Tales from Shakespeare (Wordsworth Children's Classics)

I bought this for my grandson, he is four and bring introduce to literature and nothing better then good classic stories.He is able to learn new vocabulary

Reprint of wonderful book by the Lamb siblings..... buy Mad Mary Lamb as well.... great bio behind their Shakespeare stories!This is more teen up then elementary though this century.

This was a gift for my son. Andrew is 54 and a Shakespeare scholar. I read this wonderful book when Iwas in 5th grade and enjoyed it so much I wanted to pass it to my som. Andrew had never heard of Charles Lamb and he's enjoying this book very much.The paperback quality is very good and the printing is not to small . He's very happy with his Christmas present.

The stories are just what we wanted by the authors we wanted. The font is TINY, difficult for this old mama to read and really difficult for a struggling and reluctant reader. Ordering a different version.

Good for understanding Shakespeare without going crazy and re reading pages. Still original works need to be reviewed. Good for teenagers.

This is a wonderful book for children by Charles and Mary Lamb because they distil Shakespeare's work into tales which can be understood by children. Now Shakespeare is difficult and every child will have to come to grips with him sooner or later because we all have to learn the work of the great man. Shakespeare is often referred to as 'the greatest playwright who ever lived.' Along with the Bible (St James Version- that magnificent work of Literature - his collected works are deemed a must if for example you were stranded on a desert Island. Not only is his work incredibly difficult because he writes in early English, his characters are complex but very flawed human beings which I sometimes think need a qualification in psychology to understand. However, his plots are brilliant and he is a formidable story teller. How awful then if people were put off just because he is difficult and complex, often creating words. His themes are universal, his characters are people like us. They have the same motivations, the same dreams and fears. His language is rich and he employs a multitude of literary devices to get his message across.This book is also suitable for adults and can be used alongside 'Doing Shakespeare' by Simon Palfrey and 'Beginning Shakespeare by Lisa Hopkins - all 3 publications can be purchased through Amazon. I mentioned psychology earlier. Lisa Hopkins has a whole chapter devoted to psychoanalysis since she says a considerable number of Shakespeare's work has had psychoanalytic interpretations. The point about these two extra books is that they augment understanding and the reader can appreciate Shakespeare's reason for using words when both authors give clear and convincing reasons for Shakespeare's use of say 'repetition.'Look here at these words used by Macbeth when he's agonising over the murder of Duncan.'If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere wellIt were done quickly'Macbeth is trying to be decisive, but he is showing procrastination.

My daughters and I have been thoroughly enjoying these renditions of Shakespeare's plays. We're using it along with Teach Your Children Shakespeare, and a few other versions of his plays for kids, but my 9yo especially loves these tales.

This is exactly what I wanted. Simple and easy to read.

This is a great way for a child/young teenager to learn the plot of the Shakespeare plays.It is written in a readable, enjoyable way, making it easy to learn the story and what is actually going on. That makes it easier for the pupil to understand the language that the Bard is using.It was aimed at children when it was written, however, I can see it being helpful even for the GCSE student, to give the overview when starting with a new play - or even the A level student who wants to compare different plays.

Absolutely brilliant. Shakespeare written so even I can understand.I hope it's read in schools. It should be.

This is a centuries old publication I read as a child. I thought I'd revisit it for a touch of nostalgia. It's very readable and a great way to introduce children to Shakespeare.

good summary of plays

Great book well written read it all the time