“Y is for Yorick: A Slightly Irreverent Shakespearean ABC Book for Grown-Ups,” by Jennifer Adams, Gibbs Smith, 127 pages, $14.99
"Y is for Yorick: A Slightly Irreverent Shakespearean ABC Book for Grown-Ups" is all that it claims to be.
Each page contains a succinct and cheeky description of Shakespeare characters, many who are familiar to all: "J is for Juliet. Juliet teaches that if you truly love someone, wholly and completely, it will be the death of you," and some totally obscure like, "U is for Ursula. Ursula was a maid who nobody remembers. If you want to be remembered it is better to be a queen, king, murderer, cross-dresser, or ghost."
The author Jennifer Adams states in the introduction that no one compares with Shakespeare. I agree, but I think even Shakespeare would laugh at these descriptions of his most famous and infamous characters.
Beyond entertainment, the book includes play summaries, which might make this just as useful as CliffsNotes, but absolutely more fun.
Any lover of Shakespeare will find a chuckle in this book. It's also perfect for those who'd like to be a little more Shakespeare savvy but lack the patience to decode the real deal.
IF YOU GO ...
What: Book signing with Jennifer Adams
When: March 24, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English, 511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Online: www.kingsenglish.com
Liesl holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music dance and theater and writes middle-grade and young-adult fiction. She blogs at writerropes.blogspot.com