William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily a New Hope

By Ian Doescher

Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ‘Tis a tale told by fretful Droids, full of faithful Wookies and fearsome Stormtroopers, signifying…pretty much everything.

Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.

This is geek love. Shakespeare meets Star Wars, holy mackerel. I was laughing just reading the title. I brought this home and read the first act out loud to my family, including my nieces and nephews and we all had a blast. My Nephews went home quoting this book. The best part is, not only was it a laugh, it was truly artistic in how Mr. Doescher presented it. It was a legit Shakespeare experience! I was shocked how I went from amused to really liking it as a form of literature. I thought it would be a satire and poking fun at both Shakespeare and Star Wars, but dude this was pretty fantastic. Who knew that two such opposite things would mesh so well? Well done Mr. Doescher, well, done indeed.

I give it a 3.75 out of 5

The Winter's Tale

By William Shakespeare

The Winter’s Tale doesn’t have a summary as such, so I’ll just review and summarize here. This is the story of two kings, friends until one king accuses the other of cheating with his wife. Chaos ensues, the accused king escapes, the queen goes on trial and dies from grief. The King is devastated by his wife’s death. The worst part is she was pregnant and delivered a baby before she died, and the king wanted the baby abandoned because he thought it was his friend’s child. After the death of the queen it is shown that the queen was faithful and the king’s paranoia has destroyed his family, and possibly his kingdom. The rest of the play is about how things work out for the best and how love wins out and sacrifice is rewarded. I’d like to see it one day. While it has similar themes as some of his other plays, it has a maturity and depth to it that some of the others don’t display, and also a lot more hope than his other tragedies.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Shakespeare's Sonnets

By William Shakespeare

So, this is the complete collection of Sonnets by Shakespeare, it's kinda hard to give a summary of them, but most deal with death, love, riches, and other topics. I think everybody is at least familiar with 116, you know the one, "...Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds," Well, that one is definately a favorite, but I found tons of awesome gems that I'd never heard before, so I thought I'd just share a few a get you in the mood to take the time to read this. I know poetry isn't for everyone...but it should be!  This is a quick and beautiful read.

"But wherefore do not you a mighteir way

Make war upon this bloody tyrant, Time?

And foritfy your self in your decay

With means more blessed than my barren rhyme?

Now stand you on the top of happy hours,

And many maiden gardens, yet unset,

With virtuous wish could bear you living flowers,

Much liker than your pianted counterfeit:

So should the lines of  life that life repair,

Which this, Time's pencil, or my pupil pen,

Neither in inward worth nor outward fair,

Can make you live you self in eyes of men.

To give away yourself, keeps yourself still,

And you must live, drawn by your own sweet skill."

Sonnet 17