The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare. Mama Buzz Book Review & Giveaway.

From the title, you may be asking yourself just what in the world The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare is. Most or all students can tell you what CliffsNotes are, right? Well, The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare is sort of like that. It is shortened versions of Shakespeare’s classic tales. But what is unique about Author and Professor Cass Fosters versions of Shakespeare and those you might pick up as a study guide, is that these guides hold the classic poetry of Shakespeare’s writing without modernizing it. It is a shorter version of Shakespeare that still reads like Shakespeare!

When I was reading The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare version of Macbeth, I felt like I was right back in high-school reading it all over again. Only this time, I enjoyed it and it didn’t take me three weeks to do so! Because William Shakespeare used words that I, in this modern age, didn’t always understand, it took me longer to read it. I’d have to stop and look up certain words in the dictionary to make sure I understood what they meant or what context it was being used in. Cass Foster has added footnotes on most pages to explain what the harder words mean. This makes the story so much easier and more enjoyable to read. I can simply glance down, quickly read the meaning and then go back to enjoying the book.

There is also a section about staging, pacing, and thematic exploration. Cass Foster explains to us the reasoning behind minimal props and stage setup and includes this in the story. When you read the book, you feel like you are literally watching actors on a stage performing a play. There is very little scenery but the dialogue isn’t overwhelming.

These stories are perfect for students who are studying Shakespeare, theater, etc. But it is also a great way for us mom and dad’s to enjoy a bit of Shakespeare. Take a copy along to a Dr.’s appointment and you can probably read the entire thing in the waiting room! They are fairly inexpensive with each individual book priced at $8.99 and the complete series at $45.98.

Price: Entire Series: $45.89; individually: $8.99.
Titles include:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Hamlet
Macbeth
Much Ado About Nothing
Romeo and Juliet
Twelfth Night

The series is found in all 50 U.S. states, all Canadian provinces, and 45 countries.

Published By: Five Star Publications.

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One lucky reader will win a copy of Macbeth in The Sixty Minute Shakespeare series.

Disclosure: This is a MamaBuzz Media review. The product was provided by The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare as a member of MamaBuzz. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.