Jocelyn E. (hoopridge) reviewed on 3/22/2009 + 252 more book reviews

I'll begin by admitting my bias. I teach theatre. I'm an actress. I love Shakespeare. There.

Now, that being said, this is my absolute favorite Shakespeare play, if not play, period. The story is simple: Beatrice and Benedick love each other, but are too proud to admit it, so Beatrice's cousin and Benedick's best friend (who also happen to be in love and provide the subplot of the play) trick them into admitting their mutual affection. Along the way, there are twists and turns, with bumbling policemen, evil siblings, misunderstandings (of course!), and the inevitable happy ending.

If you've seen the beautiful Branagh movie, you are well-versed in the sunniness of the play. If you haven't, see it, then read the play. You'll understand the nuances WAY better after seeing the film.

This is a great edition of the play, with the text on one side and explanatory notes on the opposite page. This is especially helpful for beginning Shakespeareans and also serious studiers of the text.

Highly recommended, both for the play and the annotations.

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