William Shakespeare's Star Wars

This reads exactly like a work of The Bard... I knew the moment I heard about this adaptation that I needed to get a copy, and I was not mistaken. Now if only someone would put this on stage as an actual play... the Force would truly be with me!

It's the perfect combination of shakespearlike iambic pentameter and good old Star Wars ;) Plus there are extras like the thinking of R2D2 or stage direction. I'm definitely going to read it over and over again. Can't wait till there's more from Ian Doescher.

This is really fun to read, R2D2 has dialog both in sound (beep, beep, whistle, etc.) and a regular dialog as an aside! The writer has done a good job keeping the dialog in the book close to the original dialog in the movie.

Let's face it, if you're buying or reading this book, you already know the story and characters. It's the reformat that makes it awesome. Does it fix the problems from the original film? No, but it does flesh out the characters more as Doescher has to find ways to resolve problems with translating a film to a stage play. This whole series of books is a total hoot!

This is a no brainer for anyone that loves either Shakespeare or Star Wars... Seriously, you have here a remarkably well done tribute to classic Star Wars done in the style of the Bard. It's remarkably self aware, letting familiar characters make full and frequently hilarious use of the conventions of Shakespeare story telling, and referencing insider SW humor to great effect. See the confrontation between Han and Greedo for a great example ;)

It's got Shakespearean charm. That's about it. I bought it for the novelty of showing friends, but that's about all it's worth. If you are a Shakespeare/Star Wars nerd, go for it. However, it's something about a great movie that doesn't translate especially well into iambic pentameter. For the more modern readers, this book isn't for you, especially if you hated Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, or Macbeth in high school.

I expected to read a parody, full of humor, but unfortunately the text is not what I expected. It may be interesting for linguists or for mega-fans of Starwars as a funfic tale.
I would not recommend this text to my friends.

If you are a lover of Shakespeare, a lover of Star Wars and a lover of parody then the Shakespeare and Star Wars books are definitely something you will want to read. Just like the movies, to us "old guard" the first Star Wars will always be the originals. So it is with the books. I read William Shakespeare's Star Wars Parts IV, V, VI before coming to The Phantom of Menace. Okay, honestly I read them that way because that is the order in which they were written, but even if I had all 6 of the books available to read I probably would have started with book IV! The Phantom of Menace is the beginning of the Star Wars saga and pretty much follows the movie. I noticed in this installment that there seemed to be a lot more soliloquies amongst the characters, and a lot more "asides" as well. Those helped set the stage to what was going on in a scene. I also noticed less quotations from Shakespeare, but that may be my lack of knowledge of all things Shakespeare. Something I haven't really paid attention to in the former Shakespeare and Star Wars books I've read were the illustrations. This time around they captured my attention. They are quite detailed and helped me to see what exactly was going on in some of the scenes. If I had paid better attention in English class I could tell you more about the ins and outs of Iambic Pentameter, but my understanding is that it has to do with the number of syllables in a line(pentameter=5). For my simple mind it determines the cadence of the verses. Shakespeare and Ian Doescher do it pretty well! As far as the character of Jar Jar Binks is concerned people either loved him or hated him in the movie and I imagine they will love him or hate him in the book as well. I happen to have enjoyed his character in both the movie and the book, although I found his character portrayed a bit more intelligent in the book. So whether you are old school, and like the original versions of Star Wars or new school(is that what they call it?), and like the new versions here is your chance to start this epic series beginning with Star Wars Part The First, William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace.

3.5 stars

"Pray, R2-D2, Where art thou?

Seriously, how awesome is that? This book (or should I say play?)is like a love story between George Lucas' Star Wars and the works of William Shakespeare. I have seen each Star Wars movie more times than I can count and also read a couple of star wars books to the boys along the way....so I am more than familiar with Star Wars and it was fun to read it in iambic pentameter. I thought when I began reading this, that this book will get old fast for me..but it didn't. It was a fun and clever book. I have to say that my hat is off for the Author. This was probably not an easy feat. I dare say that I am not so clever so I appreciate the skill involved. Plus, did I mention this is done in play form?

“LUKE Friends, rebels, starfighters, lend me your ears. Wish not we had a single fighter more, If we are mark’d to die, we are enough To make our planets proud. But should we win, We fewer rebels share the greater fame. We all have sacrific’d unto this cause.”

Reading classics can either be pleasurable or it can be daunting as they feel dated - mainly due to the language. Other reviews have mentioned this, and I agree 100% with them, that this is a fun way to introduce kids/teens to the works of Shakespeare. True, this is not Shakespeare but perhaps could be used as a gentle introduction to his body of work. As in read this book first, then move on to a real Shakespeare work. I also feel that this book was possibly a labor of love by someone who loves star wars and has a real appreciation for Shakespeare. Plus, I could understand what was going on. I have actually enjoyed most of the Shakespeare's plays I have read, but there have been times when I had to read and re-read sections/passages/pages because I was like "What did I just read?" That was not the case here. I also liked the asides...well, maybe I more than liked them..I kinda loved them!

“A plague on 3PO for action slow,/ A plague upon my quest that led us here,/ A plague on both our circuit boards, I say!

I would never had picked this book up if it weren't for a book challenge. Glad I did. Shakespeare meets science fiction..who knew it could work!

First off, it is Star Wars. At first, the images that pass through your mind as you read see straight from the movie. After a time, I at least began imagining this as a stage performance. This was made easier by the stage direction included as well as the "chorus" whose lines move the story along at points when dialogue is not enough. Another way the author helped the story was through the use of asides... foreshadowing things which we as movie-goers didn't discover until later productions.
One thing that surprised me was how little many of the lines had to be changed to fit both the iambic pentameter and the Shakespearean style. In particular, the lines of C3PO and Obi-Wan needed very little massaging to fit the style. The speeches that became the most fun were Leia's first meeting of Luke (she goes on for quite awhile about his stature) and R2-D2's asides in English showing his "feelings" at the time of his speeches.
Remember, you aren't reading it to discover a long lost Shakespearean play or a new story in the Star Wars universe. Instead, you are reading the story as a traditional heroic tale. FYI: There is also a teaching guide available online... presumably so you could use this book to introduce Shakespeare to a class.

The concept for this series (there's 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'The Jedi Doth return') is ingenious. This book is fun to read. I am giving it 3 stars and not 4 because the Shakespearean language of the author though admirable, does not match that of the Bard. It is an unfair comparison perhaps, but I thought that the reader should not expect too much. Here's an example of the text from Scene 8:

Han: Now dropping out of light speed's frantic rush
We enter swift unto the area
Where should there be great Alderaan in view.
But pray what madness meets the Falcon's flight?
Is this an ast'roid field I see before me?
The ship hath wrought a course direct and true,
Yet no Alderaan may here be found.
O errand vile, O portents of great ill!
What shall it mean, when planets are no more,
For those who make their wages by the stars?

Luke: What news good Han?

Han: - The ship's position hits
The mark, and yet no Alderaan there is.

Luke: I pray thee, marry, say: what canst thou mean?

George Lucas’s "Star Wars" is the story of a young man seeking his place in the world, an old warrior heading off to one last battle, a tragic conflict between mentor and disciple, light and darkness. It is rife with philosophy and emotion. In short, it has all the ingredients of a great Shakespeare play. And that’s exactly how Ian Doescher has presented it in "William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope."

This book recasts the classic space fantasy in the language of Shakespeare—from the great lines (“In time so long ago begins our play / In star-crossed galaxy far, far away”) to the mundane (“O hast thou heard? The main reactor fails!”). The result is a tribute to Star Wars that’s at once amusing and respectful; Doescher is aware of the potential for silliness in this exercise, but does try to evoke something deeper about the story through this new (old) language.

If there is one thing that could have improved the book, in fact, it would be slightly more freedom on the part of the author. Every line of the film is accounted for, reproduced in studied iambic pentameter (even Shakespeare varied his meter sometimes!). But some of the most interesting passages are those in which characters are given something new to say, soliloquies or side comments that play off of or illuminate what’s in the film. (Let’s put in this way: in Doescher’s version, R2-D2 is a speaking role, albeit one that goes unheard by the other characters.) Doescher’s text is complemented by Nicolas Delort’s wonderful illustrations, which are done in imitation of woodcuts and imagine the characters in Elizabethan garb and are at once humorous and delightful.

Alec Guinness was famously irate that people remembered him more for his turn as Obi-Wan Kenobi than for his Shakespearean acting. If George Lucas had had this script, perhaps things would have been different.

~

Amazing! I LOVED this, and if you're into Star Wars and/or Shakespeare, you will too! I'm ready to stage this, who's in? I apologize, the part of Princess Leia has been cast.
Doescher must of had a blast composing our favorite Star Wars dialogue into iambic pentameter. "Now prithee, shall this walking carpet be Removed from my path?" ("Would somebody get this big walking carpet outta my way?"), and my favorite from the film "A slight malfunction of the weapons here. But all is well, and we are well, and all Within are well. The pris'ners, too, are well, 'Tis well, 'tis well. And thou? Art also well?" ("Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?") I also enjoyed the part when Luke gives a glorious motivational speech to his comrades, rather than the movie version when he snottily proclaims that he shoots womp-rats in T-16 at home, and hitting the Death Star's weak spot should be no problem. I think I'm going to need to read Episodes 5 and 6 now too. "There let our heroes rest free from attack, Till darkness rise and Empire striketh back."

Ian Doescher takes on the task of bringing the Star Wars prequels to the Elizabethan stage in “William Shakespeare’s The Phantom of Menace” to fantastic results that will be jarring to any of those who dislike the film. Given the first prequel’s notorious reputation amongst the Star Wars fandom, Doescher gives the maligned film a magnificent theatrical presentation that would make any hardcore fan happy.

The biggest issue Doescher had to deal with was obviously Jar Jar Binks, who instead of being just a vacant-minded fool is instead a radical-who-plays-the-fool to help united the Gungans with the Naboo. As one reads, you notice the subtlety that Doescher gives to Jar Jar as the acting fool in front of everyone else and his true political radical personality in soliloquies and asides. The other issue that Doescher dealt with was the 10-minute podrace, his answer was by following Shakespeare’s led in having Padme and Jar Jar act as messengers relating the action of the race to Qui-Gon and Shmi and those the audience. Once Doescher had dealt with these two big issues the rest of “The Phantom of Menace” was like his previous three Star Wars Shakespearean adaptations, keep true to the film while adding background for characters in soliloquies and asides. Doescher even has fun with Qui-Gon and Mace Windu’s dialogues by sprinkling references to Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson’s other film roles but still staying true to the scene in which they are in.

Overall “The Phantom of Menace” is a wonderful adaptation and is a credit to Ian Doescher’s imaginative writing that makes it feel better than its film inspiration. Whether or not you like The Phantom Menace, if you like Doescher’s Shakespearean adaptations do not hesitate to read this one because you will enjoy it.

Author Ian Doescher achieves the impossible in "The Phantom of Menace": he manages to make "Episode I" good. Well, if not good, then at least enjoyable. The basic story follows that of the movie, but Doescher takes a freer hand with the prequels than he did with the original trilogy, employing the character of Rumor, lifted from "Henry IV, Part 2", in order to set up a galaxy on the edge of turmoil. This successfully captures the spirit of what George Lucas had attempted, and failed, to convey in the film. Additionally, Doescher makes Jar Jar Binks likable, with the character only playing the fool for the benefit of the human characters so that he might better play on their expectations in order to persuade them to his cause of uniting the Gungans and the Naboo. In this way, "The Phantom of Menace" is further proof of Doescher's limitless creativity.

Somebody please produce this play! It needs to been seen. When I first came across this book I was very intrigued. Star Wars and Shakespeare rolled into one. I think Ian Doescher did a phenomenal job turning the science fiction class into another classic all of its own. I was pleasantly surprised by how well Star Wars fit as a Shakespearean play. My favorite part of reading this book was looking for the iconic scenes in Star Wars and reading how well Doescher reworded them.

OBI-WAN: Alas-I sense the game, and we're the pawns. That is no moon, 'Tis a space station there.

Also, like many of Shakespeare's plays, there is inner dialog, and for the first time we get to hear R2-D2's inner thoughts. That robot it deep! This is a great book for people of all ages. While I was reading I had several people ask to borrow this book when I was done. The idea of Shakespeare and Star Wars together certainly captures the attention of many people. I think this idea should be applied to many books. It would introduce people to Shakespeare in a way that's not so foreign to them and make the reading experience more enjoyable.

"Now prithee shall this walking carpet be removed from my path?"

Whenever I go see a Shakespeare play it always takes a good 10-15 minutes before my brain syncs with the language and iambic pentameter. Only then am I able to really follow the dialogue without having to process it like a foreign language. Listening to this full-cast, sound-effect-laden production of "Verily, A New Hope," was no exception, and once I got used to it, it was a joy to behold.

Ian Doescher really outdid himself here turning the Star Wars saga into a Shakespearean play, replete with stage directions, asides and internal monologues as voiced soliloquies. R2-D2 gets especially loving treatment, though Chewbacca ends up getting the short end of the stick. Most of the cast are seasoned Star Wars saga audiobook readers, and they really sell the character voices while still sounding like they are on-stage at the Globe. There are also no shortage of nods to the plays of the Bard himself.

I've no idea how something like this could ever be effectively staged, but I'd love to see it.

The audiobook is highly recommended.

"Red five doth here stand by."

At first, I wasn't entirely sure how to write a review for these books without the reviews sounding the same. That's what took me so long to review these books. Finally, I decided to combine them and turn my review into a review of the whole trilogy. This review will encompass Verily, A New Hope, The Empire Striketh Back, and The Jedi Doth Return.

I took a Shakespeare class in high school, and ever since then I've been obsessed. I've read most of his plays and sonnets. My favorite is Twelfth Night. I've also read a lot of retellings that are based on his works. I just can't get enough Shakespeare in my life. When that is combined with one of my favorite nerdy things of all time, Star Wars, the result is pure epicness.

I loved the William Shakespeare's Star Wars trilogy. It stayed very true to the plot of the Star Wars movies while incorporating writing that was very similar to the bard's. Ian Doescher did a wonderful job with that. If it wasn't for the Star Wars subject matter that came out after Shakespeare's time, I would have almost been able to believe that I was reading an authentic Shakespeare play. It had me cracking up laughing quite a bit. I especially loved the witty banter between C-3P0 and R2-D2. Another one of my favorite things about the book were the illustrations. They were drawn fit in with the theme of the book really well. It definitely added something special to the story.

I think William Shakespeare's Star Wars might be my favorite Shakespeare parody yet. I loved everything about the trilogy. I can't wait to read the prequel trilogy. I didn't care for the prequel movies, but if the books are anything like this trilogy was, I'm sure I'll love them. I already have the first one, which I should have a review up soon. I recommend this trilogy for anyone who likes fun, nerdy things.

I’ve seen this book several times as I’ve walked through Barnes and Noble. I’ve always stopped, picked it up, and been amazed that as much as this is a gag-book, it’s not actually gag-book quality - it is, in fact, a legitimate and quite successful attempt to craft a Star Wars stage play in iambic pentameter. And it works! I admit, I would have never purchased this book for myself, but a student of mine (thanks Thomas!) gave it to me at the end of the school year, and so I have read every line and syllable of Shakespeare’s Star Wars!

Not only does our author (SPOILER: not actually Shakespeare), Ian Doescher, re-write the text into 'thuslies' and 'theeslies', but he re-creates the Star Wars script to imitate the Shakespearean stage presentation and character archetypes present in the Bard’s 37(ish) plays. I particularly liked the use of the Chorus to illustrate scenes that would be otherwise technically challenging to stage in a basic high school auditorium. Take the Battle of the Death Star for instance: the Chorus, in rhyming couplets, narrates for your head the epic battles, explosions, triumphs, and failures of the dark vacuum of space. In addition, Doescher fills his script with nods to Shakespeare’s own classic dialogue (“Alas, poor stormtrooper, I knew ye not” or “Friends, rebels, starfighters, lend me your ears!”). Finally, Doescher shows his love for Star Wars, often poking fun of the ever present Star Wars Fanboy Arguments - his treatment of the Who-Shot-First, Han or Greedo, left a particularly big smile on my face.

This is a great book, and is far better than it’s place on Barnes and Noble’s kitschy items table. In order to truly appreciate this book, you should probably love both Star Wars and Shakespeare first. But if you just love Star Wars (or just Shakespeare, I suppose) you could buy the book and, using proper voices, read scenes aloud to your wife while she’s trying to sleep. That’s a really fun game, trust me. The Force is strong with this book! Go buy it!

There's been a lot of (justified) criticism of George Lucas' cheesy writing style, and there's some trepidation about how JJ Abrams will handle the new sequel. So who could produce a Star Wars script that exceeds expectations?

How about Shakespeare?

That seems to be the idea behind Ian Doescher's "William Shakespeare's Star Wars," a deliciously witty reimagining of the Star Wars saga in glorious iambic pentameter. While obviously a very funny spoof ("Now is the summer of our happiness/made winter by this sudden, fierce attack"), it's also a very well-written and eloquent experiment in pseudo-Elizabethan verse.

Anyone who has paid attention to pop culture in the last fifty years knows the main story already -- two droids land on the planet Tattooine, give a message to old Ben Kenobi, he trains the plucky hero Luke Skywalker to be a Jedi, there's a guy in a dark helmet who probably won't be related to any of the lead characters, Luke hangs out with a smuggler and rescues a princess, there's a Death Star, etc. If you know none of this, then please join the rest of the world.

A lot of people don't realize that, pre-copyright laws, Shakespeare actually was the master of taking preexisting stories (some fictional, some not) and sculpting them into the classic stories we know and love today. Yes, Shakespeare was the original producer of remakes, reboots, and "re-imaginings." Wrap your brain around that.

So the idea of him writing a somewhat less awkward Star Wars screenplay isn't actually that hard to imagine. And Ian Doescher... well, he does a really, really good job of bridging parody and actual sort-of-kind-of Shakespearean verse in this. He's clearly studied Shakespeare's writing, and rather than just adding a few prithees and "eths" to the preexisting screenplay, he actually reworks almost every line in it. Well, except for Chewie and R2D2. There's only so many ways you can translate "Egh" or "Beep."

One example? Like Shakespeare in his time, he includes the stage directions in the actual text ("I turn to thee, thou rebel. Aye, I lift/Thy head above my own") and asides to the audience ("O vict’ry! Next, I’ll praise him for his choice./[To Luke:] A noble choice thou makest, Master, for/Thou surely shalt be pleas’d with this new droid.").

And he writes whole swaths of dialogue that have no parallel in the original, but are the kind of things that Shakespeare would probably have done in his own time ("My own existence is a paradox—/A smuggler with a lover’s kindly heart,/A gambler with a noble spirit brave"). It has lots of witty little moments and fun in-jokes that make it even funnier ("And whether I shot first, I’ll ne’er confess!"), as well as some fun moments (R2D2 is very eloquent when he's not talking to other characters).

While fun as a novelty, "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" is also a very cleverly-written reworking of a classic space opera.... in the style of a classic playwright. Clever, witty and funny, and of interest to even casual Shakespeare nerds.

This is just excellent. As a fan of both Star Wars and Shakespeare, I couldn't be more pleased, but I really don't think you need to know much about Shakespearean language to enjoy this. It's written in iambic pentameter, and there may be a couple of spots where some might find it tricky to follow, but it's all written with more or less modern language, with modern cultural references thrown in. And it's a smooth, quick pace, and doesn't drag at all.

He took a mediocre movie and made it thoroughly enjoyable (yes, even Jar Jar. He explains his methods and reasoning for his reimagining of the character in the Afterward). It's funny, and engaging, and just all-around fun to read. Not only would I buy this book again, but if anyone ever makes it into a live play, or a movie, I would pay to see it.

"Star Wars: A New Hope" in iambic pentameter - this is more brilliant than I thought it would be. I don't know a lot of Shakespeare by heart, but I know enough to hugely enjoy it when Ian Doescher delightfully corrupts & reinterprets the Bard. The humor comes from different angles, and begins with the first lines.

"Scene 1
Aboard the Rebel Ship
Enter C-3PO and R2D2

C-3PO:
Now is the summer of our happiness
Made winter by this sudden, fierce attack!"

and R2D2 replies:
"Beep Beep"

That's an example of humor where the Bard is plagiarized. Then there's lines where you recognize favorite dialogue from the movie, brought up to Shakespeare's standard (in a substandard way!). C-3PO and R2D2 exit the space pod on Tatooine and the grumpy C-3PO does not want to go the same way as R2D2:
"No more with thine adventures! I go not
Upon thy way. [R2D2 exits.] Malfunctioning small fool!
'Tis all his fault. He trick'd me so that I
Should go this way. But he shall not fare well."

Or how about when Luke first hears Leia's hologram message:
"The desp'rate hour is now upon us - please,
I beg thee, Sir. O help me, Obi-Wan
Kenobi, help. Thou art mine only hope."

As with a Shakespeare play, there are five acts, a Chorus (like a narrator) and characters have soliloquies. Even R2D2 has soliloquies. When "speaking", he makes only mechanical sounds. When musing out loud, however, he tells us what he really thinks.

Illustrations are pen & ink drawings in the style of woodcuts. I loved the picture of Luke holding a Stormtrooper helmet aloft in one hand a' la' Hamlet and the skull, as he intones:
"Alas, poor Stormtrooper, I knew ye not."

Like real Shakespeare, I read "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" in measured doses. Even with a well-known story line, it is more work to read iambic pentameter. But I very much enjoyed it, and highly recommend this book as a hoot. It's clever and it's fun.

Happy Reader

Combining the epicness of Star Wars with the loftiness of Shakespeare is a novel idea, but can it done well? Aye, there's the rub.

Ian Doescher's Shakespeare pastiche of Star Wars offers some laughs and some great moments as the story of a New Hope is reimagined in theatrical Elizabethan language. Uncle Owen comes off much stronger and indeed the first two acts are particularly strong, though the book seems to lose steam towards the end.

The book's biggest failings are its overuse of asides and the chorus. Shakespeare, as a master playwright, used asides to communicate necessary information to his viewers, make the laugh, or make some dramatic point. In the hands of a novice, the asides become repetitive and choke the action while adding no value other than backstory. The chorus is much the same in the first three acts, though it really is necessary in Act 5 when the biggest challenge of converting Star Wars into Shakespeare comes into play with the action scenes. One way Doescher could have avoided having to use the chorus is writing this as a 16th Century screenplay version of Shakespeare's Star Wars.

Overall, it's more likely to be a geek's collector's item than a literary classic, but it was an okay read.

Shakespeare and Star Wars come together to wondrous results thanks to the fantastic writing and imagination of Ian Doescher. In 176 pages of iambic pentameter verse, stage directions, and some of the best Elizabethan clothed Star War characters ever seen, the reader finds one of the best adaptations of Star Wars ever.

The language is Shakespearean, but it's very readable and understandable even if you're not use to late 16th century language (even in quasi-form). The original dialogue of the Star Wars film is covered excellently with numerous additional lines of soliloquies and speeches by a variety of characters added by Doescher to give the book it's true Shakespearean element. However these additions don't take away from the film, they add to it by giving the characters a chance to express their inner thoughts that we never hear in the actual film. The soliloquies are full of spoilers from the prequels along with foreshadowing for the sequels that seem to be Doescher's shout out to Star Wars fans of all kinds.

I can't say how much I enjoyed this book and how much I think Star Wars fans will like it as well. If you're a Star Wars fan check out this book and you'll have a smile on your face as you imagine the film being transferred to an Elizabethan theater with all the action, adventure, and comedy taking place.

I like books like "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and even some of the "Fifty Shades of..." parodies. But they tend to be sort of one-note efforts, even if they are entertaining, and a little bit can go a long way. I expected that same sort of reaction when I started this book, but guess what? - there's a lot more of interest going on here.

This is not just phoney baloney Shakespeare with a lot of forsooths and thees and thous. The author has devoted some real thought to how the Star Wars characters measure up to Shakespeare's characters, and has made a legitimate effort to capture the cadence, style, feel and flow of Shakespeare's, (and other Elizabethan playwrights'), dramatic approach. Darth Vader, whom I have often thought of as not just "a" but possibly "the" central character in the series has the feel and dignity and tragic presence of Richard, ("I have cast my fate upon a throw..."). C3PO and R2-D2 are worthy successors to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern or maybe even Falstaff.

Now, this isn't Shakespeare and I don't imagine there will be Ian Doescher societies, at least not based on this book, but, boy, this is an interesting and rewarding effort that actually enhances one's appreciation of the entire Star Wars arc. I can certainly see why this would be in any Star Wars fan's library, but it might also be of interest to more casual readers as well. And, not to sound too much like your hippy-dippy high school English teacher, this might be an excellent and creatively weird choice for a high schooler who is reluctant to read "great literature". That might be asking too much, but since the book isn't arch or cutesy or precious, but just straightforwardly what it is, it might be worth consideration.

So, put the "star" back in star-crossed, and consider giving this a try. A very happy little find. Please note that I found this book while browsing the store Kindle goodies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars is nothing short of spectacular! This play is everything nerds everywhere have been waiting for, this is a mash-up of epic proportions. Never did I imagine that Shakespeare and Star Wars could blend to create such a perfect tale of adventure, hope, and friendship. This is the Star Wars book that fans have been waiting for, a book so unusual, yet executed so well.

I haven't read much Shakespeare in my life, yet I still loved this book to pieces. Despite my lack of knowledge about a majority of Shakespeare's plays, I still understood a lot of the jokes and references the author made. If you're a fan of Shakespeare, I'll bet you'll love this one even more, because you'll be able to catch all the subtle easter eggs that author inserted in the text.

It was shocking to me to see how well Shakespearean aspects intertwined with Star Wars. The two worlds collided so perfectly that I thought: "Why did it take so long for this to turn out?" The way Doescher wrote this play as if George Lucas knew all along how Star Wars could become a Shakespearean play. I know Lucas was influenced by Shakespeare, but I just didn't imagine this play working so well.

Doescher tells the story of Star Wars with such ease, precision, and everything down to the smallest details. None of the action, the adventure, the intrigue, or the mystery of Star Wars is lost in translation and Doescher keeps the play true to it's source material. If you haven't seen the Star Wars movie, I can imagine that this still would be a worthwhile read because it tells the story in such a precise, perfect manner. This is a book for a die-hard Star Wars junkie or a newbie to the franchise who wants to learn more about a galaxy far, far away.

This is Star Wars like you've never seen it before and fans will rejoice at another chance to revisit the franchise in an original, inventive way. One can only hope that there will be future Shakespearean adaptations of the Star Wars movies because this is definitely a hit! I'm even thinking about brushing up on some Shakespeare now because of this play. I can't recommend William Shakespeare's Star Wars enough, you'd have to be a member of the Imperial Army or a Sith Lord not to like it!

I wanted to love this- I *really* did. Unfortunately, it just didn't wow me. Maybe that is because I hyped it up so much in my head. Or, it could be because I haven't read Shakespeare in quite a few years... the last time I really read (and loved) Shakespeare was in college, when I was studying for my degree. After reading William Shakespeare's Star Wars, I have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare isn't much fun to leisurely read. I would much rather read and dissect his work.

I literally squealed with delight when I opened this!
That being said, this book may not have been a personal favorite, but I can step back and still be blown away. Ian Doescher did a fan-freakin-tastic job writing this book. It was incredible in its own right. The writing was SPOT ON -- both Shakespearean and Star Wars. I was incredibly impressed with how well he mashed up the two. The flow of the story was perfect, especially the breaking up of the Acts and Scenes. The stage direction was also super cool. I geeked out on both Star Wars and Shakespeare when I read this. Oh, and the illustrations are badass.
This may not have been a book I fell in love with, but it is a book I can greatly appreciate. It is a book that I will enjoy looking at for years to come. Oh, and who knows... maybe I will find a group of students who are ready to tackle Shakespeare and I can bring this in. Quirk has a pretty boss educator guide (grab the pdf here) for this and I would love using it. Also, I think I would enjoy it a bit more if I used it as a work of study- because like I said earlier, that is just how Shakespeare fits with me.
I would suggest this to my fellow hardcore Star Wars geeks and Shakespeare lovers... both can equally love and appreciate this piece of work! This would be a great addition to a high school English course- maybe on a summer reading list, so this is a must read for HS English teachers... and even college professors- I think this would be a fun addition to the syllabus; I know I would have loved reading this during one of my two semesters of Shakespeare!

- See more at: [...]

Star Wars and Shakespeare fans rejoice! Unto you is given the most amazing book. Ever.

Imagine the whole story of Star Wars: A New Hope as a classical Shakespearian play. Having trouble? Me too. Then I picked up the book and chose a page at random and started reading. Brilliant! Here, let me help from page 101:

LUKE 'Tis fortunate thou hast these storgae bins.
HAN Their use hath ever been for smuggling goods.
Ne'er have I thought I would myself herein
Be smuggling. All we do is madness-fie!
If I could start the ship, the tractor beam
Would wrap its eagle's talons 'round my neck.
OBI-WAN The tractor beam thou may'st leave unto me.
Han Thou fool, I knew thou wouldst say as much.
OBI-WAN Aye, say thou a fool? Then fool, good Sir, am I.

Yeah, it's awesome like that. Every page is awesome like that!

The actions and language are only part of the story, though; as Doescher adds asides (even for Droids) and chorus to move the story forward and give insight that a casual watcher of the movie may miss. It is very well done.

I can't recommend this book high enough. It is perhaps my favorite book of the year, and possibly of several years.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

This was a fun read, and I recommend this book to Star Wars lovers, Sci-Fi fans and Shakespeare lovers all. Or for readers who just want something different and pleasant for an afternoon's diversion. Reading the book made me realize how much of the first Star Wars movie script I remembered, and how fun it was to have the story placed in the 16th century English of Shakespeare. One quote tickled me, when Obi-Wan Kenobi was called a fool by Han Solo and he responded:
Aye, say thou fool? Then fool, good Sir, am I.
But when thou sayest fool remember well
That fools do walk in foolish company.
So if I am a fool, perhaps `tis true
That other fools around me may be found.
For who is he who hath more foolish been-
The fool or the other fool who follows him?

This is a nice combination of several of Shakespeare's fools speech and some Biblical Proverbs, of "The instruction of fools is folly" type. Several other accounts appear suddenly in the script, such as Luke Skywalker coming onstage, like a long ago in a galaxy far away Hamlet, holding a stormtrooper's helmet in hand, and saying:
Alas, poor stormtrooper, I knew ye not,
Yet I have ta'en both uniform and life from thee.
What manner of man wert thou?
A man of inf'nite jest or cruelty?
A man with helpmate and children too?
A man who hath his Empire serv'd with pride?

This is also an excellent text for drama classes to perform, either in part or in whole. The text and storyline is well known, and the Shakespearean overlay gives it a performance gravitas that many high school and college students will appreciate.
In short, I enjoyed it.

The basis of the book is interesting and the author tried to make it interesting by adding asides for the various characters, even droids so the reader could get a glimpse into their thoughts. That might be a spoiler, but the premise of my review is that there are no spoilers. When you get right down to it, it's Star Wars. Nearly everyone in the free world is familiar with the story and there in lies the rub. Even though it is a playful mix of William Shakespeare and Star Wars, you have to be prepared to hear the Star Wars story again. If you are a Star Wars fan, and I assume you are, if you want to listen to this book, ultimately you have to be prepared for a re-run. It's a good re-run and I do recommend it, but only if you are prepared for the original

I'd actually give the audio book a 3.5, because it was fun and it wasn't long. The readers were good and it included sound effects.

I listened to this from an MP3 file I got through my library.

Okay, so we all know Shakespeare didn't write Star Wars...but he could have, and this book proves it. Doescher does a fantastic job of converting the story into Shakespeare's recognizable iambic pentameter. I laughed pretty hard as the wording I know by heart was translated into the Elizabethan period speech. C-3PO and R2-D2 work perfectly as the Rosencrantz/Guildenstern comedic pairing. Doescher also brilliantly worked in asides for many of the main characters that show a good understanding of who they are and their driving motives.

What I wasn't too fond of was how he took the Special Edition approach. Then again, I'm not exactly a big fan of the Special Edition since for many years, the original cut of the movie is what I watched over and over, and those were the parts I know best. He handled the additions well enough, but they didn't feel as fleshed out as the parts that were in the original movie. He also alluded to things that happen in the prequels, which while I understood, made me feel like he shouldn't have added them unless he was planning on giving the prequels the same treatment. Maybe he is, but as of the moment, I felt Darth Vader shouldn't have been waxing poetic on any part of his (badly portrayed) history.

As a huge fan of the original trilogy, and a somewhat less huge fan of Shakespeare, I enjoyed this new take on the story. I had a lot of fun reading it, and I think any fan of the franchise will get a giggle out of it just as much as I did.

If you were that teenaged geek who read Shakespeare for fun and have had epic discussions of the flaws and merits of the re-released and altered classics that make up the Star Wars OT, you're going to enjoy this one.

A decent melding of the two, William Shakespeare's Star Wars doesn't take either too seriously. Riding that line between tongue-in-cheek and cheesy it inspires plenty of snorts and giggles while begging the question as to just whether the Bard should have been the true author of the beloved saga. Yet by the latter half I admit to thanking my lucky stars it was not... as entertaining as it is the asides with Artoo having actual lines really bugged me.

Keeping in mind that there have been alterations to the film done since its theatrical release you are going to get the Jabba scene in Mos Eisley but were previously rewarded for it with a hilarious aside from Han regarding whether he or Greedo shot first. Considering that has been a hot debate amongst fans ever since the special editions I found it to be one of my favorite nods-to-the-fans Doescher tosses in.

While it gets repetitive and downright ploddy at points it's fun enough to make a great gift for Star Wars geeks with a love of literature and a great sense of humor. I was picturing some of my theatre nerd buddies attempting to put this on and dare say this would make for a fun way to spend a weekend. Many of your favorite quotable lines gets a makeover that makes them all the more quotable and oh what I wouldn't give to see Doescher's take on Yoda.

On the surface, the idea of merging Shakespeare and sci-fi sounds preposterous, but as the author pointed out in his afterward, both George Lucas (at least for the first three Star Wars movies) and William Shakespeare understood dramatic story structure.

I found Shakespeare's Star Wars enjoyable and actually easy to read. I don't know whether it was because I was so familiar with the movie, or that I understand Old English better than I did in high school, when I had to read Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet and Othello. (In writing this review I discovered my daughter had to read these very same plays when she was in high school).

Nicolas Delort's "woodcut style" illustrations added to the drama, for the most part. Some images, like the meeting between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut were a bit too Shakespearean in costume design.

Since this book was written as if it were an actual play, complete with a chorus and soliloquies, a couple of theater groups have actually performed it. So don't be surprised if you find Star Wars cosplayers (costume players) attending--or even performing--at your community's next Shakespeare-in-the-Park festival.

Overall, "Shakespeare's" Star Wars, is something of a gimmicky novelty, but a clever one that's a quick and pleasurable diversion.

Some of the reviewers here who didn't care for this book did make a good point though: This would be a suitable gift for someone who loves, likes, or at least appreciates Star Wars AND Shakespeare. Otherwise, the book would be a slog for them to read.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars is fun. It is an irreverent novel, set in a play format, of the movie we all love. In the verse and diction of a Shakespearian tragedy. Because after all, isn't that really what Star Wars is?

...Act I Scene 3...

Leia
Darth Vader, only thou couldst be so bold.
When first my ship was under siege, I knew
'Twas thee who had this peaceful vessel sack'd.
Th'Imperi'l Senate shall not stand for this.
For when they hear thou hast attack'd a ship
On diplomatic mission-
Vader
-Highness, peace!
Be thou not so surpris'd. For well thou knowest
A mercy mission this was not, this time.
Thine innocent appearance doth disguise
A heart with revolution at its core...

See? Cool and fun. This is Star Wars as it should be taught in high school to kids unwilling to read Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet to dry for today's youth? How about Han Solo and Chewbacca in Mos Eisleys? They would easily relate to that. Or the tragic murder of Luke's aunt and uncle by Empire Stormtroopers?

I have seen some reviews arguing that this is not written as Shakespeare would have. Nor it is Star Wars as it should be. To them I can only say, "You take this shit too seriously."

This is not Shakespeare. This is not some new eye opening take on the Star Wars mythology. It is just fun and when was the last time a book was just fun. Like a comedy skit only you already know all the words and what is coming next. But you can enjoy it anyway.

...Act V Scene 3...

Han
Thy rescue hath been wondrous, think'st thou not?
Say I: at times I do myself amaze.
Amazing hath my rescue of thee been,
Amazing is my hand at piloting,
Amazing all my part in this escape,
Amazing - aye, 'tis true - my handsome looks...

If you cannot see a young arrogant Harrison Ford speaking these words than you have forgotten that the best thing Star Wars was, and how different from every other movie of its time, just how much fun it was.

So kick back and may the force be with thou.

For starters, I was almost literally born and raised on Star Wars -- I'm only one year older than the franchise. That brings with it certain biases, including the fact that I hold the original trilogy in my heart with a special reverence for all the happy memories, both as a child, and as an adult, that it brings me. I also know all three movies in their original forms by heart (and yes, Han will always have shot first!). Seeing that this unique take on the series had me very excited, and I was far from disappointed.

I admit, that when I first got the book, I was skeptical at how it would play out. It was either going to be a truly groundbreaking new approach to popular literature and film, or it was going to be an absolute joke. Fortunately, I think Shakespeare himself would be proud of the results. Staying true to the original script, Doescher places a very bard-like spin to it that allows anyone even remotely familiar with the film and the story to follow along with no difficulty. When you have lines like: "But unto Tosche Station would I go, And there obtain some pow’r converters. Fie!", I think you know where we are in the film! And I agree, Luke sounds whiny here too!

The writing style is exactly as you would expect from a William Shakespeare five act play. In fact, it is written as a script, only lacking some stage direction, but containing all the description and scene setting you would expect from any script. Inner dialogues are spoken aloud, and actions explained in the same way. While we can see these on screen, simple gestures and actions are either written in as direction, or described by the players. As it reads, there would be no doubt that any acting company could easily put on a production of this work.

Granted, there is a little bit of cheek, and some subtle nods to both Shakespeare and Star Wars fans alike, but they are hidden almost like Easter eggs throughout the text. For example, this couplet, a favorite tool of the Bard's, gives a tip of the hat to the "Han shot first" fans: "I pray thee, sir, forgive me for the mess/And whether I shot first, I'll not confess.- Han Solo". There are even points in the book where we see action or have a look at some inner dialogues that we don't see in the film, for instance a Hamlet-like soliloquy by Luke, lamenting the death of the Stormtrooper whose uniform he has stolen on the Death Star: "[Luke, holding stormtrooper helmet.] Alas, poor stormtrooper, I knew ye not, Yet have I ta’en both uniform and life From thee. What manner of a man wert thou?" Even something as simple as "Once more unto the trench, dear friends, once more!" during the penultimate battle gives a little grin when you get both references.

I simply cannot sing the praises of William Shakespeare's Star Wars enough. Perfect for fans of both Star Wars and Shakespeare, it will have you coming back again and again, just like the original. I personally have recommended this to patrons who enjoy the films, but have poo-pooed plays and Shakespeare both. Everyone has loved it so far! I just can't wait to see the stage production!

If you enjoy William Shakespeare's Star Wars, fear not, the rest of the trilogy has also been given a similar treatment and you will want to find William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back, and William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher if a fun mashup, what would hap­pen if the famed bard would write a well known story. Frankly, I don't think it's a far fetch, after all Shake­speare wrote crowd pleasers which some­how tran­si­tion them­selves into clas­sic lit­er­a­ture (my the­ory: a bored Eng­lish professor).

I have to admit - I really don't get William Shake­speare. I can cer­tainly see the genius behind the writ­ing and appre­ci­ate the sto­ries but I view him more a bit dif­fer­ent than most peo­ple. I see Shake­speare as some­one akin to James Cameron, a genius who can make a crowd pleaser while know­ing how to drive home a point. I also appre­ci­ate Shakespeare's wicked sense of humor, how­ever most of the jokes don't trans­late well sev­eral cen­turies after they were writ­ten and need fur­ther, and some­times in depth, expla­na­tion.
The first rule about jokes: if you need to explain it, it's not funny.

I really enjoy the Star Wars mythos, the char­ac­ters and the extended uni­verse (EU), I got hooked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars with my son but as a movie lover, I thought the movies were lack­ing but I do appre­ci­ate the imag­i­na­tion behind them and the mag­i­cal storytelling.

I was a bit on the fence about William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher, but I'm glad I read it. This is a fun book with plenty of homages to both Star Wars fans and Shakespeare's fans. Unlike many of Shakespeare's writ­ings, it's a fast and easy read of a famil­iar story (with a few twists). Even a few Star Wars con­ti­nu­ity con­tro­ver­sies are addressed with a wink and a nod (Han: And whether I shot first, I'll né'er con­fess!") and R2D2's solil­o­quy is hilarious.

Mr. Doescher's attempt to recre­ate a Shake­spearean play is note­wor­thy and clever. The book read like the few Shake­speare works I have read (same tempo and pace) even though not as sex­ist, which is a good thing. The story is easy to fol­low, the char­ac­ters are inter­est­ing (some more than the movies) and the illus­tra­tions range from very good to "just OK".

I have always loved Star Wars, born with it, raised on it, followed it passionately for many years. So when I was alerted to the existence of "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" I laughed, and looked it up. After reading an excerpt, I was intrigued, and instantly ordered a copy. When it finally arrived, I sat down, gave it a read, and realized something shocking.

The book is INCREDIBLY useful.

Having sat through high school, I have realized that not too many students "Get" Shakespeare. In the words of Edmund Blackadder, "Every Schoolboy and Schoolgirl...standing around in tights going 'What ho, my lord' and 'here comes somebody spewing utter crap as usual'", Shakespeare is not the most accessible playwright and poet to understand.

Until now.

"William Shakespeare's Star Wars" is useful for English teachers who wish to allow their students to understand Shakespeare's manner of writing, by giving them familiar content in Shakespearean English, opening their mind to the subtleties of Shakespeare's writings, the jokes, the insults, the asides, all now understandable through the magic of some English nerd who just so happened to get the BRILLIANT idea to translate Star Wars into Shakespearean English.

This book, and I do not often say this, is a MUST READ for any Star Wars fan, or anyone struggling to understand Shakespeare.

Bravo Mr. Doescher, you have outdone yourself.

As a long-time Star Wars fan, and someone who considers herself appreciative of Shakespeare's writing, this book caught my eye the moment the store suggested it to me (probably due to me reading and liking Jeffrey Brown's "Darth Vader and Son" comic book). Star Wars written in the style of the Bard? The idea was so absurd I couldn't pass it up -- if done right, it would be an entertaining mash-up, and even if done wrong it would at least be good for a chuckle, right?

I give author Ian Doescher credit -- he does a fair job of imitating Shakespeare's signature style, even down to maintaining the iambic meter throughout. But the premise, while entertaining at first, wears thin by the midpoint of the book, and falls short of truly emulating the Bard.

The book is basically exactly what it says on the cover -- the plot of 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope" retold as a Shakespearean play, complete with stage directions, a Greek Chorus, and all the flowery language one comes to expect from William's work. Those who have seen the movie won't find much new here, though there are a few funny surprises -- R2D2 actually having lines beyond his trademark beeps (and he's quite the snarker, one comes to find out), Luke Skywalker's Hamlet-esque soliloquy to a stormtrooper's helmet, etc. And the illustrations are a treat, emulating the engraving-style look of the era and giving Shakespearean twists to the costumes, props, and settings of the films. Who knew Darth Vader would look so good with a collar on his cape?

The book has its flaws, however. I found the Chorus largely unnecessary, as they did little more than narrate what's going on "onscreen" -- that could have been handled via the stage directions. Also, Doescher seems to think that all it takes to imitate the Bard is to use flowery language, substitute "thou" for "you," and set everything in iambic meter. What he fails to realize -- and a LOT of Shakespeare's imitators fall into this trap, actually -- is that the Bard didn't just fall back on pretty language and meter. He had a remarkable gift with words, weaving sly references to mythology, history, and contemporary (at the time) events into his plays, and including clever wordplay and words with double and even triple meanings to make jokes and barbs for the audience to catch. Sadly, this book has little such wordplay, and simply reading page after page of "thee" and "thou" and purple prose soon gets tedious.

All that said, while the book might not be the best thing to read for entertainment purposes, I think it could be a great teaching tool. I can see teachers using it to interest their students in Shakespeare's writing, and to show them the similarities between the epic saga of "Star Wars" and the great historical epics, tragedies, and even comedies of Shakespeare's work. And even if it's not a true imitation of the Bard's work, it can at least get students used to the meter and basic style of the plays, so that they're better prepared for Shakespeare's actual work. Perhaps the book can be expanded at a future date, and include a teaching guide and a more expansive comparison between the works of Shakespeare and the works of Lucas? (There's about two pages of comparison in the back, but I'm sure an in-depth comparison of these two storytellers' works could fill an entire book.)

I don't hate this book. I don't even dislike it. I just think it falls a bit shy of its goal. But I can see it becoming an invaluable teaching tool, and a good way for a young Star Wars enthusiast to be introduced to the works of a classic playwright. That, and I'm perversely interested in seeing a group of fans re-enact this as a play. Fighting 501st, is this for you?

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss)

Yes, "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" is precisely what the title implies, and it is exquisite.

Author Ian Doescher has taken the familiar story of the original "Star Wars," and has somehow translated it into lovely Shakespearean language. Scenery changes and background information are provided by a Chorus, just like Shakespeare, but the dialogue carries this book.

My favorite is R2-D2. Everyone else will be thou-ing and prithee-ing, and R2 will chime in, "Beep, beep, brap, wheee, doop," or something like that. Better still, as in so many of Shakespeare's plays, characters speak to the audience in asides. So does R2. His aside might be, "Lo, if this golden droid, C3PO shuts not his mouth, verily shall I zap him into oblivion." Then, his aside over, it's back to the beeps.

I've seen this film so many times that imagining the characters and action was not an issue for me. I'm not sure how easily a Star Wars newbie would be able to follow the story. Seriously, though: who hasn't seen Star Wars?

Author Ian Doescher's language shimmers. Some of Shakespeare can be impenetrable, and Doescher stays on the "penetrable" side of the line. There are inside jokes thrown in for us Shakespeare fans as well: Luke gives a space rebel version of the St. Crispin's Day speech, for example, while another begins, "Friends, Rebels, Starfighters, lend me your ears."

There are a couple traps Doescher deftly avoids. His language never wavers--it would be too easy to start this project in devout homage to Shakespeare, then to slack off as the book got on. He didn't do this at all. The other danger would be in making either the individual scenes too long, or overwriting the book. He did not do that either.
So much of Star Wars' dialogue was overly theatrical anyway. Shakespeareanization was a brilliant next step.

Ian Doescher has taken one of our planet's most beloved stories and given it a truly fresh twist. He is to be commended.

How rare that one can say, "Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and William Shakespeare would love this book." They would.

Most Highly Recommended

Ian Doescher had a great idea. I can't imagine how many people wish they had it first. Star Wars, that nerdy yet mainstream cultural touchstone, uses classic structure to tell of space battles. Why not push it even farther?

(If they can do it with Pulp Fiction . . . )

Ian Doescher does a great job of telling Star Wars in the style of William Shakespeare. He has the benefit of having seen all the movies to add a bit more weight to lines that foreshadow what's to come. (He also gets to references fan fervor over whether Han shot first.) He alludes to a large number of Shakespeare's most famous lines, including both my favorite lines from Macbeth and Julius Caesar. He also matched the characters well to Shakespearean counterparts. I particularly loved R2-D2 as a Shakespearean fool, tricking the pretentious C-3PO. The pastiche continues to the very end, when a parody of Prospero's 'Our revels are now ended' (The Tempest) directs readers to extras on the Quirk Books' website.

The greatest weakness is Doescher's reliance on a Chorus. Yes, it's a theatrical technique, but not one Shakespeare much used. I can understand Doescher wanting to reference the movie's famous visuals, but it seems like some of the lines could have been folded into the dialogue. I think Doescher didn't want to stray too far from the original script, although he does give many characters speeches that reveal more of their internal turmoil. (That being a good theatrical change, of course.)

I wish I could see WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S STAR WARS performed, instead of just reading it. It is a stage play, after all, and performance always gives the words new life. There are, fortunately, twenty scratchboard illustrations by the fantastic Nicolas Delort in the book. They're appropriately old fashioned and manage to reference famous iconography from both sources. I particularly liked the way he drew Chewbacca.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S STAR WARS is a good pick for Star Wars fans. It's a novelty, sure, but one that is done with great style. I can also see English teachers picking it up for use in the classroom. It's not only a good introduction to iambic pentameter, but also a way to teach the meaning of pastiche.

Bustin’ a stitch doth make the hours seem short. I asked for this book for Christmas for shins and grins, and it didn’t disappoint…too much. The Shakespearean soliloquys, true to form, drew out new flavors in complex character development. It was fun to have someone like Doescher, who is invested in the Star Wars saga on a personal level and also well-acquainted with the expert storytelling of Shakespeare, retell a classic tale in a style which brings to light things I never caught the first time when watching the films. But mostly, it was just funny.

Some lines which almost madeth me to lose my continence:

[Luke] “But unto Tosche Station would I go, and there obtain some pow’r converters. Fie!”

[OBI-WAN] “…these are not the droids for which thou search’st.”

[Luke insulting the Millennium Falcon] “What folly-fallen ship is this? What rough-hewn wayward scut is here?”

[C-3PO to Han when Han explained a Wookie’s temper] “Thy meaning, Sir, doth prick my circuit board. ‘Tis best to play the fool, and not the sage…[to R2] pray let the Wookie win.”

[Leia to Luke upon first seeing him in a Stormtrooper’s armor] “Does Empire shrink for want of taller troops?”

[Han getting fed up with Leia’s complaints—can you blame him?] “Mayhap thy Highness would prefer her cell?”

And Doescher made a nice display of ‘the music in himself’ by incorporating well-known lines from Grandpa Bard himself:

[Beginning of the first scene, the rebel ship is being attacked, C-3PO is talking] “Now is the summer of our happiness, made winter by this sudden, fierce attack!”

[Luke asking about the blinking lights on the Falcon’s dashboard, which signified the loss of their deflector shield] “What light through yonder flashing sensor breaks?"
[Luke, encouraging other X-Wing pilots on their final attack on the Death Star] “Once more unto the trench, dear friends, once more!”

I loved how R2-D2 played a very prominent role as a secret conspirator and possibly the real lynchpin to the whole narrative, saving everyone’s skin, especially his petty and berating friend, C-3PO, on more than one occasion. He was able to speak intelligibly in soliloquy when aside, but in front of others he spoke only in beeps and boops.

“Around both humans and the droids I must be seen to make such errant beeps and squeaks, that they shall think me simple. Truly, though, although with sounds oblique I speak to them, I clearly see how I shall play my part, and how a vast rebellion shall succeed by wit and wisdom of a simple droid.”

Ah, R2. A doormat to some thou seemedst, yea, a small square of toilet tissue even, through which one’s fingers’ doth break. But Shakespeare spoke of thee truly: "This fellow is wise enough to play the fool."

Some parts of the book almost startled me by their profundity:

[OBI-WAN is speaking aside to himself about Luke] What shall I of the father tell the child? If gentle Luke knew all that’s known to me I’ll warrant he’d not understand the rhyme and reason for my words. And yet, what is’t to lie? To tell the truth, all else be damned? Or else to tell, perhaps, a greater truth?”

After this part in particular, it dawned upon me how many people misled (lied) to Luke about his or their identity, even if for a short time. His uncle, OBI-WAN, Yoda, Darth Vader…yeah, all the people that mattered. But OBI-WAN in his soliloquy believes that the full weight of the truth wouldn’t have been accepted or recognized immediately by Luke even if he had heard it. Then again, maybe OBI-WAN was just being a drama queen. He did, after all, do things like pretend to look and sound like a monster to scare away the sand people instead of just confusing them with a Jedi mind trick, told the guy threatening Luke that Luke was a “little one” and wasn’t even “worth the effort”, tried to negotiate cooly with Han Solo, but ended up congratulating himself on offering Han 7,000 (of Leia’s money) more than Han asked for, called Darth Vader “Darth”, as if ‘Darth’ was a first name and not a title, and allowed himself to be chopped in half by Vader as if he was surrendering when it was very clear that Vader was winning anyway. So, yeah, maybe he was a little bit of a drama queen. Now, where was I?

The most hilarious scene is where two Stormtroopers are debating back-and-forth about whether or not there were still people aboard the Millennium Falcon after it had been brought into the Death Star and inspected. One Stormtrooper convinces the other that his worry is just an over-active imagination.

Guard 1: Thou art a friend, as I have e’er maintain’d, and thou hast spoken truth and calm’d me quite. The rebels hide herein! What vain conceit! That e’er they should the Death Star enter—ha!
Guard 2: It warms my heart to see thee so restor’d, and back to thine own merry, native self.
Han: [within] Pray, may we have thy good assistance here?
Guard 1: [to Guard 2] So, let us go together, friend. Good cheer! [Guards 1 and 2 enter the ship and are killed.]

Yet, as with many other books, what began so well, ended too soon. The first half was extremely amusing, and there were some moments that kept it interesting throughout (e.g. Luke’s soliloquy to the mask of a Stormtrooper whom he killed for the uniform), but it started to drag. Maybe it took itself too seriously? The author never strayed from iambic pentameter, and though that is indeed a feat, it’s a rather uninteresting one to me, and limited Doescher’s options. Or maybe, I’m thinking, he knew that this book was only going to be interesting as a novelty, and never in his wildest dream expected anyone as big a nerd as me to read it from beginning to end but only read excerpts out-loud to guffawing friends.

Well, I love Shakespeare, and I love Star Wars, so the idea as a whole was a good fit for me. Not sure I’ll read the next book if it comes out, but I may change my mind. Maybe the novelty hasn’t completely worn off. But for now, parting is more sweet than sorrow.

I've been putting off this review. I was so bored, I was distracted, I was doing everything but reading. Quite frankly, only Shakespeare could make Star Wars boring. It's time that I put the book down and say, "Enough. I can't take anymore of this!" All books are special, some just appeal more to one person than the other. But here's the deal: I just can't get through this book without some discomfort, not after having just gone through a semester of Shakespeare.

I requested this book from Quirk who kindly gave me a copy in exchange for an honest review and I assure you, this review is honest. I was in a Shakespeare English class that I found incredibly boring so when I saw this book I thought, Hey, maybe Shakespeare can be fun after all! Well, he can't be fun and no matter the content, he's not. I gambled when I requested this book. I try to only request books I think I'll enjoy and I really thought I would enjoy this. I've been a fan of Star Wars since I was in elementary school, watching movie after movie after movie every snow day we had in Washington.

I loved a few things, though. For starters, this book is written in Shakespeare's traditional iambic pentameter which means it has one stressed syllable and another unstressed (my English major self was so happy about this). The author truly mimics Shakespeare's style down to the syllable. And this:

Obi Wan: "--Nay, thou dost/ Not need to see his papers."
Trooper 4: "Nay, we do/ Not need to see his papers."
Obi Wan: "--True it is,/ That these are not the droids for which thou search'st."

That is just so awesome. So, I appreciated bits of the book. It was actually a really well-written book by a very competent author, it just wasn't the right book for me.

Shakespeare still isn't my guy but I assure you, if you are a fan of Shakespeare and Star Wars you will just die with happiness. This book delivers exactly what the title promises and it does so beautifully. The author took a cult classic and paired it with the style of a literary genius and made Star Wars artsy. Kudos to Quirk for publishing this and Ian Doescher for writing a new (or would it be old?) piece of literature bound (ha ha) to become a classic itself. It just wasn't the right fit for me.

Check out my review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, another book by Quirk which I absolutely loved!

And if Shakespeare is up your alley, you can pick it up on the store through this link

Review from www.bookoverdose7.blogspot.com

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars is a read every Shakespeare enthusiast will love! Likewise, it will make teaching Shakespeare to students that much more interesting. To take a story like Star Wars, one the masses know, love, and understand, and to transition it into Shakespearean language is ingenious, and I am very excited to work with it in the classroom a bit as we gear up to read Hamlet.

The play begins with a sonnet that I can’t wait to show my students, and Doescher does a great job sticking to the Elizabethan form—it looks and sounds just like Shakespeare! I am highly impressed, and I’m so very glad I stumbled across this book.

Perhaps my favorite part was the humor of R2D2, especially his asides in which he actually speaks in sentences as opposed to beeps! I’ve always wondered what a transcript of what R2 was saying would look like, and Doescher gives us some hilarious insights. I also really enjoyed picking out the references to Shakespeare’s great classics throughout the novel. There is one such scene in which Luke laments killing a starship trooper, and it actually mirror's Hamlet's famous "Poor Yorick" monologue quite well.

All in all, this is great fun and I highly suggest lovers (and teachers) of Shakespeare scoop it up.

When I was first given a copy of William Shakespeare's Star Wars (WSSW) I was dubious - was this a cheesy attempt to wring some cash out of two of our civilisation's great cultural icons? How wrong I was! As a fan of both Star wars and the Bard I was pleasantly surprised at how Ian Doescher had stayed true to both of them. As a retelling of Star Wars WSSW stayed honest to the story while at he same time adding subtle and valuable insights into the characters we have come to know and love. As a 'new' work of Shakespeare WSSW is worthy to be placed on the same shelf as Hamlet, Henry V and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The language is approachable yet truly Shakespearean, the structure is the same as I have been teaching in English class for the last 20 years, and the characters are new yet familiar. As I read this I couldn't repress a desire to see it live. This work has bridged the centuries and I think William would be proud.

This is a funny idea and best of all, one that is well executed. Combining the enormously popularity and fan appeal of Star Wars with the traditions of Shakespeare could easily have backfired or outstayed its welcome very soon, but this is a quality piece of work. The writing successfully channels Bardic traditions and presents some of the most memorable scenes from Star Wars in an amusing and original way.

Don't read this book in one sitting. The novelty will wear off if you do, but it's a good one to delve into. Most certainly ideal for a light relaxing read after work, and its humour works best in small doses. There have been many titles in the wake of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, some of which have been dire, but this one is distinguished by the quality of the writing and the respect for both subjects. It isn't played so much for laughs as a concerted attempt to produce a genuinely effective take on an intriguing idea and as such it works well.

There have been a great many parody / culture hybrids and this is towards the better side of the genre. The only other to merit mention is the very different (but extremely funny)Sherlock Holmes and the Flying Zombie Death Monkeys.

I would highly recommend for readers and fans of the movies to get the book because it’s a perfect combination of science fiction meets classical literature in space and time of the Star Wars films. The story does follow the movie, but with Shakespeare writing and dialog of the characters and scenes like when R2D2 can speak in a comedy and humor way to C-3PO. Also, it has an audiobook that captures and hold the exact sense and feeling of the New Hope like when Chewbacca’s growls while being crushed in the trash compactor. I got this as a gift from my teacher because he's cleaning his library and he knows that I'm a fan of Shakespeare and Star Wars. I truly love reading this book and might get his series soon after new episode eight is out, but this is the best Star Wars book that I ever read in a star-crossed galaxy far, far away.

I got a copy of this book to review from the Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. When I saw this book was releasing I really wanted to read it, I love Shakespeare and Star Wars and was eager to see what would happen when the two are put together. The result was very pleasant; I enjoyed the dramatic way Star Wars is done in play form and the wonderful illustrations throughout. I really enjoyed reading this.

This book covers Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in a very Shakespearean format. The book is broken down into Acts and Scenes. Each line is prefaced by who is speaking it (just like in a play). There is a Chorus that covers action scenes too. The whole thing is written in very Shakespeare like language. The book is also interspersed with some wonderful drawings of our heros in their Shakespeare-modified gear.

The only bad part about this book is that I already know how the story goes and ends. So given that, there weren't a lot of surprises here...but there were some. One of my favorite additions were R2D2's soliloquies. Sure he may speak in squeaks and beeps when others are on stage with him, but as soon as he is alone then the soliloquies start. R2D2 does elaborate asides on C3PO's annoying personality and on his own sneaky plans. These are hilarious, add a lot of depth to R2D2, and are just perfect for him.

There are some other additions to the story as well. For example in an aside Obi-Wan debates what and what not to tell Luke about his father. These little asides actually add a lot of humor and thoughtfulness to the story. I thought they actually even improved the story some and made it more complex and interesting.

The language is very Shakespearean, but I still found it easy to read. I absolutely love reading Shakespeare and love the way it sounds. As with all Shakespeare it is best if read out loud, or at least out loud in your head. The banter between Han Solo and Princess Leia in this Shakespearean style is especially amusing. The only thing I would caution is that if you have historically really disliked or had trouble reading Shakespeare then you may not enjoy reading this.

The illustrations throughout added a lot to the story too. Some of them are pretty funny, for example Jabba the Hut in an Elizabethan Collar...or the picture on the back of the book where Vader realizes the Death Star has been blown up. I enjoyed the etch-like quality to them and thought they matched the tone of the story well.

Overall I approached this genre mish-mash with skepticism and a bit of tentative excitement and ended up very pleasantly surprised. I loved the way this was put together and thought it was incredibly well done. Doescher does an excellent job of blending the drama and wonder of Star Wars with the dramatic qualities of a good Shakespearean play. In fact Star Wars kind of lends itself to this type of reinvention. The additions Doescher have made (such as R2D2's asides) have added a lot of depth and interest to the story as well. Highly recommended to Star Wars fans...and especially Star Wars fans who love Shakespeare.

The plot and dialogue of George Lucas' STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE plus the iambic pentamater and rhyming couplets of William Shakespeare ends up totally equalling awesomeness.

There was nary a moment where I wasn't smiling or laughing out loud at what Ian Doescher does with the fantastical elements of probably the best known sci-fi space opera of all time and giving it a rich, wondrous life in the form of a Shakespearean play.

While there are many quotable moments from the book, I'll refrain from quoting them here, because this is a book that has truly to be read with little "spoilers" (I know that we all knows what happens in the story, and nothing changes here, but the wonder of reading this work isn't something that should be given away).

Possibly the most wonderful character adaptation here is what they do with R2-D2. They give him many boops and beeps and whistles, but when he has a soliloqy moment, it's just beautiful.

This is an enormously entertaining work and is certainly worth your hard-earned dollars if you're a fan of Shakespeare and of the STAR WARS universe.

I can only pray that this continues with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Other reviewers are calling this book a novelty and that is pretty much the perfect adjective for it. I have my English degree and requisite years of Shakespeare study as well as my experience of Star Wars fandom. This is fun and I can see some fun applications in the classroom but it isn't something most people are going to sit down and actually read cover to cover. But they may find some fun lines to quote with similar geeky friends. After all, Shakespeare isn't really meant to be read any more than Star Wars is but here we have a book. Now watching a few scenes acted out would be entertaining, but the novelty would wear off during a staging of the entire "play." If this book sounds fun to you, it probably will be. It delivers Star Wars and Shakespeare mashed up. If it sounds silly, skip it. It won't convince you otherwise.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars is interesting, if a bit limited to the Star Wars fan. It's basically a humorous novelty book perfect for those Star Wars geeks who would love the idea of a reimagined Star Wars as if it were written by Shakespeare (though for that reason, I have a feeling that most Shakespeare geeks would more than likely be a bit critical of it, unless they were one of the aforementioned Star Wars geeks as well). In a way, it almost reminds me the line from Star Trek V where it's stated that one has not experience Shakespeare unless it's read in the original Klingon...it's just as absurd as that (although mentioning Star Trek in the review of a Star Wars book might be considered blasphemous).

In the end, I like the book, despite its absurdity, so if you're a Star Wars fan with a sense of humor and aren't afraid of "thees" and "thous," then you'll probably find this an entertaining read.

Everyone knows the story of Star Wars: A New Hope. And if you don't, shame on you. But basically there's Luke, who has the force but doesn't know it, and Ben Kenobi, who teaches him. Then there's a bag guy, Darth Vader, who has lots of lackeys called Storm Troopers to cause mayhem among the galaxy. And then there's Han Solo and his best bud Chewbacca, a wookie, who along with Luke save Princess Leia. Now what's unique about this book is everything is in the poetic language fashioned by William Shakespeare.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I am a huge Star Wars fan, and it was exciting to see this new take on the classic story. Even though I'm not an expert in Shakespeare plays, this book wasn't hard to read or follow and was quite enjoyable. I would highly recommend this book for any Star Wars fan!

* 4 STARS*

[...]

My three sons and I are into all Star Wars books--I have first edition copies of all hardbacks and hardback book club copies of many of the paperbacks. My boys are really into humorous things, but they were unable to finish the book. The humor that is in the book was basically what I would have expected when visualizing the characters speaking as if they were talking in Old English. For the most part I found that the "asides" and stage cues had some of the best humor. I must say it was fun reading what R2D2 was speaking in an aside saying what he really would really like to say--especially when beeping and tweeting at C-3PO. Overall, I would say that the book was a little bit more interesting than the average Star Wars book; and it is a fairly quick read once you get used to the different sentence structure used by Shakespeare.

Mr. Ian Doescher, thou art a genius.

This work is by far the most amazing adaptation of Shakespearean prose that I have ever encountered. While I have long contended that Shakespeare was a genius far unappreciated in our time, I see this work as a bridge between our modern culture and the timeless themes recorded in stories of every kind. What strikes me most about this work is the attention to detail. This has been crafted with a great deal of care and heart. It is by no means a satire, though I find myself laughing, but not because it was meant to be funny, because I have the joy of seeing a well-beloved story and characters remade into a form that lends even more insight. The soliloquies of the various personages feel as if they are wrenched from the characters' own soul by the pen of Shakespeare's very hand. The language is not too archaic as to make you look at it askance, but is right along with the spirit of the time that it was supposedly written that you have the rich connotations and nuances that accompany a vocabulary so rich in diversity as that of Shakespeare's day.

What I think is most important about this work and the method that Doescher employed to do it, namely imitating the Bard of Avon, is that the average reader gains an understanding of the subtle motives that drove the characters we have seen so many times on various screens, whether silver, liquid crystal or otherwise. The method of delivering the character's inner thoughts via their own words, yet announced as if by an omniscient narrator's prompt, really helps to open a window to the undercurrents so easily glazed over when watching the film.

In short, this work makes you think about these characters in an entertainingly intriguing way. I highly recommend it to anyone, fan of Star Wars or not, you will not regret it.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: (2013) Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher. 5 stars★ & favorite!♥♥
William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Book 1

Like the movie, there is so many good quotes in this book. So many favorites. I'm enjoying this so much. Love it!

(Act? Scene 1 Darth Vadar:)
"But now my path is join'd unto the dark,
And wicked men-- whose hands and fingers move
To crush their foes-- are now my company."

(Act 3; Scene 1)
"Chorus:... The creatures gather 'round the central bar
While hammerheads and hornèd monsters talk,
A band compos'd of aliens bizarre:
This is the great cantina--thou may'st gawk!"

The young man: a teenager born to greatness but hidden in backwoods poverty. The young woman: a princess fighting for the survival of not only her home, but the galaxy. An old warrior hiding in the wasteland, watching over them both. And over them all, the spirit of evil incarnate rules the galaxy, intent on destroying even their smallest shred of hope.

Luke Skywalker. Leia Organa. Obi Wan Kenobi. And Darth Vader. It is their story we read and their story that we take on as our own as we search for meaning and…

Okay, so I’m playing it a little heavy here but not by much. I’m a tried and true Star Wars geek. I grew up pretending to be Leia and having R2D2 be the butler for my Barbie dolls. This was the film – the story – that first captured my imagination and made me dream things far bigger than earth.

When I entered high school and realized my love of the written word, I developed an equally passionate love affair with the writings of Shakespeare. Unlike the other kids in my classes, I didn’t read it only because it was required. Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite but I do love MacBeth as well. And the sonnets? Don’t get me started on the sonnets…

So what happens when you cross the film that defined science fiction for a generation with the Bard that defines literature? A beautiful mix up, mash up, crossover tale of truly epic proportions. And I do not use that word (epic) lightly. This is gloriously imagined and painstakingly reimagined in an incredible way. Even knowing the story and every single sentence of what would happen, I found myself delighted with this book. C-3PO’s monologues and insults were particularly fantastic. There were several that were so good, I couldn’t stop myself from reading them out loud. And usually it was more than once. The carefully plotted iambic pentameter that was filled with Shakespearean grammar, punctuation and text was wonderful!

I enjoyed this book so much that I’m considering using it as part of our homeschooling introduction to Shakespeare. My kids know and understand the Star Wars story well enough that I think this could be a good introduction to Shakespearean language.

If you know a Star Wars geek or even a Shakespeare lover, this book would be the perfect gift. Anyone who claims either of those titles must display this tome proudly on their desk or bookshelf.

Love, love, LOVE this book. Spent parts of Christmas and day after amusing our family with select lines and scenes.

Did Han shoot first? Read for yourself - Doescher nails it!

This is the way kids should be introduced to Shakespeare (which I love and already read to my kids, ages 11 and 9).
They already know the story, have heard the lines a million times in modern American English ... and so can easily understand the Shakespearean version.

Extremely well done -- will someone pls produce the play? C'mon folks, someone artsy pls start a kickstarter etc. crowdfunded project. I'd love to pitch in!!

This was absolutely one of the top gifts under the tree this year!!

While I am neither a scholar of Shakespeare nor a chronicler of Jedi lore, I feel that I have been blessed by the literary exposure I've received in my life from diligent teachers and a bevy of creative minds... of writers and storytellers both living and dead. I also recognize labors of love and found one when Ian Doescher determined that the tales of Star Wars needed to be retold in iambic pentameter; the force was obviously with him. William Shakespeare's Star Wars He has added his own genius to that of Lucas and Shakespeare in a very magical way, just as the delightfully artistic Jeffrey Brown did when he gave us a fresh twist to the trials and joys of parenting in his Star Wars: Darth Vader and Son (Star Wars (Chronicle))

Doescher has taken us to a galaxy far, far away through his own Tudor-to-Tatooine lens. I am fascinated by his juxtaposition of the characters describing their future worlds using the language of the classics. I dare say that his work will open many young minds to our past and its language [as cleverly as Lucas opened up the future to us] for generations to come. `Whate'er thou thinkest right, thus thou shouldst do.'

Bob Magnant writes about technology, globalization, Internet security and US policy in the Middle East. He is the author of 'The Last Transition...', a fact-based novel about Iran.

This book is faithful to the movie. It's not word-for-word because it is written in a similar structure to Shakespeare's writing, but it's pretty darn close. You should watch the movie before you read this as, due to the format, it doesn't provide much of what is actually going on besides stage blocking and the dialogue doesn't provide much for you to know what happened (had you not already known).

This book is pretty cool, I think it would make a really awesome play. If you do not normally read Shakespeare or similar works, you may have a hard time getting through it. Being less than 200 pages, it should be a semi-quick read even if you are having difficulties with the format or language.

Audiobook,, done as a play, I suspect accents the shakespearian component. Really good, entertaining. I can't really comment on comparing to Shakespeare, one can hear the familiar quotes done fairly directly or with a futuristic twist. You could argue, there is a lot of room for improvement on some of the dialogue of Lucas, and it was nice to do it this way. Is it nerdy? Geeky? You will have to pick one, you can't be both. As an intro to Shakespearean style dialogue for students, could really get things started in a way that guys might relate to better.

What can I say? I came, I saw, I laughed...

Doescher retells the story of Star Wars (Verily A New Hope) in the spirit of William Shakespeare. The cover art and interior art are brilliant. I was very impressed with the faux leather cover (complete with a scuffed back) under the dust jacket.

I really loved the Afterword and Doescher's hat-tip to Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces. I agree, Campbell's book had a major impact on my life. As for William Shakespeare's Star Wars, I have to give it four lightsabers out of five. I blew through it's 170′ish pages in one afternoon and really enjoyed every Jedi moment of it.

It should be a perfect gift for the Star Wars fan or the English major.

I rate the movie of the Phantom Menace 2 stars★ out of 5. Ian has taking my disliking of this movie and made it more comical with his humor. Because the movie was very lacking in humor IMO (even with Jar Jar Binks).

And I like Ian Doescher's satire. Only explanation of why I'm reading through the Gawd-Awful! Jar Jar Binks parts. Ian's made it a little better to withstand that character. Like 5% better. Meaning I've stopped cringing whenever I hear Jar Jar's name.

I loved this! Take Star Wars, Episode 4, A New Hope. Add William Shakespeare's writing and dialog. And you get A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME!!!! I haven't had so much fun with a book as I have this one. It is so funny picturing Han Solo speaking a soliloquy. I would love to see this produced for the theater. If you need a good time, read this. I borrowed this book from my sister but I have to buy it and the rest of the series for my keeper shelf.

When I found out that a fellow seminarian wrote a Star Wars book in Shakespearean prose, I had to review it.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars is a literary mashup of... well just like it sounds. This book is the written adaptation of George Lucas' epic space adventure written in the voice of everyone's favorite baud.

Now, I love Star Wars, I even own the complete works of Shakespeare and I took High School drama for two years, so that hould qualify me to review this book, right? And admittedly, I was excited to get it - the cover is really cool (I actually like the true hard back cover more than the paper cover) and the inside is adorned with attractive etching-like sketches.

And just as you would expect, Mr. Doescher does a great job of breaking the movie down into line and verse - and for the most part there are even some nice additions to the text that sound very Shakespearean. But the novelty of this book quickly wears off after a few sonnets. I would say that perhaps 50% of the text is still pretty darn close to the actual lines from the movie.

I'll admit, when I read Shakespeare, I get lost real fast. I'm often confused by the speech and will quickly loose the plot. And so because I am so familiar with the Star Wars script I was actually looking forward to wading deep in the Shakespearean language and being able to keep up. But because Mr. Doescher only adds a few extras along with some scattered thee and thous - it's really quite simple to follow along.

The book feels more like reading a movie script than it does a Shakespearean play. But to be fair, I don't think the author was attempting to recreate the genius of Shakespeare in the first place. And I don't think any true fan of Star Wars would (or should) even care.

The book is what it is - a lot of fun. In fact, I would add, don't buy one - buy several to have around the house and perform a reading with your friends when they come over. I think it would be fun to hear a bunch of thirty year old fanboys (and girls) speaking in Elizabethan accents reciting the lines to everyone's favorite space epic.

Was that a confusing review? Let me sum up. It's not Shakespeare, it's fun. It's not brilliant literature, it's a creative mash-up that will be enjoyable to anyone who enjoys Star Wars.

Thank you to Quirk books for a free copy for a fair and honest review

"William Shakespeare's Star Wars"
Written by Ian Doescher
(With a little help from The Bard)
(Quirk Books, 2013)

This is a brilliantly inventive, densely crafted hybrid/spoof, taking the plot of the original "Star Wars" movie and reinterpreting it as a Shakespearean stage play, complete with iambic pentameter and everything. There are numerous clever touches, such as having the squeaky droid R2D2 go, "week-bip-deet-doot" when speaking to the other characters, but speak in long, poetic asides to the audience, or giving lines to alien races such as the Jawas that are written entirely in their alien language, albeit still in rhyming form. A common reaction seems to be, "this is for hardcore fans only," but methinks thou protest too much. I'm sure this would be a real hoot if staged live. Remember: the real Shakespeare plays don't always "read" that well, and things that seem incomprehensible on the printed page are a delight when in the hands of a skilled actor. Anyway, I applaud Ian Doescher for his hard work and divine inspiration... and look forward to seeing this onstage in Ashland some year. (DJ Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

This book is very manically clever. The author takes the classic Star Wars script and pumps it through a Shakespeare muse fueled head and spits out what is arguably the greatest of the mashups to date.

This book is quite short but all of the Star Wars scenes are here. I have to admit that my daughter and I geeked out and recited lines from the book in dramatic fashion so much so that I was in tears by the end.

If you are looking for a serious book that captures Shakespeare's voice this may not be it. If you are looking for a heck of a fun book that is done in the bard's voice then this is your book. Just don't expect to keep a straight face.

This is going to be one of those books. The kind of book that will really only satisfy one demographic, and, in this case, it's going to be those who are at once Star Wars and Shakespeare fans. Never in my life have I perceived a more narrow audience as this one. Star Wars fans will not get all of the many references to plays like HAMLET and RICHARD III, and Shakespeare fans will not get why an R2-D2 soliloquy is so dang perfect. You really have to have your feet on both sides of that particular line to really get the most of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S STAR WARS. In this case, I just happen to be both a die-hard Star Wars fan AND an English major, so this is one of those rare instances where the stars aligned in such a way I could not really anticipate.

But here we are, the story of STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE in iambic pentameter.

I really did enjoy this book. It's clear that Mr. Doescher is a fan of Shakespeare. Not only is the entire thing in iambic pentameter, but there are also references aplenty to many of Shakespeare's greatest works that will present themselves in hilarious ways. The book is appropriately divided into five acts, with soliloquies aplenty by some characters you wouldn't expect (R2-D2, just to name one, which had me busting up), as well as a chorus to set the scene every now and then.

Like I said, if you happen to be both a Star Wars and Shakespeare fan, this one is for you. I had a great time with it, and reading the iconic scenes translated through Shakespeare's diction was very fun. If you've been waiting for Star Wars to be rewritten into a play using Early Modern English, this is the book for you.

In the same line of other books such as 'Pride and prejudice... and zombies', 'William Shakespeare's Star Wars' is a book I believe is destined to become a cult phenomenon. I have to be honest, the main reason I ordered this book was because of its cover alone (you have to admit it is an amazing cover), prior to that, I had no idea the book was being released. A Star Wars fan from childhood, I have found it has become quite difficult to track or even be aware of everything that is released related to Star Wars nowadays.

An officially licensed book, 'William Shakespeare's Star Wars' retells the story seen in episode IV in the style of the author aforementioned. Going into details of the story would be redundant at this point. The result? Spectacular, and funny at times. As a fan of the saga, it was quite an experience to read the book in Shakespeare's style while imagining the characters we all love from the movies, the reader has to go through an exercise of suspension of disbelief to truly enjoy this work.

The illustrations included are just amazing once you accept the whole concept of the book, and they also help to set the mood as well.

Would I recommend this book? Well, Shakespeare's style may be a little heavy for the casual reader, and I believe the author succeeds in presenting this work as if written by him. There is no doubt though, that if you are a fan of the saga, this book is for you. It is an interesting retelling of a story we all know by heart and for fans, a very peculiar piece that should be displayed proudly in any Star Wars collection.

This has been the most fun I've had reading a Star Wars book since that awful New Jedi Order series essentially ruined all other Star Wars books for me. Not only is the original movie translated into Shakespearian play format (that alone was fun to read), but it also includes a number of asides and added dialogues that poke some fun at some of the absurdities in the movie itself, such as Stormtroopers passing on a door just because it is locked, or ignoring the sounds of commotion coming from within the captured Millennium Falcon.

Personally, I'd love to see this used as the script of an actually play.

This quirky book takes the writing series of William Shakespeare and mixes it with the world of Star Wars. The audiobook version brings the music of the star wars series and wonderful character voices. Doescher brings an interesting take on Star Wars and the many characters. I found that the plot stayed true to the movies while still keeping with the originality of Shakespeare's writing. I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

The language is fun (though gets a little awkward sometimes, as others have pointed out, but the real point is not the iambic pentameter, but the very Shakespearean atmosphere created (or, I suppose, revealed) by the author. The depths, some of which are obscured by the flashing lasers in the movies are revealed, and we are all the better for it (by the way, my seven year old son really loves it). R2-D2 as the wise fool is worth the price of admission all by himself.

This tome did often bring forth chuckles deep,
And e'en from time to time I laugh'd aloud
As I perused the words set down therein.
The author, with a smooth and ready pen
Hath well recast the warring of the stars
Into th'idiom of an earlier age -
Pentameter iambic wrought he well,
With few ungraceful infelicities
To cause the eye to stumble on the page...
E'en when, as often, lines he quotes direct
(or nearly so), the lines do smoothly run.

Here let me end, and say but one more thing
Whilst I still have possession of the mic -
An thou art such a one as likes such things,
This is the sort of thing that thou wilt like.

Although I may take issue with the "William Shakespeare's" part of the title, the book is a joy to read. Writing the story of A New Hope in iambic pentameter is a feat in and of itself. Additionally, I made numerous highlights and laughed throughout the book. I especially appreciate the asides Doescher writes for the characters as it gives so much more depth to the story we all know and love.

This book is ridiculously amusing. I have no love of Shakespeare or classic literature, but reading A New Hope with awkward seventeenth century phrases is just hilarious. The characters make a lot of sarcastic side comments which make it even better.

I have one minor complaint...MINOR SPOILER! It isn't clear whether Han shot first. Here;s how it goes down:

"Sir, forgive me for the mess.

[Aside:] And whether I shot first, I'll ne'er confess!"

A hilarious take on Star Wars; the author clearly knows his Shakespeare well, as it's not just an iambic-pentameter "translation" of the screenplay, but has little bonus parodies of famous Shakespeare lines and expansions of the script in keeping with the spirit of Elizabethan drama (e.g. R2D2's soliloquy revealing that he can speak English--er, Basic--but chooses to conceal the fact, and the addition of little touches of character to minor speaking roles). The illustrations are gorgeous, too.

One small issue: the author's used "thou/thee/thy" throughout, but surely Imperial troops and officers would use "you" to their superiors--and it definitely should be "you/your" for the second-person plural (e.g. the Chorus' opening speech in I.4). But when the nitpicking is this minor, you know it must be good. Recommended for fans of Shakespeare as well as Star Wars!

This book gets major points for creativity, ingenuity and sheer novelty. Ian Doescher has re-imagined Star Wars (the Special Edition version) as a Shakespearian play.

There's some great stuff here. Artoo's asides finally give us a peek at the astromech's thoughts. Luke performs a soliloquy with a dead stormtrooper's helmet and rouses his fellow pilots with the cry "Once more unto the trench, dear friends, once more!" I suspect if I had paid more attention during English Lit class, I would be able to point out other direct parodies of Shakespeare's iconic lines.

While I may be a bit shaky on the Bard of Avon, I'm rock solid on Star Wars. And therein lies the rub. This book follows the film note for note, leaving me wondering why I was reading an imitation instead of watching the original. Amusing as it was to have Threepio say "hey nonny nonny", the thees and thous quickly became almost unbearably repetitive.

I was expecting this book to be nothing more than the dialogue from Star Wars recast into Shakespearean English with stage directions (which would be amusing enough). To my delight, author Ian Doescher was more clever than that. He goes beyond the original dialogue and explores the characters' motivations and inner thoughts through numerous soliloquies and asides. Obviously, it's still a silly parody/mashup, but I appreciate that the author put his own spin on the story without doing violence to the characters. Forsooth, a captivating tale.

Okay, this one was fun. I'm really enjoying this series. This one was more remarkable than the others so far in that it was better than the movie it was based on. Doescher even manages to make Jar Jar Binks bearable. Who would have thought such a thing was even possible. I enjoyed the other pop culture references that were tossed in, including song lyrics and references to Liam Niesen's role in Taken.

Shakespeare and Star Wars, two of my favorite things in a merry mashup. This retelling of a tale from a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away is perfectly suitable for Shakespearean verse - as the author mentions in his afterword, Lucas drew heavily on lessons from Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces," which in turn was based largely on the works of Shakespeare. This work bridges the gap from Lucas to Shakespeare even more fully. Highly entertaining and very clever - well worth reading.

I recently saw Much Ado About Nothing with some friends and afterward we talked about the many variations on Shakespeare's works, such as setting the plays in different historical periods; we noted that no one had done a science fiction version. But lo and behold, here it is! I HAD to give this a try, though I was loathe to get my hopes too high and when, in the cast of characters, Darth Vader is listed as "a sith lord" rather than a Sith lord, I feared the author didn't know Star Wars well enough to do it justice. Happily, I was wrong. This Shakespearean rendition of the first (released) Star Wars movie, A New Hope, is fantastic.

This adaptation is faithful to the original content and to the language of Shakespeare, giving a scene by scene translation that is brilliant and lots of fun. Here is part of the scene in the trash compactor:

WOOKIE Auugh!

HAN -O! What wonder of the human mind
Hath thought to bring us here? Your Highness must
Be lauded greatly for discov'ring such
A wondrous smell as this! [To Chewbacca:] I'll blast the door,
Swift get thee hence!

LUKE -Nay, prithee, shoot thou not!
[Han shoots and the blast ricochets.
Thou arrant knave! Wouldst thou undo us all?
I have already tried to exit thus,
But lo, as thou now plainly seest, thou brute,
The passageway is sealed magnetic'lly!

LEIA Now rid us of that blaster, quickly too -
Else shall thine edgy trigger finger mean
The certain death of all of us herein!

HAN O, aye, thy Worship-ha! 'Twas all in my
Control till thou didst lead us to this heap,
Nor shall the Stormtroopers need any time
To calculate where all of us have flown.

LEIA And yet, I say to you: it could be worse.

[A loud sound is heard.

HAN 'Tis worse.

LUKE -I'll warrant, something lives in here!

HAN [aside:] I 'spect his word is true, but fear to say.
[To Luke:] 'Tis but thy keen imagination, Luke.

LUKE 'Twas not just my imagination that
Hath now swum boldly past my leg, or else
Imagination now hath body too!

This is so much fun and so well done! I love it.

As someone who has homeschooled, I would recommend this for the classroom or homeschoolers, even the young ones. Written in play format and in a clean font, this book could easily be used in the classroom, and would do brilliantly in introducing even reluctant readers to the Bard.

Highly recommended for adult or student lovers of Star Wars or Shakespeare, and a true delight to fans of both.

Unless you've been living in a Wampa’s ice cave on the remote planet of Hoth, I’d wager you’re familiar with the Star Wars universe. You also probably know a thing or two about William Shakespeare as it's required reading in most high school English classes. In The Phantom of Menace, Ian Doescher retells George Lucas’s original story through the iambic pentameter of William Shakespeare, and it's absolutely brilliant.

As a slightly obsessed fan of the original Star Wars movie trilogy, I have to confide that I’m less a fan of the prequels. Admittedly, The Phantom Menace introduced some very cool characters like Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn but nothing could redeem the introduction of the most reviled character in Star Wars history, Jar Jar Binks. Dare I confess that I enjoyed William Shakespeare’s The Phantom of Menace more than the film? I did, mainly because this version throws a new spin on Jar Jar that I thoroughly enjoyed. Another character I connected to in this volume that I didn't in the movie was Anakin Skywalker. Doescher‘s writing instills in him a level of heartwarming depth that I felt was sorely missing in the film.
To read the review in its entirety go to: http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-william-shakespeares-phantom-of.html

This book was an impulse purchase at the airport. It was so much fun, I was tempted to read the whole thing aloud (but didn't, to avoid funny looks from other passengers).

I am pretty much squarely the target audience - love Shakespeare, love Star Wars. This book works only for people with this particular set of preferences - but for them, it works triumphantly. I'm already mentally scrolling through a list of friends who might enjoy getting this book.

When was the last time I enjoyed reading a book so much? I could not put it down. To be sure, it is not The Bard, but the blank verse works and is a pleasure throughout. There are plenty of tips of the hat to Shakespeare's famous speeches, as well as a few not so easily recognized. The best parts are soliloquies, particularly those poking fun at plot points, because what were those stormtroopers thinking? Now when is Empire coming out?

This Shakespearean version of The Phantom Menace is quite enjoyable. I love the movie, but the actual novel does not add much to the table. This, on the other hand, puts a whole new perspective on the Episode. The illustrations, writing, and wit are all superb. I would recommend this!

You can tell a lot of love went into this. Reading Star Wars in iambic pentameter is fun on its own, but what really makes this book great is its attention to the characters.
Nearly every character gets a chance to speak privately to the audience (some more than once), and these moments are surprisingly touching. Star Wars has been a part of my life for nearly 20 years, but this book made me feel like I was meeting my favorite characters for the first time.
I can't recommend this enough. Any Star Wars fan who survived high school English will get a kick out of this.

This is the first (chronological movie release date) Star Wars told in a parody of Shakespeare. The plot is virtually the same as the movie, Episode 4.

Humor and drama abound throughout the book in this version/telling.

Characters have similar motivations, yet these are a little more explicitly/differently expressed, as in often the case in screenplays.

Overall, a fun read.

This author's verse is nothing like the Bard's;
And Shakespeare's well-wrought, polished phrase
Is dashed upon the ground, and lies in shards
Of verb forms mixed beneath his false Elizabethan gaze
With pronouns, here a "thee" and there a "thine,"
But naught of majesty, naught but japery and jest:
A fine silk purse transformed into an ear of swine,
A play that even Lucas' wooden dialogue can best;
Without soliloquies, or coy asides,
The Force itself propels his drama to the stars;
Where Star Wars in eternal fame abides,
And no mere hack its legacy can mar--
But still, for all I find this book so lame,
`Twas I who purchased it, and none but me to blame.

Verily, a ripping yarn ‘tis. Most excellently hath the author captur’d the idiom of the Bard. In paper format, a superior product. In the format of Kindle, in all volumes six mayhap, most grievous faults be evident.

A veritable plethora of format errata doth plague the word electronique. The ‘nom du character’ presenteth in the column per dialogue. Lone and solitary words do in serious isolation appear where a need not be for space, sans rhyme nor reason. Most vexing.

‘Tis yet evident that the minions of the storeia do with depravèd indifference spit upon the their hallowed customers. Fie, do the elves editorial tinker with the parts most private of those who their lucre spend on the output of the storeia.

‘Til the resolution of this matter most heinous, a pox on the house of the storeia. A jester’s plague I call upon them. May the minions be struck with dire incontinence foul, yea unto the very melting of their bowels. Perchance they shall fail to satisfy in deepest intimacy their partners dear. Hah, do I damn them!!

A thoroughly enjoyable read, with enough quotation of the original film and plenty of creative additions (I love reading R2-D2's thoughts!)--along with allusions to Shakespeare's own works--to keep an ardent Star Wars fan engaged and delighted. Pure joy!

I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series!

I only just starting reading this. I am a huge fan of Shakespeare & Star Wars alike...so a no brainer, right? I know I shouldn't base a review on an unfinished read, but what you see is what you get here folks. The reason for the missing star is that so far, I've found a couple of errors. Lines that are attributed to the wrong people for example. Anybody who is familiar with the material will easily get past this no problem, but the editing could have been more thorough. Hopefully there aren't too many more of these bumps in this entertaining road

I though this paridy would be off the walls (like most) but it actually was pretty serious. Sure their were those small goofy blips but other than that it was just a little of kikter of the original Star Wars.

I love the Star Wars saga(the originals, not the new ones)! And I have always been fascinated with Shakespeare's plays. Mesh the two together and you have perfection!

Ian Doescher has taken the writing style of Shakespeare(don't ask me what Iambic Pentameter is, all I know is it makes the verses in the play flow along smoothly), and the first Star Wars movie(again, the original, not the new one) and created a story of epic proportions!

From the first Act with C-3PO and R2D2 escaping to Tatooine, to familiar lines of Shakespeare(with a Star Wars twist) such as "What light through yonder flashing sensor breaks?" William Shakespeare's Star Wars captured my twisted bit of funny bone and kept me entertained throughout the entire tale!

This book is aimed squarely at the intersection between Shakespeare geeks and Star Wars geeks, and no, I don't think that's an empty set. Any honors student who's studied a few Shakespeare plays in high school will appreciate the hilarity of R2D2's soliloquies in perfect iambic pentameter. There's plenty of jabs at famous Shakespeare lines and speeches littered through the text, and of course you need to be familiar with Star Wars' universe to get the jokes. But who else would buy this book, honestly? I'm not a huge Star Wars fan and so this started to bore me after a few pages, but I think Star Wars fans will find it a terrific parody. Great gift for that crowd, too.

Although Star Wars is a "classic" story type, it never occurred to me that it would fit so well in Shakespeare's style. This book is hilarious and yet wildly appropriate. I espeically like R2's soliloquy, since we otherwise never know what R2 is thinking without interpretation from someone else. Very funny if you're familiar with Shakespeare (and who isn't?)

True to both Star Wars and Shakespeare, William Shakespeare's Star Wars is a masterpiece in its own right. The text, while serious throughout, still manages to incorporate some classic Shakespeare lines in the context of Star Wars, and tongue-in-cheek jokes point out the changes in newer versions of the film (Greedo firing first; the additional scene with Han and Jabba the Hut). This book will appeal to both fans of Shakespeare and Star Wars. But those who are fans of both will love it the most.

It's essentially the script of Star Wars arranged to look like a play, with a few "verilys" and "thous" thrown in. It's cute, but it's exactly what you'd expect it to be with few surprises. Mostly it would make a funny gift for someone. Of course if you do happen to know someone who loves Shakespeare and Star Wars in equal measure, and they've literally got everything else they could possibly need, then you should definitely buy this for them.

This review first appeared on my blog, Cozy Little Book Journal. I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher for free. I was in no way influenced to give a positive review. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I knew George Lucas was using borrowed material, I thought it was Kurisawa, turns out it was the Great Bard himself. I have absolutely LOVED this take on the original Star Wars film (#4 in story order, "A New Hope")as it would have been written by William Shakespeare. Now everyone sounds like Yoda - in a way. The soliloquies by every character - even R2D2 - are absolutely wonderful and the asides to the audience delight as well. If you like Star Wars and have any fondness for Shakespeare, you want this book!

Now I want to find the actors to put this play on -- at a Shakespeare festival if possible. Anyone want to invest?

I believe this play has been falsely attributed to William Shakespeare.
The first hint is that the playwright regularly uses the pronoun "ye," which Shakespeare almost never uses in his work (with the exception of Caliban). Attribution specialists, however, will expect my conclusion. "Ye" is almost always a telltale sign of the hand of Thomas Middleton. In addition, the incredible darkness manifested in the character of Vader and the overtly obscene metaphors applied to the Death Star's exhaust port all point, again, to the hard-nosed Middleton, not Shakespeare.
As many scholars will note, co-authorship was rampant in the period, but evidence in this text suggests that it post-dates Shakespeare's other work. True, many of the lines in the text strikingly resemble those of Shakespeare, but they do so because they are directly taken from Shakespeare's plays. While some might point out Shakespeare's willingness to "borrow" from other playwrights, we rarely see instances of Shakespeare repeating his own noteworthy lines. What this suggests is that the text was composed after Shakespeare's cannon was established - direct borrowing from Henry V places it at least in the first decade of the 1600s, a time at which Shakespeare was gearing down his career (and writing his great dark tragedies like Macbeth and Coriolanus). The affection for Shakespearean quotation suggests a familiarity with the bard's work that might first lead one towards Thomas Heywood, but even Heywood only quotes Shakespeare occasionally. No, the odds are that the second hand comes from John Fletcher, Shakespeare's "heir apparent" with the Lord Chamberlain's Men.
Neither of these writers, if they indeed authored this play, explain the incredible degree of regularity we see in the iambic lines of the text, however. As I have already demonstrated, the Shakespearean quotes place the text, as-is, in the 1600s, but the extremely regularized iambic lines resemble Shakespeare's earlier plays, such as Comedy of Errors. Shakespeare was, in turn, following the lead of earlier playwrights with his early, regularized iambs, but even back then, his typical trochee-iamb patterns at the beginnings of lines was already visibly trotting along. Marlowe's verse is divorced of enjambment (a common feature of this text), ruling him out as a possible third party, but it is clear that Middleton and Fletcher have to have been working from some much-older Ur-text. The primitive nature of the text's scansion suggests that the Ur-text in question is likely a contemporary of such plays as Roister-Doister. Likely suspects for authoring the Ur-text would, naturally, come from the University Wits. It's feasible that Nashe, Peale, or even Lyly had a hand in this particular cookie jar, but analysis would likely prove fruitless without the foul papers.
Even after all that is said, we can be sure that the present text is not the original play-as-performed; it contains a record to the infamous "My kingdom for a horse" line from Richard III, which scholars know was added to Shakespeare's history play by Colley Cibber in 1699, dating this text to at least 1700.

My son saw this book and as a fan of Star Wars asked me to get it for him. After reading the first chapter (or Act 1) he discovered it was not really a book for kids. He was hoping it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth in the star wars style but alas.... he discovered it was a retelling of the Star Wars story in Shakespeare's style and not for him. His exact words were (mind you, he is 10 and in all of the advanced classes) it is a little hard to understand as a kid even though it is shakespeare it is not like Star Wars Romeo and Juliet.

Unless you are a true Star Wars fan, this book is probably not for you but would make a great gift for a big SW fan!

I found Act I to be hilarious; Act II mildly amusing. By Act III the novelty had worn off and by Act IV I was wondering how many more pages were left. By Act V I was just annoyed every time I recognized one of Shakespeare's famous speeches. It's a very, very, clever concept and I think Doescher did an excellent job but at some point it ceased being an enjoyable read and seemed more of a writing exercise for the author.

I'm not really a fan of the Bard; having been forced to read his stuff in high school, I've quite diligently avoided it since then.

I am a fan of Star Wars, though, and of things given a twist.

And I quite enjoyed this one. It's the same tale -- often with some of the same, or very similar, dialogue -- but written in Shakespearean style. If you like Star Wars, it's a fun read. The Shakespearean style can be a bit to work thru, if that's not your thing, but the overall story makes it well worth it.

Can't wait for the sequel! ^^

I enjoyed this rendition of Star Wars. Naturally, it helped me a ton that I know the movie by heart and I have a visual to the "play." Shakespeare would have liked it too I think, or maybe not,veering as to how he didn't write it but then again weren't a few of his plays just credited as having a co-writer?

If you love Star Wars OR if you love Shakespeare... OR if you love BOTH... You'll love this book. It's hysterical AND VERY WELL WRITTEN. There are SW and Shakespearean easter eggs sprinkled throughout to whet any fan boys' whistle. Highly recommended. Ian, my friend, you've outdone yourself! I cannot wait for Shakespeare's The Empire Strikes Back. And maybe even Shakespeare's The Hunger Games where Katniss and Peeta both eat the berries at the end of book one prompting a swift end to the entire series.

- got him reading this out loud to anyone who'd listen and zipping through the books in the series. He mentioned he thought that the author used 'the Chorus' too often or didn't enjoy those parts as much. So far, it seems age-appropriate for him and not to have any junk.

This book is a fantastic homage to the genius of the Bard and the enduring appeal of Star Wars, and it appeals absolutely to both sides of my inner nerd. While not taking itself terribly seriously (which is part of what makes it work so well) the book does a wonderful job of bringing together two seemingly very different styles and bringing out the similarities which lie at the heart of all good fiction: character and storytelling. I particularly love the very Shakespearean "asides" given by the characters (including R2-D2) throughout the book.

Hilarious, wonderful! I smiled though the entire work ! This makes a terrific party ! Get several friends, and assign parts, and have a reading ! We did this tonight with my family, each of us taking a part. It was fun in the extreme ! Well written. Enjoyed it in the extreme !

Disclaimer: I am reviewing an advance unproofread copy I received for free through the Vine program.

Well it's amazing, quite an awesome accomplishment, a total feat of supreme geekdom/nerdliness. We are completely unworthy, to even sniff the glue in the binding of your superb tome.....

Now I can appreciate it by myself, especially since I got it for free :-) but unfortunately no one else can dig it...... it's way beyond the kids, wife's not interested, ...

so, it's a great accomplishment technically, but it's only for hardcore completists, either in Star Wars fandom and/or Shakespearan lit. Now if you happen to be such a distinguished one, it is definitely a must-read for you!

I can't say enough about this series. It is amazing! I have GOT to see this acted out... If nobody is doing it yet, somebody NEEDS to.

This might possibly be the best thing that has ever happened to the Star Wars series.

Coincidentally I just finished reading How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, which used actual text from the Bard. After having a dose of Shakespeare and learning to memorize his works, when I got my hands on this I had one immediate response. . .

Ha. Ha. Ha!

I got a good laugh, as the timely classic story we all know so well is put into the form of a stage play with a lot of Thee's, Thou's and the like.

Not nearly as skilled writing as the Bard's trademark rhyming and other fantastic uses of the English language. Now I'm still unfamiliar with recognizing iambic pentameter, but that's supposed to play a big part in this retelling.

Here is an excerpt that folks should be able to place:

HAN: Pray tell, what shall the cargo be?

OBI-WAN: -Myself
The boy, two droids, and ne're a question ask'd.

HAN 'Tis what, a touch of local trouble here?

OBI-WAN Nay, let us simply say it thus: we would
Imperial entanglements avoid

HAN Aye, there's the rub, so shalt though further pay.
Ten thousand is the cost, and ev'ry bit
Shalt though deliver ere we leave the dock.

LUKE Ten thousand? Fie! We could our own ship buy
For such a sum as this.

HAN -A goodly jest!
For who should pilot such a ship -- shouldst thou?

LUKE Thou knave, I could indeed!. . .

As you can see, this is how the entire book reads. It makes the Shakespearean fan have a good laugh and enjoy the Star Wars in a different light.
Also note there are some illustrations throughout that are kinda cool.

Someone's got an incredible working knowledge of Shakespearean language to be able to render "A New Hope" so amazingly well in this format.

It's a great gift idea for any SW fan, if nothing more than as a curiosity.

This is a fun, creative romp for Star Wars fans and maybe for the Shakespeare scholar who has enough flexibility to have a sense of humor. It's actually well-done, and this publisher is known for daring, creative takes on the classics, so why not this?

Enjoyed the iambic pentameter form, the generous asides, and the fine touches and details: make no mistake: intelligence abounds here. It's no cheap shot. So well worth a read. For fans of the bard with a little extra fun.

I really enjoyed Ian's book. I'm a theater professional and would LOVE to see it performed. Such a hoot and great intro to the Bard for those not tickled with the old plays. For an interview with the author and more on my take of the book see: [...]

My friend is a big Star Wars fan and I had missed his birthday. I though about giving him a George Lucas voodoo doll to get revenge for the EU getting cut, but instead settled for this and he loved it. He can't wait for the sequels that came out.

Mr Doescher does an excellent job of rendering the Star Wars story in proper Shakespearean English. It's brilliantly done, really, and I'd love to see it produced on the stage one day. I have purchased and shared several copies, and mean to do it again with the rest of the trilogy. Well done, sir, well done.

This book will appeal to every Star Wars fan, even if your knowledge of Shakepeare's plays is limited to what you learned in high school English class. The conversion of familiar Star Wars dialogue to Elizabethan English is both hilarious and clever in spots. Most enjoyable are the inner dialogue of R2, and the soliloquies adapted from familiar Shakespeare characters. My favorite line? Luke: Once more unto the trench, dear friends, once more!

I am torn on how to review this novel. So I will give it the three stars for my indecision. If I agree it is masterfully composed I will most definitely offend the true Shakespeareans that think this work is offensive to the revered text. If I say I dislike this novel I will offend the Star Wars fans. In the past when I reviewed any Star Wars novel and I say any minor thing about it I get a ton of negative feedback. This is one of those novels that I wonder why does it actually exist. Who says I want to read Star Wars but in a Shakespearian way? Star Wars has gotten to where they are putting a Star Wars stamp on everything these days expecting the devoted Star Wars fans to buy it which is what I used to do as a fan. And lets be honest most of the fans will buy this novel because it is Star Wars. I have been selective of what I purchase these days as I have gotten bills that must be prioritized. I will be honest this is one of those novels that I would of picked up off the shelf and browsed, read parts of it, and then put it back on the shelf. I would not be reviewing this novel if not for getting an advanced copy. The text is in Shakespearian Iambic pentameter and it is true to the Star Wars saga. It is funny and odd to hear the language of Shakespeare's time coming from C-3P0 and yes even R2-D2. There are direct quotes or similarities from preexisting Shakespearian text for example R2-D2 is like Puck and in one of his soliloquies directed towards C-3PO. "I'll be reveng'd, and merry pranks aplenty I shall play upon this pompous droid C-3P0." The novel is true to Shakespeare's text even taking direct quotes or mixing up direct scenes and injecting Star Wars characters and phrases in Iambic Pentameter. As a Literature teacher this would be fun for junior high to take scenes from the text and get the classroom to reenact them to introduce Shakespeare to a new generation. In all honesty I acknowledge that this is a humors piece of Literature and meant to be taken as a joke. It successfully accomplishes what it sets out to do which is depict A New Hope in Shakespearian Iambic Pentameter. I would not of bought it but I now can say I have read Star Wars as Shakespeare would of envisioned it. It is not bad, it is humorously stylized, it borrows from preexisting Shakespearian work, and it is most definitely one of a kind. But the real question is really...Why? Why does this exist? Why would someone buy this? One last note Luke's soliloquy holding a stormtrooper helmet like in Hamlet is not to be missed. The novel is sprinkled with art work that is great like the aforementioned Luke holding stormtrooper helmet that is reminiscent of Hamlet holding the Skull.

This book and the 2 sequels are quite enjoyable if you can get past all the grammatical errors involved in conjugating "thou". For example: "from whence thou came" instead of the correct version: "whence thou camest". I almost wish I could see a stage production of these (after cleaning up the errors).

I was one of the few in my high school Literature class who actually enjoyed reading Shakespeare's plays. After being exposed to the Bard with Romeo and Juliet, I quickly began to read his other famous plays. My favorite to this day is Macbeth.

Since the original Star Wars came out in 1977, I was known as a Star Wars Nut. A title I wore with pride. Even though George Lucas has put out some of the fire I still hold for the Star Wars franchise, it still remains one of my favorite films of all time. If only he would allow us to see the original cut instead of the horrible "upgrades" he's made. But I digress..........

When I saw this book on the store, I thought, "Why didn't I see this long ago???" Shakespeare and Star Wars are a perfect match for each other. I've always thought the original Star Wars: A New Hope would make a great opera. Can't you just picture it...Just as the Rebels are advancing on the Death Star, you hear the Ride of the Valkyries from Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen?? I never thought of what Star Wars would be like had it been written by the Bard, but the end result is actually quite charming. The adaptation of the iconic scenes from the film really bring a smile to my face. Luke and Vader really fit in well in a Shakespearean universe. Luke really has a lot in common with Hamlet, and Vader could easily be the ghost from Macbeth. Just as the Bard often inserted humor in some of his darkest plays, the same is true with this version of Star Wars. Have you ever thought what R2-D2 is REALLY saying with all the beeps and whirs????? Well he finally speaks in certain scenes in this book, and boy does he have a lot to say. My favorite scene from this adaptation would probably be the conversation between the guards who enter the Millennium Falcon in order to scan it after our Rebel friends have landed the ship inside the Death Star. If you ever wondered what went on inside the Falcon after the guards went on board, now you know...ha ha ha. This book is only about 170 pages, and makes for a perfect summer read. I read it in one afternoon, and I'm hoping the author will do the same to Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Any Star Wars fan will greatly enjoy this adaptation. May the Verse be with you!!

This book is a lot of fun for both fans of Star Wars and Shakespeare. It is also a great book to help make Shakespeare less intimidating for teens. I had a teen come into the library who had never tried Shakespeare before and went on to read The Merchant of Venice after finishing William Shakespeare's Star Wars.

This book is fantastic. It credibly weaves the story we know and love into a shakespearian intrigue that verily becomes more than the sum of its parts. Here's hoping we get a stage production some time....

This book, it's like hath ne'er been seen before!
To read the timeless work of Lucas in a form
So like the Avon Bard's great works, it fills
Mine heart with joy o'erwhelming. Now if `twas
Only to be found on the stage, then would
It's beauty ever truly be brought forth.

I'm having so many problems getting through this book that I started making a list before I finished reading Act II. The idea is an interesting one and the illustrations, though not always easily identifiable as being Shakespearean, are quite nice and interesting to look at. There are some nice nods to classic images of Shakespeare in the illustrations that I like. The problems come more from the execution of the writing and here's why:
This is not a book to give someone who likes Star Wars and needs an introduction to Shakespeare nor is it a good book to give to someone who likes Shakespeare and needs an introduction to Star Wars.

Let me further explain that. The book, as mentioned by other reviewers, is a retelling of A New Hope (or, as the book calls it, "Verily, A New Hope" as if that properly Shakespeare's it up). If you really like your Star Wars, then it may be a novelty item, though more for the adult who can get through the reading than the child who will have no basis for anything as it is written. Second, the author seems to have a base knowledge of Shakespeare, but no true understanding of how the bard actually wrote and structured his plays. There are too many asides by characters, too much interjection of the CHORUS to tell random bits of action (generally unnecessary I might add), and words like "Troth" are thrown in willy-nilly without proper context/usage. Also, simply adding -th and -st to words does not make them "Shakespearean," nor does constantly using "thee," "thou," and "aye." (For the last, are we in a pirate movie? No - It's Star Wars!) I will give the author credit where due, though. He does manage to get the iambic pentameter right which is something properly Shakespearean.

I've tried to get into the book, but it's been very difficult. The novelty of it wears quickly, especially as a very casual fan of Star Wars who has happened to have studied Shakespeare properly at some point. I do believe Shakespeare would think the book a great joke, but at the same time would perhaps be dismayed by the lack of good execution. Anyway, may be a great gift for that hardcore Star Wars geek you know, just not for anyone else really.

OK, I have to admit when I requested this item, I was't sure what I was going to think about it. It's basically a novelty book, a Star Wars novel written in the prose of William Shakespeare's kind of writing. I thought it would be a goof to read. It was.

However, reading that way wore off pretty quickly. I started jumping around, and never read for long periods of time, because frankly, this isn't how people read anymore. I don't think I'll ever be able to get through this all in order, much less in one go. If I'm really into a book, I've been known to read them in one sitting (even upwards of like 700 pages). Not this. I checked out mentally pretty quickly.

I suppose if you were the hardest of hardcore Star Wars fans, you might be able to do it, but that's not me.

Do you know someone who is a fan of Shakespeare AND Star Wars? Then this would be a cute little gag gift for them.

Otherwise, this book is amusing but probably not worth the purchase except for a hard-core collector. It is fun to flip through and find your favorite scenes from the movie and read them in the Elizabethan iambic pentameter, but sitting and reading this cover to cover is hard work.

Listen carefully to the audio sample. The style is uniquely creative and the performance is excellent, but not for me. Having thou characters speaketh in Shakespearean English is weird, and listening to a playeth is yea weird'r. I couldn't listen to more than 15 minutes.

Oh, how the great Bard must roll in his grave!
A book which must needs make the muses cry.
Forsooth! Lord Lucas himself, to this knave,
Should have given his mind. Red Five! Stand by!
To blast this scurrilous villain into
Hyperspace (and beyond!) for his loathsome
Work of tripe, and his audacity, too,
To hijack the Bard's good name for this tome.
Fie, fie! Foul scoundrel for thine chastening
Will not equal the torture thou hast spew'd
'Pon the public. Thou should'st be repaying
The unmerited gold thou hast accrued,
And for thine rightful punishment, methinks,
Spend eternity chained to Jar Jar Binks!

People who really need a Star Wars fix after all these years can find a good science fictioh novel that will be far far better than reading watered down distillations of someone else's already watered down imigination.