Customer Reviews

Shakespeare Stories

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

 

 

These are stunningly well told versions of the plays.

They give not only the story, but a wonderful sense of the theatrical - you read and enjoy a visual sensation as well as the speech of Shakespeare (all the words 'spoken' are taken directly from Shakespeare's scripts).

Romeo and Juliet, for example, sweats in the heat of Verona. There is a fantastic image of wasps fighting! You go directly into the story - and moral considerations are there.

The pictures support the text well- giving yet another dimension to the book.

Forget Lamb!

I've used these stories in the classroom for many years now - partly because young people (11 through to much older!) relate to them -but also because I really enjoy re-reading them.

(There is a whole set of Abridged Shakspeare by Garfield too - and wonderful Animations done with Russian animators!)

Excellent choice for English teachers who want to review Shakespeare's classics with students. I have also used this with my middle school students to introduce them to Shakespeare. The stories are written in clear language so that students will be able to understand the wonderful stories of the bard without being intimidated by Shakespearean language A must for all English teachers!

When I took my long service leave, I bought Garfield's books of Shakespeare's Stories (both volumes) and I hired videos of Shakespeare's plays. Working with these and the texts of the plays, I gave myself a course in Shakespeare's plays. It was one of the highlights of my life.

I had supposed the Laurence Olivier was some pompous old fart with a plum in his mouth. He is ELECTRIC. His Hamlet is a study in depression. His voice in "To be or not to be" is scarcely audible but carries so much emotion.

In all, I watched 22 different plays - my favourites, Richard 11 and Hamlet, in several different versions. I followed the BBC series which uses the same actors from one play to the next so that the Duke of Gloucester in one play is played by the same actor who later becomes Richard 11 in the next play.

Leon Garfield's story-telling with its light touch of irony and its perfect choice of words opened a door that I had assumed was marked "Other people only". Garfield wrote marvellous children's book and I've read them all but these books are the best of his achievements and they've made a big difference to my life.

My children (5th and 1st grade) are spellbound when I read aloud from this book. They were enthralled by Richard II (how many people actually read this play?); they were dismayed when the Henry plays stopped at IV pt 1. What happens to Hal, they want to know? They wanted to postpone dinner to finish hearing King Lear. This is probably not for all kids, but for those who appreciate rich language--particularly read aloud--this book is a treasure.

Leon Garfield's two Shakespeare Stories books have made a new fan of Shakespeare.

I'm a seasoned homeschool mom who is often frustrated with the endless search for the perfect materials. I found this book (volume 1) at the library, tried it, loved it, bought it--along with volume 2.

My youngest child is gifted in many ways, but is not a reading lover. It has been difficult finding books she enjoys enough to continue reading past the first few pages. Graphic Novels are helpful, but often lose the subtle nuances of more refined language in the nature of the illustrations.

These books (well-written retellings of some of Shakespeare's plays that have not lost the refinement of language inherent in the originals, but that also make the plays understandable and accessible to those who may be daunted by Elizabethan English) have captivated her. While she's not quite ready to plunge full-on into Shakespeare's originals, these books are making her a fan of his plays. She's seen quite a few of them onstage, several others on film, and loves them. And in a year or two or three when she's ready to tackle the originals, she will do so with great zeal and with a ready-made familiarity not only with the plays but with the language of Shakespeare.

Features: King Lear; the Tempest; Merchant of Venice; Taming of the Shrew; Richard II; Henry IV part 1; Hamlet; Romeo and Juliet; Othello; Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth.
Wonderful re-telling of Shakespeare's stories for the younger reader which still introduces him to the original with phrases from it woven into the text, plus amazingly evocative color plates. It really brings the whole thing to life

I can appreciate the effort that went into these retellings. Garfield is trying to capture Shakespeare's texture and some of his witty expressions, but the result is so convoluted and dense that it TOTALLY fails as a book to read to children. It's like he got too close to the project and lost sight of the mission.

For young kids, about the best you can do is look at the illustrations (which are excellent but not numerous) and try to use Garfield's text as a prompt to re-tell the stories yourself in clear language. If you've seen the plays, that is easier than it may sound.

For older kids, or kids who already know the outlines of the plays, why bother with this silly book -- just read the plays themselves! Do a little briefing with your kid on a part and read scenes with them. If you want to get middle school or high school kids hooked, just fill them in on some of the coarse puns or ribald jokes -- then they will try hard to find more of them.

What is desperately needed is an INTELLIGIBLE re-telling of the Shakespeare plays for elementary school kids. Ideally a 20-minute "Tempest" or "As you like it" before you take your kids to Shakespeare in the park. All they need is some framework of the story and characters, and then the plays immediately become entertaining for them.

Anyway, this book fails despite the best efforts of the collaborators. And the Charles and Mary Lamb book is no better with its Victorian language and condescending tone.

TB