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Midsummer's Bottom
The Midsummer Players stage an outdoor version of A Midsummer Night's Dream every year. The actors are dreadful and audience members almost never attend more than once. Except for...
...the fey folk!
All of the fairies named in the play are obliged to attend every performance, due to a deal that they struck with a mischievous Master Shakespeare. In an attempt to break up the Players on the eve of their twentieth anniversary, Oberon and Puck hire a human agent of chaos to infiltrate the actors' ranks and set them against one another by focusing on secret attractions and grudges that have been lying dormant up to now. Sparks will fly, and everyone will come to blows, but it's all executed with a wink and a grin, and there will be more smiles than tears by the end. At least, that's the plan...
This comedic fantasy romance is for lovers of Shakespeare, chaos and fairies everywhere.
...the fey folk!
All of the fairies named in the play are obliged to attend every performance, due to a deal that they struck with a mischievous Master Shakespeare. In an attempt to break up the Players on the eve of their twentieth anniversary, Oberon and Puck hire a human agent of chaos to infiltrate the actors' ranks and set them against one another by focusing on secret attractions and grudges that have been lying dormant up to now. Sparks will fly, and everyone will come to blows, but it's all executed with a wink and a grin, and there will be more smiles than tears by the end. At least, that's the plan...
This comedic fantasy romance is for lovers of Shakespeare, chaos and fairies everywhere.
459 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2018
40 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Darren Dash
6 books321 followersDarren Dash was born in England in 1972, but has spent most of his life in Ireland, where he lives with his wife and son. In his day job, under a different name, he has sold over 25 million books worldwide, mainly in the YA market. But he feels much more at home in the nights of his adult worlds...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 26, 2018
This isn’t usually my type of book but I had so much fun reading this one I thought it was put together so well and had a fantastic cast of characters all so different and interesting.
I feel like I’m a little biased on this on I’ve read and loved the writing of Darren Shan for the last 12 years and in recent years his Darren dash books.
His writing is flawless and gripping and he can weave a story so fascinating you can’t put it down.
I don’t know a lot about a midsummers night dream but I feel like I’ve learned a lot about it.
This book has it all fey folk, drama, dark comedy, some steamy scenes, and a bit of the classic
Stuff.
I feel like I’m a little biased on this on I’ve read and loved the writing of Darren Shan for the last 12 years and in recent years his Darren dash books.
His writing is flawless and gripping and he can weave a story so fascinating you can’t put it down.
I don’t know a lot about a midsummers night dream but I feel like I’ve learned a lot about it.
This book has it all fey folk, drama, dark comedy, some steamy scenes, and a bit of the classic
Stuff.
July 21, 2018
So far Darren Dash has released three very different novels and this fourth is even further away from his young adult Darren Shan persona.
Whilst I enjoy Shakespeare's work, A Midsummer's Night Dream is not a play I am familiar with. The author assured me on Twitter that this would not be a problem but I began to worry when the book began and I found myself reading a conversation between a group of fairies in iambic pentameter. Fortunately the next chapter changes style completely and we get an excellent set-up.
The idea here is brilliant. Shakespeare did a deal with the fairies who appear in the play and they have to attend every performance of the play. One group of players who perform it every Midsummer are particularly awful and so they hire troublemaker Del Chapman to cause mischief and ensure the players are disbanded once and for all.
Much of the book then follows the rehearsals for the play as Del causes all sorts of trouble. Dash gives us a brilliant cast of characters who are all really well constructed. The author is talented at creating characters but this is perhaps is first book where the story is character-driven rather than plot driven. A diverse range of believable characters fall out and in love with each other, with the assistance of some interference from Del.
The book features a lot of sex which is where the adult nature of this book comes in. Very few of the books I read have any sex scenes at all and this one has lots. I didn't really enjoy this aspect of the book and I wasn't convinced that some of them had much value to the plot. This though perhaps says more about me than the book itself though.
The final section see the final performance and is particularly fine as all the character interactions come to a fore. It's really enjoyable as it follows the idea of the plot but also expands it, showing Del to have a heart too. There's also some great detail as Dash shows us the thoughts of specific members of the audience- I loved the bits about the boy genius who rules his parents lives.
I felt like I certainly would have gained more from this had I been familiar with the play but could enjoy it nonetheless. Dash manages to share the plot of the play through what the actors are doing in rehearsals and on stage with plenty of quotes too. This works well but it's no substitution for the play itself. It became clear to me that the events of this story reflect the events of the play. It's almost a modern interpretation of the same story with the play-within-a-play being A Midsummer's Night Dream itself, which is a very pleasing notion.
There's a bit of fairy mysticism but really this is a great character piece using the Shakespeare play as inspiration. Very different from anything else the author has done but just as enjoyable as his other work.
Whilst I enjoy Shakespeare's work, A Midsummer's Night Dream is not a play I am familiar with. The author assured me on Twitter that this would not be a problem but I began to worry when the book began and I found myself reading a conversation between a group of fairies in iambic pentameter. Fortunately the next chapter changes style completely and we get an excellent set-up.
The idea here is brilliant. Shakespeare did a deal with the fairies who appear in the play and they have to attend every performance of the play. One group of players who perform it every Midsummer are particularly awful and so they hire troublemaker Del Chapman to cause mischief and ensure the players are disbanded once and for all.
Much of the book then follows the rehearsals for the play as Del causes all sorts of trouble. Dash gives us a brilliant cast of characters who are all really well constructed. The author is talented at creating characters but this is perhaps is first book where the story is character-driven rather than plot driven. A diverse range of believable characters fall out and in love with each other, with the assistance of some interference from Del.
The book features a lot of sex which is where the adult nature of this book comes in. Very few of the books I read have any sex scenes at all and this one has lots. I didn't really enjoy this aspect of the book and I wasn't convinced that some of them had much value to the plot. This though perhaps says more about me than the book itself though.
The final section see the final performance and is particularly fine as all the character interactions come to a fore. It's really enjoyable as it follows the idea of the plot but also expands it, showing Del to have a heart too. There's also some great detail as Dash shows us the thoughts of specific members of the audience- I loved the bits about the boy genius who rules his parents lives.
I felt like I certainly would have gained more from this had I been familiar with the play but could enjoy it nonetheless. Dash manages to share the plot of the play through what the actors are doing in rehearsals and on stage with plenty of quotes too. This works well but it's no substitution for the play itself. It became clear to me that the events of this story reflect the events of the play. It's almost a modern interpretation of the same story with the play-within-a-play being A Midsummer's Night Dream itself, which is a very pleasing notion.
There's a bit of fairy mysticism but really this is a great character piece using the Shakespeare play as inspiration. Very different from anything else the author has done but just as enjoyable as his other work.
June 7, 2018
Who wouldn’t like Midsummer Night’s Dream? Who hadn’t seen at least one version of it in theatre or on silver screen? Have all of them been good? Has some of them gone overboard with the political correctness?
When I discovered, that one of my favorite authors, Darren Shan, was publishing a new version of Midsummer Night’s Dream under Darren Dash name, I just had to ask for ARC and read it as soon as possible. Especially since it was not so long ago, that I had to read the original again for my studies and I also had to watch some movie and theatre versions for the seminar.
Midsummer’s Bottom is a story about Midsummer Players. The feys talk here in rhymes and people let themselves be free under the green canopy of forest, with some little help from fairy dust or not, but their secrets and feelings come alive and they show a completely new side of themselves. It was not the directors plan, he wanted everything to be exactly as it is in original, but people plan and fey direct :D.
Midsummer Players have performed the play for nineteen years now and always stayed true to the classic, as much as possible. Some changes have been made when they did not have enough players or when somebody had hard time with learning lines, but the story has always stayed the same.
But who are the players? There is a married couple Anna and Terence, Terence is the director of the play and Anna is actress. They met a long time ago, when Anna was still a student and Terence was her teacher. After school they married, had kids … he has kept his youthful body with exercise and diet and Anna has let her go with pregnancies. Then there are Nuala and Felix – a romance writer and insurance agent. She has been involved with the play from the beginning and he comes along with his wife.
Third couple are Ingmar and Don – a German DJ and drama teacher, who both also participate sometimes on some plays. Then there is timid Diarmid, an banker, who just had to be part of this production and Kate, a young actress wo hopes to get better parts if she sleeps with the director. And last, but not least there is Del, who will have the role of Puck.
The couples and the banker have participated already several years in this production, but Kate and Del are newcomers. Del took the place of Michael, who just happened to get into an car accident just before he had to arrive in Ireland.
And so they gather in Ireland, in a midst of greenery, every year, for two weeks, to rememorize their parts, rehearse the play and refit their costumes … and this year Del, with some help from fey and from an changeling, this all will be put under trial, and the relationships will be tested and surprising feelings will make things complicated. The fairy dust will either make them very romantic or provoke their fighting.
All this confusion concludes with a play where nobody can be sure who plays which character and whether the play will end as it should and if the couples will stay together after the curtain has fallen or will they all go on their separate ways, never to meet again.
If Shakespeare had play inside a play, then Shan has play inside a paly, inside a play. It’s highly entertaining and fascinating version of the classic. However, it’s not a new version or rewrite, it’s a very clever and brilliant use of the classic, while making it even better. And now, will there be an sequel, about Tempest :)?
When I discovered, that one of my favorite authors, Darren Shan, was publishing a new version of Midsummer Night’s Dream under Darren Dash name, I just had to ask for ARC and read it as soon as possible. Especially since it was not so long ago, that I had to read the original again for my studies and I also had to watch some movie and theatre versions for the seminar.
Midsummer’s Bottom is a story about Midsummer Players. The feys talk here in rhymes and people let themselves be free under the green canopy of forest, with some little help from fairy dust or not, but their secrets and feelings come alive and they show a completely new side of themselves. It was not the directors plan, he wanted everything to be exactly as it is in original, but people plan and fey direct :D.
Midsummer Players have performed the play for nineteen years now and always stayed true to the classic, as much as possible. Some changes have been made when they did not have enough players or when somebody had hard time with learning lines, but the story has always stayed the same.
But who are the players? There is a married couple Anna and Terence, Terence is the director of the play and Anna is actress. They met a long time ago, when Anna was still a student and Terence was her teacher. After school they married, had kids … he has kept his youthful body with exercise and diet and Anna has let her go with pregnancies. Then there are Nuala and Felix – a romance writer and insurance agent. She has been involved with the play from the beginning and he comes along with his wife.
Third couple are Ingmar and Don – a German DJ and drama teacher, who both also participate sometimes on some plays. Then there is timid Diarmid, an banker, who just had to be part of this production and Kate, a young actress wo hopes to get better parts if she sleeps with the director. And last, but not least there is Del, who will have the role of Puck.
The couples and the banker have participated already several years in this production, but Kate and Del are newcomers. Del took the place of Michael, who just happened to get into an car accident just before he had to arrive in Ireland.
And so they gather in Ireland, in a midst of greenery, every year, for two weeks, to rememorize their parts, rehearse the play and refit their costumes … and this year Del, with some help from fey and from an changeling, this all will be put under trial, and the relationships will be tested and surprising feelings will make things complicated. The fairy dust will either make them very romantic or provoke their fighting.
All this confusion concludes with a play where nobody can be sure who plays which character and whether the play will end as it should and if the couples will stay together after the curtain has fallen or will they all go on their separate ways, never to meet again.
If Shakespeare had play inside a play, then Shan has play inside a paly, inside a play. It’s highly entertaining and fascinating version of the classic. However, it’s not a new version or rewrite, it’s a very clever and brilliant use of the classic, while making it even better. And now, will there be an sequel, about Tempest :)?
June 24, 2018
To be honest, before reading this book, I was super excited for it but also super anxious that I would not be able read this book or enjoy it as much as I should.
My first concern was that I haven't read the source material and as a matter of fact, I haven't read anything by Shakespeare, because of the language. So, naturally, my second concern was that since English is not my mother-tongue, I was afraid of the Shakespearean language that the book (or parts of it) would possibly be written in. After all, my worries were worsened when I saw that a couple of early reviewers had had these problems.
Surprisingly, however, I didn't have any of these problems. My lack of knowledge of the original play did not affect my reading much, because it's so perfectly summarized and explained throughout the book that I didn't feel I was missing out on anything. Similarly, the used language didn't pose much of a problem for me either (of course, this can be different for different people).
Anyway ...
Even though this book is completely different from all the Darren Dash/Shan books, I loved it with all my heart.
The writing is great. The parts written in prose are perfectly simple and easy to follow and the verse parts were so much fun to read. I specially enjoyed when the characters, specially the actual Ferries, spoke in rhythms, and at each scene, I wanted them to speak like that more :)).
The characterization is done amazingly. You get to know all the characters from early-on and care for them, either you like them or not. I had different feelings for each character throughout the story, sometimes I liked them, at some points I disliked them or was neutral towards them. Of course, I did have my favorite and least favorite characters. I highly disliked some characters (Kate and Terence), but at the end, I didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them.
The pace is slightly slower at the beginning as we are introduced to characters but it gets faster as the action begins. Overall, the pace wasn't a problem at all.
There may not have been gore and blood in this story, but all the mischief was honestly so much fun! Even though I felt sorry for The Players, most of the time I enjoyed and liked what Del did.
There are great laughs too. I don't know how many times I was smiling or laughing at my phone/laptop like an idiot.
The plot is super engaging and unpredictable. I couldn't say what would become of The Players and the play or the Plan until the end of the play. The best I could predict at one point was just the next few line, which of course was due to the dramatic irony of the scene.
And I couldn't have asked for a better ending, either for the play, the Players or Del.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, specially those who like fantasy, whether they have read/watched A Midsummer's Night Dream or not.
My first concern was that I haven't read the source material and as a matter of fact, I haven't read anything by Shakespeare, because of the language. So, naturally, my second concern was that since English is not my mother-tongue, I was afraid of the Shakespearean language that the book (or parts of it) would possibly be written in. After all, my worries were worsened when I saw that a couple of early reviewers had had these problems.
Surprisingly, however, I didn't have any of these problems. My lack of knowledge of the original play did not affect my reading much, because it's so perfectly summarized and explained throughout the book that I didn't feel I was missing out on anything. Similarly, the used language didn't pose much of a problem for me either (of course, this can be different for different people).
Anyway ...
Even though this book is completely different from all the Darren Dash/Shan books, I loved it with all my heart.
The writing is great. The parts written in prose are perfectly simple and easy to follow and the verse parts were so much fun to read. I specially enjoyed when the characters, specially the actual Ferries, spoke in rhythms, and at each scene, I wanted them to speak like that more :)).
The characterization is done amazingly. You get to know all the characters from early-on and care for them, either you like them or not. I had different feelings for each character throughout the story, sometimes I liked them, at some points I disliked them or was neutral towards them. Of course, I did have my favorite and least favorite characters. I highly disliked some characters (Kate and Terence), but at the end, I didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them.
The pace is slightly slower at the beginning as we are introduced to characters but it gets faster as the action begins. Overall, the pace wasn't a problem at all.
There may not have been gore and blood in this story, but all the mischief was honestly so much fun! Even though I felt sorry for The Players, most of the time I enjoyed and liked what Del did.
There are great laughs too. I don't know how many times I was smiling or laughing at my phone/laptop like an idiot.
The plot is super engaging and unpredictable. I couldn't say what would become of The Players and the play or the Plan until the end of the play. The best I could predict at one point was just the next few line, which of course was due to the dramatic irony of the scene.
And I couldn't have asked for a better ending, either for the play, the Players or Del.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, specially those who like fantasy, whether they have read/watched A Midsummer's Night Dream or not.
July 5, 2020
This book was an interesting read that really shows the wide range of Darren O’shaughnessy. A bit long and drawn out but an excellent story that goes levels deep as a story about a play of a play of a play. Some of the scenes feel a little forced but that fits the agenda of the main character. While very rare, One of the details that bothered me was the repeated use of words (such as flummoxed or penultimate) that could have been changed for their synonyms without harming the story. The other aspect that was a bit draining was how often the perspective changed from character to character. This was an important part of the story that helped the character development but left the reader with so many things going on with each of the characters that if you put the book down and came back you would be lost. Additionally, I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to have read “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” beforehand as I believe I have missed some parallels but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Shakespeare’s work and isn’t afraid to try something new. I appreciate that the author is expanding his horizons by writing books like this under his Darren Dash pen name for adults and as a long time fan I will continue to read and review his newest releases. Next on my list is “Molls Like it Hot.” Hope this review helps you decide whether or not it is worth a read.
October 1, 2022
A Fun and Imaginative Romp
Fun, light hilarious! Novel engaging characters, a plot with so many unknown twists it is impossible to know where it will end up, or at least how it will get there. A flight of fancy that is sure to engage any fan of Shakespeare and fantasy fiction involving fairies. Romance, action, theater and an accurate feeling portrayal of the foibles and pettiness of real people.
Fun, light hilarious! Novel engaging characters, a plot with so many unknown twists it is impossible to know where it will end up, or at least how it will get there. A flight of fancy that is sure to engage any fan of Shakespeare and fantasy fiction involving fairies. Romance, action, theater and an accurate feeling portrayal of the foibles and pettiness of real people.
June 24, 2018
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Darren Dash's Midsummer's Bottom is one of the most entertaining novels of the year, because it's filled with details, plot twists, colourful characters and plenty of humour. This light-hearted and amusing novel will delight and entertain readers who want to read good and immersive escapism. I was deeply impressed by the story and found it absolutely charming. I haven't read anything as good and amusing as this since G.S. Denning Warlock Holmes stories (this novel is simply brilliant in its approach to Shakespeare's famous play).
In this novel, the author uses Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a basis for his story and spices up everything with loads of humour, quirkiness and unrestrained whimsiness. I'm amazed at the author's ability to write this kind of fiction, because the story is highly enjoyable in its quirkiness. If you're fan of Shakepeare's plays, I'm sure that you'll love this novel, because it's simultaneously a kind of a mischievous tribute to Shakespeare and a sparkling parody of his play.
The most important thing about writing this kind of fiction is that an author must be willing to go all the way to create a successful and unique story and not leave things unfinished or unexplored. It's great that Darren Dash goes all the way in his treatment of Shakespeare's famous play and writes shamelessly about many things, because it elevates the story to a whole new level of depth and fascination.
Midsummer's Bottom tells of The Midsummer Players who stage an outdoor version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream every year on Midsummer's Eve. The play is held in glade in a forest in Limerick. The actors are not very good (actually, they're rather bad and quite dreadful in almost every regard), but they have a wonderful time during the performances. The audience is not very taken by their performances, but the fey folk are obligated to attend each performance no matter how dreadful the performances are, because they struck a deal with William Shakespeare. The fey folk have had enough of the performances and have come to regret the deal, because they've had to suffer through every version of the play during the past four centuries. Oberon, his Queen Titania and Puck have come up with a cunning plan to disband the actors and rid themselves of the performances forever. They hire a human agent, Del Chapman, to cause havoc on the actors by letting him focus on their secret attractions, feelings and grudges...
As you can imagine by this brief synopsis of the happenings, there will be plenty of sparks between the characters. What I've mentioned here is merely the beginning. Things will get much worse for the actors and more hilarious for the readers as Del's plans begin to take shape and affect everyone who's involved in the performance.
The story flows wonderfully from start to finish and has Shakespearean properties: playfulness, surprises and depth. It's fun to read how the actors prepare themselves for the performance and how they have no idea what kind of a conductor of chaos they've allowed to come amongst them. The rehearsals are marvellously entertaining and feature many details that bring enthrallment to the story.
The diverse characters are what brings the story alive and gives it the edge it needs to succeed. I was pleased with the characterisation, because it works well. The author writes fluently about the human characters and also pays attention to the fairies. Each of the characters is portrayed in a believable way and their lives are explored in details.
Here's a bit of information about the characters:
- Del is a man who becomes the instrument of chaos, because the fairies want him to help them disband The Midsummer Players for good.
- Anna is a woman who has married her older teacher, Terence, who is unfaithful to her. She is aware of Terence's affairs with other women.
- Ingmar is a young German man, who is a DJ. He dates an older man, Don.
- Don is a drama teacher. He is a bit worried about his relationship with Ingmar.
- Kate is a young woman who has an affair with Anna's husband, Terence.
- Felix is married to an older woman, Nuala, who writes romantic fiction.
- Diarmid is a banker who lives for his work.
There's also Finn, but in fear of writing serious spoilers I won't say anything about him or his background. I'll only reveal that readers will delight in reading about him and his deeds. He's quite an intriguing character and has an important role to play in the story.
I enjoyed reading about Del, because he was an intelligent man who was a wizard with computers and viruses. His enthusiasm towards computer viruses intrigued me, because he seemed to love the chaos they caused. His becoming of the instrument of chaos is handled brilliantly and offers plenty of entertainment to readers.
The author does his best to bring out the differences between the characters and fleshes out how they feel about each other. Their feelings, insecurities, needs and relationships are deftly explored during the story. It's fun to read about what happens to the characters, because the author doesn't hold anything back, but lets the story go where it needs to go.
Things related to attraction, sex, sexuality and lust spice up the story in a wonderful way. The author writes boldly about heterosexual and homosexual relationships and has an eye for shameless playfulness, which serves as an icing on the cake. The scenes involving sexual elements are written in an unforgettable way and feature plenty of eroticism and unabashed sexuality.
If you're familiar with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, you'll be instantly captivated by this novel, because the author weaves elements from the play to his story in a charming and entertaining way. There's nothing clumsy or forced about the author's way of combining different elements, because everything works perfectly.
The prose is good and the verses and rhymes are beautiful. I enjoyed reading about how Puck and the fairies speak in rhymes, because the author uses quite a lot of Shakespearean language. This kind of poetic language is a pleasure to read.
Midsummer's Bottom has an amazing amount of humour and plenty of underlying sharpness and delicious chaos. When you begin to read it, you'll laugh out loud at various points during the story, because there are many humorous scenes. The author's sense of humour impressed me, because I'm fond of humorous, satirical and parodical stories. His humour is inventive and refined yet raucous and unrestrained. This novel has the best elements of British and Irish humour, because it succeeds in making its readers laugh and grin with amusement and delight.
My final words are:
Darren Dash's Midsummer's Bottom is a novel filled with magic, mayhem and good old-fashioned storytelling that will hook readers from the very first page and takes them on a riveting ride into the enthralling world of actors, fairies and magic dust. Light-hearted and humorous escapism doesn't get any better than this, so please make sure that you'll read this novel as soon as possible. This novel is an excellent summer read and should not be missed by those who love frolicsome and humorous stories with plot twists.
Highly recommended!
Darren Dash's Midsummer's Bottom is one of the most entertaining novels of the year, because it's filled with details, plot twists, colourful characters and plenty of humour. This light-hearted and amusing novel will delight and entertain readers who want to read good and immersive escapism. I was deeply impressed by the story and found it absolutely charming. I haven't read anything as good and amusing as this since G.S. Denning Warlock Holmes stories (this novel is simply brilliant in its approach to Shakespeare's famous play).
In this novel, the author uses Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a basis for his story and spices up everything with loads of humour, quirkiness and unrestrained whimsiness. I'm amazed at the author's ability to write this kind of fiction, because the story is highly enjoyable in its quirkiness. If you're fan of Shakepeare's plays, I'm sure that you'll love this novel, because it's simultaneously a kind of a mischievous tribute to Shakespeare and a sparkling parody of his play.
The most important thing about writing this kind of fiction is that an author must be willing to go all the way to create a successful and unique story and not leave things unfinished or unexplored. It's great that Darren Dash goes all the way in his treatment of Shakespeare's famous play and writes shamelessly about many things, because it elevates the story to a whole new level of depth and fascination.
Midsummer's Bottom tells of The Midsummer Players who stage an outdoor version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream every year on Midsummer's Eve. The play is held in glade in a forest in Limerick. The actors are not very good (actually, they're rather bad and quite dreadful in almost every regard), but they have a wonderful time during the performances. The audience is not very taken by their performances, but the fey folk are obligated to attend each performance no matter how dreadful the performances are, because they struck a deal with William Shakespeare. The fey folk have had enough of the performances and have come to regret the deal, because they've had to suffer through every version of the play during the past four centuries. Oberon, his Queen Titania and Puck have come up with a cunning plan to disband the actors and rid themselves of the performances forever. They hire a human agent, Del Chapman, to cause havoc on the actors by letting him focus on their secret attractions, feelings and grudges...
As you can imagine by this brief synopsis of the happenings, there will be plenty of sparks between the characters. What I've mentioned here is merely the beginning. Things will get much worse for the actors and more hilarious for the readers as Del's plans begin to take shape and affect everyone who's involved in the performance.
The story flows wonderfully from start to finish and has Shakespearean properties: playfulness, surprises and depth. It's fun to read how the actors prepare themselves for the performance and how they have no idea what kind of a conductor of chaos they've allowed to come amongst them. The rehearsals are marvellously entertaining and feature many details that bring enthrallment to the story.
The diverse characters are what brings the story alive and gives it the edge it needs to succeed. I was pleased with the characterisation, because it works well. The author writes fluently about the human characters and also pays attention to the fairies. Each of the characters is portrayed in a believable way and their lives are explored in details.
Here's a bit of information about the characters:
- Del is a man who becomes the instrument of chaos, because the fairies want him to help them disband The Midsummer Players for good.
- Anna is a woman who has married her older teacher, Terence, who is unfaithful to her. She is aware of Terence's affairs with other women.
- Ingmar is a young German man, who is a DJ. He dates an older man, Don.
- Don is a drama teacher. He is a bit worried about his relationship with Ingmar.
- Kate is a young woman who has an affair with Anna's husband, Terence.
- Felix is married to an older woman, Nuala, who writes romantic fiction.
- Diarmid is a banker who lives for his work.
There's also Finn, but in fear of writing serious spoilers I won't say anything about him or his background. I'll only reveal that readers will delight in reading about him and his deeds. He's quite an intriguing character and has an important role to play in the story.
I enjoyed reading about Del, because he was an intelligent man who was a wizard with computers and viruses. His enthusiasm towards computer viruses intrigued me, because he seemed to love the chaos they caused. His becoming of the instrument of chaos is handled brilliantly and offers plenty of entertainment to readers.
The author does his best to bring out the differences between the characters and fleshes out how they feel about each other. Their feelings, insecurities, needs and relationships are deftly explored during the story. It's fun to read about what happens to the characters, because the author doesn't hold anything back, but lets the story go where it needs to go.
Things related to attraction, sex, sexuality and lust spice up the story in a wonderful way. The author writes boldly about heterosexual and homosexual relationships and has an eye for shameless playfulness, which serves as an icing on the cake. The scenes involving sexual elements are written in an unforgettable way and feature plenty of eroticism and unabashed sexuality.
If you're familiar with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, you'll be instantly captivated by this novel, because the author weaves elements from the play to his story in a charming and entertaining way. There's nothing clumsy or forced about the author's way of combining different elements, because everything works perfectly.
The prose is good and the verses and rhymes are beautiful. I enjoyed reading about how Puck and the fairies speak in rhymes, because the author uses quite a lot of Shakespearean language. This kind of poetic language is a pleasure to read.
Midsummer's Bottom has an amazing amount of humour and plenty of underlying sharpness and delicious chaos. When you begin to read it, you'll laugh out loud at various points during the story, because there are many humorous scenes. The author's sense of humour impressed me, because I'm fond of humorous, satirical and parodical stories. His humour is inventive and refined yet raucous and unrestrained. This novel has the best elements of British and Irish humour, because it succeeds in making its readers laugh and grin with amusement and delight.
My final words are:
Darren Dash's Midsummer's Bottom is a novel filled with magic, mayhem and good old-fashioned storytelling that will hook readers from the very first page and takes them on a riveting ride into the enthralling world of actors, fairies and magic dust. Light-hearted and humorous escapism doesn't get any better than this, so please make sure that you'll read this novel as soon as possible. This novel is an excellent summer read and should not be missed by those who love frolicsome and humorous stories with plot twists.
Highly recommended!
December 24, 2018
So as you may have guessed from the name A Midsummer's bottom is a book about William Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Now I have seen A Midsummer's Night Dream but it was many years ago and I remember very little about the actual plot but I'm pleased to say that didn't hinder me from enjoying this book at all. The plot is that the fairies in the play A Midsummer's Night Dream are actually real, and they helped William Shakespeare write the plot of A Midsummer's Night Dream four hundred years ago but in doing so they made a pact with Shakespeare that they must watch every rendition of the play ever made for the rest of eternity. Now after four hundred years these fairies are understandably sick of watching the same play over and over again and want to cause some chaos to ruin it.
Now as you can tell this isn't a very serious plot and it's not like most of the other work Darren Shan/Dash has put out but I'm glad to say it is very funny there were several moments where I actually burst out laughing while reading. A lot of Darren Shan's stuff is quite dark so I was pleasantly surprised to see him do a genre shift into comedy and it work so well. Taking a risk to write something so completely different from all his other work was a huge gamble but it absolutely paid off as this book is fantastic.
So there's a few characters which you follow in this book, the first is Des a self proclaimed anarchist who has no regard for the rules and likes to cause Chaos, and he's been tasked with ruining the play by the fairy Puck. The rest of the characters you follow are from the theatre troop who are producing the play, these are called The Midsummer Players and every year they produce a new rendition of A Midsummers Night Dream, now the problem is these people are really bad actors, everyone who sees the play thinks their rendition is terrible but this doesn't get them down as they do a new rendition every year without hesitation. There's a lot of variety in these characters which I really liked, you have an aspiring actress who's excited about her new role as the lead of the play with dreams of stardom. You've got a gay couple who seem to have a bit of a rocky relationship since one of the men wants a polyamorous relationship but the other doesn't but because he loves him he puts up with his cheating because he doesn't want to lose him. You have a young man who's completely obsessed with the play and since he first saw it he fell in love with absolutely everything about it and there's plenty more but I cant list everyone here.
So the main plot this book follows Des as he infiltrates the group and does everything he can to sabotage the production of this play before it gets shown to a live audience, I wouldn't say Des is the main protagonist though as you do follows all of the Midsummer Players from their perspective so you get to see inside their head and see what they're really thinking. The book is broken down into separate Acts just like an actual play which I thought was a nice touch.
The characters are where this book really shines. At the start I didn't really like the characters so much because they all seemed to have unlikeable traits, but as I read on I realised this was a deliberate choice by the author and these characters aren't meant to be perfect, they make mistakes, they have issues and this makes them feel more human and believable. As you read on with the book you really do get attached to these characters and you're really rooting for the best to happen to them, the initial dislike of these characters is quickly overturned when you get to know their personalities and see how funny and likeable they actually are.
Another group of characters I really enjoyed was the actual Fairy Characters from the original play, now they appear briefly for the most part but their appearances were definitely a highlight since all of their dialogue is written in Rhyme and Iambic Pentameter just like Shakespeare himself . Reading through the fairies talking to each other was always humorous and a pleasant surprise whenever the fairies came back into the plot.
The plot moves along at a nice pace and always has your attention as Des is always trying to cause some chaos as he comes up with scheme after humorous scheme. The ending to this book is absolutely fantastic, all the cast have full character arcs and the climax really brings everything to a head during the finale. Once I got to the final Act of this book I was not able to put it down and once I finished the very last page my first thought was “When can I read the sequel!”
In conclusion, this book is absolutely fantastic, props to Darren Dash for trying something new and it paying off so well. This book is as much as a comedy as it is a drama and I'm glad to say that the execution of both of these genre's was handled spectacularly. I would highly suggest picking this up if you're looking for something relatively light hearted and fun to read, and I am really hoping for a sequel some time In the future!
Now as you can tell this isn't a very serious plot and it's not like most of the other work Darren Shan/Dash has put out but I'm glad to say it is very funny there were several moments where I actually burst out laughing while reading. A lot of Darren Shan's stuff is quite dark so I was pleasantly surprised to see him do a genre shift into comedy and it work so well. Taking a risk to write something so completely different from all his other work was a huge gamble but it absolutely paid off as this book is fantastic.
So there's a few characters which you follow in this book, the first is Des a self proclaimed anarchist who has no regard for the rules and likes to cause Chaos, and he's been tasked with ruining the play by the fairy Puck. The rest of the characters you follow are from the theatre troop who are producing the play, these are called The Midsummer Players and every year they produce a new rendition of A Midsummers Night Dream, now the problem is these people are really bad actors, everyone who sees the play thinks their rendition is terrible but this doesn't get them down as they do a new rendition every year without hesitation. There's a lot of variety in these characters which I really liked, you have an aspiring actress who's excited about her new role as the lead of the play with dreams of stardom. You've got a gay couple who seem to have a bit of a rocky relationship since one of the men wants a polyamorous relationship but the other doesn't but because he loves him he puts up with his cheating because he doesn't want to lose him. You have a young man who's completely obsessed with the play and since he first saw it he fell in love with absolutely everything about it and there's plenty more but I cant list everyone here.
So the main plot this book follows Des as he infiltrates the group and does everything he can to sabotage the production of this play before it gets shown to a live audience, I wouldn't say Des is the main protagonist though as you do follows all of the Midsummer Players from their perspective so you get to see inside their head and see what they're really thinking. The book is broken down into separate Acts just like an actual play which I thought was a nice touch.
The characters are where this book really shines. At the start I didn't really like the characters so much because they all seemed to have unlikeable traits, but as I read on I realised this was a deliberate choice by the author and these characters aren't meant to be perfect, they make mistakes, they have issues and this makes them feel more human and believable. As you read on with the book you really do get attached to these characters and you're really rooting for the best to happen to them, the initial dislike of these characters is quickly overturned when you get to know their personalities and see how funny and likeable they actually are.
Another group of characters I really enjoyed was the actual Fairy Characters from the original play, now they appear briefly for the most part but their appearances were definitely a highlight since all of their dialogue is written in Rhyme and Iambic Pentameter just like Shakespeare himself . Reading through the fairies talking to each other was always humorous and a pleasant surprise whenever the fairies came back into the plot.
The plot moves along at a nice pace and always has your attention as Des is always trying to cause some chaos as he comes up with scheme after humorous scheme. The ending to this book is absolutely fantastic, all the cast have full character arcs and the climax really brings everything to a head during the finale. Once I got to the final Act of this book I was not able to put it down and once I finished the very last page my first thought was “When can I read the sequel!”
In conclusion, this book is absolutely fantastic, props to Darren Dash for trying something new and it paying off so well. This book is as much as a comedy as it is a drama and I'm glad to say that the execution of both of these genre's was handled spectacularly. I would highly suggest picking this up if you're looking for something relatively light hearted and fun to read, and I am really hoping for a sequel some time In the future!
May 11, 2018
By now, I should be used to receiving surprises once I open my Kindle to a new Darren Dash book. Right? But when I opened my email and saw that this book was to be derived from Shakespeare and comedic in nature, I admit even I scratched my head a little. Dash's three previous literary offerings have been horrific in their own way, despite being different genres, so what was I to expect from a comedy?
Frankly, combining Dash and Shakespeare (both childhood favorites of mine), would make me want to dive right in, and so I did.
It starts out with Del Chapman, the aforementioned human agent of chaos. He sets the tone by sending out a computer virus through an entire company's computer system, destroying it for fun. He then steals a car and goes joyriding. It's only when he crashes said car near a glade in Limerick, Ireland that things start to get weird.
The fairy Puck rescues him ... but he wants something in return. Del must infiltrate an amateur showing of A Midsummer Night's Dream and destroy it so that the humans never, ever perform it together again.
Enter ... everyone else. The rest of the characters are made up of a middle-aged married couple, a beautiful young actress, a romance novelist and her new husband, a gay DJ and his boyfriend, and a shy banker. It's not a super large cast, but their backstories and issues mean you really need to pay attention to remember who is who, who's sleeping with whom, and who wants to sleep with whom.
This book is highly adult in nature, so anyone under 18 might want to shelve this till their next birthday.
The story, while occasionally venturing into Feyland and getting highly fantastical, is a hyper-realistic tale of humanity. There is cheating, discovering one's sexuality, blossoming romance, sex-for-opportunity, body image issues, secrets, lies, and so much more than I ever expected to find in less than 500 pages about amateur actors in Ireland.
You get this intricate, stripped bare look at humanity. There are no frills in this story. It's all right there, in your face. Dealing with weight, age, infidelity, identity, and the truth so dark you need a floodlight to see it properly. It's funny, yes. Some things had me actually laugh out loud. But this is darker than it seems on the surface, and about so much more than fairies wanting an acting troupe disbanded.
Anna and Nuala are by far my favorite characters, but everyone had an endearing quality about them (even Terrence, whom I wanted to slap more than once), especially Finn, the changeling from Feyland. We got to see him assimilate to the human world, and alternately, we got glimpses of Diarmid, a human, learn to love Feyland. Those moments of them discovering these new worlds and falling in love with them were truly some of the most shining moments of the book. The scenes are filled with sweet wonder, little pockets of light amidst the chaos of the main story.
I loved the diversity. Bisexual, gay, questioning, straight, cross-dressing: there was a little of everything in this small cast, and the representation without shame, without it feeling forced, was wonderful.
The best thing about Dash's writing is how well he writes people. You never get the same character twice, and every single one is handcrafted, unique, endearing. He has a talent for making characters feel like they're real, like you know them and care about them. I don't know how he does it; maybe he has a little bit of Puck's influence in him, like the Bard did so long ago.
As always, I end my review by telling you that you need to buy this book. Why? Not because I am a longtime fan of his, but because this book rocks. I don't care if the name on the cover was Joe Blow, this story should be read by pretty much any human over the age of 18, because it literally has something for everyone, a character to relate to or sympathize with.
While it isn't my favorite Dash book (An Other Place still holds that title), Midsummer's Bottom is engaging, humorous, and intricately woven to grip you and take you straight to a beautiful green glade in Limerick.
Another brilliant offering from Dash!
Frankly, combining Dash and Shakespeare (both childhood favorites of mine), would make me want to dive right in, and so I did.
It starts out with Del Chapman, the aforementioned human agent of chaos. He sets the tone by sending out a computer virus through an entire company's computer system, destroying it for fun. He then steals a car and goes joyriding. It's only when he crashes said car near a glade in Limerick, Ireland that things start to get weird.
The fairy Puck rescues him ... but he wants something in return. Del must infiltrate an amateur showing of A Midsummer Night's Dream and destroy it so that the humans never, ever perform it together again.
Enter ... everyone else. The rest of the characters are made up of a middle-aged married couple, a beautiful young actress, a romance novelist and her new husband, a gay DJ and his boyfriend, and a shy banker. It's not a super large cast, but their backstories and issues mean you really need to pay attention to remember who is who, who's sleeping with whom, and who wants to sleep with whom.
This book is highly adult in nature, so anyone under 18 might want to shelve this till their next birthday.
The story, while occasionally venturing into Feyland and getting highly fantastical, is a hyper-realistic tale of humanity. There is cheating, discovering one's sexuality, blossoming romance, sex-for-opportunity, body image issues, secrets, lies, and so much more than I ever expected to find in less than 500 pages about amateur actors in Ireland.
You get this intricate, stripped bare look at humanity. There are no frills in this story. It's all right there, in your face. Dealing with weight, age, infidelity, identity, and the truth so dark you need a floodlight to see it properly. It's funny, yes. Some things had me actually laugh out loud. But this is darker than it seems on the surface, and about so much more than fairies wanting an acting troupe disbanded.
Anna and Nuala are by far my favorite characters, but everyone had an endearing quality about them (even Terrence, whom I wanted to slap more than once), especially Finn, the changeling from Feyland. We got to see him assimilate to the human world, and alternately, we got glimpses of Diarmid, a human, learn to love Feyland. Those moments of them discovering these new worlds and falling in love with them were truly some of the most shining moments of the book. The scenes are filled with sweet wonder, little pockets of light amidst the chaos of the main story.
I loved the diversity. Bisexual, gay, questioning, straight, cross-dressing: there was a little of everything in this small cast, and the representation without shame, without it feeling forced, was wonderful.
The best thing about Dash's writing is how well he writes people. You never get the same character twice, and every single one is handcrafted, unique, endearing. He has a talent for making characters feel like they're real, like you know them and care about them. I don't know how he does it; maybe he has a little bit of Puck's influence in him, like the Bard did so long ago.
As always, I end my review by telling you that you need to buy this book. Why? Not because I am a longtime fan of his, but because this book rocks. I don't care if the name on the cover was Joe Blow, this story should be read by pretty much any human over the age of 18, because it literally has something for everyone, a character to relate to or sympathize with.
While it isn't my favorite Dash book (An Other Place still holds that title), Midsummer's Bottom is engaging, humorous, and intricately woven to grip you and take you straight to a beautiful green glade in Limerick.
Another brilliant offering from Dash!
May 4, 2018
The denizens of Feyland, as described in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, are fed up. Due to a pact made with the erstwhile bard, they are forced to attend every performance of the whimsical play and the performances of one particular company are proving very tiresome indeed. Midsummer’s Bottom by Darren Dash tells how Oberon, unable to interfere in human affairs directly, tasks the character Puck with finding a human with enough guile and disruptive energy to break up the awful players for good. Enter Del Chapman, a troublesome free spirit who delights in creating havoc wherever he goes. Assisted by Puck he inveigles himself into the troupe at the start of their annual two-week preparation for the midsummer night performance. Slowly he manages to undermine, demoralise and enrage the players. He is not a cruel man however and it is done in a light-hearted humorous way. Encouraged by his subversive machinations, the actors find themselves in situations they had never dreamed of, reflecting on their lives and relationships, experimenting with their sexuality and trying hard to come to terms with what they find out in the process. The troupe’s annual productions are notoriously bad, but by a series of unlikely circumstances a huge audience with folk standing at the back and the luckless faeries hovering in the shadows are all crowded into the forest glade which is their stage. Will the players manage to overcome their engineered differences and put on a show or will Del Chapman succeed in scuppering the company once and for all?
Midsummer’s Bottom is a delightful book with the lyrical words of the bard and the theme of his magical work intertwined into the storyline. Darren Dash displays a profound knowledge of the play and a deft hand with his characterisation of the principal players. His narrative moves along at a brisk pace, probably more so than the play, and the characters are solid and well drawn. By the end of the book I felt I knew each one intimately and, as with any good story, was concerned about what would happen to them. But I need not have worried - Mr Dash is an accomplished wordsmith and brings the chaos to the sort of satisfying finale that, had I been in a theatre, I would have stood to applaud. This book will surely appeal to fans of the theatre as well as performers, professional and amateur alike. Not only will you enjoy the peerless prose, cringe at the fluffed lines and laugh at the muddled entrances, but by stealth you will also learn much about Shakespeare’s play. I thoroughly enjoyed Midsummer’s Bottom and do not hesitate to recommend it.
Midsummer’s Bottom is a delightful book with the lyrical words of the bard and the theme of his magical work intertwined into the storyline. Darren Dash displays a profound knowledge of the play and a deft hand with his characterisation of the principal players. His narrative moves along at a brisk pace, probably more so than the play, and the characters are solid and well drawn. By the end of the book I felt I knew each one intimately and, as with any good story, was concerned about what would happen to them. But I need not have worried - Mr Dash is an accomplished wordsmith and brings the chaos to the sort of satisfying finale that, had I been in a theatre, I would have stood to applaud. This book will surely appeal to fans of the theatre as well as performers, professional and amateur alike. Not only will you enjoy the peerless prose, cringe at the fluffed lines and laugh at the muddled entrances, but by stealth you will also learn much about Shakespeare’s play. I thoroughly enjoyed Midsummer’s Bottom and do not hesitate to recommend it.
May 5, 2018
A scandal filled story.
Comedy/drama is not my normal brand of poison when it comes to book genres. However, Midsummers Bottom was a great mixture of Dark humour, Twisted characters and a good amount of silliness. There are scenes that grossed me out so much. But Hey! We all need to be grossed out every so often (mini spoiler alternative foot massage EWWW!) I love the main character he is such a trickster and trouble maker that the scandals he helps develop are so captivating and shocking that you just have to continue to know how it will end. I feel like I have learned allot about Shakespeare's play a Midsummers Nights Dream, we studied it in English class at school but to be honest I did not pay that much attention. But I should have the actual play itself sounds just silly and funny and full of scandal as well. To summarize, I think this book is great for a spot of light reading, when you need a pick me up at the end of a hard long day. It is very well paced and well written and I really enjoyed it. It made me smile and have a few giggles (inner child giggles at some stages) and with that tease of an ending aswell has left me hungry for more.
Comedy/drama is not my normal brand of poison when it comes to book genres. However, Midsummers Bottom was a great mixture of Dark humour, Twisted characters and a good amount of silliness. There are scenes that grossed me out so much. But Hey! We all need to be grossed out every so often (mini spoiler alternative foot massage EWWW!) I love the main character he is such a trickster and trouble maker that the scandals he helps develop are so captivating and shocking that you just have to continue to know how it will end. I feel like I have learned allot about Shakespeare's play a Midsummers Nights Dream, we studied it in English class at school but to be honest I did not pay that much attention. But I should have the actual play itself sounds just silly and funny and full of scandal as well. To summarize, I think this book is great for a spot of light reading, when you need a pick me up at the end of a hard long day. It is very well paced and well written and I really enjoyed it. It made me smile and have a few giggles (inner child giggles at some stages) and with that tease of an ending aswell has left me hungry for more.
May 9, 2018
Okay, let's get the whole received an ARC bit out of the way first.
This isn't really the kind of stuff I read (prefer dark an brooding), but the concept of the Fey making a pact with William Shakespeare that involved them watching every version of Midsummer's Night's Dream sounded pretty funny.
Turns out there's a troupe of "actors" in Limerick (that's in Ireland) who are so utterly terrible, that Oberon and the other fairies conspire to sabotage the troupe so they don't have to suffer through the play any more. Sound ridiculous so far?
The author spins an amusing tale, with likable, normal characters, with normal problems, trying to keep it all together to put out the 20th edition of their show, despite efforts to ruin their plans. He keeps you guessing all the way as to how the story will end, and I'll guarantee you one thing, when you finally get to the end of the book when the play is set to start, you will not be able to put it down.
Well done and lots of fun.
This isn't really the kind of stuff I read (prefer dark an brooding), but the concept of the Fey making a pact with William Shakespeare that involved them watching every version of Midsummer's Night's Dream sounded pretty funny.
Turns out there's a troupe of "actors" in Limerick (that's in Ireland) who are so utterly terrible, that Oberon and the other fairies conspire to sabotage the troupe so they don't have to suffer through the play any more. Sound ridiculous so far?
The author spins an amusing tale, with likable, normal characters, with normal problems, trying to keep it all together to put out the 20th edition of their show, despite efforts to ruin their plans. He keeps you guessing all the way as to how the story will end, and I'll guarantee you one thing, when you finally get to the end of the book when the play is set to start, you will not be able to put it down.
Well done and lots of fun.
May 19, 2018
Fun read, with just the right amount of fantasy
I enjoyed this book. Author Darren Dash incorporates William Shakespeare's “A Midsummer's Night Dream” into an amusing, lighthearted story of a modern theatrical group. The characters are well developed and the story is well paced. I had read the Shakespeare work in highschool but didn't remember any of it so I found some of the story confusing, but the same thing happened to me with Jasper Fforde’s “The Eyre Affair,” where I read Jane Eyre after reading Fforde's book. It didn't really matter though as Dash’s story stands well on its own. If you like Jasper FForde’s work, you may like Dash’s as well.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author for review purposes.
I enjoyed this book. Author Darren Dash incorporates William Shakespeare's “A Midsummer's Night Dream” into an amusing, lighthearted story of a modern theatrical group. The characters are well developed and the story is well paced. I had read the Shakespeare work in highschool but didn't remember any of it so I found some of the story confusing, but the same thing happened to me with Jasper Fforde’s “The Eyre Affair,” where I read Jane Eyre after reading Fforde's book. It didn't really matter though as Dash’s story stands well on its own. If you like Jasper FForde’s work, you may like Dash’s as well.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author for review purposes.
July 23, 2018
Readers of Darren Dash's previous books will soon discover that this book is nothing like anything he's written before. Taking a daring dip into the lighter side of fiction, you'd almost be forgiven for thinking that it was written by an entirely different author... almost. Dash's signature wit and humour shine on every page, and it soon becomes clear that this is the voice of the writer we have come to know and love.
Every year, a group of amateur actors come together to perform their annual showing of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream – much to the dismay of the named fairies in the play. MEET The Midsummer Players. Their dedication to the bard's beloved play is second only to their abysmal reputation as actors. ENTER the fairies of the real A Midsummer Night's Dream. Cursed to attend every performance ever attempted, they have long reached their wits end. When Oberon and Puck hire a human agent of chaos to infiltrate the players and turn them against each other, not all goes according to plan...
It can often take me a little while to get into a book. But Midsummer's Bottom sucked me in from the first page. Dash quickly introduces us to a cast of colourful characters and brings them all to life on the page, Small details and quirks pull you deeper into his world, and I found that I was smiling to myself often. Despite the constantly changing and evolving points of view, the book flows in a pleasant way that makes it easy to devour. This is magical escapism at its best.
One of the things I like most about this book is that you never really know what's coming next. Darren Dash weaves a masterfully woven web of twists and turns, leaving you with no choice but to sit back and be entertained by the unfolding drama. As a reader, I felt like I was looking down on a bizarre, fantastical play, with a birds eye view of this humorous story.
Midsummer's Bottom is a laugh out loud comedy, a rollicking romp that will leave you with a warm, satisfied feeling long after you finish. I really enjoyed this book and so, for me, it deserves nothing less than five stars.
Every year, a group of amateur actors come together to perform their annual showing of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream – much to the dismay of the named fairies in the play. MEET The Midsummer Players. Their dedication to the bard's beloved play is second only to their abysmal reputation as actors. ENTER the fairies of the real A Midsummer Night's Dream. Cursed to attend every performance ever attempted, they have long reached their wits end. When Oberon and Puck hire a human agent of chaos to infiltrate the players and turn them against each other, not all goes according to plan...
It can often take me a little while to get into a book. But Midsummer's Bottom sucked me in from the first page. Dash quickly introduces us to a cast of colourful characters and brings them all to life on the page, Small details and quirks pull you deeper into his world, and I found that I was smiling to myself often. Despite the constantly changing and evolving points of view, the book flows in a pleasant way that makes it easy to devour. This is magical escapism at its best.
One of the things I like most about this book is that you never really know what's coming next. Darren Dash weaves a masterfully woven web of twists and turns, leaving you with no choice but to sit back and be entertained by the unfolding drama. As a reader, I felt like I was looking down on a bizarre, fantastical play, with a birds eye view of this humorous story.
Midsummer's Bottom is a laugh out loud comedy, a rollicking romp that will leave you with a warm, satisfied feeling long after you finish. I really enjoyed this book and so, for me, it deserves nothing less than five stars.
July 11, 2018
A little note before the review:
While Darren Dash and Darren Shan are technically the same author, the books are in no way meant for the same audiences. Darren Shan books are YA, and great for teens that want a little bit darker of a read. Darren Dash on the other hand, is for adults. They are entertaining, but they feature adult themes that parents may not want their children exposed to. By using the two different names, it is easy for readers to differentiate between YA and adult. This books was written by Darren Dash, therefore, it is an adult read.
I have to say, I was impressed by the rhymes. It felt like an extension of Shakespeare, which is not easy to do. The plot was original and one that I didn't see coming. The way the story unfolded went against everything I thought was going to happen. At the start of the book, everything points to events happening one way, but the whole story screams PLOT TWIST. I loved how unpredictable the story line was. Everything seemed to be in complete chaos most of the time, which made me wonder if maybe a little part of me was losing it. It was easy to get lost in the lives of the characters.
I will say, that sometimes it took me a moment to remember which character I was reading about. Some where easy to remember, but others, the ones with names I wasn't used to, tended to be harder to keep straight. That was my own personal dilemma, since I am not that great at names.
The ending was enjoyable and somehow worked all the way around without seeming forced. I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare, but after reading this book, I am tempted to do a comparison.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Darren Dash
Publisher: Home of the Damned Ltd
Publication Date: 2018
While Darren Dash and Darren Shan are technically the same author, the books are in no way meant for the same audiences. Darren Shan books are YA, and great for teens that want a little bit darker of a read. Darren Dash on the other hand, is for adults. They are entertaining, but they feature adult themes that parents may not want their children exposed to. By using the two different names, it is easy for readers to differentiate between YA and adult. This books was written by Darren Dash, therefore, it is an adult read.
I have to say, I was impressed by the rhymes. It felt like an extension of Shakespeare, which is not easy to do. The plot was original and one that I didn't see coming. The way the story unfolded went against everything I thought was going to happen. At the start of the book, everything points to events happening one way, but the whole story screams PLOT TWIST. I loved how unpredictable the story line was. Everything seemed to be in complete chaos most of the time, which made me wonder if maybe a little part of me was losing it. It was easy to get lost in the lives of the characters.
I will say, that sometimes it took me a moment to remember which character I was reading about. Some where easy to remember, but others, the ones with names I wasn't used to, tended to be harder to keep straight. That was my own personal dilemma, since I am not that great at names.
The ending was enjoyable and somehow worked all the way around without seeming forced. I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare, but after reading this book, I am tempted to do a comparison.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Darren Dash
Publisher: Home of the Damned Ltd
Publication Date: 2018
May 30, 2018
Mischief and mayhem abound as midsummer draws near. Bound to watch every single production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, the feyfolk have had enough. One particular troupe is their bane, proving time and again to be persistent…even if they aren’t particularly good. Desperate to avoid one more year of their special brand of torture, the fey enlist the help of a human—a troublemaker-extraordinaire—and once he infiltrates the Players’ ranks, the lives of faeries and actors alike are flipped…BOTTOM up!
Normally, I'm adore Darren Dash's darker worlds of the bizarre, so I knew that this was going to be a bit of a different beast. A light, rollicking comedy? Well….
He.
KILLED IT.
MIDSUMMER'S BOTTOM was an absolute delight. It was fun, funny, addictive....The narrative voice was effortless, and the pacing was perfect. The characters were engaging, and it was fun to watch things unfold in a web as twisted and intertwined as any of the Bard’s. Not gonna lie, I would absolutely pay to go see a production of MIDSUMMER the likes of the final play. As much as I love Dash’s horror, I would not be opposed to more books the likes of this, too!
Normally, I'm adore Darren Dash's darker worlds of the bizarre, so I knew that this was going to be a bit of a different beast. A light, rollicking comedy? Well….
He.
KILLED IT.
MIDSUMMER'S BOTTOM was an absolute delight. It was fun, funny, addictive....The narrative voice was effortless, and the pacing was perfect. The characters were engaging, and it was fun to watch things unfold in a web as twisted and intertwined as any of the Bard’s. Not gonna lie, I would absolutely pay to go see a production of MIDSUMMER the likes of the final play. As much as I love Dash’s horror, I would not be opposed to more books the likes of this, too!
June 17, 2018
I feel really bad posting this review because I requested the book and the author happily sent it to me. This is an honest review for the book, but I did not finish the whole thing. I read 53%, and I could no longer go on.
The book is well-written and the characters are all round characters. However, I think the problem was that I was not the target audience for the book. I have never read the original play of Shakespeare that this book is based on (A Midsummer Night's Dream). So, for that reason I don't think I really understood the humor that the author was trying to go for.
Much of what I read was explicit sex scenes, which I do not mind at all. It's just that as a sole story, I could not see where the plot or characterization was going.
If you're considering picking this book up, make sure you are the right target audience. It is a very niche book, so make sure you have some background in Shakespeare's original play. Also, humor books are way out of my comfort zone, so maybe this was a reason I did not enjoy it.
Either way, I am grateful to have given this book a chance. It was different and it did have parts that were amusing.
The book is well-written and the characters are all round characters. However, I think the problem was that I was not the target audience for the book. I have never read the original play of Shakespeare that this book is based on (A Midsummer Night's Dream). So, for that reason I don't think I really understood the humor that the author was trying to go for.
Much of what I read was explicit sex scenes, which I do not mind at all. It's just that as a sole story, I could not see where the plot or characterization was going.
If you're considering picking this book up, make sure you are the right target audience. It is a very niche book, so make sure you have some background in Shakespeare's original play. Also, humor books are way out of my comfort zone, so maybe this was a reason I did not enjoy it.
Either way, I am grateful to have given this book a chance. It was different and it did have parts that were amusing.
May 4, 2018
I was lucky to get an advanced copy of the book so that is why I am able to review it right now.
I started this book expecting a typical Darren Dash but I was surprised. Mostly it's a comedy. The tension between the characters and the characters in general is well-developed even though I think it went too far at some point. The ending was predictible but it was still a nice short book and definitely something I have never read before.
I started this book expecting a typical Darren Dash but I was surprised. Mostly it's a comedy. The tension between the characters and the characters in general is well-developed even though I think it went too far at some point. The ending was predictible but it was still a nice short book and definitely something I have never read before.
January 16, 2019
Once again Darren delivers a work of fiction unlike any before it. This happens to be my favourite Shakespeare play and it brought me a lot of joy to see it reworked into a modern setting still with magic, mischief, and a bunch of flailing actors. Although women are allowed onstage nowadays too so the lovers and actors are combined. I really loved this book.
August 11, 2018
This was a fun version of A Midsummer Night's Dream told through the eyes of modern day 'players'.
Recommended if you're in the mood for a bit of pure, light entertainment.
Recommended if you're in the mood for a bit of pure, light entertainment.
June 21, 2018
Whimsical, touching, witty, and unlike anything I have ever read by Darren Dash, Midsummer's Bottom is a delightful read, and one I will surely remember for a long time.
Before Master Shakespeare had published his magical tale of fairies, love, and mischief, he sought help from some beings who were well-versed on the subject... actual fairies. In exchange for their help, the Bard himself thanked them in a way that would soon make them regret ever lending a helping hand in his work.
They would have to endure every incarnation of the play. The good and the bad...and the very bad.
As the 20th anniversary of a local community's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream approaches, the fairies seek help in a human who thrives on chaos, in hope of destroying any future production of the local play.
Accepting the challenge, Del Chapman pulls out all the stops, and becomes the play's and the players' very worst nightmare.
I didn't need to know what the book was about before I accepted Darren Dash's book review request. I trust him and his work, and I would read his edition of the dictionary, then reread it again. That being said, once I started Midsummer's Bottom, I was baffled! This did not sound like the author I'd come to love all those years ago. This was a new formula for him--a formula that worked.
Although, during the first few chapters, I was preparing myself for the worst. What if I didn't like it as much as his darker work? I would, of course, still be honest in my review, but it would have slowly killed me to admit that I didn't love everything Darren had written.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case. I found myself constantly thinking about this book. Mourning reading time I lost cooking, or sleeping, or spending family time. (Sorry, family.)
Darren Dash has once again, stunned me with his talent of storytelling. I did not want this book to end.
I found myself laughing out loud, audibly gasping, and furrowing my brow when tensions got thick. (Which, when a book is about a main character who causes chaos, happens A LOT.)
It warmed my heart, it had me clicking for more--even when the book was over, and it confirmed one thought in my mind, that was a distant whisper until now--
---Darren Dash can do anything.
Before Master Shakespeare had published his magical tale of fairies, love, and mischief, he sought help from some beings who were well-versed on the subject... actual fairies. In exchange for their help, the Bard himself thanked them in a way that would soon make them regret ever lending a helping hand in his work.
They would have to endure every incarnation of the play. The good and the bad...and the very bad.
As the 20th anniversary of a local community's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream approaches, the fairies seek help in a human who thrives on chaos, in hope of destroying any future production of the local play.
Accepting the challenge, Del Chapman pulls out all the stops, and becomes the play's and the players' very worst nightmare.
I didn't need to know what the book was about before I accepted Darren Dash's book review request. I trust him and his work, and I would read his edition of the dictionary, then reread it again. That being said, once I started Midsummer's Bottom, I was baffled! This did not sound like the author I'd come to love all those years ago. This was a new formula for him--a formula that worked.
Although, during the first few chapters, I was preparing myself for the worst. What if I didn't like it as much as his darker work? I would, of course, still be honest in my review, but it would have slowly killed me to admit that I didn't love everything Darren had written.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case. I found myself constantly thinking about this book. Mourning reading time I lost cooking, or sleeping, or spending family time. (Sorry, family.)
Darren Dash has once again, stunned me with his talent of storytelling. I did not want this book to end.
I found myself laughing out loud, audibly gasping, and furrowing my brow when tensions got thick. (Which, when a book is about a main character who causes chaos, happens A LOT.)
It warmed my heart, it had me clicking for more--even when the book was over, and it confirmed one thought in my mind, that was a distant whisper until now--
---Darren Dash can do anything.
May 23, 2018
Who knew William Shakespeare's play could be such a burden?
Midsummer's Bottom is a delightful comedy with a touch of romance. It is the fourth of Darren Dash's books and I found it impossible to put the book down.
Every year for the past 20 years the Midsummer players, a group of ameteur actors, gather for two weeks to perform their interpretation of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Who knew the curse this held on feyland, it had to end and Del Chapman, the human Puck was given the task.
my personal favourite characters revolved around the cunning Del and the innocent, not so innocent Finn, their friendship is strong and ammusing. Though I enjoyed all characters within the book and the relationships between each, the friendships, the hatred, the love and the affairs. there isn't much to hate about the characters in my eyes.
I found parts of this book difficult to read due to it being written in the form of Shakespeare, but the rest of the book is modern writing. I found it difficult to put it down and when I did I wanted to pick it back up and dissapear into the land of fey, and how it has ended I want it to continue on. With Fairies, chaos and laughter once you read the book you'll understand
I highly recommend Midsummer's Bottom to any adult due to some adult context within the story. It will be enough to take you away from earth and submerse yourself within.
due for release on 21st June 2018 UK
Midsummer's Bottom is a delightful comedy with a touch of romance. It is the fourth of Darren Dash's books and I found it impossible to put the book down.
Every year for the past 20 years the Midsummer players, a group of ameteur actors, gather for two weeks to perform their interpretation of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Who knew the curse this held on feyland, it had to end and Del Chapman, the human Puck was given the task.
my personal favourite characters revolved around the cunning Del and the innocent, not so innocent Finn, their friendship is strong and ammusing. Though I enjoyed all characters within the book and the relationships between each, the friendships, the hatred, the love and the affairs. there isn't much to hate about the characters in my eyes.
I found parts of this book difficult to read due to it being written in the form of Shakespeare, but the rest of the book is modern writing. I found it difficult to put it down and when I did I wanted to pick it back up and dissapear into the land of fey, and how it has ended I want it to continue on. With Fairies, chaos and laughter once you read the book you'll understand
I highly recommend Midsummer's Bottom to any adult due to some adult context within the story. It will be enough to take you away from earth and submerse yourself within.
due for release on 21st June 2018 UK
June 28, 2018
Midsummer’s Bottom is nothing like the other books Darren has written, it’s light, funny and a little saucy! There isn’t a whiff of darkness in here unlike Darren’s previous book An Other Place! You can read my review of An Other Place here.
This was a departure for Darren Dash or Darren Shan as he is most widely known but it is also a departure for his readers. It took me a few chapters before I stopped waiting for some kind of dark twist to appear.
The group of amateur actors were brilliant. The characters are over the top, funny and as we see as the story unfolds they are very easy to manipulate. The fairies enlist Del to break up the band of useless actors and save them from watching another terrible performance. Del creates quiet chaos with the help of Finn, a fairy who masquerades as Diarmuid, one of the regular actors.
The mischievous Del creates trouble in everyone’s relationships – Anna and Terence, Felix and Nuala, Kate, Diarmuid, Ingmar and Don. By the ending, the lives of all the characters are irrevocably changed.
Midsummer’s Bottom I’d entertaining, racy and humourous, definitely one for adults.
This was a departure for Darren Dash or Darren Shan as he is most widely known but it is also a departure for his readers. It took me a few chapters before I stopped waiting for some kind of dark twist to appear.
The group of amateur actors were brilliant. The characters are over the top, funny and as we see as the story unfolds they are very easy to manipulate. The fairies enlist Del to break up the band of useless actors and save them from watching another terrible performance. Del creates quiet chaos with the help of Finn, a fairy who masquerades as Diarmuid, one of the regular actors.
The mischievous Del creates trouble in everyone’s relationships – Anna and Terence, Felix and Nuala, Kate, Diarmuid, Ingmar and Don. By the ending, the lives of all the characters are irrevocably changed.
Midsummer’s Bottom I’d entertaining, racy and humourous, definitely one for adults.
March 15, 2020
Darren sent this to me in return for an honest review. I am a big fan of his works (particularly Cirque Du Freak), and I was very curious how his adult books differ from his ya. and let me tell you, it is so different. Wasn’t expecting that much sex, but it happened, so I’m all “okay, then.” I really enjoyed the book. I love A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I love his innovative plot. Darren gave each character their own personalities, made them relatable in one way or another. I actually felt for all of them (even Terrence!). I love the story of the pact, that those in Feyland must watch this play every damn year, and they are just so sick of it. (Also I loved Ghost Shakespeare.) the way Darren uses the actual storyline and incorporates it into the Players’ lives made the story so engaging. I actually expected a different ending: I expected them to just break off in their anger with one another, but I actually liked that everyone gets their happy ending in a way. While reading, I thought the only way the Player’s will end is if all the relationships were beyond repair, so I liked that relationships were mended and formed, and it is because of that they decide to part ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2019
eARC was kindly provided by the author.
4 Stars
I'll admit this is something a little (a lot) different from what I would normally pick up and I'm totally out of the loop when it comes to the source material that this book draws upon.
The idea of fey being forced to watch every performance of the play is an interesting one and Dash gives a fantasy setting a very human plot making it very easy for the reader to get drawn into the story and feeling the fate of the fey. It's packed with a very diverse cast of believable and interesting characters. There's humour, intrigue and tension as well as use of sex as varied as the cast of featured characters.
I can't help thinking that I would have enjoyed this even more had I actually experienced A Midsummer Night's Dream but as it is I still really enjoyed it despite of this so I think there's something for every adult in this whether they know the play or not.
4 Stars
I'll admit this is something a little (a lot) different from what I would normally pick up and I'm totally out of the loop when it comes to the source material that this book draws upon.
The idea of fey being forced to watch every performance of the play is an interesting one and Dash gives a fantasy setting a very human plot making it very easy for the reader to get drawn into the story and feeling the fate of the fey. It's packed with a very diverse cast of believable and interesting characters. There's humour, intrigue and tension as well as use of sex as varied as the cast of featured characters.
I can't help thinking that I would have enjoyed this even more had I actually experienced A Midsummer Night's Dream but as it is I still really enjoyed it despite of this so I think there's something for every adult in this whether they know the play or not.
June 7, 2018
To be upfront I received this ARC in return for a review not without further ado…
*Spoiler Free Review*
This fresh twist on a classic brings new life which kept me engaged throughout the book.
The use of poetry for the Fairies language I found a particular highlight as it is imaginative and also shows how otherworldly they are.
The characters were all well developed with their own unique quirks and backstories to be believable.
The one criticism of the book I had is that at times it feels like it’s just about breaking up relationships to derail the play which is fine but becomes slightly repetitive adding some other methods would have added another dimension.
The formatting of the ARC copy did not have chapters but I am sure that will be fixed by the time the book is released.
Overall great read showing Darren Shan can continually reinvent himself with these books clearly a project of love since this was started all the way back in 1997!
*Spoiler Free Review*
This fresh twist on a classic brings new life which kept me engaged throughout the book.
The use of poetry for the Fairies language I found a particular highlight as it is imaginative and also shows how otherworldly they are.
The characters were all well developed with their own unique quirks and backstories to be believable.
The one criticism of the book I had is that at times it feels like it’s just about breaking up relationships to derail the play which is fine but becomes slightly repetitive adding some other methods would have added another dimension.
The formatting of the ARC copy did not have chapters but I am sure that will be fixed by the time the book is released.
Overall great read showing Darren Shan can continually reinvent himself with these books clearly a project of love since this was started all the way back in 1997!
May 17, 2018
Loved this one. It was comedic gold filled with scandal , and magic . The mischief is high in this one . Laughed till I cried a few times. It may not be your typical Dash book but it shouldn't be dismissed. Found my self absorbed completely in this. His knowledge in the play is profound. The Bard himself would be proud. No plot lines are left untied . Simply couldn't put it down . As always he gave an old subject a beautiful twist . By the end I felt I knew every chracters he is great at showing the multiple layers to the human ( fairies included in this case) psyche. No paper thin characters to be found in this one. He makes you feel as if you are a part of the act. Can't wait to see what is up sleeve for the next act.
July 15, 2018
Unlike the majority of the people here, I actually bought this book, and I don't regret that choice.
What can I say? It was a fun midsummer read. Although I do enjoy reading this author's more dark, gritty outings, this lighthearted romp was a welcome change.
There was a bit of sex here, but it was tastefully done, I thought, so no complaints there.
I also appreciated the thorough explanation of the original play, as I was not very familiar with the source material.
Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent reading this story. The characters were great and will stick with me for some time and it was generally a lot of fun. Great stuff!
What can I say? It was a fun midsummer read. Although I do enjoy reading this author's more dark, gritty outings, this lighthearted romp was a welcome change.
There was a bit of sex here, but it was tastefully done, I thought, so no complaints there.
I also appreciated the thorough explanation of the original play, as I was not very familiar with the source material.
Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent reading this story. The characters were great and will stick with me for some time and it was generally a lot of fun. Great stuff!
February 13, 2024
If you love Shakespeare then this is a fun addition to your reading list. Not my cup of tea unfortunately. I loved the concept of the story, it was fun to read along and see how much havoc one person can make amongst a group of people. I think you either love or hate Shakespeare. For me, the flowery language used is just not my thing, so this wasn't a book I would grab again only for that reason. But, the fun story and how it all leads to a fun (and somewhat confusing) end is still a decent read.
August 3, 2018
A wonderful story, full of fun and very enjoyable.
The plot is entertaining and unpredictable, the characters are well developed and lovely.
I didn't know this authors but I will keep track of his future book.
A lovely pastiche that I highly recommend!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC
The plot is entertaining and unpredictable, the characters are well developed and lovely.
I didn't know this authors but I will keep track of his future book.
A lovely pastiche that I highly recommend!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC
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