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 enlarge | Author: William Shakespeare
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $2.47
You Save: $3.52 (59%)
New (53) Used (81) Collectible (4) from $1.00
Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 3720
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 0743477111
Dewey Decimal Number: 822.33
EAN: 9780743477116
ASIN: 0743477111
Publication Date: January 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
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| Customer Reviews:
 too good January 22, 2008
First of all, before I begin actually talking about the story itself, I congratulate Folger's edition for providing summaries in the beginning of each act and definitions of some words. You see, this edition is rather helpful as the story is located on the right pages and definitions and plot synopsis is on the left. This is for the people who cannot understand old English!
Anyways, this was the first Shakespeare book I have ever read, and it is probably the same for all high school students. Obviously I know everyone knows that this is about a love story, so I won't bother mentioning that. I will add, however, that Shakespeare is a master at writing tragic dramas. He was also somewhat witty. It seems that if one pays close attention and reads the prologue, one will find out all that will happen in the plot. An explanation could be because that this was a play and people actually acted his stories out. Well, considering the times, it would not be presumptuous to say that during those times, the more talkative people would still be talking after the play begins, he uses the prologue to hush his audience, and naturally nobody would ever really pay attention to the prologue.
Set around the Renaissance and in northern Italy, the play begins rather comically with sexual allusions and a big ruckus. You have to remember, that not only was Shakespeare's goal to write, but to entertain and make people laugh. He has many intended puns weaved into his story, which are really quite funny, if one reads hard enough.
Shakespeare's forte is weaving a lot of imagery and figurative language in his dialogue. He would paint Juliet as the beautiful, but strong and determined woman bordering between the age of child and adulthood, a teenager. One can see that she is a rather rational thinker, whereas Romeo is impulsive and rash acting only on his emotions and disregarding the consequences. This was the thing that bugged me the most, Romeo's character, although he is a protagonist, I found it impossible to like him, rather I liked his best friend the most, Mercutio. He is the witty prankster who has to die because of Romeo's impulsive thinking, he seems to be the mediator between Romeo and his irrational love, always keeping him in check.
This book is not very long, but the contents are quite deep, there is so much going on in each of Shakespeare's rhythmic sentences, that one just needs to stop and admire how much he can cram into just one sentence, it is just amazing. This makes for a very high re-readability.
Anyone who has not yet read this book is simply deprived, and anyone who has chosen not to read it has sinned! (don't take this too seriously, I am just exaggerating so you guys get my point) So what are you waiting for? Enlighten yourself and discover the poetry in Shakespeare's iambic writing.
 Never got here. November 11, 2007
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
I can't review this item because it never made it to me. I received an email a few days later saying the money would be credited back to me (which it was). However, I have never had a problem with receiving shipments at my address. The seller claimed that my address was not found. I received something from a different seller just 2 days before though. I am not sure what address they tried to send it to, but it was not the one I gave. Unfortunately I had to find this book somewhere else. The book is a great find, however, and I am very pleased with it.
A rightful classic August 7, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was my first Shakespeare and it certainly won't be my last. While some people dislike this book for the "love at first sight" "stupidity" of the two, I think you need to try to get past that. I definitely agree that Romeo and Juliet are morons, but it makes for a nice story. Would you really want to watch a play about two people who court each other for years, get married to the happiness of their families, and have prosperous children? I sure wouldn't.
So what if know in their right mind would ever act like? The play is written beautifully and it doesn't lag.
A good introduction to the tragedies. May 24, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful story, and it is a marvellous play to introduce young people to the beauty of Shakespeare. Who doesn't like to read or hear about star-crossed lovers? Who hasn't already heard the legend? The play is easy to read as the plot moves along rapidly, and it's beautifully written. Romeo and Juliet are so tragic in their love, and the silly feud between their two families is so destructive and senseless. Read it for the story, but enjoy it for the beautiful prose.
Romeo & Juliet summary by fernando f. February 20, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Romeo and Juliet was an epic story the meaning of the story to me was two lovers with parents keeping them away from each other. I personally really liked the book because it tells people how you can't hide true love because then it would just make things worse for the both. What I don't like in the story how they have to argue over stupid reasons if there in love then there in love let it be forget about all those problems you used to have and think about how good the future could be. Then again why did the families start arguing in the first place to start of with? Both of the families are alike they got money and they also have many family members looking after them but they get in things there not suppose to. The whole theme of the story took place in Verona Italy that's were the two lovers grew up and have been there most of there lives. So therefore both of them end up seeing each other all they want is there family to just get along and they wont have to worry about them having to sneak out to see each other in the middle of the night so if I had to rate this story I would give it a 10 because it teaches you to never hide your love for some one and I agree with that.
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