The Merchant of Venice: No Fear Shakespeare Side-by-Side Plain English

Excellent book and easier to understand Shakespeare writing better. Has the original writing on one side and an easier way to understand it on the other side of page. Made easier for my 8th grader to understand.

These "No Fear" books are awesome! I have an autistic child and these books are a lifesaver. One side of the page has the classic Shakespeare text and the page opposite is the same text in everyday english. AWESOME! I have used 5 of these No Fear books so far. Considering Shakespeare can be difficult for many people without learning disabilities, these books make it easy to fall in love with Shakespeare. These books are good for anyone, any age, any reading level and great for those who struggle with comprehension. Honestly, I didn't even know these were an option to Shakespeare until a couple years ago. I encountered a brilliant English teacher who introduced my son to them. As a parent, I have gone from disliking Shakespeare and teaching it to my kids, to actually understanding and enjoying it.

Received it fast and was a book for my daughter for school.

I was introduced to "The Merchant of Venice" in my sophomore year. At first I thought, why would we read this? I fell in love with this story. Who knew that in the the year 1596 there would be Shylocks (street money lenders), attempted murder, deceit, sex, and revenge to the point of wanting body parts. This is a gangster story. NOW... The author used simple English to write this. The author did a great job with it making it simple to read and understand. However, there is little to no commentary as seller says; "plenty of helpful commentary," Maybe I'm missing that. That is the reason I did not give it more than 4stars

Very helpful for required reading.

This translation was very easy to understand and the book came quickly in good condition!

The Merchant of Venice: No Fear Shakespeare Side-by-Side turns confusing old-timey talk into something today’s kids can actually understand without falling asleep halfway through. On one side, there’s the original Shakespearean drama. On the other, plain English that says, “Hey, here’s what he really meant.” With tricky plots about friendship, money, and a very dramatic courtroom showdown, this version helps readers follow the twists without needing a dictionary or a time machine. It's like having a cool teacher sitting next to you, whispering, “Don’t worry, I got you.” For kids who want to get the story and get a good grade, this book is the ultimate sidekick.

The book is nice and small- easily carried in a purse or a bag of sorts. The beginning has a nice list of characters and some description of them. The setting is described. The actual content was superb! The translation wasn't just a word for word thing, it was a concept by concept translation, which I really appreciated. The way the book is set up is fantastic. On the left is the Shakespeare and on the right is the modern. Because of this set up, I've read the play several times as if it were just a regular book. Now, because I've read it so many times, I understand the Shakespeare language! I really suggest this modern translation!