Shakespeare Stories II [Hardcover]

Leon Garfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 1995

In this magnificent new volume of stories, another nine of Shakespeare's plays are presented with the skillfully coveyed plots, characters, settings, and moods of the original works. The dramas are refashioned as stories for today's readers, while the language and spirit of the original plays are maintained. Shakespeare Stores II contains such classic works as Much Ado About Nothing, As You like It, Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors, and Antony and Cleopatra.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 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 available in the graceful prose. The romances are appealing, and Garfield's seamless movement between his own descriptive language and Shakespeare's has never worked better. Foreman's vibrant watercolors, particularly the mesmerizing Cleopatra cover girl and an anguished Julius Caesar at the Capitol, and the many small ink-wash illustrations bring strong visual appeal to a pending classic?one that adults should not assume is just for kids.?Sally Margolis, Deerfield Public Library,
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-10. In the format of his Shakespeare Stories (1985), Garfield retells the plots of nine more Shakespearean plays in graceful prose, studded with dialogue. While the first volume included more familiar plays, this one presents 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. Foreman contributes dozens of illustrations, from colorplates to smaller line-and-wash paintings reproduced in shades of gray. A handsome companion volume to the earlier book. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (March 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395708931
• ISBN-13: 978-0395708934
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars shakespeare, January 28, 2012

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granpa - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Shakespeare Stories II (Paperback)

My wife is delighted with these two books.The only complaint is that they are a little on the heavy side

5.0 out of 5 stars he weaves the original into his re-telling, November 19, 2011

By 

sally tarbox (aylesbury bucks uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shakespeare Stories II (Paperback)

Featuring; Much Ado about nothing; Julius Caesar; Antony and Cleopatra; Measure for Measure; As you like it; Cymbeline; Richard III; Comedy of Errors and Winter's Tale. As in the first volume, Garfieldintroduces the younger reader to Shakespeare by a skilful weaving of phrases from the original into his re-telling. And the illustrations, particularly the color plates, really bring the whole thing to life