The Merchant of Venice
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- £5.99
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
“ALL THAT GLISTERS IS NOT GOLD...” Seeking the hand of the rich heiress Portia, Bassanio realizes the need to make an impression – and that costs money. Antonio (his fat-cat friend in the City) is on hand to oblige – but there’s a problem with cash-flow, so an interest-free loan is secured from the sinister banker Shylock, whose sole terms require the forfeit of a pound of Antonio’s flesh in the ludicrous event of its non-repayment. And now the credit-crunch begins to bite, and it is left to Portia to test “the quality of mercy”...
Set in an opulent fantasy landscape populated by elves, trolls, and mer-men, The Merchant of Venice is part of Manga Shakespeare, a series of graphic novel adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays. Drawing inspiration from Japan and using Shakespeare’s original texts, this series – adapted by Richard Appignanesi and illustrated by leading manga artists – brings to life the great Bard’s words for students, Shakespeare enthusiasts and manga fans.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fans of the play will find this an intriguing adaptation. Hinds sets his version in modern dress and dramatically edits the text to the basics while keeping the Shakespearean flavor of the dialogue (increasingly as the book goes on). The coloring in shades of slate blue and pale gray gives it an antique patina that's counterbalanced by the way Hinds leaves construction lines visible. That makes it feel like reading someone's unpolished sketchbook, as though the characters were observed, not created. It's always a benefit to see Shakespeare acted out, to make the universal situations clear to the modern viewer, and that benefit extends to the graphic medium, especially when the characters have a sense of motion, as here. Some aspects of the original are still discomforting; Hinds is faithful to the play in its treatment of the bloodthirsty, money-hungry Shylock, and some readers may be put off by the inclusion of lines such as \x93you may be pleased to collect whatever usurious interest pleases your Jew heart.\x94 An author's note encourages further research on that matter and clarifies some of Hinds's creative decisions.
