Review: Verily, A New Hope | Arrogance has Never Sounded Better

Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher
Narrated by Daniel Davis, Jonathan Davis, January LaVoy, Marc Thompson, and Ian Doescher 
Published by Random House Audio
Format Reviewed: Audiobook 
Publication Date: October 1st, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction
Time: 3 hrs, 31 min
Reviewed by: Stephanie
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearsome Stormtroopers, signifying...pretty much everything.

Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the audiobook you’re looking for.

Two years ago, I dismissed William Shakespeare's Star Wars as nothing worth reading. I admitted they were probably fun but not worth the time it would take to read them - the observation was both correct and wrong. Verily, A New Hope was more fun than I suspected it would be with its multiple narrators and Shakespearean dialogue and I don't regret the time I spent listening to it.

Ian Doescher's adaptation was a great way to break up my usual reading material. Verily, A New Hope doesn't offer anything new to the Star Wars universe but it is a treat to see beloved characters narrated and written in style that seems both familiar and different to them. With the exception of Leia, each narrator was spot on and often magnified the characters' personalities. I found that Leia's narrator often over dramatized her in a way that it sometimes detracted from the space princess's character. I didn't dread the narration, only the characterization it  inappropriately thrust upon Leia.

I do feel that C-3PO and Han's narration and dialogue deserve special mention. C-3PO already has a very dramatic personality but the dialogue and narration push it over the edge. There are very few times I've ever laughed during a book and listening to C-3PO did the trick. Han's magnified arrogance was also another pleasurable aspect of the audiobook and became yet another reason why I couldn't wait to return to the series.

While there isn't much to say about it, William Shakespeare's Star Wars has only served to increase my love and appreciation for the Star Wars movies. If you're ever looking for something quick and different, definitely give the series a try.

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