Everyone retells the Bard. But rising British manga star Leong delivers her adaptation with panache, creating an all-ages text likely to usher in new readers. Traditional manga styling - large eyes, incredibly graceful figures, expressive backdrops, and Chibi (small and cute) panels to express highly emotional moments - combine seamlessly with Western elements - left to right pagination and straightforward panel layout. Set in modern Tokyo, with the Capulets and Montagues recast as organized-crime rivals, and abridged enough to move quickly without sacrificing content or meaning, this racy retelling gets to the heart of the love story and the foolish rivalry that dooms it. The opening color pages with the cast of characters drawn large will help readers follow the story, as will the plot summary at the end. Indeed, graphic format may be the closest text can come to simulating the stage, and the art makes it relevant for a new generation - including an image of a cell phone with ''No Signal''; to explain why Romeo doesn't know Juliet is really alive. Gorgeous, readable, original - a winner. (plot synopsis, Shakespeare biography) (Graphic novel. YA) (Kirkus Reviews)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
Addictive page turning energy! --The Independent on Sunday
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By plorr2
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Colourful graphics. Daughter borrowed a copy from her teacher, enjoyed it so much, wanted her own copy... loved it and all things anime/manga related.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This graphic novel, set to be read in the western way,from left to right , unlike "traditional" manga, presents a neat introduction to the play .Suitable for fans of Manga and students of Shakespeare alike, it offers an engaging and easy-to-digest view of the story.
Presenting the Capulets and Montagues as warring "Yakuza", or Japanese Mafia families, is a neat way to explain their emnity.
As with most Manga Shakespeare, this graphic novel is constrained, by size, to abridge the full text, but has retained the essential "flavour" of the original storyline and important speeches. The drawing is excellent and the text clear.
I am slightly bemused by the choice of depicting Romeo as a "Rock Idol", as this seems irrelevant, even in the modern setting of the play and seems difficult to justify, but it's possibly only a passing reference to make him more appealing to young readers. In any case, this is a very minor quibble, given the time and location of the story.
Generally, the whole book works well as an alternate presentation of the tale and should make the studying of Shakespeare's play more enjoyable for a reluctant student, as well as standing alone as an interesting graphic novel. While not intended to replace the original, it could be a useful support as a study aid.
Presenting the Capulets and Montagues as warring "Yakuza", or Japanese Mafia families, is a neat way to explain their emnity.
As with most Manga Shakespeare, this graphic novel is constrained, by size, to abridge the full text, but has retained the essential "flavour" of the original storyline and important speeches. The drawing is excellent and the text clear.
I am slightly bemused by the choice of depicting Romeo as a "Rock Idol", as this seems irrelevant, even in the modern setting of the play and seems difficult to justify, but it's possibly only a passing reference to make him more appealing to young readers. In any case, this is a very minor quibble, given the time and location of the story.
Generally, the whole book works well as an alternate presentation of the tale and should make the studying of Shakespeare's play more enjoyable for a reluctant student, as well as standing alone as an interesting graphic novel. While not intended to replace the original, it could be a useful support as a study aid.
By Peter
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Didn't really buy into the new setting. I prefered the manga version that was true to the historical period. That said it was fun and might be a good way into Shakespeare for younger kids.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've always found it hard to read Shakespeare in the traditional play format, I find the manga versions really keep the readers focus, this is the best of the manga Shakespeare I have read so far.
You really get a sense of how young and reckless Romeo and Juliet were, the illustrations are such that you feel for the characters, when they experience an event(don't want to give a way any spoilers though I suspect most people know the story already).
To surmise a really brilliant graphic novel for all ages.
You really get a sense of how young and reckless Romeo and Juliet were, the illustrations are such that you feel for the characters, when they experience an event(don't want to give a way any spoilers though I suspect most people know the story already).
To surmise a really brilliant graphic novel for all ages.
By Michael Finn
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Quite a more happy marriage of Shakespeare's text and Manga visuals than the titular couple enjoy. This sort of venture is excellent for intriguing young minds to the bard's plays. It isn't the full text mind you, but what does appear is pretty much untampered with. Although the visuals represent a Japanese cast of characters playing out a modern day Tokyo Yakuza rivalry it doesn't distract too much from the power of Shakespeare's wordplay. Manga visuals are an excellent medium for representing the emotional context of a story and Sonia Leong's pencils are cleanly rendered. Nice idea
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By D. J. Parker
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book for my daughter as a Christmas present. Who in to manga and very much like the book and has read it over the christmas period, like it very much and looking forward to the next book of the manga type that I may buy in the new year.
Yours David
Happy New Year
Yours David
Happy New Year
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
