Classics in Graphics: Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Graphic Novel

by Steve Barlow (Adaptor), Steve Skidmore (Adaptor), Edu Coll (Illustrator)

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2024

About the author

Steve Barlow (real name Steven Lowe) was born in Britain. He studied at Warwick University and Nottingham University, and worked at various times as a teacher, actor, stage manager and puppeteer. Then he went to teach in Botswana. On his return to the UK he met Steve Skidmore, collectively known as The Two Steves—are British collaborative writers who mostly work in the field of children's literature. They have written over 70 books together.

Reviews

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel adaptation of William Shakespeare's play about the fairy king and queen arguing, the mischief unleashed by one against the other, and some humans in love who get caught in the cross-fire of the feud and other fairy machinations.

This did a good job of conveying the key points of Shakespeare's play using more formal modern English that incorporates Shakespeare's original phrases frequently. There's some helpful back matter about Shakespeare, his times, the language used, and more. This is a very approachable way to read Shakespeare in a way that still honors the Bard in the way it is presented.

Notes on content:
Language: The old name for a donkey is used throughout as is true to the original play.
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a kiss on stage.
Violence: There's a bad play within the play about star-crossed lovers who commit suicide...the stage deaths are obviously fake.
Ethnic diversity: The setting is supposed to be Greece. The illustrator used a variety of skin tones for people.
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: The fairy king and queen could really use a marriage counselor.

[Gaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

in my shakespearian era