Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by William Shakespeare/drawn by Kate Brown
ages: adult
First sentence: “Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace.”
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I decided to take a little break from fantasy novels and read this… fantasy play. Actually, C was looking through and pointed out that it’s essentially the worlds first chick flick. Very true. Romance, silliness, and everyone gets the guy in the end.

My opinion hasn’t changed in the three years since I read it last. It’s all a bunch of silliness. Oberon’s a bit of a jerk (in fact, most of the men are). It’s still better seen, rather than read, but reading it in Manga form was fun. The drawings were interesting — a cross between ancient Greece and modern (they were wearing togas AND ties). It was a little disconcerting: it’d have been nice if Brown had decided which to choose. But on the other hand, it worked with the silliness of the play; it was almost if they couldn’t decide what on earth to do with themselves. But, it wasn’t too distracting. I did wish it were in color, though. But that’s just me.

Not as good as seeing the play, but it works. I’m finding I like Manga Shakespeare. It’s a good way to access the plays.

One thought on “Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

  1. I have to say, I really like the Manga Shakespeare stories. It's always interesting to see how the different artists will portray the characters and settings. If I remember from a quick once-over when it came into the library, Othello was told very sci-fi, with Othello as a no-foolin' alien.

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