First published 2020
Jeremy Abrams presents two of Shakespeare's beloved comedies in streamlined editions that mirror how theater directors approach the plays. This Bard's Eye View edition removes the most obscure and repetitive passages while preserving the essential story and language. Abrams provides historical context and explains unfamiliar terms before each section, then steps back to let readers experience the plays directly. Much Ado About Nothing follows the wit and romantic entanglements of Beatrice and Benedick alongside the troubled courtship of Hero and Claudio. A Midsummer Night's Dream weaves together the fairy world of Puck and Oberon with the confused lovers and bumbling mechanicals in the enchanted forest. Rather than offering line-by-line modern translations that can distract from Shakespeare's original language, this approach lets readers encounter the Bard's words in their intended form while removing barriers that four centuries of linguistic change have created. The result aims to deliver the same engaging experience that audiences enjoy in live theater.
Genres: fiction, drama, classic-literature, literary-fiction, comedy, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Period: 16th-Century
230 pages · Paperback · Independently published