Charles and Mary Lamb’s retellings of twenty of Shakespeare’s tales are rich with humour and telling imagery; and the authors reflect much of Shakespeare’s insight into the human condition. The language they use is striking and memorable, and there are lots of direct quotations too making these stories particularly good for reading aloud. Indeed, reading or listening to the appropriate tale before going to see a production of one of the plays would be an ideal way to give children a grip on the plot. This edition comes with a fascinating introduction by Judi Dench, whose passion for these retellings should certainly catch young readers’ attention: ‘you will find heroes and villains, heroines and deceivers, kings, queens, fairies and magic – the same ingredients that all the very best stories are made of.’ Indeed! ~ Andrea Reece
Tales from Shakespeare is a perfect introduction to Shakespeare's greatest plays. Charles and Mary Lamb vividly bring to life the power of Hamlet and Othello, and the fun of As You Like It. They never lose the feel of Shakespeare's language and the tales are classic literature in their own right.
Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb, Dame Judi Dench Press Reviews
‘The Puffin Classics series is a perfect marriage of the old and the new. Enjoy some of the best books from the past and find out why and how they inspired some of the best writers of the present’ Julia Eccleshare, Lovereading4Kids
Author
About Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb, Dame Judi Dench
Charles Lamb (1775-1834) was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced along with his sister, Mary Lamb.