A Midsummer Night's Dream
One night two young couples run into an enchanted forest in an attempt to escape their problems. But these four humans do not realize that the forest is filled with fairies and hobgoblins who love making mischief. When Oberon, the Fairy King, and his loyal hobgoblin servant, Puck, intervene in human affairs, the fate of these young couples is magically and hilariously transformed. Like a classic fairy tale, this retelling of William Shakespeare's most beloved comedy is perfect for older readers who will find much to treasure and for younger readers who will love hearing the story read aloud.
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2008–2026years
28% recommend67% neutral6% critical
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What Hacker News says
- It's a tragedy that most English classes don't have field trips. Going to an actual Shakespeare play would probably change many people's minds than having to direct it in book form.
What clicked for me was after being forced to read The Merchant of Venice in grade 9, I suddenly saw all the cultural references ("I want my pound of flesh" or "All that glisters is not gold") in movies, music, etc. I remember watching Strange Brew and somebody mentioned that it's basically Hamlet and you can't unsee it once you realize which movie character is matched to which Shakespeare character.
Over the years I've been to several adaptations of A Midsummer Night's Dream and it was a ton of fun every single time.
- I think a better question isn't "is it hard to read/consume as originally written?", but "Is it worth getting over the hump of reading/consuming as originally written?".
I'd argue the answer to that second question is "yes". It's relatively understandable as Early Modern English, and it's eye opening just how loose the grammar and phrasing can be while remaining understandable. It's delightful to see how Shakespeare plays with the language and a treat to find unfamiliar words and phrases.
Is some of it a little cumbersome? Sure. Are there jokes that have lost something over the last 400 years? Absolutely. Are some of the stories a little ridiculous? Certainly. Is it also a fascinating glimpse into English as a language? Absolutely! Does everyone delight in language as much as I do? Of course not.
I remember reading A Midsummer Night's Dream in 7th grade and the book we used having the play on the left page, and notes for the modern reader on the right page. I found that to be a great way of making the text accessible. Especially as a seventh grader.
For the record, I found Pride and Prejudice (without the zombies) to be a harder read than any of the Shakespeare I've read.
- We found a local group that does Shakespeare in the park every summer. When our son was about 12, we took him to a couple shows including A Midsummer Night's Dream which he had acted out in class that year.
Seeing it on stage, with actors who know what they are doing, made Shakespeare "click" for him and really for me too. We've probably seen about 10 different performances by now and all of us actually look forward to the next one.
I highly recommend it for anyone who thinks they don't like Shakespeare but is open-minded enough to give it a shot again.
- Shakespeare and Robert Burns were both blighted for me by being inflicted at high school.
Ironically I found that I really like A Midsummer Night's Dream by watching a movie version with my son who was performing in it at school.
- One of my favorite high school teachers took the time to explain each and every dirty joke in A Midsummer Night's Dream; he was, consequently, one of the best English teachers I ever had.
By the end of the year, the school fired him.
- I had the same experience reading A Midsummer Night's Dream in high school -- I could follow the story, but it was a slog to get through and I didn't understand what was supposed to be so great about it.
Then I saw an actual performance of the play recently, and it all clicked. It was just as understandable as any contemporary film, and easily one of the most fun and entertaining stories I've seen.
