ricefun's review against another edition
3.0
Plot turns on a dime when two cousins who are best of friends and jailed together in a foreign land both fall in love with the same woman they glimpse out the window and immediately becomes sworn enemies. Not my favorite of Shakespeare's works.
katescholastica's review against another edition
3.0
I had mixed takes while reading the play, because it felt like a slightly better version of Two Gentlemen of Verona but still lacked any broader appeal. However, after listening to a podcast about a gay interpretation of the play (both through Emilia’s tragic loss of her sapphic childhood friend and the professions of love and devotion between the kinsmen), I’d be very interested in seeing this and feel like a well produced production would get this bumped up a star. It has potential.
barryhaworth's review against another edition
3.0
This play is of interest on account of being a "new" Shakespeare play. Rather it is one of his earlier collaborations which (I understand) has recently been widely recognised as being mostly Shakespeare's work. I decided to check it out because a) it is Shakespeare and b) a local theatre group is planning to put it on.
The play itself is mildly interesting, though not Shakespeare's best. Two cousins are captured in war and put in prison where they resolve to support each other in their adversity. This resolve lasts until they see the fair Emilia, at which point their mutual love turns to deadly rivalry. As stories go it isn't the most promising.
The edition I read was the free audio version on Librivox. This is a collaborative effort with the different roles read by different people. Audio and performance quality varies from person to person, but the recording is serviceable enough, and is a convenient way of hearing the story.
To summarise, I read this for the sake of completing my reading of Shakespeare's plays, and there is little reason beyond that to recommend it. Your mileage may vary.
The play itself is mildly interesting, though not Shakespeare's best. Two cousins are captured in war and put in prison where they resolve to support each other in their adversity. This resolve lasts until they see the fair Emilia, at which point their mutual love turns to deadly rivalry. As stories go it isn't the most promising.
The edition I read was the free audio version on Librivox. This is a collaborative effort with the different roles read by different people. Audio and performance quality varies from person to person, but the recording is serviceable enough, and is a convenient way of hearing the story.
To summarise, I read this for the sake of completing my reading of Shakespeare's plays, and there is little reason beyond that to recommend it. Your mileage may vary.
katheryn's review against another edition
4.0
A few thoughts:
I really liked the relationship between Arcite and Palamon; I think they are surprisingly well distinguished for two characters who compete for the same woman, and their interactions always made me smile. This was probably helped by the excellent acting of the 2018 Shakespeare's Globe production I watched before reading the play, so maybe my opinion will change on a later reread.
Having recently revisited A Midsummer Night's Dream, the way The Two Noble Kinsmen depicts Hippolyta was such a relief.
I wasn't convinced by the way offstage action was handled, in particular the lengthy speeches describing the knights of Arcite and Palamon.
The Fletcher-penned sections that are obviously influenced by Shakespeare's earlier work were also a little derivative.
I loved the play's ending, which I thought made a nice change from the standard comedy ending, and which I think is quite cleverly done.
Read in [b:The Norton Shakespeare|1416|The Norton Shakespeare|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1158208490l/1416._SY75_.jpg|26333607] (3rd edn.)
I really liked the relationship between Arcite and Palamon; I think they are surprisingly well distinguished for two characters who compete for the same woman, and their interactions always made me smile. This was probably helped by the excellent acting of the 2018 Shakespeare's Globe production I watched before reading the play, so maybe my opinion will change on a later reread.
Having recently revisited A Midsummer Night's Dream, the way The Two Noble Kinsmen depicts Hippolyta was such a relief.
I wasn't convinced by the way offstage action was handled, in particular the lengthy speeches describing the knights of Arcite and Palamon.
The Fletcher-penned sections that are obviously influenced by Shakespeare's earlier work were also a little derivative.
I loved the play's ending, which I thought made a nice change from the standard comedy ending, and which I think is quite cleverly done.
Read in [b:The Norton Shakespeare|1416|The Norton Shakespeare|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1158208490l/1416._SY75_.jpg|26333607] (3rd edn.)
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