Customer Reviews

Romeo and Juliet (The New Penguin Shakespeare)

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

 

 

I had to read this book in school and at first I thought: "I believe in love and all, but how will I understand it?" Well, luckily, we had an updated version that put it in words we knew. And I must say, it really does deserve all the tv references it's gotten over the decades. Not only did I feel my heart break when Romeo died with tears running abundantly down his cheek, and when Juliet awoke hoping to be reunited with her love and instead finding his body on the floor, but I also felt crushed when Mercutio died. He was the one character I felt most similar to. Shakespeare knew how to break your heart right open. Each time I go back to that paragraph where Mercutio refers to Queen Mab and the way she makes dreams and when he talks about reputations being the determining factor of someone's character instead of personalities, I feel even more attached to Mercutio. I'm sure everyone can find someone with similar personality traits if they read Shakespeare. But this truly is one of the greatest love stories and anyone who's lonely and finds themselves wishing for love should read this. Romeo was that same sort of person until he met Juliet. But one has to wonder, was it simply an intense infatuation? This question has been posed before and I'm not so sure it's a wrong question. But perhaps it really was love. Only Shakespeare knows...And he took secrets like those to his grave...I also recommend this to people who have already found love as it is a chilling reminder that love can surpass anything and anyone in love should do anything in their power to make sure that the flame never goes out, even if it means death.

Anyone who has not read Romeo and Juliet obviously is not old enough to comprehend the magnitude of this book, or has been living under a rock the past 400 years. this book (like it or not) is one of the greatest pieces of Elizibethian literature the world has ever seen. if anyone disagrees with this fact of life, then they need to read the book and accept the fact that Shakespeare was THE greatest writer of his time, and one of the most famous in all time.Obviously the magnitude of people who have read this book disagree with your opinions, and that is just a common fact of life. Romeo and Juliet is one of the best books i have ever read in my life.

Romeo and Juliet is, without a doubt, one of the best literary works that I have ever read! You can just read it over, and over, and over. It's love-drenched story just makes you want to sob... and may I also recommend the movie! (1996 Version)

This is a story of two young people who were in love but were from two different houses that their parents were enemies. I will not give the end away but it is sad. I think the story is good and you should read it It is from ages 12-and up.

Incredible love story. Full of emotion. One you can read over and over again.

We had to read this for a school project and I got so involved in it that I had finished the whole book before everyone else in my class. I get so moved by the way Shakespeare writes, I go around reciting qoutes. He defines each character to extent of their personality. Each setting is so different but I love them all. They're all so interesting from the fighting to the parties to the church. I don't know how to say it any clearer but this would have to be my all time favorite love story and I just wanted to express how much I enjoyed this to someone and if you havem't even seen the movie I pity you.

This book is about two teens, (Romeo & Juliet), that fall madly in love with each other. They get married without their parents consent. If their parents would have known about the marriage it would not have happened, because they are involved in a never ending feud. A feudbetween the Capulets (Juliet's family) and the Montegues (Romeo's family). The only two people that knew about their marriage was the Friar and Juliet's nurse. This story still relates to teens (and older people, as well) today because the story deals with universal themes. Themes such as love, drugs, death, hate, and betrayal. These themes reoccur a lot throughout the story. Like most of the other reviewers, I had to read this story for my English class. I enjoyed it a lot more once I got past the language barrier.