A Midsummer Night's Dream

This series of Shakespeare Made Clear does full justice to William Shakespeare and is a real service to the average reader who wants to know and understand the works of the greatest author/dramatist that ever lived. As in all the Shakespeare Made Clear series there is a simply marvelous rundown about Shakespeare's life and times. His often difficult-to-interpret dialogue is set side-by-side with our own vernacular. Bravo! "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is also one of the most raucous, joyful and merriest of Shakespeare's comedies and a good place to start learning about his plays. Don't pass this up, it's a fun story...you'll be hooked on Shakespeare for good as well as the Shakespeare Made Clear series. There's a clear synopsis of a complicated plot, a scene-by-scene rundown and even annotated notes along the way explaining the genesis, the subtext and the history of Shakespeare's words and phrases. It also includes a cast of characters, the play's major themes are discussed and an entertaining biography of William Shakespeare to boot. Hear! Hear! Shakespeare Made Clear honors the works of Shakespeare by making his words and ideas more accessible for the masses. Why should you believe me? In college I was a Theater Arts major, before turning to English and I followed several authors throughout my college days and beyond, but particularly William Shakespeare. I have read all his plays and hundreds of critical essays dissecting his works, so it came as a surprise - no, I must confess, a shock - that after reading everything from dense scholarly theses to Cliff's Notes, that the simplicity of the Shakespeare Made Clear stands alone. This is the best way for anyone - from young students to just plain "folks" - who wants to experience Shakespeare and bring his works to life. Author! Author!

I just ordered this edition of the play and have been utterly thrilled. I wish that we had used a version like this in my college Shakespeare classes. I am preparing to teach a class (for ages 10 and up) on "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and a friend recommended this lovely edition as a great version for children. I didn't realize that it could also be a great version for adults! For many of the students in my class, this will be their first Shakespeare play *in the original language* and *unabridged*. This version makes the entire play so much more accessible. Each page has Shakespeare's text on the right side and an explanation on the left (a quick summary at the top, plus explanations of unusual phrases/words below that). In addition, many pages include photos of different versions of that very scene. Plus, the book has several color photos of various productions and includes teaching ideas. The book is so good that I already gave my copy away and have to order more for the class, so I can't refer to it right now to add additional details for the review! This book was a lovely surprise and well worth the money. I own The Riverside Shakespeare, so I didn't think I needed another edition of any of Shakespeare's plays. This book proved me wrong. Even though I am an adult and have already read most of the bard's plays, I still found this version educational and entertaining.

I like reading this edition. The story is timeless and the kindle format makes it easy to enjoy anywhere.

No descriptions, no images, nothing. And nevertheless the visual impact is powerful. I can almost see the virgin nature, feel the warmth of the season, a primal age in which you can rest outside. Shakespeare succeed in represent a distant time, so distant that we can almost touch in friendship the old pagan divinities and spirits of nature. In a forest, unbeknownst to a company of actors and to fugitive lovers, their destiny is woven along the conflicts of Oberon with Titania, sovereigns of the fairies. They have traveled to that forest close to Athens to be at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Where another writer had been tempted to tell the story of Theseus, Shakespeare instead presents another totally different and unforgettable tale in the borders of myth. Through magic and confusion, askewed love is tried to be straightened; but in the way to it instead get funnily misshapen. The image of a queen treating a donkey as a king is so delicious xD When the day arrives the story changes a bit. I felt like it was not needed, maybe it is a matter of comparison to the night, making it less strong. Or maybe I have to read it again. But sure enough this is a great book (I'd not see it in theater, to be honest I don't like that art) Shakespeare is a genius indeed, one that makes me happy to know enough English to read him. The AmazonClassics edition is limpid. There is X-Ray to be sure about the characters; and not footnotes nor prologues to bother the readers. What to me is of the uttermost importance for the work of a genius for whom his plays were meant, among many qualities, to entertain the public.

A book that could have been so much better if it had been able to format itself differently. Having read any number of books that translate older English works so that a Modern reader can understand better what was intended or being described in the older work, something that is needed due to the shifts in language, there is a format that works well to keep things clear for the reader. This format is one where the older text is displayed on one side with the translation/explanations displayed on the other. This works out well helping the reader to keep track of what is going on without loosing the continuity of either text. In this case that format has not been used, instead the translation and any explanations come directly after the passage it is translating. Making it somewhat difficult to keep flow of the play in mind. With the downside being to such a degree it would be thought that perhaps the book had no value, but this is not true. The book has a major upside for students who are new to Shakespeare and the language he uses for his plays. In this capacity it will help those who have not learned to appreciate or haven't adjusted to the older mode of expression an introduction to the joys of the world that Shakespeare brought to life in his plays. In this context the book is a valuable resource and one that can and will bring much joy to those who go to the effort to use it in the way it was meant to be used. It would be a very good companion to the books that were handed out in class for the reading of Midsummer Nights Dream. Another bonus of this book over one that just translates the text into modern English is the fact that there are a number of explanations given to explain what the references/idioms mean in modern terms. Helping the reader to reason out the slang terms that Shakespeare used that would have been contemporary for his times, but have since lost their meaning. Also it includes a lot of information in regards to the background of the play as well as a full synopsis of the play. It also gives a run down of the characters and the major themes of the play both of which are quite important to the student who is assigned the play for a class. So while the format is a distraction it doesn't keep the book from being quite useful.

Product arrived early, condition as listed. Very pleased.

Whether you have to read A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare, or you are a total Shakespeare fan, this is a dream guide to understanding Shakespeare's writing. I found this guide just what you need to help enjoy, or for some to tolerate the original writing. The language in the 1600's are not heard on the streets today. Some say they simply cannot read or understand Shakespeare. This guide not only explains the play in easier to understand terms, but it also gives you the entire play in the original language and then in the new language. Just to read a scene in the old and then in the new, you somehow feel like you get it. The characters and the flow of the play are clearly explained. In the four appendices you get the scene by scene summary, the cast of characters, the play's major themes and finally a stab at telling us about the author William Shakespeare. By then end of this book I felt like I conquered a Shakespeare writing and got the story - perhaps not as Shakespeare did, but as a he intended to reach his audience even if only for entertainment.

This is a really beautiful small hardback. I subtracted one star due to the large price sticker on the back. I was able to carefully remove the entire sticker, but it left sticky residue on the dust jacket, which is a shame for what is clearly meant to be a gift copy.

You can't go wrong with any Macmillan collection books, superb quality, this book is no exception, pleasure to read and own.

👍

I don't remember this being one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, but I enjoyed re-reading it. It's in his "early" style, so a lot of rhyme within speeches, patterned speeches between the characters and so on; if you prefer the sinewy blank verse of his later style then you might find this one a little saccharine. Also just the right amount of the comic relief characters; sometimes those parts can drag a bit (see Touchstone in As You Like It, for example). The movie with Michelle Pfeiffer & Kevin Kline isn't too bad; has Stanley Tucci as an unexpectedly good Puck (if Tucci has ever been bad in a movie, I haven't seen it; he's even good in those Transformers movies). --Brooke Clark, author of Urbanities

It's a nice small book, looks high quality

Prodotto arrivato come nuovo ma al piccolo prezzo dell'usato. Spedizione rapida e il libro è arrivato ben prima della data prevista. Decisamente soddisfatta!