Jedi, Thou Art Not the Last

Has it really been nearly five years since Ian Doescher's Shakespeare's Star Wars series began? It was just one of those random, fun concepts that could have played out and died all in a moment, except that the combination works so naturally and he plays it out so well that . . . keep it coming.

When you begin the eight book in a series like this, you kind of pause, like, okay, here we are again. And you're not exclaiming over all the verses and the references like you did the first time, except that that's what suddenly makes it all so wonderful. You're reading it at a regular pace, like a piece that simply flows. This language, elevated and poetic, fits the story perfectly.

If there is anyone who had mixed feelings about character actions or motives in The Last Jedi, this is the perfect book to read. When I talked about The Force Doth Awaken, I mentioned how Ian was able to do less of a look into characters' heads than he'd done in previous books because for the first time he was going over a story where we only had one piece so far. He couldn't add extra bits about, for instance, Kylo's motives because we didn't really know all of his motives or all of his story yet. The same thing is happening here but to a lesser degree because, of course, there is much about the story that Episode VIII reveals. And even with what we don't know, he did such a beautiful job at expressing what we do know that it hid the fact that there may still be a little more to the story.

Kylo's conflict. Rey's similar identity crisis. Luke's feelings of failure. Poe's reasons for going against Holdo and Holdo's reasons for doing things the way she did.

As I've mentioned before, this series has moved on from being just a humor series. There are beautiful and genuinely moving passages in here. I particularly like the moment in which Kylo and Rey touch fingertips and also the moment when Kylo defeats Snoke. Does anyone truly think Kylo is weak; don't they see how much strength it would have taken to do the sneaky thing he did there? Wonderfully expressed.

So, yes, may this series live on.

The Force Doth Awaken

You know, if the William Shakespeare's Star Wars series wasn't so well done, then it would seem ridiculous to continue doing a new book for each movie; Ian Doescher, however, handles it all so that I do in fact remain eager for more.

The Force Doth Awaken is the latest. What makes this one a little more, shall we say, precarious, is that we're still in the middle of hearing this story. The other episodes could have references to what was coming next or to what a character might be thinking at a certain moment (but that audiences at the time the movie came out might not have known yet), but The Force Awakens is the only piece of the puzzle we have for the new trilogy. So in many ways that did limit what this book could do. It's almost more in that regards like the first Shakespeare's book. That book was more about translating the movie's dialogue into Shakespearean language. As the books continued, they grew, filling out with soliloquies and other lengthy bits and numerous references to particular passages in Shakespeare. Because the content of this episode is still ambiguous, there couldn't be as much of that type of content, so this book does go somewhat back to the older style of just changing the language (though I think in a much more complete way than that first book did). Example: we don't I think really know everything Kylo Ren was thinking (or the precise reasons behind what he says or does) in moments like the interrogation scene or the final lightsaber duel, so when this book did add to the dialogue it could only add obvious things that we do know for certain (like his surprise at finding out Rey's strength in the Force).

All of this isn't to say that Ian Doescher didn't take advantage of some opportunities to wax poetic. In particular, when Han approaches his son and later when Leia senses Han's loss. Oh, and I do love that the "balcony scene" in the film becomes an actual balcony scene in this book. The balcony scene being Rey standing up above Han and Kylo on Starkiller Base (for anyone interested in that particular Rey/Kylo theory).

You know, a thought occurred to me while reading this book. You know how some people are hoping that Rey isn't in fact related to any of the familiar characters? I realized that if their theory is correct and Rey is just a person (as opposed to Luke's daughter or Leia's daughter or Obi-Wan's daughter or Anakin reincarnated or Phasma's daughter, etc.), then that means two things. One, it shows that everyone is important. Two, when Anakin and Luke's lightsaber flies to her instead of to Kylo, it shows that we all have a personal choice about who we decide to be. Kylo is Luke's nephew and Anakin's grandson, but the lightsaber aligns with the light side and he has chosen the dark side, so it shuns him. Rey is currently on the light side, so it accepted her based on that association despite the blood connection with Kylo. Perhaps Rey will turn out to be related to the Skywalker line (or there will be another connection), but I like this concept that it was the choice of alignment that allowed her to take the saber. And it was the way that the dialogue comes out in this book that made me think of that.

So, yes, I am still having a good time with these books. They're quick reads, too, which is probably also what helps. They're not overdone; they're just right. And like with the other more recent ones, there really isn't much comedy to it anymore. It's fun and it's serious. (Well, there was a bit of comedy with the two stormtroopers talking about the repetitive nature of Star Wars stories--that was lovely.) And you also don't really need to read all of them; you could just jump in and read only this one (or this one first and the rest later).

Shakespeare's Star Wars Tragedy

It is once again the end, though still the beginning. 

The end is the end of the prequel trilogy's William Shakespeare's Star Wars treatment--and the beginning is there because, well, Ian Doescher basically said in his Afterword that he will be doing the upcoming trilogy, as well (as I was hoping he might). 

Do I even need to say again what this series has elevated into? It's a high tribute to this story--but it also is this story. It's the same frame and the same basic dialogue, just eased into beautiful, detailed language. And the transition is so smooth that it causes me no pause anymore. I've been kind of sick this week, and at one point I picked this book up to try and read some (I had planned on finishing it much more quickly before my eyes became like to water fountains); for a moment, I forgot I was reading a Shakespeare-ization because of how smoothly the words flowed (and because my slightly muddled head made me forget that these words even existed in any other context). 

It's like this story was made for this treatment. There are stellar moments in here, like when Padme is pondering while Anakin is going over to the Jedi Temple to carry out the Emperor's orders (I know he isn't Emperor yet at this point, but I always call him the Emperor). Or some dark humor when the Jedi are wondering about Order 66. Or that Hamlet reference when Palpatine uses a play to win over Anakin: that was a brilliant use of material. And, yes, the whole final moments are--wonderfully tragic. 

My favorite of Nicholas Delort's illustrations this time would be the cover, Yoda with the clones, Padme at the Senate when Palpatine forms the Empire, and the image of Padme's funeral. Oh, that funeral image: it was almost transcendent when I was staring at it. That shot in the movie of her is beautiful, the way that they made her echo Ophelia (for the tragedy of love and all)--and here we have the echo of a Shakespearean plot come around and be in a Shakespearean-style plot. That was a great moment of staring. 

The Clone Army Attacketh

Wow, are we already on the fifth installment, The Clone Army Attacketh, in the Shakespeare's Star Wars series? It's all flowing along so easily and simply now, like it was all meant to be. 

As I've mentioned before on some of the more recent installments, the comedy is lessening now (it's still there, just less often) and instead these books are becoming more of a celebration of what makes Star Wars great. And let me also say that Episode II benefits rather heartily from Shakespeare-ization. (Or maybe I secretly like Episode II more than I thought I did, given that it was also one of the novelizations I enjoyed more, despite the fact that I generally think of it as the weakest movie from the two trilogies.)

First we have Anakin and Padme's scenes together. They run more quickly in Ian Doescher's retelling and the dialogue, while still essentially the same, is much improved: a certain kind of sappiness is okay in Shakespeare language because it is more pristine and it is intentionally moved to a higher dramatic and poetic sphere than regular life. So what sometimes came off awkwardly in the movie came off rather lovely in its Shakespeare-ization.

All of the politics are condensed, too, so that you get the theme and all of its importance before you get all the little details about voting and government loyalties and such. Makes for great readability and, again, easy taking in of the overall theme. 

One of the nicest scenes in the movie is when Anakin is riding out to find the Tusken Raiders: the colors and the music and the black cloak and the determined fury in his eye. And it was portrayed just wonderfully in words--that's the heart of tragedy right there. 

As far as Nicholas Delort's illustrations, my favorites this time were the one of Taun We and the one of Anakin and Padme on Naboo. 

The sprinkling of Shakespeare quotes and references tends to be more subtle now--and is somehow even more satisfying now being that it's this way. So even though it's a half ridiculous idea to have a Shakespeare-ization of all six episodes (or perhaps because it is), I am still thoroughly enjoying this ride.

The Phantom Proceedeth with Menace

As many others, I have been entirely enjoying Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars series, which started with Episodes IV through VI. I was hoping he would do the prequel trilogy and look at this, all three come out this year, starting with The Phantom of Menace.

Let me get it out of the way: I think that both the original and prequel trilogies, as films, have strengths and weaknesses, so I am willing to defend either trilogy as the need may arise. So I was happy to see that the prequel stories are getting the same treatment as the originals had. In fact, they're even getting better treatment: back when Ian Doescher started with the first book, it was a stand-alone type of thing, it was sillier, and the dialogue was much more similar to the lines in the movie. With each book that he has created, however, he refines his technique, adds more to it, becomes more subtle, and makes something that is greater than a silly diversion.

The Phantom of Menace didn't make me giggle as much as some of the others did, and I didn't mind because I had slowly been transitioned into something new. What began as a novelty has become something grand and poetic in its own right. Borrowing Shakespeare's flow of language and vocabulary, Ian Doescher has seamlessly transition the world of Star Wars into the world of an Elizabethan play. It's seamless--it really is. The language is just right and better than ever: not only are the existing lines given a Shakespearean twist, but there is also more bulk given to each line. Characters take a moment to reflect on the meaning of their situation, or the meaning of something that has been said--not just to deliver their lines; that's very Shakespearean.

And then there is the content. When the form moves so much into this Elizabethan feel, the content is not the thing to hold it back; rather, it helps it along. Episodes IV-VI are a wonderful, classic story. But Episodes I-III are more complicated and more tragic--and that is perfect for Shakespeare. It's a very political story and a very social story, with dramatic character relationships. If ever you doubted the worthiness of the prequel trilogy, please read this book: it will make you realize, if you have somehow not realized it before, that there is plenty of meat behind the computer effects and Jar Jar Binks.

Speaking of Jar Jar Binks, he is one of the biggest changes in this book; he is, if you will, the silly element. Except that, while he is a silly character in the movies because he's mostly a comedic character, he is the silly element in this book because he is made smart. He is smart, but only feigning simpleness because he knows that is what other characters expect of him and so that is what will help him achieve certain ends. It's smart because it solves how to not let him be annoying. And it's smart because the idea of dual identities makes sense for Shakespeare (everyone is always disguising themselves in his plays) and for the story (Padme disguises herself, Palpatine disguises himself, even Darth Vader is later disguised in a certain sense).

It's like all of the wonderful things about this story have been taken and polished into Shakespearean language and then given to us as gleaming lines to remind us of why this story is one of the best ever. I love Star Wars.

The Jedi Doth Return Most Heartily

What fun this has been. Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars trilogy has, I think, enchanted us all. I enjoyed the first book as new and so very right, and I thought the second was even better. And now we come to The Jedi Doth Return. From an early age, I had a soft spot for The Return of the Jedi, so I was thrilled to learn that Ian Doescher is the same--I, however, did not learn this until after I had finished his wonderment of a book and come to the Afterword. 

Everything I loved about the first two books was in this one. The flawless combination of Star Wars plots with Shakespearean flavor, the familiar dialogue blended with the bard's style, the direct references to quotes in the plays, all of that. But it all felt amplified this time. The Return of the Jedi is wonderfully dramatic, and the text in The Jedi Doth Return elevates every stick of drama into a cascade of powerful emotions and characterization. I particularly enjoyed the Hamlet references, since (although I claim not to care much for Sheakespeare) I also have a soft spot for that play. The Jedi sing thee line is gorgeous. 

Be thou assured, however, that there is lightness, as well. The line where Luke comments about Leia's slave outfit in Jabba's Palace, that one made me laugh out loud as I read--and I don't often do that. There's fun even among all the tragedy. So, yes, my last words are, I loved William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return. 

The Empire Striketh Back with a Fury

So last October I read William Shakespeare's Star Wars and loved the concept of combining Shakespearean style with Star Wars. Now Ian Doescher is back with the sequel, William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back. Let's just take a moment to appreciate that title and this Yoda-adorned book jacket.

While I really enjoyed the first installment, this second book was, I believe, even better. Possibly much, much better. All of the seamlessness of combining the two worlds remained and was also amplified. Where in the first book I sometimes could tell that the dialogue was being taken from the movie (which, of course, it is), here it always felt so natural--as if its existence could have just as easily started in this book rather than in the movie, as if the movie's dialogue was based on the book's. Everything was so coherent. Extra flourishes, descriptions, and metaphors made the text glow that familiar sense of drama. 

And that's the thing, too. Once again, Ian Doescher reminds us of how like a dramatic play is the Star Wars trilogy. His combination with these books works because characters, themes, plot, even setting, all flow according to a recognizable, treasured tradition. This second volume plays all of that up, letting us see what the characters are thinking at certain moments, foreshadowing what is to come, and pondering the symbolism of certain events or conflicts. Much of it is beautiful language, really--I know there are still direct references to Shakespeare, but I found myself recognizing less of them in here than in the first book. So instead I was left, blissfully, forgetting about Shakespeare in favor of a Shakespearean-flavored Star Wars drama. 

I also started to realize that these books are written so that they could actually be performed as plays. How interesting that would be . . . 

I look forward to the third installment, and perhaps also the prequel trilogy while we're at it?

Shakespeare Wrote Star Wars?

Perhaps you have been seeing this book around? William Shakespeare's Star Wars? Does that ring a bell? Does it just sound like a coffee table or gift book, not something to read and enjoy? Well, well, well, let me tell you otherwise. 

In case you have forgotten, I love Star Wars but feel lukewarm toward Shakespeare. But since I love books, I nabbed this one, if only for the cover. Seriously, isn't that a great cover? And while I'm at it, let me give a shout out to Nicolas Delort, who did the illustrations for this book. I know there aren't a huge amount of illustrations, but the only place I could find the illustrator's name was on the publication page. So let me here thank him for his ability to combine Shakespearean imagery with Star Wars in a mixed, almost comic book style. Besides the cover, I especially love Jabba the Hutt.

This book, as one might have guessed, isn't about comedy or parody; it just makes sense. Star Wars being such a classical story, it reads much like a Shakespeare play with all its drama. Ian Doescher translated the dialogue we all know into iambic pentameter, adding in some Shakespearean phrasing and metaphors and soliloquies and such. And it works perfectly. Because we already know what's going on and what everyone is saying, you don't have to work at all to understand them. (And, let's face it, this book isn't as complicated as many a Shakespearean play can be, especially when you're unfamiliar with the story.) So the base is the same, but the lavish details piled on top give a new and rather beautiful perspective. This book made me love Star Wars all over again. 

Even though I said it was so easy to read, if you're completely unfamiliar with Shakespeare or you really, really hate reading him, you might not have the same experience. But if you're a Star Wars fan and feel even slightly more friendly to Shakespeare than that, you should do fine. This book is that wonderful. I wonder what it would be like in a classroom . . . 

Hurrah, then, William Shakespeare's Star Wars is not a coffee table book. It is one to admire on the shelf and in the hand. This book covers Episode 4; perhaps that means there will be more in the future?