First published 2020
Jeremy Abrams believes that reading Shakespeare should deliver the same excitement as watching it performed. His approach prepares readers by explaining historical context and unfamiliar terms before each passage, then steps back like a skilled tour guide. Abrams edits out portions he considers Shakespeare's most difficult and unrewarding sections, arguing that the plays were not designed to be read in complete form four centuries later when language has evolved. Unlike side-by-side translations that can interrupt the flow of Shakespeare's original words, this edition maintains direct contact with the playwright's language. A Midsummer Night's Dream weaves together mythological rulers Theseus and Hippolyta, feuding fairy monarchs Oberon and Titania, four young Athenian lovers caught in romantic confusion, and working-class craftsmen including Bottom who becomes part donkey. The story unfolds in an enchanted wood where Puck's mistakes with love potions transform relationships and teach the characters about different emotional experiences.
Genres: fiction, drama, classics, literary-fiction, shakespeare, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Athens, Enchanted Wood
Period: 4th Century
144 pages · Paperback · Independently published