The Best of Shakespeare: Retellings of 10 Classic Plays

Overview

At the heart of any great work of literature is a story. William Shakespeare's plays are no exception. They tell the stories of kings and queens, of ghosts and witches, of romance and passion. But to get to the stories at the heart of the Bard's plays, the reader must first work through Shakespeare's language, a task often too demanding for younger readers (and for many adults). This new paperback edition brings ten of Shakespeare's greatest plays to life. E. Nesbit, the classic British children's author, shakes off the burdensome complexity of Shakespeare's language and tells the stories at the core of the plays with a generous sprinkle of wit and humor. Her graceful, vivid retellings, written in highly accessible and lucid prose, are the perfect introduction to Shakespeare's work.
All of these major works are included in this anthology: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, As You Like It, The Winter's Tale, and Twelfth Night. The text is illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs from contemporary productions of the plays by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Stratford Festival (Ontario, Canada), and the Folger Library's Shakespeare Theater. Also included is an afterword by Peter Hunt, a leading scholar of children's literature.
These retellings of the classic tales of one of the world's greatest playwrights remind us that it is never too early for Shakespeare.

"With fresh insight, plain speaking, and gusto, Nesbit clarifies the basic plots of ten familiar plays."--Library Lane

"Classic British children's author E. Nesbit brings ten of Shakespeare's most famous plays to life."--CurriculumAdministrator

"These stories...capture the essential events and retain a little of the original wording. A good choice for young people seeking an introduction to the tales or for older folk looking for a refresher."--Booklist

"[An] accessible collection.... Adapts the Bard's plays as brief, lively stories."--Publishers Weekly

"Nesbit's gift for storytelling brings ten of the most famous plays from Shakespeare to life."--Yellow Brick Road

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Author Information

Bio of Peter Hunt

Peter Hunt was the first specialist in Children's Literature to be appointed professor in a UK English Department; he has written or edited 16 books on the subject. In 2003 he won the International Brothers Grimm Award from the International Children's Literature Institute, Osaka, for outstanding services to world children's books studies.

Bio of E. Nesbit

No bio available for E. Nesbit.

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Additional Info

Imprint

Oxford University Press

Filesize

1.19 MB

Number of Pages

112

eBook ISBN

9780198027683