Shakespeare, meet George Lucas

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher is one of those books that I hyped up in my mind like crazy. I was so thrilled when it found its way into my mailbox.

About the book:
Quirk Books // avail. 7.2.13
Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearsome stormtroopers, signifying...pretty much everything.
Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter—and complete with twenty gorgeous Elizabethan illustrations--William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.

Book Trailer:


My thoughts:
I wanted to love this- I *really* did. Unfortunately, it just didn't wow me. Maybe that is because I hyped it up so much in my head. Or, it could be because I haven't read Shakespeare in quite a few years... the last time I really read (and loved) Shakespeare was in college, when I was studying for my degree. After reading William Shakespeare's Star Wars, I have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare isn't much fun to leisurely read. I would much rather read and dissect his work.

I literally squealed with delight when I opened this!

That being said, this book may not have been a personal favorite, but I can step back and still be blown away. Ian Doescher did a fan-freakin-tastic job writing this book. It was incredible in its own right. The writing was SPOT ON -- both Shakespearean and Star Wars. I was incredibly impressed with how well he mashed up the two. The flow of the story was perfect, especially the breaking up of the Acts and Scenes. The stage direction was also super cool. I geeked out on both Star Wars and Shakespeare when I read this. Oh, and the illustrations are badass.
This may not have been a book I fell in love with, but it is a book I can greatly appreciate. It is a book that I will enjoy looking at for years to come. Oh, and who knows... maybe I will find a group of students who are ready to tackle Shakespeare and I can bring this in. Quirk has a pretty boss educator guide (grab the pdf here) for this and I would love using it. Also, I think I would enjoy it a bit more if I used it as a work of study- because like I said earlier, that is just how Shakespeare fits with me.
I would suggest this to my fellow hardcore Star Wars geeks and Shakespeare lovers... both can equally love and appreciate this piece of work! This would be a great addition to a high school English course- maybe on a summer reading list, so this is a must read for HS English teachers... and even college professors- I think this would be a fun addition to the syllabus; I know I would have loved reading this during one of my two semesters of Shakespeare!

About the author:
IAN DOESCHER has loved Shakespeare since eighth grade and was born 45 days after Star Wars Episode IV was released. He has a B.A. in Music from Yale University, a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Ethics from Union Theological Seminary. Ian lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two sons. This is his first book.


Book information & image, book trailer, and author information provided by Quirk Books
FTC: I received this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review


write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow