Shakespeare Stories

Timson, David

3.72

29 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 9626343516 ISBN 13: 9789626343517

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks, 2005

Here are the stories of 13 key Shakespeare plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Richard III, Othello, Macbeth, The Tempest, Henry V, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Timson presents the complex plots in a clear, entertaining and informal style, presenting the main characters in the context of the famous lines. The stories contain important passages from the plays themselves, taken from the award-winning Naxos AudioBooks recordings.

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Review:

Lesser leads an ensemble cast through eight Shakespeare plays, beginning with gloomy Richard II before moving on to Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI, concluding with the wicked but laughable Richard III. Elizabethan period music sets the dramatic scenes and provides a bridge between stories. In a mellow British accent and dignified pace, Lesser reads detailed prose versions of the plays. At strategic points, the ensemble actors create a sense of theater by declaiming the speeches word for word. Many of these interludes are famous monologues, but frequent dialogues add interest and variety. An accompanying booklet contains information about each play as well as a track-by-track guide (most helpful, as the back cover erroneously divides Henry V into three parts). This production, like four earlier Shakespeare recordings from Naxos, works both as a graceful pre-theater listening experience and a classroom resource. --Kristi Elle Jemtegaard, Booklist

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