play "Pyramus and Thisby" (on which Shakespeare based "Romeo and Juliet").

The illustrations fit the story well. Though some might hope for intricate, highly detailed work that we usually see in fairy-books these days (such as the work of Brian Froud or K. Y. Craft), here the watercolours are in soft pastels, very clearly and simply planned and rendered. To help the reader along, there is an introductory page of the main character's busts, and the four lovers can be easily identified by their colour-coding (just remember - the blonde girl goes with the blonde boy and the dark-haired girl goes with the dark-haired boy). Bottom is hilarious with or without his ass-head, and you can tell just from his expression that he's a complete buffon.

Most of the fairies are as they are usually portrayed - small, winged, barefooted and delicate, but their impish faces and spindly bodies save them from appearing as those silly, cute, adorable little fairies that you might expect in Enid Blyton. To my mind, fairies must have a little of the mysterious and potential for malevolence about them. The potrayal of Oberon and Titania is somewhat odd - Titania appears as a full grown woman (though in a couple of pictures horribly stick-like, almost anorexic) but Oberon seems almost child-like, as if he's a boy in an over-sized sheet. Like the four lovers, many of the characters are portrayed as incredibly young, a theme that runs through into Puck.

It is Puck who is the centrepiece of this retelling, both in the narrative and in the pictures. With tangled hair and a fuzzy loincloth, the cheeky toddler whizzes about the air, sometimes the very picture of innocence, other times with a devilish grin. He can't help but make you smile when you see him.

Altogether, a good start to introduce young readers to the play, with nice clear pictures just this side of an art and/or fairy-lovers collection.

Most adults who read this know the basic story of the book: how King Oberon schemes to use magical lust to solve a dispute between himself and his bride Titania and how Puck, the sprite entrusted to carry out the scheme, manages to entangle four mortal lovers into the mix and nearly ruins everything. It is this scheming between Puck and Oberon that presents the main source of humor in the story; when you see two hapless men professing love to the same baffled woman and two women fighting like cats over men, you can't help but grin at the mayhem the now exasperated Oberon has caused.

However, I was never quite able to completely enjoy the humor that occured at the expense of Titania and the mortals. Call me old-fashioned, but I personally can't have a good laugh at the idea of using others like puppets in a play and my main concern here is whether all the humor in this story is appropriate for a child audience. Sure, Coville breaks down the adult dialogue, but that's only part of it; some of the main characters in the story simply don't have very strong morals. King Oberon humiliates his wife, steals something from her, uses a form of mind control on her, manipulates the humans in the story like they're nothing, and never shows any regret or pause! In this version, he doesn't even express pity for Titania's condition like he did in the original tale; he just pulls her like a puppet until he gets what he wants, then grins and tells Puck to undo everything, which I found infuriating and unsatisfying. Is this really a good story for kids? They should know it's not nice to take advantage of people, play tricks on them, and all the other various things characters do to each other here with no consequences.

I'm not a hater of this tale in general. I love the Rupert Everet version of the film, particularly because Oberon and even Puck show a trace of conscience while still retaining their typical mischievousness and Titania's actually treated like a fleshed out character instead of a cut-out made for Oberon's humor. I just wish Coville had treated Oberon and Puck like more than a plague visited on those they inflicted their tricks on. It's not an awful tale by any means, but I suggest reading with your kids.

On to a positive note, though: the illustrations are absolutely lovely and perfectly faerie. In fact, this was the reason I got it. The fairies are gorgeous, the humans classical Roman beauties, and Puck an adorable child who bears a striking resemblance to Oberon. (This is a particularly interesting note, because Puck was actually acknowledged by one source of research as Oberon's son by a mortal woman. Apparently, Coville chose to acknowledge this.) As a lovely visual treat, this book is highly recommended!

Bruce Coville does a masterly attempt at making A Midsummer Night's Dream comprehensible and more understandable for younger learners of Shakespeare. The illustrations are beautiful and really helps tell the story. I have to admit I'm still confused about all the details in the story but it helped a lot. The story is still pretty charming and romantic.

I had my doubts about introducing Shakespeare to my 7 year old...until I got hold of Bruce Coville's book! My son loved the story and was really able to follow the complicated plots. He has a picture of each character at the beginning of the book for them to follow and we kept reviewing who was who and who liked who. Wonderful! He still likes to pull the book out and look at the beautiful pictures and review in his mind the story.

My 5th grade students reading the original text of Romeo and Juliet love this book and the same author illustrator's version of that story for the simplicity of the language and for the phenomenal illustrations. The girls are especially interested, and wait for a turn to read the book.

My own 4 and 5 year old children love the book, and ask to have it read to them every night at bedtime. They love fairies in general, and that was their original draw to the story (along with the amazing pictures). They now play "Midsummer Night's Dream" at playtime, and the 5 year old actually watched (and loved)a DVD of the original language production after several readings of this.

I also highly recommend the same team's version of Romeo and Juiet for the same reasons, both 5th graders and preschoolers love them.

I chose this book for my 10 year old as our nightly reading book one week. My 6 1/2 year old listened intently each night, not wanting me to put it down. It has fostered an interest for both of my children in reading more Shakespeare. I only wish there were more of his works translated like this as it was a wonderful experience to share such a great piece of literature. I would even be interested in reading many more Shakespearean works for myself in this format. Beautiful illustrations. Great gift for your local school.

This book is a must-have for anyone who loves classic literature and wants to share it with their children. The pictures are gorgeous and the text is done in a way that the storyline is easy to follow, while still in a semblance of shakespearean style. This book contains no offensive material, but has all the mischief, folly and happy-endings that all good fairy tales have. It will make a wonderful addition to your library

I wonder if "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is Wild Bill's answer to "Romeo and Juliet" and works like it: instead of being passionate, life and death, as-important-as-the universe, here love and romance is light, frivolous, fickle and funny.

Love is in the air; love is everywhere. But at the middle of it all are two women with frustratingly similar names: Helena and Hermia. Hermia loves Lysander but is engaged (by a controlling father) to Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius, who can think of no one but Hermia. Until a fairy god and an impish spirit step in and sprinkle some love-juice around: suddenly it's all a mess, everyone switches partners like at a square dance. But, naturally, it all works out in the end, and two pairs of lovers emerge to live happily ever after.

Two subplots add to the silliness of love: Titania, the fairy queen, under a spell sent by her husband, falls in love with a man with an donkey's head. (read: there is no objectivity in love, no "ideal lover".) Then, a bunch of fools perform a hilaroiusly awful play for the king, a play about tragically separated and suicidal lovers...something like Romeo and Juliet. (read: tragedy and love together are hilariously overdramatic.)

A enjoyable, funny, light, fairly fast play to read and perform. You gotta love Puck. The only real difficulty I had was keeping Helena and Hermia straight -- now, who loves who?

And really, in the end, it doesn't matter who loves who, just that all are loved.

Make sure you don't read one of those nasty prose or abridged versions here. Half the fun is the meter, and it's definitely short and sweet enough not to need abridgement.

a passage from the play:

PUCK: If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, (and all is mended)

That you have but slumbered here,

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend;

If you pardon, we will mend.

And, as I am an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck,

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

We will make amends, ere long:

Else the Puck a liar call.

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin will restore amends."

The main charcters in this book are Lysander,Titania,Helena,Bottom,Puck and Oberon.You can tell that those names come from a book.Well their are two couples and one of them which is Lysander and Titania are having some problems.Titanias father doesn't want her to marry the man that she really wants to marry or the man that she really loves.So Titanias and Lysander plan to run away so that Titania won't have to marry someone that she doesn't love.Also someone in the book turns into a donkey.

I would tell pepople to read this book because ,its interesting and has alot of pictureds.If you like funny stuff or weird stuff that happens in books then this is the book for you.The book is a easy book ,to take a test on also.If you like some weird love stories then this is a good book.Its also a short book.Some pretty strange charcters in this book.
If I was gonna start all over again I wouldn't read this book becauseof?Its not something that you wanna keep reading.It doesn't have people that you can actually belive in.Somethings that happen in the book are unusual and probly won't ever happen in life .