William Shakespeare's Jedi the Last: Star Wars Part the Eighth (William Shakespeare's Star Wars)

Hardcover – Illustrated, July 10, 2018
176
English
1683690877
9781683690870
09 Jul
Experience the Star Wars saga reimagined as an Elizabethan drama penned by William Shakespeare himself, complete with authentic meter and verse, and theatrical monologues and dialog by everyone from Luke Skywalker to Rose Tico.

The Star Wars saga continues, with Bard of Avon providing some of the biggest shocks yet! Alack, the valiant Resistance must flee from the scoundrels of the First Order, and it falls to Rey, Finn, Poe, Rose, and BB-8 to take up arms against a sea of troubles. Can they bring Snoke’s schemes to woe, destruction, ruin, and decay? Will Luke Skywalker take the stage once more, and aid General Leia in the winter of her discontent?

Authentic meter, stage directions, reimagined movie scenes and dialogue, and hidden Easter eggs throughout will entertain and impress fans of Star Wars and Shakespeare alike. Every scene and character from the film appears in the play, along with twenty woodcut-style illustrations that depict an Elizabethan version of the Star Wars galaxy.

Reviews (19)

A Must-Read for Star Wars Fans!

In "William Shakespeare’s Jedi The Last: Star Wars Part the Eighth", Ian Doescher continues what is quite possibly the greatest metatextual analysis of the "Star Wars" franchise, telling the story of "The Last Jedi" while drawing upon the traditions of Shakespearean drama and other theatrical elements. Of particular note in this version are Kylo Ren channeling the Black Knight from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in describing his wounds (pg. 27), Luke drawing upon Obi-Wan’s description of “a certain point of view” (pg. 33), and references to "Rogue One" (pg. 57). and "Hamilton" (pg. 61). In one particularly nice sequence, Doescher gives the Master Codebreaker a soliloquy that names every James Bond film in a manner befitting Maz Kanata’s description of him (pg. 73-74). Doescher also explores the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren, using asides to show their hopes for each other (pg. 94). Additionally, he focuses on Poe actually reflecting on the consequences of his actions in order to become a better leader in future (pg. 120). While director Rian Johnson tweeted on 19 January 2018 to explain that Luke’s Force-projection abilities were based on Daniel Wallace’s "The Jedi Path", Doescher references these abilities in-text with a conversation between two First Order troopers (pg. 121). In a nice parallel, Kylo Ren’s speech at the end begins to echo the patterns of Snoke, demonstrating his loss to the Dark Side as the new Supreme Leader (pg. 162). Those who enjoy Doescher’s work will find this one of his best as he fully delves into the themes of Johnson’s "The Last Jedi" in true Shakespearean fashion!

Great book

I love these books. I have all of them. They're funny, and I'm a Shakespeare fan, so I'm so glad I found these. Even my husband, who is decidedly NOT a Shakespeare fan, finds them funny. And I love all the little cultural references and easter eggs in all the books. The quality is great, too. It's a well-made hardcover.

Another great addition to the series!

I can't get enough of Ian Doescher's Shakespeare0-Star Wars series! And although The Last Jedi isn't my favourite Star Wars movie by any means, this particular adaptation is very entertaining. Yes, the boring and even nonsensical parts are still boring and nonsensical (that casino sequence...) but as told by Doescher in a very Shakespearian style, it's definitely got more character and charisma. 'Jedi the Last' is another winner for the series. Maybe the could start adapting the spin-offs....?

The Third Trilogy doth proceed to a brilliant part two.

This series is wonderful. Doescher does the near impossible - he sounds like Shakespeare. The "added" monologues help here (and in all the earlier editions) to make the plays lively and gain depth. I would say staging them would be impossible, but they are very entertaining to read. The third installment will follow - once the third movie in this trilogy is released.

Why would you waste time reading reviews when you could be reading this!

Ian always satisfies with his adaptations of Star Wars. It’s a ton of fun noticing the when he takes lines directly from Shakespeare and seamlessly integrates them into the scene. Even if you’ve never read Shakespeare, these books are still awesome. A true Star Wars fan will relish the depth that is added to each character when they are rewritten into the pentatonic scale.

Awesome! Will be buying whole series

Came quick, i love Shakespeare renditions, i have yet to read it but skimmed through and its awesome! I have 3 so far in the series and will be buying all eventually.

BETTER THAN THE MOVIE

For one of the most controversial movies in the Star Wars franchise, this adaptation redeems the sequel trilogy where the movie lacks. The heightened focus on Kylo Ren's struggle between good and evil, and the deeper emotion of Rose (Star Wars fan's newest least-favorite character) shines far better with the Bard than on the silver screen. Luke's role is also improved... but you read and see for yourself!

Perfect for that Star Wars Nerd in your life.

These books are amazing and a great collector for that special star wars nerd in your life. My husband and I both love these and they look awesome on our book shelf.

Love I must, bought I did

I have the whole series. I just love them. The perfect gift for every Star Wars and Shakespeare’s fan!!

Star Wars given the Bard’s treatment

Everything arrived on time and as advertised. A fun combination Star Wars and Shakespeare.

A Must-Read for Star Wars Fans!

In "William Shakespeare’s Jedi The Last: Star Wars Part the Eighth", Ian Doescher continues what is quite possibly the greatest metatextual analysis of the "Star Wars" franchise, telling the story of "The Last Jedi" while drawing upon the traditions of Shakespearean drama and other theatrical elements. Of particular note in this version are Kylo Ren channeling the Black Knight from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in describing his wounds (pg. 27), Luke drawing upon Obi-Wan’s description of “a certain point of view” (pg. 33), and references to "Rogue One" (pg. 57). and "Hamilton" (pg. 61). In one particularly nice sequence, Doescher gives the Master Codebreaker a soliloquy that names every James Bond film in a manner befitting Maz Kanata’s description of him (pg. 73-74). Doescher also explores the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren, using asides to show their hopes for each other (pg. 94). Additionally, he focuses on Poe actually reflecting on the consequences of his actions in order to become a better leader in future (pg. 120). While director Rian Johnson tweeted on 19 January 2018 to explain that Luke’s Force-projection abilities were based on Daniel Wallace’s "The Jedi Path", Doescher references these abilities in-text with a conversation between two First Order troopers (pg. 121). In a nice parallel, Kylo Ren’s speech at the end begins to echo the patterns of Snoke, demonstrating his loss to the Dark Side as the new Supreme Leader (pg. 162). Those who enjoy Doescher’s work will find this one of his best as he fully delves into the themes of Johnson’s "The Last Jedi" in true Shakespearean fashion!

Great book

I love these books. I have all of them. They're funny, and I'm a Shakespeare fan, so I'm so glad I found these. Even my husband, who is decidedly NOT a Shakespeare fan, finds them funny. And I love all the little cultural references and easter eggs in all the books. The quality is great, too. It's a well-made hardcover.

Another great addition to the series!

I can't get enough of Ian Doescher's Shakespeare0-Star Wars series! And although The Last Jedi isn't my favourite Star Wars movie by any means, this particular adaptation is very entertaining. Yes, the boring and even nonsensical parts are still boring and nonsensical (that casino sequence...) but as told by Doescher in a very Shakespearian style, it's definitely got more character and charisma. 'Jedi the Last' is another winner for the series. Maybe the could start adapting the spin-offs....?

The Third Trilogy doth proceed to a brilliant part two.

This series is wonderful. Doescher does the near impossible - he sounds like Shakespeare. The "added" monologues help here (and in all the earlier editions) to make the plays lively and gain depth. I would say staging them would be impossible, but they are very entertaining to read. The third installment will follow - once the third movie in this trilogy is released.

Why would you waste time reading reviews when you could be reading this!

Ian always satisfies with his adaptations of Star Wars. It’s a ton of fun noticing the when he takes lines directly from Shakespeare and seamlessly integrates them into the scene. Even if you’ve never read Shakespeare, these books are still awesome. A true Star Wars fan will relish the depth that is added to each character when they are rewritten into the pentatonic scale.

Awesome! Will be buying whole series

Came quick, i love Shakespeare renditions, i have yet to read it but skimmed through and its awesome! I have 3 so far in the series and will be buying all eventually.

BETTER THAN THE MOVIE

For one of the most controversial movies in the Star Wars franchise, this adaptation redeems the sequel trilogy where the movie lacks. The heightened focus on Kylo Ren's struggle between good and evil, and the deeper emotion of Rose (Star Wars fan's newest least-favorite character) shines far better with the Bard than on the silver screen. Luke's role is also improved... but you read and see for yourself!

Perfect for that Star Wars Nerd in your life.

These books are amazing and a great collector for that special star wars nerd in your life. My husband and I both love these and they look awesome on our book shelf.

Love I must, bought I did

I have the whole series. I just love them. The perfect gift for every Star Wars and Shakespeare’s fan!!

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