Tales from Shakespeare (Puffin Classics)

This is a classic volume for a good reason. It makes the works of Shakespeare accessible to young audiences by summarizing the history lines and simplifying some of the language - the good thing is that this is very well done by maintaining key passages in place. My two daughters (9 and 11) have some familiarity with some of the more famous plays (Romeo and Juliet, Midsummers Night Dream...) and have read kid versions from the library, but I think the versions from Tales from Shakespeare although closer to the original material were accessible and suitable for reading aloud and was a totally enjoyable experience (I don't tend to read aloud to them often as they prefer to read on their own now, so that was a fun treat). A bonus is that this book is a quick way for an adult to reacquaint with these works and the main story lines and references (but you don't have to tell anyone, of course :-)).

My kids (11 and 13) love this book. We have read straight from Shakespeare many times and have also read some tales from this book. They really like this book better because they understand the storyline a little easier. I wish that I could find all of the tales retold.

This book introduces young people to the world of Shakespeare and his plays. We use this book in our school with 5th and 6th graders. Once they are done they are ready to read one of his plays. It’s a great book.

This book is an excellent introduction to the story lines of Shakespeare's major plays, written by Charles and Mary Lamb 200 years ago.

This is the best guide to help those new to Shakespeare find their way through the most popular stories. Its a great guide for kids and adults.

first, allow me to say that i am quite enjoying these puffin classics editions of some of my favorite books! here we have a great tool for those being introduced to shakespeare and his vast body of work. to the new shakespeare reader, it can be difficult (through language and writing style) to understand the stories of each play, however this book breaks them down into understandable stories, as well as includes a comprehensive glossary of the main characters in each of the plays covered. this book covers the following plays: the tempest a midsummer night's dream the winter's tale much ado about nothing as you like it the two gentlemen of verona the merchant of venice cymbeline king lear macbeth all's well that ends well the taming of the shrew the comedy of errors measure for measure twelfth night; or, what you will timon of athens romeo and juliet hamlet, prince of denmark othello pericles, prince of tyre when i was in high school, each fall, the drama club would go to ashland, oregon, home of the largest stateside shakespeare festival (and a modified recreation of the old globe theatre) to see several plays. how i wish i would have had this book back then for reference! a bonus here with the puffin classics is the addition of backstory included at the end of the book. here you can learn more about the author, the characters, and so much more. what a delightful thing to include! i have purchased most of these puffin classics editions, and will certainly look for future additions to add to my collection.

As far as I know this contains the best summarized versions of Shakespeare's plays. Written for young people, it reads like fairy tales; the elegant simplicity of the language and the story lines do not hide the complexity of emotions and human interactions contained in the original script. Frequent use of the original language in critical parts gives readers a feel for the Shakespearean stage. This is the best introduction to the greatest author in English language for young students of English literature and at the same time an absorbing summer read for adults.

As expected

The brother - sister duo has done an excellent job of presenting the works of Shakespeare in a much simpler language that definitely has much more appeal to kids than the complex old English of the original works. Moreover, they have written in a story format rather than a play format and that makes it even easier. I would recommend all teachers and parents to introduce the kids to Shakespeare using this book first.

Kann man ein Werk, das seit 210 Jahren ununterbrochen in immer neuen Ausgaben im Buchhandel ist, anders als mit 5 Sternen bewerten? Besonders, wenn man bedenkt, dass es geholfen hat, Shakespeares Werke weltweit bekannt zu machen (siehe Andrew Dickenson "Worlds Elsewhere"). Es wäre wohl vermessen. Und dennoch muss man es heute wohl anders lesen als 1807. Geschrieben wurde es vordergründig als (pädagogische wertvolle) Einstiegslektüre für Jugendliche, die die originalen Stücke noch nicht verstehen würden. (Ähnliche Versuche gab es in den 1960er Jahren, als man versuchte, literarische Klassiker der Jugend nahezubringen, indem man sie als Comics auflegte.) Allerdings liegt der Verdacht nahe, dass es auch Erwachsene waren, die Shakespeares Werke nicht lesen mochten oder konnten, aber im gebildeten Salon mitreden wollten (ähnlich den Konversationslexika, die in dieser Zeit populär wurden). Heute lässt uns die Lektüre unbefriedigt. Es wird die Handlung (Fabel, Plot) von 20 Stücken wiedergegeben, wobei aber ganze Teile der Handlung, die wohl als nicht wesentlich eingestuft wurden, einfach wegfallen. Im Mittsommernachtstraum z.B. fehlt die Handwerkerhandlung fast komplett. Ganz fatal wird es im Macbeth, der ja kaum nennenswerte Handlung, aber enorm viel Reflexion bietet. Wer die Nacherzählung gelesen hat, weiß über das Stück nichts. Dafür werden vielfach Nebensächlichkeiten ausführlich wiedergegeben, besonders dann, wenn sie "zitierfähige" Passagen enthalten (namedropping). An diesen Stellen geben die Lambs das Original weitgehend wörtlich wieder. (Damit kann man im Salon Punkte machen, auch wenn man nichts verstanden hat!) Eine Interpretation der Stücke oder Aussage zum Verständnis enthalten die Erzählungen eher nicht. An vielen Stellen scheint aber das bürgerliche Erziehungsideal des 19. Jahrhunderts durch, inklusive leicht erhobenem Zeigefinger. Aber das bleibt doch recht subtil und ist nicht aufdringlich. Sprachlich sind die Texte nicht wirklich schwer zu lesen. Die Syntax ist z.T. etwas altertümlich, was aber den Muttersprachlern eher Probleme bereitet als uns Deutschen, da die ältere Satzstellung dem Deutschen noch stärker ähnelte. Hie und da wird man vielleicht mal ein Wörterbuch brauchen, aber es fehlt ein "exotisches" Vokabular. Warum dann die 5 Sterne? Der Shakespeare-Liebhaber liest die Erzählungen als historische Dokumente. Sie oder er kann ja die Kürzungen und Schwächen im Kopf ergänzen und ausgleichen. In der Rezeptionsgeschichte Shakespeares haben die Lambs doch eine prominente Rolle, die auch heute noch große Anerkennung verdient. Und ganz simpel: Ich hatte meinen Spaß beim Lesen.

Wonderful book to read whether you’re an adult or child, lovely introduction by Dame Judi Dench too which is a nice touch. Also to add this is a great book if you're just starting to explore Shakespeare and his works as it breaks down the plays in easy to understand plots.

This book serves as an introduction to the great plays of Shakespeare with a brief story telling, character wise details. Very useful to start with.

This is for my children tours at school. Summary of Shakespeares play