William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return, Ian Doescher

Finally got to finish out the trilogy tonight, sad that it's over, but it was a fun ride while it lasted.

William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return
Ian Doescher
ISBN: 9781594747137
Read September 23, 2014.
William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope
William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back


Our last installment has no more singing Ugnaughts, but we do get Ewoks speaking pidgin English, which is an interesting choice.  The author comments in the afterword that keeping track of everyone's speech patterns after three whole books/films-worth of characters was a little daunting, but I think it all went smoothly.  I don't know that I would have given the Ewoks that sort of dialect, but I did like a thoughtful line from Leia on Endor:
"It is not we who welcome them, I err.
For 'tis their moon, their home, their dwelling place.
'Tis surely they who kindly welcome us,
'Tis truly they to whom our thanks are due..."

There are other truly lovely moments scattered throughout - Luke's soliloquy bracing himself before confronting Jabba, the Emperor's delightful evil monologue embracing his destiny as master of pain and suffering and death, Vader's slow growing realization that his evil is no match for his feelings as a father.

Like the author, I like Jedi way more than I should.  I know it's cheesy, I know the Ewoks are a bit of a joke, but I can't help it.  It's always been my favorite, with the stark themes of love and loss and the hard-won lessons of maturity, of being better than your parents while still loving them.

I think I was most happy reading this when the language from the film didn't even need much changing to fit this Shakespearean conceit.  Reading this homage is light and fun and easy, but then a powerful moment from the movie transfers over almost unchanged, like when Luke confronts Vader in that industrial grim corridor on Endor.  "'Tis but the name of thy true self, which thou hast but forgotten.  Furthermore, I know that there is good within thee yet, for thy great Emperor cannot have driven it from thee entirely."  That is sooo close to Luke's impassioned speech that, minus the thees and thous, it is essentially what was spoken in the film.  That language and that scene was powerful then, and it still is now, even with a bit of frippery and fun draped over it.  That's why I love Star Wars.

William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back

William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back (Star Wars, Part the Fifth)
Ian Doescher
ISBN: 9781594747151
Read April 21, 2014

Review of William Shakespeare's Verily, A New Hope.

Still digging this series, and cannot wait for Jedi to come out in a few months.  There are some rough spots here and there (the AT-ATs were a little strange for me, and some of the monologues were just a touch on the longwinded side, and the lamentation song was a little weird) but otherwise it was another brilliant installment in the ongoing marriage between Star Wars and Shakespeare.

Favorite parts:

Singing Ugnaughts.  Seriously.

Lando gets an actual character arc.  This one is actually a qualified success, because I think one of the strengths of the film is that the betrayal just comes completely out of left field unless you're naturally suspicious.  They're talking, they're walking, the city is beautiful, and BAM - Vader!  But in a book (er, play) that's harder to accomplish and then have Lando become a hero, so I like that he gets asides and monologues and hints that he's really unhappy to be forced into this choice.

"Exit, pursued by a wampa."

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope
Ian Doescher
ISBN: 9781594746376
Read January 7, 2014

Parody/Homage: Star Wars, as written by the Master Wordsmith himself.  My only quibble is that the story uses the 'official' reworked version with the Jabba appearance.

I grinned a lot when reading this, especially the many soliloquies that reveal future events or hint at characters and relationships.  I particularly enjoyed Obi-Wan's speech as he steeled himself to death to inspire Luke, and Luke's 'once more into the breach' before the final battle, which both improves on and laughs at his original naive, bragging 'womp rat' line.

There were admittedly places where the wording was more cutesy or corny than creative, but the vast majority were delightful, most hitting that sweet spot where I could see the characters speaking the lines, but could also see clearly where they were taken from the Bard as well as from the screenplay.

I even liked the Chorus, and I usually hate the Chorus!  I was left with an overwhelming urge to try and actually stage this.  I have a feeling that it would be either hysterical or laughable, but to the author's credit, I really want to try.

"Act 4, Scene 2:
Han, in the detention block control room, to the comlink

O, be not anxious, comrades, fear ye not!
The situation here hath been controll'd.
All merry 'tis in the detention block!

Officer 1 (through comlink) But what hath happen'd?

Han ----- 'Tis no matter, Sir-
A slight malfunction of the weapons here.
But all is well, and we are well, and all
Within are well.  The pris'ners, too, are well,
'Tis well, 'tis well.  And thou?  Art also well?

Officer 1 (through comlink) We shall dispatch a squad to verify.

Han - Nay, there's a leak in the reactor here.
Pray give us time to mend the matter well.
The leak is large and dangerous, but fear
Thou not, for all - I tell thee true - is well!

Officer 1 (through comlink) But who art thou, and what's thy number code?

/ Han Solo blasts comlink /

Han - That conversation did my spirits bore!
Now Luke, prepare thyself for company!"

(This post created on an ipad, apologies for textual/formatting errors.  I will correct and update as soon as I'm back to a 'real' computer.)