From the forward —
While the Lambs cut the Shakespeare plays to the bare bones, they also managed to leave enough meat on those bones to provide a real feast of plain fare, and flavored it with as many tasty tidbits of Shakespearean language as they felt the young reader could easily digest.I had read some of Shakespeare's works when I taught English, but just to sit down and read it for pleasure, well, it's a bit toilsome for me. I had gotten this 1986 edition for our daughters when we were homeschooling, but hadn't actually read it myself. I'm enjoying gaining some understanding of Shakespearen works without plodding through the language.
The motivating force behind this colossal enterprise was a desire to enhance the children's literature of the early 1800s with vital and intricate stories that were at once appetizing and substantial....In the twenty tales told in this book, the Lambs succeeded in paraphrasing the language of truly adult literature in children's terms.The book has had several editions previous and since, and I believe it will be around for many years to come. So, if you'd like some light Shakespeare, check with your local library or favorite bookstore. There are also collector's editions available. I saw a 1st Edition, signed by the illustrator, for $2,750 at AbeBooks.com—as you like it. ;-)
