William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope
The New York Times Best Seller
Experience the Star Wars saga reimagined as an Elizabethan drama penned by William Shakespeare himself, complete with authentic meter and verse, and theatrical monologues and dialogue by everyone from Darth Vader to R2D2.
Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.
Authentic meter, stage directions, reimagined movie scenes and dialogue, and hidden Easter eggs throughout will entertain and impress fans of Star Wars and Shakespeare alike. Every scene and character from the film appears in the play, along with twenty woodcut-style illustrations that depict an Elizabethan version of the Star Wars galaxy. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.
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Community Reviews
Alright, Star Wars aficionados and Shakespeare enthusiasts, gather 'round for William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope, where lightsabers clash and soliloquies soar in iambic pentameter. Imagine George Lucas's epic space opera reimagined by the Bard of Avon himself. Sounds like a match made in literary heaven, right? Well, kind of.
On the one hand, Ian Doescher’s ambitious fusion of Shakespearean verse with the beloved Star Wars saga is nothing short of clever. It's like watching a high school production of Romeo and Juliet set in a galaxy far, far away. You’ve got all the familiar characters—Luke, Leia, Han, and the gang—spouting lines that would make even the most stoic Elizabethan theatre-goer raise an eyebrow.
C-3PO and R2-D2 bantering in lofty prose, Darth Vader delivering his menacing lines with a poetic flair, and even the cantina scene transformed into a Shakespearean tavern brawl. The commitment to the bit is impressive, and there are moments where the mashup genuinely works, eliciting a chuckle or a nod of appreciation for the sheer audacity of it all.
However, let’s be real—this is a niche book. If you're not a die-hard fan of both Star Wars and Shakespeare, you might find yourself slogging through the dense, archaic language, occasionally glancing longingly at your actual Star Wars DVD collection. The novelty of iambic pentameter can wear thin, and sometimes the plot gets a bit bogged down by its own cleverness.
And while Doescher's attempt to marry the two universes is commendable, it can sometimes feel like he's trying a bit too hard. Some passages are a delight, but others feel forced, like a Wookiee in a corset. The constant balancing act between staying true to Shakespearean style and being faithful to the Star Wars narrative doesn’t always land gracefully.
Overall, this book is a fun, quirky read that delivers exactly what it promises: a retelling of A New Hope through the lens of Shakespearean drama. It’s worth a read for the novelty alone, but be prepared for a mixed bag of poetic gold and tedious prose. A solid three stars for creativity, execution, and the sheer guts to bring these two worlds together. To quote the Bard (sort of): "Read it, or read it not—there is no try."
On the one hand, Ian Doescher’s ambitious fusion of Shakespearean verse with the beloved Star Wars saga is nothing short of clever. It's like watching a high school production of Romeo and Juliet set in a galaxy far, far away. You’ve got all the familiar characters—Luke, Leia, Han, and the gang—spouting lines that would make even the most stoic Elizabethan theatre-goer raise an eyebrow.
C-3PO and R2-D2 bantering in lofty prose, Darth Vader delivering his menacing lines with a poetic flair, and even the cantina scene transformed into a Shakespearean tavern brawl. The commitment to the bit is impressive, and there are moments where the mashup genuinely works, eliciting a chuckle or a nod of appreciation for the sheer audacity of it all.
However, let’s be real—this is a niche book. If you're not a die-hard fan of both Star Wars and Shakespeare, you might find yourself slogging through the dense, archaic language, occasionally glancing longingly at your actual Star Wars DVD collection. The novelty of iambic pentameter can wear thin, and sometimes the plot gets a bit bogged down by its own cleverness.
And while Doescher's attempt to marry the two universes is commendable, it can sometimes feel like he's trying a bit too hard. Some passages are a delight, but others feel forced, like a Wookiee in a corset. The constant balancing act between staying true to Shakespearean style and being faithful to the Star Wars narrative doesn’t always land gracefully.
Overall, this book is a fun, quirky read that delivers exactly what it promises: a retelling of A New Hope through the lens of Shakespearean drama. It’s worth a read for the novelty alone, but be prepared for a mixed bag of poetic gold and tedious prose. A solid three stars for creativity, execution, and the sheer guts to bring these two worlds together. To quote the Bard (sort of): "Read it, or read it not—there is no try."
This book was Star Wars told in iambic pentameter.
I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed this book less if I had not seen and enjoyed the movie. Despite the chorus' directions the action was often vague. I also had a problem with many of the asides the different characters would do. I wasn't sure they were always within the established personality. My favorite person in the movies was R2 D2, but if my opinion was completely formed from this version I would have thought he was a snot and would have not liked him at all mainly from his comments to himself.
I did have fun when Leia and Han's interactions sounded a lot like Beatrice and Benedict's. Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare. I had never made the correlation between the four characters before even though in this context it was obvious. I believe this connection is why I liked this version as much as I did.
I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed this book less if I had not seen and enjoyed the movie. Despite the chorus' directions the action was often vague. I also had a problem with many of the asides the different characters would do. I wasn't sure they were always within the established personality. My favorite person in the movies was R2 D2, but if my opinion was completely formed from this version I would have thought he was a snot and would have not liked him at all mainly from his comments to himself.
I did have fun when Leia and Han's interactions sounded a lot like Beatrice and Benedict's. Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare. I had never made the correlation between the four characters before even though in this context it was obvious. I believe this connection is why I liked this version as much as I did.
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