What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales from Shakespeare
From the repertoire of William Shakespeare’s most remarkable romantic comedies and classical tragedies, Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a keepsake collection for all lovers of literature.
From Portia’s spontaneous wit to Desdemona’s untainted innocence, Cordelia’s candour to Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale of passionate love, Tales from Shakespeare explores all facets of human personality with utmost sensitivity and great finesse. Charles and Mary Lamb promise their young readers a unique rediscovery of the Bard’s 20 phenomenal plays, bringing them closer to the relevance of the revered author’s prose and verse in the 21st century. The language is simple, the literary flavour is intact and the reading experience is exceptionally soul-satisfying.
This collection is a perfect companion for all seasons.
From Portia’s spontaneous wit to Desdemona’s untainted innocence, Cordelia’s candour to Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale of passionate love, Tales from Shakespeare explores all facets of human personality with utmost sensitivity and great finesse. Charles and Mary Lamb promise their young readers a unique rediscovery of the Bard’s 20 phenomenal plays, bringing them closer to the relevance of the revered author’s prose and verse in the 21st century. The language is simple, the literary flavour is intact and the reading experience is exceptionally soul-satisfying.
This collection is a perfect companion for all seasons.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1798
1851 people are currently reading
8493 people want to read
About the author
Charles Lamb
1,986 books188 followersCharles Lamb was an English essayist with Welsh heritage, best known for his "Essays of Elia" and for the children's book "Tales from Shakespeare", which he produced along with his sister,
Mary Lamb
(1764–1847).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 606 reviews
October 3, 2009
I vaguely recall some years ago Venezuela set up a government department called the Ministry of Love. The idea was to inculcate in poor women the understanding that their babies from the very moment they were born would respond to any stimuli. Poverty shouldn't stop mothers from giving their babies experience of smell and sound and touch and...
My parents certainly wanted that for us. Knowing how poor we were when I was little, I still marvel at the amazing opportunities they conjured up for us to experience so much of the world in an utterly non-judgmental fashion. There was nothing we wouldn't go to, car races or the football as readily as the art gallery or the library. But for me the best, the most wonderful thing we did, was theatre.
I was maybe seven, and the oldest of four children, when we went to our first Shakespeare. We were so lucky that my parents had a brilliant understanding of how to make this easy. We always read the story - Charles Lamb, of course - first and we'd discuss it.
Then my father would play a game with us. He knew quite a few Shakespeare plays by heart and we'd get to test him. Well, being the oldest and best at reading, I got the supporting role. I'd read a line from the play and he'd say who said it and when. He was always right, I'd be reduced to trying things like 'Halt' and we'd wait with breath bated while he decided if that was guard one or guard two. It was exciting!
Once we got there, we'd sit in the front row, entranced. How could Shakespeare not be the most wonderful thing after that start?
My parents certainly wanted that for us. Knowing how poor we were when I was little, I still marvel at the amazing opportunities they conjured up for us to experience so much of the world in an utterly non-judgmental fashion. There was nothing we wouldn't go to, car races or the football as readily as the art gallery or the library. But for me the best, the most wonderful thing we did, was theatre.
I was maybe seven, and the oldest of four children, when we went to our first Shakespeare. We were so lucky that my parents had a brilliant understanding of how to make this easy. We always read the story - Charles Lamb, of course - first and we'd discuss it.
Then my father would play a game with us. He knew quite a few Shakespeare plays by heart and we'd get to test him. Well, being the oldest and best at reading, I got the supporting role. I'd read a line from the play and he'd say who said it and when. He was always right, I'd be reduced to trying things like 'Halt' and we'd wait with breath bated while he decided if that was guard one or guard two. It was exciting!
Once we got there, we'd sit in the front row, entranced. How could Shakespeare not be the most wonderful thing after that start?
November 27, 2020
For a book originally penned by siblings Charles and Mary Lamb in 1807, their generally brilliant and delightfully readable prose adaptations of twenty of William Shakespeare’s plays, their Tales From Shakespeare, has in my opinion truly held up and aged remarkably well (and is seemingly also still in current print, although some of the out of print earlier editions of Tales From Shakespeare with Arthur Rackham’s visually stunning accompanying artwork are certainly and in my opinion well worth investigating and checking out, but of course as collectible often rather dear price wise as well). And yes indeed, I also do rather wish that I had encountered Tales From Shakespeare as a young reader (for even though I did totally enjoy reading Shakespeare plays in junior and senior high English, if I had read Tales From Shakespeare prior to that, I do think I would have had more of an appreciation of the Bard of Avon, and yes, some of the more complex tragedies we read for school, such as Hamlet and King Lear, they would most definitely and likely have been easier to understand and less complicated).
But as much as I have truly enjoyed Tales From Shakespeare and do consider it a wonderful prose adaptation of and introduction to William Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies (with most of the comedies being rendered by Mary Lamb and the tragedies by her brother Charles Lamb), personally, I am also rather furious and flabbergasted that the Lambs have included neither ANY of the British history plays nor the so-called Roman dramas. And since sadly and unfortunately, this shortcoming of course means that some of my very favourite Shakespeare plays, like Henry IV (parts one and two), Henry V, Julius Caesar and Anthony and Cleopatra are therefore really and truly missing in action, I absolutely cannot and will not completely consider Tales From Shakespeare as a personal favourite and am indeed annoyed enough with regard to the British history and the Roman plays having been left out of Tales From Shakespeare that I will only be able to consider a three star ranking, a high three star rating no doubt and I do still highly recommend Tales From Shakespeare but the gaps, that certain types of Shakespeare plays are seemingly simply en masse being ignored by Charles and Mary Lamb, this does indeed rather majorly bother me.
And as a small caveat if parents are planning on using Tales From Shakespeare to introduce the Bard of Avon and his plays to their children, considering that Mary Lamb suffered from serious mental imbalances for most of her life and actually wrote her contributions to Tales From Shakespeare whilst incarcerated at a sanatorium because she had stabbed her mother to death, it might well be prudent to make sure that children are able to sufficiently handle this information before confronting them with this (and that yes, there also might indeed and actually be questions raised with regard to Mary Lamb’s matricide and for example if this equally might have affected Mary Lamb’s adaptations of Shakespeare).
But as much as I have truly enjoyed Tales From Shakespeare and do consider it a wonderful prose adaptation of and introduction to William Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies (with most of the comedies being rendered by Mary Lamb and the tragedies by her brother Charles Lamb), personally, I am also rather furious and flabbergasted that the Lambs have included neither ANY of the British history plays nor the so-called Roman dramas. And since sadly and unfortunately, this shortcoming of course means that some of my very favourite Shakespeare plays, like Henry IV (parts one and two), Henry V, Julius Caesar and Anthony and Cleopatra are therefore really and truly missing in action, I absolutely cannot and will not completely consider Tales From Shakespeare as a personal favourite and am indeed annoyed enough with regard to the British history and the Roman plays having been left out of Tales From Shakespeare that I will only be able to consider a three star ranking, a high three star rating no doubt and I do still highly recommend Tales From Shakespeare but the gaps, that certain types of Shakespeare plays are seemingly simply en masse being ignored by Charles and Mary Lamb, this does indeed rather majorly bother me.
And as a small caveat if parents are planning on using Tales From Shakespeare to introduce the Bard of Avon and his plays to their children, considering that Mary Lamb suffered from serious mental imbalances for most of her life and actually wrote her contributions to Tales From Shakespeare whilst incarcerated at a sanatorium because she had stabbed her mother to death, it might well be prudent to make sure that children are able to sufficiently handle this information before confronting them with this (and that yes, there also might indeed and actually be questions raised with regard to Mary Lamb’s matricide and for example if this equally might have affected Mary Lamb’s adaptations of Shakespeare).
August 23, 2017
It’s a good sampling of Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies, but I can’t help wondering why they omitted his histories? What about Julius Caesar or Richard III? Goodness gracious if children can deal with Hamlet and Macbeth, they can deal with the former and even absorb some—well according to Shakespeare anyway—history as well.
But aside from that technical complaint, it is an enjoyable collection and well-written. Charles and Mary Lamb do an excellent job capturing the essence of each of the plays, the language of the Bard, humor/pathos, and overall storyline. It is a commendable way to introduce young people (of all ages) to Shakespeare.
Personally, I prefer the tragedies. I used to think it was because there was something wrong with me, but reading the plays all together like this, it is easy to see the tragedies are each uniquely unforgettable whereas the comedies are similar, repetitive, and start to to run together in your mind after you have read a few … like so many modern romance movies and books? Not that they aren’t clever. They are, but many of the same devices (women dressing as men, twins/doubles, lovers switching) are repeated, undoubtedly because they were successful and popular.
My favorites? Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear. What are yours?
A good thing to read while one is listening to a bio of Shakespeare.
But aside from that technical complaint, it is an enjoyable collection and well-written. Charles and Mary Lamb do an excellent job capturing the essence of each of the plays, the language of the Bard, humor/pathos, and overall storyline. It is a commendable way to introduce young people (of all ages) to Shakespeare.
Personally, I prefer the tragedies. I used to think it was because there was something wrong with me, but reading the plays all together like this, it is easy to see the tragedies are each uniquely unforgettable whereas the comedies are similar, repetitive, and start to to run together in your mind after you have read a few … like so many modern romance movies and books? Not that they aren’t clever. They are, but many of the same devices (women dressing as men, twins/doubles, lovers switching) are repeated, undoubtedly because they were successful and popular.
My favorites? Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear. What are yours?
A good thing to read while one is listening to a bio of Shakespeare.
September 10, 2016
============================
أدب شكسبير لا يُقدَّم هكذا
حتى إن كان العمل للناشئين
سيء للغاية
=============================
أدب شكسبير لا يُقدَّم هكذا
حتى إن كان العمل للناشئين
سيء للغاية
=============================
June 7, 2017
Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare
are a prose form of Shakespeare's plays for children by the writer siblings Charles and Mary Lamb. While certainly keeping the magic alive by use of Shakespeare's original words but also not letting go of convenience at any point, the language is very easy, but still perfect for Shakespeare.
It's such a powerful rendition of Shakespeare's plays in a very accessible format, interesting and easy to read for adults and children alike.
The book is short but that doesn't stop it from hitting the mark. You have to pay attention to the work to finish it. The authors are extremely talented and are all over Shakespeare, they got it covered!. They keep his message alive. There's no mistaking that this is Shakespeare's work. He lives in the pages. It's like the authors spent a lot of time with the guy.
Maybe it was the short story format without the thick, tricky, hard language and difficult play format which is only my second favorite but I found myself completely enjoying the plays and appreciating them for what they were, and fully commending Shakespeare for being who he was. He's truly the Bard.
My edition had The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth and Twelfth Night with refresher questions about each play at the end.
Each play is separated into small parts having its own intuitive title with full-page illustrations after every few pages. The plays are relatively short but, nevertheless precise and comprehensive.
So, reading The Tempest I nod off and I see the demons somewhat like in the book in my sleep which conveniently make me wake up in fright. That was the only hitch in my reading this book.
Here I must confess something, I tried picking up Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth like 4.5 years ago but I instantly knew that I wasn't ready for it. Then, about 3.5 years later, while at a Book Fair I just get Julius Caesar, you know, to ease myself into it. I kind of had the feeling that it'd be relatively easy, a good place to start and it was. I enjoyed it, in a weird satisfying way (my first Shakespear and I'm not writhing on the ground). At the start of the year, I read A Shakespeare Treasury, a list of favorite quotes from Shakespeare's works which was quite nice. Then I read King Lear out of an anthology, Eight Great Tragedies, just this last month which I enjoyed not so much. Now I have finally got myself The Complete Works, but when am I gonna read it, I don't know, I have the satisfaction of having it, on my bookshelf, at least, I CAN read it whenever I want to. The whole huge book, it's a big responsibility, not to mention the feeling/weight of being done with all of Shakespeare's works. That's the extent of it. That's all there is to my Shakespeare experience unless watching She's the Man counts (I love the movie, I totally see/love it as a great rendition of Twelfth Night).
Lamb's Tales is another one of my attempts to pave my way into the world of Shakespear. It's my uncle's, so I had easy access to it, so I said why not. I feel such an obligation to prepare myself for this magnificent piece of art, it's a privilege.
Shakespeare seems quite typical of his time but maybe he was radical in his time. There's some deus ex machina going on there too, it's like people have no natures, they just change according to the circumstances.
My individual comments on each of the plays:
The Tempest : Father and daughter stranded on an island, father commands spirit, spirit bring his enemies to the island, the enemies get scared, repent and seek forgiveness. Enemy's son falls in love with the daughter who becomes future queen, the father gets his dukedom back, the spirit takes them back safely to home.
It was okay, quite typical. The writing makes it somewhat special though (writing means everything to me).
A Midsummer Night's Dream : Magic is in the air. Magical forest, invisible fairies bring lovers together, undetected. Love is created by magic when it isn't there. Everyone lives happily ever after.
It was pretty, funny at times, well executed except the part about "making" the guy fall in love.
Much Ado About Nothing : Cousins, Lords and a Prince. Lord falls for the nice cousin, Prince helps. Short-tempered cousin and Lord bicker all the time. Prince and the Lord along with his betrothed plot to make them fall in love by telling each the other loves them. Half-brother is jealous of the Lord, plans to ruins his marriage.
“It would be as possible for me to say I love nothing in the world so well as you; but do not believe me, and yet I do not lie. I confess nothing and I deny nothing.”
Infinitely more interesting. The quality of the plays is getting better as we move on. The name of the nice cousin is Hero , ain't it awesome?!
As You Like it : Cousins (what is it with Shakespeare and cousins?), Duke (has nicer, prettier daughter, gets exiled by brother, lives in forest like Robin Hood), false Duke (kinda evil, of course), daughter falls for father's friends's son who her uncle dislikes, follows father, cousin comes along, daughter dresses up as a boy, befriends beloved who also has come to the forest and has been taken under the wing of the Duke.
“If I am conquered, well, I was never happy; if I am killed, well I am willing to die. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to weep for me. I shall do the world no harm for in it I have nothing. For I only take up a place in the world which may be better filled when I have made it empty.”
A tale of love and friendship and a little Robin Hood vibes, so cool!
The Merchant of Venice : Antonio is the titular merchant. Shylock is the Jew moneylender. Antonio hates Shy, spits on him, kicks him, berates him at every moment but when he needs money for his clingy (read: gold-digger) friend (serious bromance going on here) he asks to Shy, who, out to get him, lends him money without interest on the condition that if the money is not paid by a certain date he will , is there a like of this in literature?. Guess what happens (and what doesn't).
“Mercy drops as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath; it is a double blessing, it blesses him that gives, and him that receives it; it is a finer ornament for a king than his crown itself, because it is a quality of God Himself; and earthly power comes nearest to God's when justice is mixed with mercy; remember that we all pray for mercy, that same prayer should teach us to show mercy.”
One of my favorites, this is my thing, maybe because Mom narrated it to us when we were kids, she brought the CD home, but it was a bit too much for us so we didn't really watch it but the plot was more than intriguing. The first thing is it's in Venice. I loved the names, Shylock, just saying it sends a thrill to your body (Sherlock!). Portia is a nice one too. But I cannot help but ask why are Christians so biased against Jews, first The Jew of Malta and now this, is it because they lent money on interest, and now the whole world is following their example (well played). Feminism (not at first (horrific contradiction) but which gradually develops), a completely rad idea, plot-twist, what more could I want!
Macbeth : Macbeth, after receiving a prophecy from the witches of his ascending the throne, along with his wife crosses every line from regicide to witchery to killing his own friends for the crown but they are haunted by the things they have done and it doesn't end well for them.
There is some creepy unrepentant witchery evil going on here but it's so badass. It's so evil it works! This is some great work done here. It's beyond words. Shakespeare has outdone himself. This play is pure perfection, it's the best, The Merchant of Venice coming a close second.
Twelfth Night : Identical twin brother and sister, separated in a ship wreckage. The sister Viola alone, away from home on a different island decides to be a boy (again Shakespeare, FR?) to become a page to the Duke who is love-struck with the countess. Duke begins to spend all the time with her, brooding, sends her to persuade the countess who falls in love with her. Brother, saved, comes back, you can imagine the rest.
Shakespeare appears to be quite interested in crossdressing, I've always kind of speculated about Shakespeare being gay, his writing, his demeanor, visage, tell-tale signs. The internet, however, says that he might have been bisexual. There is quite a lot of evidence. Enough on that, I'm getting carried away. This was the fun-nest, (maybe because I remember She's the Man).
Now that I know the stories of these plays maybe I'll be more comfortable reading the originals. I'm noticing out of these only Macbeth is one without a happy ending, hmm.
Shakespearian characters change suddenly, not all of them have strong natures, marriages easily happen or break, love at first sight is quite the everyday routine, and they become repentant in the end, however evil they might be.
There is a reason Shakespeare's works have survived to this day. It's timeless, classic and most all unique. About Lamb's Tales, the writing is atypical, top-notch, I loved it! This is a great way to dabble into Shakespeare, it's like dipping a toe, if you want to read Shakespeare or even if you don't plan to read the original works, if you're just curious.
However, let this not stop you from reading the original works of Shakespeare, because let me tell you, these are kind of over-simplified, censored versions (because children) missing some crucial parts which make Shakespeare so popular to this day, Shakespeare is so much more than that. And, also, some of the Roman plays like Julius Caeser haven't been adapted so let this be a stepping stone, not the destination.
It's such a powerful rendition of Shakespeare's plays in a very accessible format, interesting and easy to read for adults and children alike.
The book is short but that doesn't stop it from hitting the mark. You have to pay attention to the work to finish it. The authors are extremely talented and are all over Shakespeare, they got it covered!. They keep his message alive. There's no mistaking that this is Shakespeare's work. He lives in the pages. It's like the authors spent a lot of time with the guy.
Maybe it was the short story format without the thick, tricky, hard language and difficult play format which is only my second favorite but I found myself completely enjoying the plays and appreciating them for what they were, and fully commending Shakespeare for being who he was. He's truly the Bard.
My edition had The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth and Twelfth Night with refresher questions about each play at the end.
Each play is separated into small parts having its own intuitive title with full-page illustrations after every few pages. The plays are relatively short but, nevertheless precise and comprehensive.
So, reading The Tempest I nod off and I see the demons somewhat like in the book in my sleep which conveniently make me wake up in fright. That was the only hitch in my reading this book.
Here I must confess something, I tried picking up Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth like 4.5 years ago but I instantly knew that I wasn't ready for it. Then, about 3.5 years later, while at a Book Fair I just get Julius Caesar, you know, to ease myself into it. I kind of had the feeling that it'd be relatively easy, a good place to start and it was. I enjoyed it, in a weird satisfying way (my first Shakespear and I'm not writhing on the ground). At the start of the year, I read A Shakespeare Treasury, a list of favorite quotes from Shakespeare's works which was quite nice. Then I read King Lear out of an anthology, Eight Great Tragedies, just this last month which I enjoyed not so much. Now I have finally got myself The Complete Works, but when am I gonna read it, I don't know, I have the satisfaction of having it, on my bookshelf, at least, I CAN read it whenever I want to. The whole huge book, it's a big responsibility, not to mention the feeling/weight of being done with all of Shakespeare's works. That's the extent of it. That's all there is to my Shakespeare experience unless watching She's the Man counts (I love the movie, I totally see/love it as a great rendition of Twelfth Night).
Lamb's Tales is another one of my attempts to pave my way into the world of Shakespear. It's my uncle's, so I had easy access to it, so I said why not. I feel such an obligation to prepare myself for this magnificent piece of art, it's a privilege.
Shakespeare seems quite typical of his time but maybe he was radical in his time. There's some deus ex machina going on there too, it's like people have no natures, they just change according to the circumstances.
My individual comments on each of the plays:
The Tempest : Father and daughter stranded on an island, father commands spirit, spirit bring his enemies to the island, the enemies get scared, repent and seek forgiveness. Enemy's son falls in love with the daughter who becomes future queen, the father gets his dukedom back, the spirit takes them back safely to home.
It was okay, quite typical. The writing makes it somewhat special though (writing means everything to me).
A Midsummer Night's Dream : Magic is in the air. Magical forest, invisible fairies bring lovers together, undetected. Love is created by magic when it isn't there. Everyone lives happily ever after.
It was pretty, funny at times, well executed except the part about "making" the guy fall in love.
Much Ado About Nothing : Cousins, Lords and a Prince. Lord falls for the nice cousin, Prince helps. Short-tempered cousin and Lord bicker all the time. Prince and the Lord along with his betrothed plot to make them fall in love by telling each the other loves them. Half-brother is jealous of the Lord, plans to ruins his marriage.
“It would be as possible for me to say I love nothing in the world so well as you; but do not believe me, and yet I do not lie. I confess nothing and I deny nothing.”
Infinitely more interesting. The quality of the plays is getting better as we move on. The name of the nice cousin is Hero , ain't it awesome?!
As You Like it : Cousins (what is it with Shakespeare and cousins?), Duke (has nicer, prettier daughter, gets exiled by brother, lives in forest like Robin Hood), false Duke (kinda evil, of course), daughter falls for father's friends's son who her uncle dislikes, follows father, cousin comes along, daughter dresses up as a boy, befriends beloved who also has come to the forest and has been taken under the wing of the Duke.
“If I am conquered, well, I was never happy; if I am killed, well I am willing to die. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to weep for me. I shall do the world no harm for in it I have nothing. For I only take up a place in the world which may be better filled when I have made it empty.”
A tale of love and friendship and a little Robin Hood vibes, so cool!
The Merchant of Venice : Antonio is the titular merchant. Shylock is the Jew moneylender. Antonio hates Shy, spits on him, kicks him, berates him at every moment but when he needs money for his clingy (read: gold-digger) friend (serious bromance going on here) he asks to Shy, who, out to get him, lends him money without interest on the condition that if the money is not paid by a certain date he will , is there a like of this in literature?. Guess what happens (and what doesn't).
“Mercy drops as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath; it is a double blessing, it blesses him that gives, and him that receives it; it is a finer ornament for a king than his crown itself, because it is a quality of God Himself; and earthly power comes nearest to God's when justice is mixed with mercy; remember that we all pray for mercy, that same prayer should teach us to show mercy.”
One of my favorites, this is my thing, maybe because Mom narrated it to us when we were kids, she brought the CD home, but it was a bit too much for us so we didn't really watch it but the plot was more than intriguing. The first thing is it's in Venice. I loved the names, Shylock, just saying it sends a thrill to your body (Sherlock!). Portia is a nice one too. But I cannot help but ask why are Christians so biased against Jews, first The Jew of Malta and now this, is it because they lent money on interest, and now the whole world is following their example (well played). Feminism (not at first (horrific contradiction) but which gradually develops), a completely rad idea, plot-twist, what more could I want!
Macbeth : Macbeth, after receiving a prophecy from the witches of his ascending the throne, along with his wife crosses every line from regicide to witchery to killing his own friends for the crown but they are haunted by the things they have done and it doesn't end well for them.
There is some creepy unrepentant witchery evil going on here but it's so badass. It's so evil it works! This is some great work done here. It's beyond words. Shakespeare has outdone himself. This play is pure perfection, it's the best, The Merchant of Venice coming a close second.
Twelfth Night : Identical twin brother and sister, separated in a ship wreckage. The sister Viola alone, away from home on a different island decides to be a boy (again Shakespeare, FR?) to become a page to the Duke who is love-struck with the countess. Duke begins to spend all the time with her, brooding, sends her to persuade the countess who falls in love with her. Brother, saved, comes back, you can imagine the rest.
Shakespeare appears to be quite interested in crossdressing, I've always kind of speculated about Shakespeare being gay, his writing, his demeanor, visage, tell-tale signs. The internet, however, says that he might have been bisexual. There is quite a lot of evidence. Enough on that, I'm getting carried away. This was the fun-nest, (maybe because I remember She's the Man).
Now that I know the stories of these plays maybe I'll be more comfortable reading the originals. I'm noticing out of these only Macbeth is one without a happy ending, hmm.
Shakespearian characters change suddenly, not all of them have strong natures, marriages easily happen or break, love at first sight is quite the everyday routine, and they become repentant in the end, however evil they might be.
There is a reason Shakespeare's works have survived to this day. It's timeless, classic and most all unique. About Lamb's Tales, the writing is atypical, top-notch, I loved it! This is a great way to dabble into Shakespeare, it's like dipping a toe, if you want to read Shakespeare or even if you don't plan to read the original works, if you're just curious.
However, let this not stop you from reading the original works of Shakespeare, because let me tell you, these are kind of over-simplified, censored versions (because children) missing some crucial parts which make Shakespeare so popular to this day, Shakespeare is so much more than that. And, also, some of the Roman plays like Julius Caeser haven't been adapted so let this be a stepping stone, not the destination.
July 24, 2014
* This review is going to be slightly short.
I got this book on my 20th birthday. A friend of mine knew how much I suffer reading Shakespeare and that I always read simple summaries before reading the original plays, so it was very thoughtful of her to bring a book that contains the most famous plays of Shakespeare retold in a very clear and easy-to-follow style. The plays are written as "short-stories" which made the book even easier to comprehend.
Generally, the book is pretty helpful for non-English speakers. I usually pick up a certain play and read it from this book before,during or after reading the original play to make sure I understood the play completely and perfectly.
March 13, 2015
I'm not very fond of theater, not even Shakespeare's, but these tales are wonderful! Written in an accessible language, they are a very enjoyable reading for children as well as for adults. I reread them many times :) Recommended!
April 7, 2019
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a 1001 Children's Book. I've had a copy of it for a long time, and I'd originally planned to read the chapter from this book at the same time I read the play. I did this for two chapters before I realized it might take me an eternity to get through this book if I continued to read at that pace. I decided, instead, to read it during Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon; children's books are usually perfect for a readathon.
Let me say, before I go any further, that this book is easier to read than Shakespeare's plays, but just barely. Here is a sample paragraph, taken from a chapter about a play I not only haven't read, but that I hadn't even heard of before I read this book, Timon of Athens:
"Now was Timon as much avoided in his poverty as he had been courted and resorted to in his riches. Now the same tongues which had been loudest in his praises, extolling him as bountiful, liberal, and open handed, were not ashamed to censure that very bounty as folly, that liberality as profuseness, though it had shown itself folly in nothing so truly as in the selection of such unworthy creatures as themselves for its objects. Now was Timon's princely mansion forsaken, and become a shunned and hated place, a place for men to pass by, not a place, as formerly, where every passenger must stop and taste of his wine and good cheer; now, instead of being thronged with feasting and tumultuous guests, it was beset with impatient and clamorous creditors, usurers, extortioners, fierce and intolerable in their demands, pleading bonds, interest, mortgages; iron-hearted men that would take no denial nor putting off, that Timon's house was now his jail, which he could not pass, nor go in nor out for them; one demanding his due of fifty talents, another bringing in a bill of five thousands crowns, which if he would tell out his blood by drops, and pay them so, he had not enough in his body to discharge, drop by drop."
That's a pretty good sample of this text. It's considered a children's book, remember, and I found the sentences to be lengthy and the vocabulary a bit daunting for modern children.
If you are curious, this book covers The Tempest; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Winter's Tale; Much Ado About Nothing; As You Like It; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; The Merchant of Venice; Cymbeline; King Lear; Macbeth; All's Well That Ends Well; The Taming of the Shrew; The Comedy of Errors; Measure for Measure; Twelfth Night; Timon of Athens; Hamlet; Othello; Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
I loved this collection of summaries of the plays, and I may see if I can find More Tales of Shakespeare to read at some future date.
Let me say, before I go any further, that this book is easier to read than Shakespeare's plays, but just barely. Here is a sample paragraph, taken from a chapter about a play I not only haven't read, but that I hadn't even heard of before I read this book, Timon of Athens:
"Now was Timon as much avoided in his poverty as he had been courted and resorted to in his riches. Now the same tongues which had been loudest in his praises, extolling him as bountiful, liberal, and open handed, were not ashamed to censure that very bounty as folly, that liberality as profuseness, though it had shown itself folly in nothing so truly as in the selection of such unworthy creatures as themselves for its objects. Now was Timon's princely mansion forsaken, and become a shunned and hated place, a place for men to pass by, not a place, as formerly, where every passenger must stop and taste of his wine and good cheer; now, instead of being thronged with feasting and tumultuous guests, it was beset with impatient and clamorous creditors, usurers, extortioners, fierce and intolerable in their demands, pleading bonds, interest, mortgages; iron-hearted men that would take no denial nor putting off, that Timon's house was now his jail, which he could not pass, nor go in nor out for them; one demanding his due of fifty talents, another bringing in a bill of five thousands crowns, which if he would tell out his blood by drops, and pay them so, he had not enough in his body to discharge, drop by drop."
That's a pretty good sample of this text. It's considered a children's book, remember, and I found the sentences to be lengthy and the vocabulary a bit daunting for modern children.
If you are curious, this book covers The Tempest; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Winter's Tale; Much Ado About Nothing; As You Like It; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; The Merchant of Venice; Cymbeline; King Lear; Macbeth; All's Well That Ends Well; The Taming of the Shrew; The Comedy of Errors; Measure for Measure; Twelfth Night; Timon of Athens; Hamlet; Othello; Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
I loved this collection of summaries of the plays, and I may see if I can find More Tales of Shakespeare to read at some future date.
August 31, 2022
The prize I was awarded for finishing top of First Form (year seven) at Williamstown High in 1965. It seems I peaked at age twelve: I've been in slow decline ever since. I did wonder what these Lamb people had to do with writing Shakespeare. The illustrations by the Czech artist Karel Svolinsky are brilliant.
November 26, 2018
Прекрасно илюстрирано и оформено издание. Подходящо за начално запознаване с Шекспир - подбраните пиеси са преразказани като малки новели, изпъстрени с цитати от оригинала с великолепния превод на Валери Петров.
Тъй като, честно казано, някои пиеси не бих ги прочела, кратката версия много ми допадна. В други случаи пък ме накара да потърся самата пиеса и да я прочета изцяло.
Като се има предвид, че книгата е от началото на 19 век и не и липсва тогавашната (от днешна гледна точка излишна) дидактичност, тя си остава изумително добро начало с Шекспир, включително за деца.
Тъй като, честно казано, някои пиеси не бих ги прочела, кратката версия много ми допадна. В други случаи пък ме накара да потърся самата пиеса и да я прочета изцяло.
Като се има предвид, че книгата е от началото на 19 век и не и липсва тогавашната (от днешна гледна точка излишна) дидактичност, тя си остава изумително добро начало с Шекспир, включително за деца.
September 3, 2021
My first acquaintance with Shakespeare, back when I was 16 years old. I was not so fond of it at the time, but later reading made me appreciate these beautiful prose stories much better!
June 10, 2013
I'm not so sure that this book is appropriately titled. Many of the adaptations in here are too far above the developmental level of what I consider to be "children," but they are probably perfectly appropriate for kids between 12 and oh, 14 or 15 years old. Kids edging into 14, 15, and certainly 16 years old should be receiving some exposure to William Shakespeare's own writing, but I think that this book might help them understand the arc of some of Shakespeare's plays better.
Romeo and Juliet: Romeo and Juliet benefited from being adapted into a story in this book. It's not one of my favorite plays--it's too melodramatic and our main characters fall in love too hard too fast. I find it very unbelievable. In this format, though, the story becomes much more in the vein of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. It becomes a fairy tale love story, and head-over-heels, love-at-first-sight love is ok in those kind of stories. Because of the fairy tale like nature of this interpretation of the play, kids younger than 12 could probably understand this story if they have a suitably advanced vocabulary. The language is no longer Shakespearian, but the story is written with Victorian flourish and flare, which is still pretty formal.
The Tempest: I've never understood all the fuss about The Tempest, and this adaptation doesn't change my mind. I think kids under 12 would understand this story, I'm just not sure they'd find it to be that fascinating. It's a little bit of a boring story as told in this book, and it takes a lot to grab and hold kids' attention these days. I'm not sure this would do it.
Hamlet: Considerably well done adaptation. This story would appeal strongly to boys, I would imagine (that's not say that girls won't also like it), and unlike Shakespeare's play, this adaptation is easy to understand. Kids under 12 would understand this story just fine. Of course, there is the question of whether or not this is an appropriate story for kids under 12, but that's for parents to decide.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: It is what it was meant to be; a fairy tale. I suppose if the kid in question likes fairy tales, then he or she might enjoy A Midsummer Night's Dream. The kids in my life wouldn't latch on to this, however, because the love interests do get a little tangled up. Kids under 12 might find this to be a bit confusing.
King Lear: I think this is much too advanced for kids under 13 or so. Young kids just aren't at a developmental point in their lives to be able to appreciate the emotions/machinations/motivations in King Lear. Young kids are still too self-absorbed (in the developmental sense, not the ego sense) to be able to really appreciate this story to the fullest extent possible. I'm fairly sure it would sail over their heads. I think this is a play/story best served when a kid can think more outwardly than inwardly.
The Taming of the Shrew: Pretty much my favorite Shakespeare play, but this story is not well-served in this retelling. Kate's "shrewishness" is glossed over in this story, and the tug-of-war between Kate and Petruchio is virtually non-existent. Without the tug-of-war and battle-of-the-wills, Petruchio's behavior is out of context, and he comes across as plainly abusive. We don't see Kate getting a taste of her own medicine, we see her being demeaned and abused. I'd not read this version of the story to girls, and certainly not to boys, and I don't even think this version is appropriate for teenagers, who are often struggling with gender roles and identity.
Macbeth: Another adaptation that's probably too complex for younger kids. The language in this one is very Victorian again, and if that could be modernized a bit, then I think kids under 12 could understand the story here, I just don't think they'd understand the depth of it. For an excellent adaptation of the play, teens and adults should take a look at Macbeth by A.J. Hartley and David Hewson. That was gooood....
Much Ado About Nothing: Early teens (girls in particular?) may like this adaptation, and may even identify with it. It's full of fix-ups and broken hearts, reconciliations, and gossip... Loaded with teen angst. Kids under 11 or 12 would probably be bored with this one, and kids past 14 would probably think it's as silly as I do. Not one of my favorite Shakespeare stories, can you tell?
Othello: Well, the opening sentences of this adaptation instruct readers (who the authors expected to be mostly female, as stated in their introduction) that they can admire Desdemona for choosing a black man, but she should not be imitated. There is much focus in this adaptation as to why Othello is not suitable for a white woman--in fact, I think these authors obsessed over Othello's color more than Shakespeare did. This made me uncomfortable, and I don't think I'd want to read this adaptation to kids. Victorian attitudes are too present in this tale, and I think they were more degrading than the original was. As far as the story itself goes, Iago's plotting and duplicity are too muted, so it's hard to really get in there and see how artfully he poisoned Othello against Desdemona. The end is still heartbreaking, but kids over 14 or so should try reading the original Shakespeare to really feel this play. I'm not sure that this story is appropriate for younger kids, but again, that's a parent's call.
Twelfth Night: Maybe I'm shallow, but this play is so ridiculous and annoying, and this adaptation doesn't help it at all. I can just hear my niece saying something like, "What?! She can't tell that Viola's a lady?!" Or, "He actually married her?!? He just met her like five seconds ago!" My point is, kids today are way too savvy to accept the kind of shenanigans that go on in this story. And I, for one, am glad they are.
Romeo and Juliet: Romeo and Juliet benefited from being adapted into a story in this book. It's not one of my favorite plays--it's too melodramatic and our main characters fall in love too hard too fast. I find it very unbelievable. In this format, though, the story becomes much more in the vein of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. It becomes a fairy tale love story, and head-over-heels, love-at-first-sight love is ok in those kind of stories. Because of the fairy tale like nature of this interpretation of the play, kids younger than 12 could probably understand this story if they have a suitably advanced vocabulary. The language is no longer Shakespearian, but the story is written with Victorian flourish and flare, which is still pretty formal.
The Tempest: I've never understood all the fuss about The Tempest, and this adaptation doesn't change my mind. I think kids under 12 would understand this story, I'm just not sure they'd find it to be that fascinating. It's a little bit of a boring story as told in this book, and it takes a lot to grab and hold kids' attention these days. I'm not sure this would do it.
Hamlet: Considerably well done adaptation. This story would appeal strongly to boys, I would imagine (that's not say that girls won't also like it), and unlike Shakespeare's play, this adaptation is easy to understand. Kids under 12 would understand this story just fine. Of course, there is the question of whether or not this is an appropriate story for kids under 12, but that's for parents to decide.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: It is what it was meant to be; a fairy tale. I suppose if the kid in question likes fairy tales, then he or she might enjoy A Midsummer Night's Dream. The kids in my life wouldn't latch on to this, however, because the love interests do get a little tangled up. Kids under 12 might find this to be a bit confusing.
King Lear: I think this is much too advanced for kids under 13 or so. Young kids just aren't at a developmental point in their lives to be able to appreciate the emotions/machinations/motivations in King Lear. Young kids are still too self-absorbed (in the developmental sense, not the ego sense) to be able to really appreciate this story to the fullest extent possible. I'm fairly sure it would sail over their heads. I think this is a play/story best served when a kid can think more outwardly than inwardly.
The Taming of the Shrew: Pretty much my favorite Shakespeare play, but this story is not well-served in this retelling. Kate's "shrewishness" is glossed over in this story, and the tug-of-war between Kate and Petruchio is virtually non-existent. Without the tug-of-war and battle-of-the-wills, Petruchio's behavior is out of context, and he comes across as plainly abusive. We don't see Kate getting a taste of her own medicine, we see her being demeaned and abused. I'd not read this version of the story to girls, and certainly not to boys, and I don't even think this version is appropriate for teenagers, who are often struggling with gender roles and identity.
Macbeth: Another adaptation that's probably too complex for younger kids. The language in this one is very Victorian again, and if that could be modernized a bit, then I think kids under 12 could understand the story here, I just don't think they'd understand the depth of it. For an excellent adaptation of the play, teens and adults should take a look at Macbeth by A.J. Hartley and David Hewson. That was gooood....
Much Ado About Nothing: Early teens (girls in particular?) may like this adaptation, and may even identify with it. It's full of fix-ups and broken hearts, reconciliations, and gossip... Loaded with teen angst. Kids under 11 or 12 would probably be bored with this one, and kids past 14 would probably think it's as silly as I do. Not one of my favorite Shakespeare stories, can you tell?
Othello: Well, the opening sentences of this adaptation instruct readers (who the authors expected to be mostly female, as stated in their introduction) that they can admire Desdemona for choosing a black man, but she should not be imitated. There is much focus in this adaptation as to why Othello is not suitable for a white woman--in fact, I think these authors obsessed over Othello's color more than Shakespeare did. This made me uncomfortable, and I don't think I'd want to read this adaptation to kids. Victorian attitudes are too present in this tale, and I think they were more degrading than the original was. As far as the story itself goes, Iago's plotting and duplicity are too muted, so it's hard to really get in there and see how artfully he poisoned Othello against Desdemona. The end is still heartbreaking, but kids over 14 or so should try reading the original Shakespeare to really feel this play. I'm not sure that this story is appropriate for younger kids, but again, that's a parent's call.
Twelfth Night: Maybe I'm shallow, but this play is so ridiculous and annoying, and this adaptation doesn't help it at all. I can just hear my niece saying something like, "What?! She can't tell that Viola's a lady?!" Or, "He actually married her?!? He just met her like five seconds ago!" My point is, kids today are way too savvy to accept the kind of shenanigans that go on in this story. And I, for one, am glad they are.
April 15, 2016
The Bard for Children
15 April 2016
I reckon the first time I encountered this collection was back in high school when our teacher wanted to teach us the Scottish Play, but didn't feel that we were ready to actually start reading the proper text, namely because she felt that maybe we wouldn't fully understand Shakespeare's language (despite the fact that this was year 11 English). Mind you, as we all know, Shakespeare isn't the easiest of authors to read (though I must admit that he is a lot easier to read than some of the modern authors – James Joyce for instance). In fact, as I was reading the piece on Macbeth my mind went back to that day in class, when we all had a photocopy of the story sitting in front of us and were reading it aloud (which I must admit seems really odd these days because I find reading a book aloud amongst a group of people rather odd – and I still wonder how we managed to get through the entire year when half the class involved us sitting there reading the book aloud – not that these were particularly long books mind you, with the exception of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but then again I don't remembering actually reading that one aloud in class).
Anyway, this is a great little book, especially for those of us who happen to have young children (not that I'm one of those people), simply because it has been written in a style that is really accessible to those of us who might not be able to understand the language, or even be able to follow what is in effect a script. Okay, the Lambs do try retain as much of the original dialogue as possible, but only where they use the dialogue. For the most part the story is told using prose, which has a great effect on being able to help us understand the action of the play. I must admit that this is the first time that I have read this particular book in years (and even then I have only read it once before, not counting that time in highschool), and I generally don't grab it off the shelf to get an idea of what a particular play is about – that's what Wikipedia is for.
Mind you, the Lambs haven't included all of the plays in this work – notable absences include the Roman plays (which is a shame because Julius Caesar happens to be one of my favourites) and the History plays. The suggestion is, at least in the introduction to the edition that I read, is that the Lambs were more interested in the plays that operated within the domestic sphere as opposed to those that operated in the political sphere. While that may seem a little odd when we note that plays such as the Scottish Play and King Lear are included (as these two plays very much operate within the political sphere) I can sort of see where the Lambs are coming from – the book is primarily targeted at children, and at the age at which they would have been reading this their experience of the world outside of the home would have been quite limited.
It is interesting to consider the target audience of this book though – written in 1809 it would have mainly been for the children of the middle and upper classes, who no doubt would have been able to read. However it is suggested in Charles Lamb's introduction that it was more for the girls than the boys, as the boys would have had access to the father's library (another indication that it would have been for the upper classes) at a much younger age than the girls. It is also an indication that at the time children's literature would have been literally non-existent, namely because it was expected that when a child learnt to read, they would have been thrown straight into the deep end (though I suspect that the Bible would have been a major part of a child's introduction to literature).
Okay, I'm not really an expert on early children's literature, but it seems as if the Lambs were paving the way for what was to become a multi-million dollar industry. Okay, tales for children had existed for centuries, but many of the stories that we traditionally consider to be children's stories (such as Grimm's Fairytales) were originally written for an adult audience. It wasn't until the 19th century that stories, and books, were written specifically with children in mind. In a way we can trace the modern children's story back to the work of Charles and Mary Lamb, who saw a need to make some of the classic Shakespearian plays more accessible to the younger audience.
15 April 2016
I reckon the first time I encountered this collection was back in high school when our teacher wanted to teach us the Scottish Play, but didn't feel that we were ready to actually start reading the proper text, namely because she felt that maybe we wouldn't fully understand Shakespeare's language (despite the fact that this was year 11 English). Mind you, as we all know, Shakespeare isn't the easiest of authors to read (though I must admit that he is a lot easier to read than some of the modern authors – James Joyce for instance). In fact, as I was reading the piece on Macbeth my mind went back to that day in class, when we all had a photocopy of the story sitting in front of us and were reading it aloud (which I must admit seems really odd these days because I find reading a book aloud amongst a group of people rather odd – and I still wonder how we managed to get through the entire year when half the class involved us sitting there reading the book aloud – not that these were particularly long books mind you, with the exception of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but then again I don't remembering actually reading that one aloud in class).
Anyway, this is a great little book, especially for those of us who happen to have young children (not that I'm one of those people), simply because it has been written in a style that is really accessible to those of us who might not be able to understand the language, or even be able to follow what is in effect a script. Okay, the Lambs do try retain as much of the original dialogue as possible, but only where they use the dialogue. For the most part the story is told using prose, which has a great effect on being able to help us understand the action of the play. I must admit that this is the first time that I have read this particular book in years (and even then I have only read it once before, not counting that time in highschool), and I generally don't grab it off the shelf to get an idea of what a particular play is about – that's what Wikipedia is for.
Mind you, the Lambs haven't included all of the plays in this work – notable absences include the Roman plays (which is a shame because Julius Caesar happens to be one of my favourites) and the History plays. The suggestion is, at least in the introduction to the edition that I read, is that the Lambs were more interested in the plays that operated within the domestic sphere as opposed to those that operated in the political sphere. While that may seem a little odd when we note that plays such as the Scottish Play and King Lear are included (as these two plays very much operate within the political sphere) I can sort of see where the Lambs are coming from – the book is primarily targeted at children, and at the age at which they would have been reading this their experience of the world outside of the home would have been quite limited.
It is interesting to consider the target audience of this book though – written in 1809 it would have mainly been for the children of the middle and upper classes, who no doubt would have been able to read. However it is suggested in Charles Lamb's introduction that it was more for the girls than the boys, as the boys would have had access to the father's library (another indication that it would have been for the upper classes) at a much younger age than the girls. It is also an indication that at the time children's literature would have been literally non-existent, namely because it was expected that when a child learnt to read, they would have been thrown straight into the deep end (though I suspect that the Bible would have been a major part of a child's introduction to literature).
Okay, I'm not really an expert on early children's literature, but it seems as if the Lambs were paving the way for what was to become a multi-million dollar industry. Okay, tales for children had existed for centuries, but many of the stories that we traditionally consider to be children's stories (such as Grimm's Fairytales) were originally written for an adult audience. It wasn't until the 19th century that stories, and books, were written specifically with children in mind. In a way we can trace the modern children's story back to the work of Charles and Mary Lamb, who saw a need to make some of the classic Shakespearian plays more accessible to the younger audience.
June 10, 2024
I have a long and happy history with this book, and after 20 years of owning it, I’ve finally read it nearly cover-to-cover! A friend gave it to me, somewhat randomly, for my 15th or 16th birthday, and I used it in highschool and college whenever I was about to begin a new play of Shakespeare. After reading the Lambs’ synopsis I always felt well equipped to tackle the original, oriented not just to the plot but also to the very language used in the play itself. By my senior year of highschool, I loved the book so much, I wrote an encomium on the Tales that I submitted to a privately published literary journal.
Fast forward to the time I was researching homeschool curriculum options. I won’t say that featuring Tales from Shakespeare sold us on Ambleside Online, but it definitely swayed us in that direction. What joy, to use a book I loved, but not until an older student, in my children’s first years of schooling! Six plays are assigned per year in first through third grade, so over the past three years I have had the thrill of introducing them to some of my first Shakespearean loves (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth), revisiting several from college (As You Like It, Pericles, A Winter’s Tale), and even becoming acquainted with a few I’d never read (The Merchant of Venice, Cymbeline).
It was a stretching book for all of us—hard to follow for them, hard to read aloud in one sitting for me (we ended up breaking it up into at least two)—but one where the reward was delving into some beloved and glorious stories, couched in beloved and glorious words. It was a mountain climb where I was sometimes pulling them along, huffing and puffing right beside them, but eager to press on for the view—and the future climbs—that lay before us.
And oh, the conversations we had! Despite the difficulties in reading, our discussions were rich and filled my cup to overflowing. The children offered some quirky but penetrating appraisals of character, action, and motive; perhaps unsurprisingly, Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew provoked the most discussion. I feel like this book opened the world of Shakespeare to them as individual readers and to us as a family, allowing us to read and delight together. Shakespeare is now twisted into those cords that bind my mother’s heart to theirs, his plays a cozy, enchanting, mutually beloved topic we will enjoy returning to many times over the years (I hope, actually, into forever).
So now I love Tales from Shakespeare even more than ever I loved it decades ago.
The best part? I’m about to begin the book all over again in the fall with my next batch of students.
Fast forward to the time I was researching homeschool curriculum options. I won’t say that featuring Tales from Shakespeare sold us on Ambleside Online, but it definitely swayed us in that direction. What joy, to use a book I loved, but not until an older student, in my children’s first years of schooling! Six plays are assigned per year in first through third grade, so over the past three years I have had the thrill of introducing them to some of my first Shakespearean loves (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth), revisiting several from college (As You Like It, Pericles, A Winter’s Tale), and even becoming acquainted with a few I’d never read (The Merchant of Venice, Cymbeline).
It was a stretching book for all of us—hard to follow for them, hard to read aloud in one sitting for me (we ended up breaking it up into at least two)—but one where the reward was delving into some beloved and glorious stories, couched in beloved and glorious words. It was a mountain climb where I was sometimes pulling them along, huffing and puffing right beside them, but eager to press on for the view—and the future climbs—that lay before us.
And oh, the conversations we had! Despite the difficulties in reading, our discussions were rich and filled my cup to overflowing. The children offered some quirky but penetrating appraisals of character, action, and motive; perhaps unsurprisingly, Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew provoked the most discussion. I feel like this book opened the world of Shakespeare to them as individual readers and to us as a family, allowing us to read and delight together. Shakespeare is now twisted into those cords that bind my mother’s heart to theirs, his plays a cozy, enchanting, mutually beloved topic we will enjoy returning to many times over the years (I hope, actually, into forever).
So now I love Tales from Shakespeare even more than ever I loved it decades ago.
The best part? I’m about to begin the book all over again in the fall with my next batch of students.
April 16, 2025
I’ve been wanting to read this for ages, wanting to read more about Mary Lamb.
I wish I had found this book earlier, it would have made tackling Shakespeare plays easier if I read this first.
Not all plays are included but it has 21 of the 32 plays, which would have given me a good start. Of the plays that I have read here, it varies from a loose adaptation to sticking fairly closely to the plot. Winter’s Tale, a play that I have not read yet is sad and also beautiful , and I was really willing for Lady Macbeth to be shown with more depth than being the instigator to Macbeth’s downfall, but this was originally published over two centuries ago.
I wish I had found this book earlier, it would have made tackling Shakespeare plays easier if I read this first.
Not all plays are included but it has 21 of the 32 plays, which would have given me a good start. Of the plays that I have read here, it varies from a loose adaptation to sticking fairly closely to the plot. Winter’s Tale, a play that I have not read yet is sad and also beautiful , and I was really willing for Lady Macbeth to be shown with more depth than being the instigator to Macbeth’s downfall, but this was originally published over two centuries ago.
February 29, 2012
The tales in this volume are written for children and have become literature in their own right.
Writing the stories was a project for Mary Lamb while in a sanitarium for murdering her mother. Her brother Charles Lamb faithfully visited his sister every day. They divided the tales up, each wrote half and they would read them to each other.
Regardless of the origin of the stories they are brief descriptions of some of Shakespeare's plays and are nice introductions to the work of the Bard.
Writing the stories was a project for Mary Lamb while in a sanitarium for murdering her mother. Her brother Charles Lamb faithfully visited his sister every day. They divided the tales up, each wrote half and they would read them to each other.
Regardless of the origin of the stories they are brief descriptions of some of Shakespeare's plays and are nice introductions to the work of the Bard.
September 3, 2020
Charles si occupò della sorella fino alla morte; a un certo punto la follia di Mary divenne così grave, che lui dovette trasferirsi con lei in un istituto psichiatrico privato, e là morì all'età di 59 anni, il fisico minato dall'alcol. Sua sorella gli sopravvisse 12 anni, ormai del tutto pazza. Furono riuniti nella stessa tomba
November 18, 2010
الكتاب جيد ، اختصر أكثر من رواية شهيرة لشكسبير وعرضها
المشكلة في كل روايات شكسبير أن الشخصيات التي يقطر قلبها شراً منذ بداية الرواية تتغير فجأة وتشعر بالندم لمجرد ان شخصاً ما أنبها وذكرها بكل السوء الذي فعلته
ارى هذا غير واقعي وسبب ضعيف لتغير الأحداث
المشكلة في كل روايات شكسبير أن الشخصيات التي يقطر قلبها شراً منذ بداية الرواية تتغير فجأة وتشعر بالندم لمجرد ان شخصاً ما أنبها وذكرها بكل السوء الذي فعلته
ارى هذا غير واقعي وسبب ضعيف لتغير الأحداث
April 22, 2020
I hadn’t done much of Shakespeare at school and loved this book as an overview for many of his tales that I had no knowledge or know of. It gave me a round up of many of his well beloved plays and stories and now can tell the difference between my ‘Macbeth’s’ and my ‘Midsummer Nights Dreams’ which before picking this up, I couldn’t have done! I always wished I’d learnt Shakespeare in my English classes so sought to make up what I hadn’t learnt and this book was perfect for that.
It was a great introduction to a whole host of Shakespeare’s writings although didn’t include his historical plays (such as Richard lll) but is still a great book for all those who want to brush up on their Shakespeare or like me, to bring yourself up to speed with his plays.
It was a great introduction to a whole host of Shakespeare’s writings although didn’t include his historical plays (such as Richard lll) but is still a great book for all those who want to brush up on their Shakespeare or like me, to bring yourself up to speed with his plays.
May 19, 2025
This seems to be a fancy glossary, but it actually served to remind me of works and characters I had forgotten and to discover those I had never read. In many cases at the end of a story I had a headache because Shakespeare is really very convoluted in some of his plots....
Questo sembra essere un bignami di lusso, ma in realtá mi é servito per ricordarmi le opere ed i personaggi che avevo dimenticato e scoprire quelle che non avevo mai letto. In molti casi alla fine di una storia avevo mal di testa perché Shakespeare é veramente molto convoluto in alcune delle sue trame...
Questo sembra essere un bignami di lusso, ma in realtá mi é servito per ricordarmi le opere ed i personaggi che avevo dimenticato e scoprire quelle che non avevo mai letto. In molti casi alla fine di una storia avevo mal di testa perché Shakespeare é veramente molto convoluto in alcune delle sue trame...
December 8, 2018
Well, I had my own renditions and doubts before starting Tales From Shakespeare. Even though the blurb said that it is "prose retellings of Shakespeare's plays", I was besotted with doubts because reading summaries of Shakespearean plays is the last thing on my mind right now. Hence I thought of reading all the read plays from it and even though it is a retelling, Shakespeare's magic doesn't seem to have lost.
This edition of Tales From Shakespeare has twenty plays by Shakespeare - comedies, tragedies and tragicomedies - in prose. Though short, it demands meticulous attention to be read and understood. It was such a delight to have read and get the essence of Shakespeare from none other than Charles and Mary Lamb. This reading also gave me a to-read play that I normally might not have thought to read. Pericles, Prince of Tyre is on top of my to-read list as far as Shakespearean plays are considered.
This edition of Tales From Shakespeare has twenty plays by Shakespeare - comedies, tragedies and tragicomedies - in prose. Though short, it demands meticulous attention to be read and understood. It was such a delight to have read and get the essence of Shakespeare from none other than Charles and Mary Lamb. This reading also gave me a to-read play that I normally might not have thought to read. Pericles, Prince of Tyre is on top of my to-read list as far as Shakespearean plays are considered.
February 12, 2024
Notă: 4⭐/5
Gen: Classic
•
🎭 De mult îmi doream să citesc piesele lui Shakespeare. În liceu am citit două sau trei, dar nu am avut ocazia de a le parcurge și pe restul. M-am bucurat tare mult când am găsit această carte cu toate piesele lui repovestite.
•
🎭 Am terminat-o în câteva zile. Am simțit că mă întorc în timp și citesc o carte de povești. Nu le văd potrivite neapărat pentru copii, deoarece unele dintre ele au fost puțin dubioase. Pentru adolescenți, însă, mi se par perfecte.
•
🎭 Dacă sunteți pasionați de literatura clasică și vă doreați să citiți piesele de teatru ale lui Shakespeare, dar căutați o modalitate mai accesibilă, merită să îi oferiți o șansă acestei cărți. Se parcurge foarte ușor 🤗
Gen: Classic
•
🎭 De mult îmi doream să citesc piesele lui Shakespeare. În liceu am citit două sau trei, dar nu am avut ocazia de a le parcurge și pe restul. M-am bucurat tare mult când am găsit această carte cu toate piesele lui repovestite.
•
🎭 Am terminat-o în câteva zile. Am simțit că mă întorc în timp și citesc o carte de povești. Nu le văd potrivite neapărat pentru copii, deoarece unele dintre ele au fost puțin dubioase. Pentru adolescenți, însă, mi se par perfecte.
•
🎭 Dacă sunteți pasionați de literatura clasică și vă doreați să citiți piesele de teatru ale lui Shakespeare, dar căutați o modalitate mai accesibilă, merită să îi oferiți o șansă acestei cărți. Se parcurge foarte ușor 🤗
January 15, 2020
Wonderful book to read weather your an adult or child, lovely introduction by Dame Judi Dench too which is a nice touch. Also to add this is a great book if you're just starting to explore Shakespeare and his works as it breaks down the plays in easy to understand plots.
September 29, 2021
Nowhere near as good as the original!
Right, I may be in the minority here but this book was a mangled mess in my eyes missing the comedy particularly of the original plays. Whilst I could give the treatment of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Othello" 4 stars, the (mis)treatment of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was shameful, missing all the fun and froth of the original play.
I really only picked it up because of the references from Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" as well as "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Knowing about half of the plays in their original, I chafed at the archaic language and obtuse prose missing the lyricism and cadence of the original scripts. Particularity in performance, these plays from the 16th century carry far more interest, activity and and colour than these dull offerings.
Published in the early 19th century for children by 2 childless adults, I cannot really see its current attraction? Head to Wikipedia or, ideally, the real script, to enjoy the whole shabang.
Right, I may be in the minority here but this book was a mangled mess in my eyes missing the comedy particularly of the original plays. Whilst I could give the treatment of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Othello" 4 stars, the (mis)treatment of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was shameful, missing all the fun and froth of the original play.
I really only picked it up because of the references from Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" as well as "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Knowing about half of the plays in their original, I chafed at the archaic language and obtuse prose missing the lyricism and cadence of the original scripts. Particularity in performance, these plays from the 16th century carry far more interest, activity and and colour than these dull offerings.
Published in the early 19th century for children by 2 childless adults, I cannot really see its current attraction? Head to Wikipedia or, ideally, the real script, to enjoy the whole shabang.
Read
August 21, 2017Read this with the girls many years ago but want to reread.
This is actually a totally different book from the original Tales from Shakespeare which I started a couple days ago. I have both books. Read this one in 2002 with daughters. It is illustrated but GRs has it tied to all the other editions written by Charles and Mary Lamb. Not sure how to untie it, so I may have to delete and re-enter the book in order to 'fix' the official record. Grrrr! The dif is the illustrated edition is not complete, only 15 stories (20 in original) and is, well illustrated, as it says in title.
This is actually a totally different book from the original Tales from Shakespeare which I started a couple days ago. I have both books. Read this one in 2002 with daughters. It is illustrated but GRs has it tied to all the other editions written by Charles and Mary Lamb. Not sure how to untie it, so I may have to delete and re-enter the book in order to 'fix' the official record. Grrrr! The dif is the illustrated edition is not complete, only 15 stories (20 in original) and is, well illustrated, as it says in title.
did-not-finish
August 19, 2018No lo abandono, lo aparco con los dos primeros cuentos leídos ("La tempestad" y "Sueño de una noche de verano"). Es una adaptación de las obras teatrales de Shakespeare en formato cuento y prefiero leer antes las obras, eso es todo. El libro es ameno y ágil, pero quiero leer antes las originales, las que me faltan. (19/08/2018)
November 12, 2007
These stories are a perfect way to introduce children to Shakespeare’s plays. I loved this book when I was 10, and I’m convinced it’s one of the main reasons I was a Shakespeare fanatic well before I entered high school.
January 12, 2020
An excellent starting place before seeing a full play in person.
March 13, 2021
Nem vagyok nagy Shakespeare-rajongó, de ezzel az olvasással tartoztam – leginkább magamnak. A történetek mondjuk harmadát ismertem (ezek töredékét olvastam is drámaformában, a maradékot inkább film- és/vagy színházi feldolgozásból.)
Igazából maguk a történetek sem tudtak megfogni. Még az is, amelyiket szeretem (mondjuk a Vízkeresztet kifejezetten szeretem, bár ott is valószínűleg a feldolgozások érték el ezt), itt idegesített. Tudom, hogy kvázi ez a mesék feladata, de a rengeteg sztereotípia és agyonhasznált toposz/fordulat is csak eltávolított. Például A velencei kalmár végletekig gonosz uzsorás zsidója a 20. század tükrében kifejezetten nyomasztó volt – és ezt most nem felróni akarom, csak egyszerűen ezt éreztem. Emellett viszont nagyon ideje volt már megismernem a Hamlet történetét vagy mondjuk az Othellot.
Ami viszont kifejezetten pozitív élmény volt, az az Ahogy tetszik. Egyszerűen azért, mert amikor azt olvastam, akkor még a drámaformátum olvasása élénken élt bennem, és így tudatosan figyeltem arra, hogy mit ír le másképp egy próza, hogyan fűzi össze a jeleneteket, amiket a dráma különösebb nehézség nélkül csak egymás mögé pakol. Több helyen vélt vagy valós magyarázat is megjelenik történésekre, gondolom részben a potenciális gyerekolvasókra való tekintettel, részben a szöveg gördülékenysége miatt. Illetve szintén a gyerekek miatt valószínűleg a bolond és az álruhás-Rosalindba szerelmes lány (és az őt szerető ifjú) is kimaradtak a történetből. Őszintén szólva én ezt irodalomórán egy kihagyhatatlan lehetőségnek tartanám, hogy bármely kötelező Shakespeare-drámához el kelljen olvasni a mesét is, így a történeten kívül a két műnem és műnem-eszköztár közötti különbséget is lehetne elemezni.
És most már azt is elmondhatom, hogy olvastam óangol szöveget, ha mégoly keveset is hagytak meg Lambék, hűen követve az előszóban leírt koncepciójukat.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 606 reviews