Wednesday, April 2, 2014

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope





It is a time of civil war. The Empire is trying to squash the Rebellion. Darth Vader is pursuing Princess Leia because she has stolen plans to the Empire's new space station for the Rebellion. He is determined to retrieve the plans before the Rebellion can make use of them. Luke Skywalker unwittingly becomes entangled in this plot along with Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Chewbacca. They all struggle to survive and defeat the Empire.

It is Star Wars as you have never read it before. Told in iambic pentameter, the original Star Wars tale comes alive as you hear it told in the bard's words. It is a play told in five acts, and one I hope to see acted on a stage someday. I thought this was an intriguing idea, and was thrilled when my brother sent me a copy knowing how much I love Star Wars. This book is amazing! It is fun to read aloud to appreciate how perfectly Star Wars and Shakespeare have been combined.

This perspective on the story provides new depth to the characters. C-3PO is normally a whiny annoying droid. Here, his speeches fit well and gain a slightly nobler tint. Luke Skywalker is shown to be the young inexperienced boy that is in over his head. You will have fun reading about your favorite characters in this version. There is a marvelous picture of Jabba the Hutt in costume that should not be missed.

I highly recommend reading this book if you like Star Wars or Shakespeare. 

No comments:

Post a Comment