Star Wars Part the Fifth (William Shakespeare's Star Wars)

The wonderful combination of Elizabethan theater and the Galaxy Far, Far Away returns in William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher. Combining his love of the classic trilogy and the Bard, Doescher followed up the overwhelming success of his first crossover adaptation by bringing further the tragedy of Episode V in all it's glory in the form of iambic pentameter, prose, and even haiku.

Doescher continued his excellent translation of film dialogue to late 16th century English with the addition of soliloquies, speeches, and asides that add depth to all the characters Star Wars have come to love. Lando, Boba Fett, and Yoda being the newest major characters to the overall story are given lines to better understand their inner character which aren't allowed to come out in the film. This approached allowed for a better understanding of Lando in particular giving the audience an insight about his motives through the latter part of the book. Unlike his first book, Doescher breaks away from iambic pentameter for two characters: Boba Fett as a bounty hunter is "base" enough to just warrant prose speech while Yoda's unique manner of dialogue was but into haiku. The inner feelings of Han and Leia towards permeate their scenes, giving a better understanding of their romance throughout the book. Doescher used the Chorus drastically less than he did in his previous effort and instead had characters detail the action like Shakespeare also did in his plays. Even with the use of all these inner monologues, Doescher is able to give "that scene" at the end of the film a suspenseful and stunning air about it.

In a 172 pages, Doescher brings the epic nature of Episode V of the Star Wars saga to the Elizabethan stage to amazing results. If you're a Star Wars fan you've got to get your hands on this book.

"Laugh indeed thou fuzzball large!"

Possibly my favorite thing about this excellent full-cast audio production is that, in the spoken afterword, Ian Doescher notes how he changed his approach in adapting the second film. He took some of the criticism of William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope to heart and made changes accordingly, but he also delved a bit deeper into the Shakespearean toolbox in enough ways that I wish the afterword had been a foreword so I could've been paying better attention as I listened.

Regardless, this delightful production, in addition to the story we all know so well, featured talking AT-ATs (among other previously silent characters), dancing Ugnaughts, and a wonderful little Rosencrantz and Guildenstern scene in Cloud City about Imperial construction regulations.

As in the first play, Doescher uses asides to give insight into the motivations of the characters, a device that really helps to flesh out characters like Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett.

A highly recommended listen.

(Sequel to William Shakespeare's Star Wars, as you probably know.)

After destroying the Empire's ultimate weapon, the rebels hide on the frozen ice planet of Hoth, plotting their next move. Darth Vadar and his armies search relentlessly for Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and the others. As the Empire closes in, Luke receives a ghostly message from his former mentor to seek a new Jedi master. Far off in the remote Dagobah system, Luke is forced to choose between completing his training or returning to save his friends from the carefully-laid trap set by the Empire.

This series is so much FUN. It mimics the style of Shakespeare convincingly enough that one could almost believe his ghost was involved in the writing - but then Doescher slips in a couple of classic Star Wars quotes and you remember the modern origin of the story. It's clearly a labor of love, though. It's interesting to see how Doescher adapted some of the movie's characters to suit the new medium. After all, Yoda's unusual manner of speaking is already somewhat Shakespearean, so how can you convey the difference in this new play-version of the story? I won't ruin the surprise, but I think Doescher found a very effective way of keeping Yoda unique.

I also really enjoy the way that non-speaking characters can be given new life via the Shakespearean soliloquy. In the film, R2-D2 can't talk save for a series of whistles and beeps, but here he's free to vent frustrations or rhapsodize with joy. Even minor characters, like the wampa that attacks Luke Skywalker at the beginning of the story, can be made sympathetic:

"Pray know that I a wampa simple am,
And take no pleasure in my angry mood.
Though with great force this young one's face I slam,
I prithee know I strike but for my food."

Scattered throughout the book are etching-like illustrations that mash-up Star Wars and Elizabethan culture. Ever wanted to see Yoda in a great ruff collar? Here it is. You're welcome.

Fans of the first book will eat this right up and jump right on to The Jedi Doth Return. If you haven't yet given the series a try, go for it. It's a lot of fun and you won't regret it.

While perhaps not quite as good as the first volume of Shakespeare's Star Wars (after all, it's difficult to attain a second time to an amazing first impression), The Empire Striketh Back pleases once again. The quality of imagination and creativity continues, the various asides and soliloquies providing depth of interest into the thoughts of the main characters, as well as granting life to characters (creatures) that never before had any lines in the film (the wampa, space slug, etc.).

I found the author's Afterword particularly interesting for discussing some of the decisions he made, and for pointing out some of the use of Shakespeare's other devices (apart from iambic pentameter meter).

Needless to say, I am anxious to continue on with Shakespeare's Jedi and Phantom, both of which are already sitting on my shelf, waiting to entertain and please...and I have no doubt that author Ian Doescher will deliver splendidly in each case.

William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher (2014) 5 stars★ & favorite♥
(William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Book 2)

Another good one. Focused a bit more on Han and Leia's romance. Loved Yoda! He speaks in Haiku!

The first parody book was a little better I thought. But I still enjoyed book 2. It went more into the romance of Han and Leia. And there was a lot more longer monologues (aside dialogue too). It's fun and short.

Favorite quotes:

Act II: scene 7
Yoda:
"O, great warrior!
A great warrior you seek?
Wars not make one great.

But soft, no more of
Talking, for my appetite
Dinner demandeth."

Act V: scene 7
Luke:
"Encounters unexpected we did meet
With masters wise and persons unforeseen.
These are the star wars, yet they are not done—
For sure, the final chapter’s just begun."

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-copy of this book for review through Booklikes Giveaway program.)

At first, it might be difficult to conceive how two vastly different genres (especially two so well-known!) could merge so beautifully. However, as the author has shown it is not only possible but a BRILLIANT idea. As a big fan of the Star Wars franchise and its novelizations, I was blown away by how well the Bard's style was used to re-imagine this epic story. For a Shakespeare novice, it might be a little jarring at first but you get so caught up in the storyline that I don't think that will be a major issue. Star Wars newbies should probably start with the first in the series, William Shakespeare's Star Wars, in order to understand the cast of characters and storyline more fully.

All in all, a fabulous read and I HIGHLY anticipate William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return this summer!

Once again I found myself amused by the Star Wars/William Shakespeare mashup. The Empire Striketh Back was everything that I hoped it to be. Following the entire storyline of the movie The Empire Strikes Back, the book begins on the planet of Hoth. The Shakespearean quotes were a little less obvious to me this time around, but I attribute that to my ignorance of most things Shakespeare. There were still some funny lines that were not Shakespeare as in Han's butchering of the postman's creed when he leaves to go find Luke who is lost out in the snow. That scene made me laugh out loud! What I really find interesting is how conducive Star Wars is to Shakespeare's writings. The lines seemed to flow so well and they made sense even while using thee's, thy's and wherefore's etc. If you enjoyed the Star Wars movies, and have a bit of interest in Shakespeare then give this mashup a try, but I suggest you start with William Shakespeare's Star Wars as you will want to follow the saga in order. I'm looking forward to third book in the series The Jedi Doth Return.

This book is a brilliant reworking of a modern movie as an Elizabethan drama. The text begs to be read aloud - the clever takes on famous Shakespearean lines evoke both glee in the reader and the need to share it with whoever is within earshot. The Shakespeare-style monologues of otherwise incomprehensible, though not silent, movie characters like the wampa and R2-D2 add new dimensions that were not in the original movie. This is the perfect gift for lovers of Shakespeare, the Star Wars movies, or language fun.

... and the series keeps going! It is really that good!

My wife got these for me as a gift and it is quite possibly the best gift ever.

If you like both Star Wars and Shakespear, you will love this.

I think the Bard himself would approve, as this is a great and amusing read. Written in the style of William Shakespeare only makes this even more fun to read (especially when some lines are quotes, make star wars like from his other plays). Well worth reading!

This seems like something you'd read portions of on a humor blog, but reading the entire thing can be plodding. I suppose if someone is in a Shakespeare lit class the gags can be better appreciated, but to those of us who wrapped up their humanities studies over 20 years ago there wasn't too much appeal in this. There are some chuckles, such as Luke repeatedly yelling "nay!" at Vader's revelation, and things like that, and the illustrations are a nice touch, but I the joke runs a little long, like a dry SNL skit where you get the gag early and they carry it out exhaustively to the next commercial break.