Author Description

In this magnificent companion volume to Shakespeare Stories, superbly illustrated by Michael Foreman, Leon Garfield presents in narrative form another nine of Shakepeare's best-loved plays. Skillfully, the author conveys the plots, characters, settings and moods of the original works, and reveals their unique theatrical impact for today's reader. While he has refashioned the dramas as stories, Garfield has retained much of Shakepeare's own language, so that his tellings remain true to the essential spirit of the plays themselves. From the light romance and comedy of Much Ado About Nothing to the dark political drama of Richard III, all of the flavor and tone of the plays is evoked in these clever retellings, accompanied by stunning paintings which complement and reinforce the text. By turns playful, stirring, gentle and stark, Michael Foreman's color and black-and-white illustrations provide a wonderfully rich visual interpretation of the many-faceted masterworks. Together, Leon Garfield and Michael Foreman have produced a literary and illustrative tour de force that pays homage to the world's most celebrated playwright.