We get novelisation of films, but what about plays? I know I can freely read his plays anywhere online, but surely reading a script is less ideal than reading a novelised version written for people who were born sometime after Bach, assuming you’re not planning a word-for-word performance yourself of course.
I don’t even enjoy reading the scripts for my favourite films, and I understand all of the words, phrasings and allusions in those. With Shakespeare, I need to do a 4-year college course just to know what the fuck he’s on about.
This isn’t me being anti-intellectual, I respect anyone who can read through Shakespeare and enjoy it, it’s more about life being too fucking short and I’d like to experience the stories in a less torturous manner if possible.
If this has been attempted, can you recommend any authors?
Cheers!
Ok this isnt exactly what you’re looking for but, Nutshell by Ian McEwan. https://www.supersummary.com/nutshell-a-novel/summary/ Heres a lil summary.
Theres also the hogarth series (haven’t read any of that) but thats modern authors retelling shakespeares works. Margaret Atwood, Jeanette Winterson, Howard Jacobson, Anne Tyler have written books in that series.
The description of the Hogarth series is probably about as close as I’ve seen to what OP seems to be asking for, but obviously creatives in all media have been adapting Shakespeare for ages.
They may find a basic “nuts and bolts” adaptation to be a bit lacking though. Ol’ Willy Shakes tended to lift his plots from middle-brow history books and from earlier plays. The brilliance came in the specific use of language and from stretching the psychological intimacy and realism of the characters in ways that were unprecedented, but which has become the norm, and might feel stale at this point. Frankly, the plays would have been viewed as sloppy and vulgar by many in the upper class, even if they found them compelling in a “best of that lower sort of thing.” Shakespeare had to hustle and write “proper” poetry to build a reputation during his lifetime, and what was the net result of being the most brilliant literary innovator in English since Chaucer and possibly ever? He got to be like the second or third richest man in little Stratford-upon-Avon and told enough lies and paid enough bribes to get his dad a coat of arms.