Manga Shakespeare: As You Like It (YA)

Manga Shakespeare: As You Like It. William Shakespeare. 2009. Ill. Chie Kutsuwada. Adapted by Richard Appignanesi. 208 pages.

As I remember, Adam, it was bequeathed me by will a thousand crowns to breed me well.

A romantic comedy. I must admit I like Shakespeare's romantic comedies a bit more than his tragedies. This was my first time reading "As You Like It." And I must say I liked it overall. A bit complicated perhaps. But it works.

There are four couples sharing the stage in this one, but I suppose the main focus of this one is on Rosalind and Orlando. Do you think that their path to love and happiness will run smooth?

This one also stars the melancholy Jacques, who was very appropriately illustrated in this one.

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews