A Midsummer Night's Dream
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

This is the premiere volume in what promises to be the valuable new "Shakespeare in Production" series, which is devoted to chronicling salient details of performance interpretation gleaned from the stage history of individual plays (in a format instigated by Junction Books' ill-fated "Plays in Performance" venture). Griffiths opens with a cogent introductory overview examining how different ages have brought this comedy of romance and fantasy to life on English stages, from the 1590s to the 1990s. Like recent critical histories of discrete Shakespearean works already in print (e.g., the volumes in Manchester University Press's "Shakespeare in Performance" series or the Garland Reference Library of the Humanities Shakespeare Criticism sequence), Griffiths's study addresses current scholarly fascination with theatrical productions as reflections of shifting patterns in complex cultural values. The distinguishing feature of this new series is inclusion of the full text of the play--richly footnoted with concise glosses detailing how various productions staged particular moments, projected interpretive emphasis, cut or transposed lines, or departed from the script by adding bits of action. Although Griffiths's referents are limited to British stagings, the variora of performative choices recorded in his lucid annotation provide a useful resource for teachers and students of the play. Highly recommended for all academic collections. P. D. Nelsen Marlboro College

Gr 6 Up-There is no shortage of graphic-novel adaptations of Shakespeare for teens. Often the process of rendering the language accessible will strip the text of its beauty, the result becoming noticeably awkward. This version of Romeo & Juliet has suffered such a fate, with numerous narration boxes standing in for expository dialogue and lines like "I'll try to like him, Mother, and hope in getting to know him that he will inspire my love." A teen-friendly, expressive illustration style makes this book easier to look at than to read. With its broad comedy and frenetic activity, Midsummer Night's Dream fares better. The drawing style is manga-inspired: characters have big eyes and hair, exaggerated expressions, and a lot of teeth. Color palettes and backgrounds are harmonious, with appropriate color distinctions between the magical forest scenes and Theseus's palace. Occasional editing gaffes undermine the effort, but all in all, these are serviceable graphic-novel adaptations.-Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Four of ShakespeareÆs best-known plays are retold as modest short stories, with plot and characterizations boiled down to the basics. ShakespeareÆs language--the most important component of the work--is lost, but those seeking accessible summaries of these great works may find the books helpful. The volumes are illustrated in a combination of black-and-white and color art that matches the tone of each story. [Review covers these Shakespeare Collection titles: [cf2]A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest[cf1].] From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.