SHAKESPEARE STORIES: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Since Charles Lamb first did it back in 1803, many writers have tried to adapt the plays of the Bard into prose for young readers. Leon Garfield has done it as well as anyone, and his two volumes of Shakespeare Stories form the basis for these marvelous recordings from the UK. The program includes an introduction to Shakespeare, a brief plot summary and a final essay called "Shakespeare Today." It's a complete package that will help orient young people experiencing the plays for the first time. Garfield's stories are exquisitely written and, while most of the language is modern, they retain the most famous speeches from the original plays, such as Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes?" Clare Higgins and Simon Russell Beale, who share billing on the entire series, are both actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and their comfort with the material shows in their flawless narrations. The Chivers series is ideal for students 10 and up although, like all great children's literature, it's certainly suitable for adults--Particularly those who want to brush up before seeing a performance, or those just looking to revisit the plays. D.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]