With the final installment, The Jedi Doth Return, the epic Shakespearean Star Wars trilogy comes to an end. The final volume introduces the weirdly-rhyming Ewoks, a singing Rancor and the evil Emperor.
“Good Princess Leia! I do fear/ Our small befurr’d companion hath set on/ an errand rash.”
Along with new elements, comes the familiar; the wise fool R2-D2 returns, as do Vader monologues and the haiku-speaking Yoda.
Why is this on our bookshelf?
I was a big fan of the first two in the Shakespeare’s Star Wars trilogy, and I have to say; combining such a geeky story with a respected literary tradition means this trilogy has a solid place in our geekylibrary, or any of our geeky bookshelves.
Note: We recieved a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. The Jedi Doth Return is out July 1st, 2014 from Quirk Books.
Rating (4 stars)
I truly enjoyed this entire series. Shakespeare’s Star Wars was a brand-new experience. Empire Striketh Back deftly introduced more Shakespearean elements and more characters. And The Jedi Doth Return is the much-anticipated conclusion.
With an epic fight of good versus evil, the redemption of a character and featuring a romance nearly as famous as Romeo and Juliet, Ian Doescher does deliver a satisfying third volume and renders a big-screen sensation into carefully crafted Shakespearean scenes
I loved reading this book, and I grinned to see all my favorite scenes in verse.
However, a bit of explanation. I rated the first two 5 stars and this one “only” four. I’m not sure whether it was the source material (The Return of the Jedi isn’t my favorite of the trilogy), or just the sheer amount of anticipation, but I felt this was the weakest in the Shakespeare’s Star Wars series.
That said, don’t miss it simply for that reason. I loved the lament of the Rancor Keeper and the conversation between another pair of insightful, but likely short-lived troopers. I was pleasantly surprised with how Ewoks jabber was rendered into rhyme and the ending was satisfying. Comparing something really good to something extraordinarily amazing is always a difficult thing, but the quality of The Jedi Doth Return is quite apparent.
If you enjoyed the first two in the series, you’ll love the conclusion to this epic Shakespearean space opera.
Read this book:
If you are curious what Luke thought when he realized he had kissed his sister. Three times.
Don't Read this book:
You despise Ewoks.
Once you're done, do this:
Rewatch the entire original trilogy with the Shakespearean version in mind.
