155. Romeo and Juliet Graphic Novel

William Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet by John F. McDonald. Illustrated by Sachin Nagar (Canada) - (US)
Campfire Classics

Pages: 80
Ages: 12+
Finished: Jul. 15, 2011
First Published: May 24, 2011
Publisher: Campfire
Genre: graphic novel, YA, play, classic
Rating: 4/5


First sentence:

Act 1 - Prologue
Two rich families from Verona begin an old feud again.

Acquired: Received a review copy from Steerforth Press.

Reason for Reading:  Honestly, I hate Romeo & Juliet; I think it is the stupidest love story ever written, but I won't go into my views on that here.  I read this adaptation solely because I was sent a review copy.

I've read the play and seen it performed at Stratford Festival so am very familiar with the story and I found this to be a very well-written adaptation, true to the original.  Written in modern English, which is how I prefer my Shakespeare. The story is very easy to read and unlike any other Campfire Classics I've read to date, this one had the occasional asterix to explain a perhaps uncommon word.  The cover art is very pretty but not representational of the inside art which is illustrated as realistic 16th century Italian life.  Well done and attractive.  The book begins with a brief bio. of Shakespeare and a cast of main characters page and ends with a two-page spread of did-you-know type facts about Shakespeare, in general, and this play in particular. This is a perfect introduction to the play.