Customer Reviews

Much Ado About Nothing (No Fear Shakespeare)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I study Shakespeare in my high school English class, and used to have a hard time understanding it. Then I got No Fear Shakespeare and now love the work of Shakespeare! Some of the words in the original text you would never think that they mean something different or unexpected in the modern text. It also explains some of the puns and humor. GREAT!!

otherwise a flawless purchase, but just had too less commentary/analysis that it promised...

nice pages, good font, big letters, consistent thme...

it's an amazing book and u don't have to worry if u can understand or not. no fear shakespeare is a book everybody can understand and feel relaxed when u read it. this story, personally, i like it

On one page the original words of Shakespeare's wonderfully written play, across from the original play is a modern translation. For the novice at the King's English, this book will reveal the comedy and brillance of William Shakespeare. An addeed feature is the low cost of the book.

We are always pleased with the prompt service from Amazon.com. We ordered scripts for "Much Ado About Nothing" and we wanted the No Fear Shakespeare version of the script. Amazon had them and sent them right away.

Book arrived in excellent condition super fast. My daughter said she could not have gotten through Shakespeare without this book. Made all the difference in her understanding of the subject.

No Fear Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing is a timeless comedy filled with deceit, love, confusion and most importantly a happy ending. The characters are likeable and comedic, and they each have their own quirks which work out perfectly in the play. The story takes you on an emotional roller coaster. At times you are happy that everything is working out, but later you find yourself wanting to throw the book across the room out of frustration with the situation. Once you start the book, you will not want to put it down. Not only does it include the characteristics of a good story, but has been reworded into modern English making it easy for anyone to understand and enjoy without much deciphering of the Shakespearean language. However, if you decide to challenge yourself, the pages on the left side contain the original script. This way, you can have the benefit of Shakespeare's original words yet at any time avert your eyes to the right side to figure out what the character is saying. The No Fear Shakespeare version of Much Ado About Nothing is ideal for high school students in their English classes, or anyone who wants to be credited with reading Shakespeare but actually understand what is going on.

Much Ado About Nothing is not among one of Shakespeare's most significant works but is still a play filled with romantic drama and hilarious puns. The men had just returned from war, and a soldier named Claudio decides to marry the fair maiden Hero. As soon as things seem to be going well, lies and deception roam about like a virulent disease. The main antagonists, Don John and Borachio, devise a plan to ruin their wedding. Another part of the play revolves around two characters, Benedick and Beatrice, who are both very witty and subject to each other's mockery.
With the No Fear Shakespeare version of the text, understanding old English suddenly became much easier. On one side of the page is the original text while the other side is a modern translation of it. The modern text sometimes gives a completely different translation than what I interpreted. This can be extremely helpful especially when you are unsure about the meaning of a line. I noticed that with the modern translation, I understood the plot a lot better. Reading the original text and confirming its meaning with the modern text ensured my understanding of the play. Along with the translation, there are also plenty of useful commentaries.
I personally enjoyed the play because it was neither too short nor lengthy. The comedic and the most enjoyable aspects came from the little disputes between Beatrice and Benedick. They are constantly hurling insults at each other in order to mask their love, which is the underlying theme in this play. Shakespeare shows how love can make a person go crazy. I especially found the constable Dogberry to be absolutely hilarious with his use of malapropism. The climax is quickly resolved, and some would say that the play had a typical ending. However, that is what kept the story short and simple. Much Ado About Nothing is among many of Shakespeare's great works. No matter how many times you read it, it still remains a hilarious timeless masterpiece.

My son is 11yo and started with Charles Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare. He does read King James English, when the English language was at it's finest; still, this book has both the modern and original language of the plays and can be extremely helpful if you're just not grasping the full meaning. It's useful to read both the King James language and the modern text (and really doesn't add much more time) so you'll be prepared for Shakespeare plays and movies and other things written from that time. Sometimes you'll find the original text is a bit more "risque" than the modern. There are just enough notes on terms that really make a difference to your understanding, and you can buy or download a study guide that is also easy to read and very useful. These books are cheap and useful so you can't go wrong buying them. If you major in Shakespeare these might be too basic but you probably already know that.

This a fantastic little book that makes the play "Much Ado About Nothing" really come alive! You understand so much when you read it that you never realized before. I am definitely a fan of the No Fear Shakespeare collection and plan on reading more!