“Yes, it’s a man with a donkey head, and yes, it makes perfect sense”.
The Manga format might not be everyone’s first choice for reading, especially when it comes to such classic stories like those written by Shakespeare. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this works. The blend of being able to visually see the play without going to the see the play really helps with understanding the characters and how they are interacting with each other.
Now this is not an adult retelling of the classic Shakespeare story as this is targeted for those who are in their teens. However, I think that this is the perfect way to get those who are unfamiliar with the works an understanding of the stories and is branch between reading the play in script format and going to see the play on the stage. Part of what I enjoyed about this retelling was the simplicity of the reading experience. This is a perfect format for those who are going to see the play on the stage, but want to know the story beforehand.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also the perfect story of Shakespeare to be translated into the Manga format. Without any spoilers and very briefly it is a story about young people in love getting lost in the forest while the fairies and royalty of the forest play tricks on each other, getting the humans caught in the crossfire.
I think this is the perfect book for anyone who is even a little interested in Shakespeare, all the way to those who have already read many of the plays. This is a splendid introduction to the stories which have greatly impacted media all the way up to the modern age. Even for those where English is not a first language, you have no excuse not to pick up this book as the beautiful artistry conveys the story to all those who are not a fan of “Ye Olde English”.
Reviewed by Stephen (Assistant Management Accountant)
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