Othello
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Published to coincide with the performance schedule of the Globe Theatre in London, these handsomely printed editions of Shakespeare's plays are facsimiles of the First Folio of 1623. Intended to "provide students, actors, and the general reader with portable and affordable facsimiles of individual plays," each volume features Anthony James West's brief introduction to the printing history of the First Folio, its place in literary studies, and the original performance date and environment (when known) of the play. The short overview of the role of the First Folio in editorial practices (for better and for worse) is particularly helpful. Though otherwise lacking textual or editorial context, each volume nonetheless offers the feel of how the play would perhaps have been first experienced by early readers of Shakespeare. To understand the full complexity of the First Folio's influence and the debates currently going on regarding its authority and usefulness for scholarship and performance issues, readers will need to supplement these volumes by consulting the painstaking work of Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor. Summing Up: Recommended. With reservations. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, general readers. K. Farley Virginia Commonwealth University

Gr. 8-12. Some may wonder what Lester is up to here. A novelization of Shakespeare's Othello? Why not just read the play? But in his well-reasoned introduction, Lester tackles that subject head-on, and his answers should convince even purists that there's a place for this book. After all, it's common knowledge that Shakespeare took plots from other works, so Lester is only following the Bard's example. Moreover, Lester firmly states that his book is not a substitute for the play but, rather, a re-imagining of the story. Though he follows the original story line, Lester has made significant changes in the characterizations. Now Iago and Emilia (Emily in the play), like Othello, are black. Lester wanted race to be a more central theme of his novel, and by repositioning these characters, he brings a new and powerful dimension to that aspect of the story. In portraying Othello, Iago, and Emily as Africans who have come to England (the new setting) together, Lester gives them a mutual history that also adds psychological depth to his new conceptualization. Another goal of Lester's is to make his book a bridge to the play. Since Shakespeare's language can be an inhibiting factor for young people, this more modern rendering makes the story accessible. But Lester does not entirely remake Shakespeare's style. Sometimes Lester paraphrases; at other times, he uses exact wording, which is printed in boldface, a useful, if occasionally awkward device.There's only one problem with the book, and it's one that has played around the edges of Shakespeare's work as well. Othello's dramatic about-face concerning Desdemona, ending in her murder, comes with a quickness that will probably startle young readers. Despite the pyschological motivations Lester has tried to establish, Othello's haste to distrust does not seem to mesh with the image of the noble general that's been presented. Perhaps because of the intimacy a novel engenders, this jump seems more jarring here than it does in the play. On the whole, however, this is a fascinating effort. The story of Othello, with its questions about perceptions, race, and the nature of love and friendship, will be a natural draw for young people, just as it has been for readers worldwide, for centuries. --Ilene Cooper

Shakespeare's legendary tragedy is revisited in this spirited and entertaining production that ran in London from November 2007 to February 2008. The flawless, talented cast features Ewan McGregor as the conniving Iago, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello (whose performance won him the Olivier Award as best actor) and Kelly Reilly as Desdemona. There is also excellent support from Tom Hiddleston (as Cassio) and Michelle Fairley (as Emilia). This audio production is a rousing, theatrical performance expertly guided by director Michael Grandage. Complete with a musical score as well as full sound effects and background noises, listening is so enjoyable that the play speeds by at breakneck pace. An enclosed booklet contains color photographs of the production and a well-written essay by drama professor Russell Jackson. There's also an entertaining bonus DVD disc featuring interviews with the cast and crew. Brilliantly produced in all departments, listening is the next best thing to seeing it live. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 9 Up-These full-text editions of the plays have clear, thoughtful annotations. Both volumes begin with the same good introductory essay about Shakespeare's life and times and include an essay that gives a voice coach's perspective on the Bard. What truly distinguishes these titles from other books, however, is the emphasis on the plays in performance. Each volume includes a discussion of a famous production and an analysis of the play in popular culture, as well as a section entitled "The Cast Speaks," which contains interviews with actors and actresses from modern productions who share their ideas about the characters and their motivations. Black-and-white photographs from contemporary stage productions and movie adaptations of each play are included. The really exciting feature of these editions is the audio CD that features recordings of famous actors such as Kenneth Branagh, Paul Robeson, and Kate Beckinsale performing scenes. The CDs include multiple readings of the same scene by different performers, which would be extremely useful for instructors who want their students to think about differing interpretations of the lines, as well as for instructors who would simply like their students to hear Shakespeare spoken by actors who have had training in speaking blank verse. Good purchases for schools in which these plays are a part of the curriculum.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A comedy and drama about strained marital relations get Yale's red-carpet treatment. Each volume contains an essay by Harold Bloom and other extras. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

An intepretation of Shakespeare's play in the form of a novel casts Othello, Iago, and Iago's wife as African immigrants in Elizabethan England. The first half of the book details the courtship and marriage of Othello and Desdemona; the second half closely follows the plot of the play and includes, in boldface, quotations and paraphrases from Shakespeare's play. An ambitious yet accessible reworking. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Lester has taken on an immensely ambitious task, rewriting Shakespeare's tale and making a bridge to the play. A few of the bard's words are incorporated, and the basic plot is maintained, but this is primarily a literary venture. Reflecting modern sensibilities, Lester makes Othello black, enslaved by Moors, and shifts the story (it's not clear why) to England. Iago is also black, negating racism as a factor in his villainy. No longer is the title character burdened either by human flaws or falling sickness. With interpretive license and undue force, Lester makes his Othello a superman: he is apparently untraumatized by enslavement; speaks Arabic, Italian, English, etc.; he is a superb warrior; and having the wisdom of all humankind and a heart of gold, he is unable to recognize evil. Even murder springs from honor rather than the all-too-human flaw of jealousy. Unfortunately, enjoying this will be affected by one's reaction to or familiarity with domestic violence on both the minute and grand scales (the O.J. Simpson case, for example). To many readers, it will be troubling when Desdemona says, ``I want to greet each day with love burning as fiercely as the pain in the arrow-pierced heart of a deer,'' and is too foolish to see trouble brewing. She remains a traditional victim who ``asks for it'' and is just a means of exacting revenge for Lester's central characters, Othello and Iago. In spite of sensibilities over race and gender, this is a worthy effort for its exploration of the poison of jealousy, whether based on love or ambition. Lester revitalizes what for many would remain an unread text, through the all-too-fashionable concepts of notoriety and controversy, and the familiar old process of sedition. (Fiction. 10+)

The new "Sourcebooks Shakespeare" series is designed to attract a wide audience by emphasizing performance as well as text. A glossary and photos from contemporary stage and film productions accompany the text of each play, and related essays offer further insights. Each title contains an integrated audio CD that is narrated by British Shakespearean actor Sir Derek Jacobi and features excerpts from memorable performances of key scenes. The series boasts stellar credits: its advisory board includes Shakespeare scholars David Bevington and Peter Holland and Chicago Shakespeare Theater director Barbara Gaines. Among the contributors are several more Shakespeare scholars as well as actress Janet Suzman and Andrew Wade, formerly head of voice for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Both volumes begin with Thomas Garvey's "In Shakespeare's 'Time,' " an essay that sets the playwright in historical context, and end with "The Cast Speaks," in which casts of 2005 productions discuss their approach to the characters they portrayed. The CD accompanying the Othello volume features a variety of noteworthy performers in the title role, including Paul Robeson, Paul Scofield, and Edwin Booth; and the CD accompanying the Romeo and Juliet volume presents recordings of Kate Beckinsale, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, and Ellen Terry as Juliet; Kenneth Branagh and Michael Sheen as Romeo; Sir Derek Jacobi as Mercutio; and Sir John Gielgud as Friar Laurence. With the number of film adaptations of Shakespeare's works in recent years, public libraries should seriously consider acquiring this series.--Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.

Gr 9 Up -These full-text editions of the plays have clear, thoughtful annotations. Both volumes begin with the same good introductory essay about Shakespeare's life and times and include an essay that gives a voice coach's perspective on the Bard. What truly distinguishes these titles from other books, however, is the emphasis on the plays in performance. Each volume includes a discussion of a famous production and an analysis of the play in popular culture, as well as a section entitled "The Cast Speaks," which contains interviews with actors and actresses from modern productions who share their ideas about the characters and their motivations. Black-and-white photographs from contemporary stage productions and movie adaptations of each play are included. The really exciting feature of these editions is the audio CD that features recordings of famous actors such as Kenneth Branagh, Paul Robeson, and Kate Beckinsale performing scenes. The CDs include multiple readings of the same scene by different performers, which would be extremely useful for instructors who want their students to think about differing interpretations of the lines, as well as for instructors who would simply like their students to hear Shakespeare spoken by actors who have had training in speaking blank verse. Good purchases for schools in which these plays are a part of the curriculum.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ