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    William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back: Star Wars Part the Fifth
    Unavailable
    William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back: Star Wars Part the Fifth
    Unavailable
    William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back: Star Wars Part the Fifth
    Audiobook3 hours

    William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back: Star Wars Part the Fifth

    Written by Ian Doescher

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestseller William Shakespeare's Star Wars comes the next installment of the original trilogy: William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back. Many a fortnight have passed since the destruction of the Death Star. Young Luke Skywalker and his friends have taken refuge on the ice planet of Hoth, where the evil Darth Vader has hatched a cold-blooded plan to capture them. Only with the help of a little green Jedi Master-and a swaggering rascal named Lando Calrissian-can our heroes escape the Empire's wrath. And only then will Lord Vader learn how sharper than a tauntaun's tooth it is to have a Jedi child.

    This audiobook is read by Daniel Davis, Jonathan Davis, Ian Doescher, Jeff Gurner, January LaVoy, and Marc Thompson.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMar 18, 2014
    ISBN9780804194006

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    Reviews for William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back

    4.5/5

    161 ratings32 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Being a fan of Star Wars, it was interesting to win a free copy of William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back from a Goodreads contest. Full of the action of the well known story, this book features an interesting tell of The Em[ire Strikes Back, full of backstage commentaries from characters that you get to read into to know feelings and reasonings behind actions such as R2D2, who is given a voice.Overall a fun read worthy of any Star Wars fan, yet beware that some actions scenes seem a bit rushed.
    • 5/5
      Full disclosure: this book came to be via the GoodReads First Reads program

      I have been ready to read this volume since I got my hands on the first one. So. Good. If you enjoy either Shakespeare or Star Wars, you will enjoy this volume. If you have the good taste to enjoy both, go get this book right now. You will thank me :)
    • 5/5
      I'm not sure why, but I enjoyed this book more than the first. (I enjoyed the first of the trilogy as well, but liked this one better.) One possible reason:

      YODA SPEAKS IN HAIKU! This is perfect, and works so very well. I'm also glad that I realized this before reading it in the afterword. (It only took me a page or so of Yoda's interactions with Luke to put my finger on why Yoda still sounded different than the other characters.)
    • 4/5
      The great fun continues. Check out additional info on Quirkbooks.com
    • 5/5
      This one is just as great as the last one.
    • 5/5
      The wonderful combination of Elizabethan theater and the Galaxy Far, Far Away returns in William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher. Combining his love of the classic trilogy and the Bard, Doescher followed up the overwhelming success of his first crossover adaptation by bringing further the tragedy of Episode V in all it's glory in the form of iambic pentameter, prose, and even haiku.Doescher continued his excellent translation of film dialogue to late 16th century English with the addition of soliloquies, speeches, and asides that add depth to all the characters Star Wars have come to love. Lando, Boba Fett, and Yoda being the newest major characters to the overall story are given lines to better understand their inner character which aren't allowed to come out in the film. This approached allowed for a better understanding of Lando in particular giving the audience an insight about his motives through the latter part of the book. Unlike his first book, Doescher breaks away from iambic pentameter for two characters: Boba Fett as a bounty hunter is "base" enough to just warrant prose speech while Yoda's unique manner of dialogue was but into haiku. The inner feelings of Han and Leia towards permeate their scenes, giving a better understanding of their romance throughout the book. Doescher used the Chorus drastically less than he did in his previous effort and instead had characters detail the action like Shakespeare also did in his plays. Even with the use of all these inner monologues, Doescher is able to give "that scene" at the end of the film a suspenseful and stunning air about it.In a 172 pages, Doescher brings the epic nature of Episode V of the Star Wars saga to the Elizabethan stage to amazing results. If you're a Star Wars fan you've got to get your hands on this book.
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of Doescher's Shakespearean Star Wars saga (yay for alliterations). I liked Doescher's little additions and touches, such as Yoda speaking in haikus, the AT-ATs speaking throughout the battle on Hoth, and the sad soliloquies he gave to the Wampa and the giant space slug ("Was e'er a creature's case so pitiful?/Was e'er an exogorth as sad as I?/Was e'er a tragedy as deep as mine?")Some of the lines are a little klunky, but Doescher does a great job of turning the original dialogue into Shakespearean speech 98% of the time, and it's just so fun to read! I would love to see this (and the other two) performed live.
    • 5/5
      This book is a brilliant reworking of a modern movie as an Elizabethan drama. The text begs to be read aloud - the clever takes on famous Shakespearean lines evoke both glee in the reader and the need to share it with whoever is within earshot. The Shakespeare-style monologues of otherwise incomprehensible, though not silent, movie characters like the wampa and R-D2 add new dimensions that were not in the original movie. This is the perfect gift for lovers of Shakespeare, the Star Wars movies, or language fun.
    • 5/5
      Title - William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back (William Shakespeare's Star Wars #2)Author - Ian DoescherSynopsis - Do I really need to tell it? Okay for those of you that have been in a coma for the last decade or two. After destroying the Death Star, Luke, Han and Leia find that the rebellion is still in danger from the power of the Empire and the greatest evil, Darth Vader. On the icy planet Hoth, Luke investigates a probe landing and finds himself attacked by Yeti like creature Wampa, after his escape he hears the ghost of Ben (Obi Wan) Kenobi telling him to go the Dagobah system to find the great Jedi master Yoda. But the Empire attacks with At-Ats and the battle of Hoth insues. Escaping from the Empire, Luke races to Dagobah and Han, Leia, Chewbacca and 3PO seek refuge in the outpost of Cloud City run by Lando Calrissian. Only Han has a price on his head and their refuge turns into a trap. As Han is tortured but not to illicit information but to illicit only pain. A pain that Luke will feel on the swamp like planet in the Dagaboh system where he trains with Yoda. Luke leaves in haste to save his friends and with this decision seals his true fate and learns the truth.Review - Okay this is just a geekfest. Plain and simple and for that alone it should be loved. It is Star Wars written as a Shakespearian Play. Can you dig it!!?? The immortal words "Luke I am your father" cried out in the angst and torment of a Hamlet player. Get this book! Love it! Read it! Force your children to hear it out! Too much fun to miss!
    • 5/5
      A great follow up to William Shakespeare's Star Wars. (Verily a New Hope). This is probably actually a bit better, as ESB is a deeper movie (and a better movie), so the material to work from is better. Ian Doescher's work with Lando adds a lot more to the Lando character, and his work with Yoda does a good job of transforming Yoda into Shakespearean. There is one interesting add-on scene with two guards on Cloud City talking about how all Empire buildings need to have deep chasms and huge holes in them.... that just feels like an author's aside and kind of an author's nitpick of source material, but other than that, its good fun.
    • 4/5
      The story of The Empire Strikes Back works surprisingly well as a Shakespeare-style play. If you're a Star Wars fan and you like Shakespeare, then you'll like this book.
    • 5/5
      At first, it might be difficult to conceive how two vastly different genres (especially two so well-known!) could merge so beautifully. However, as the author has shown it is not only possible but a BRILLIANT idea. As a big fan of the Star Wars franchise and its novelizations, I was blown away by how well the Bard's style was used to re-imagine this epic story. For a Shakespeare novice, it might be a little jarring at first but you get so caught up in the storyline that I don't think that will be a major issue. Star Wars newbies should probably start with the first in the series, William Shakespeare's Star Wars, in order to understand the cast of characters and storyline more fully.All in all, a fabulous read and I HIGHLY anticipate the next installment, William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return!
    • 5/5
      Doescher does another great job with "William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back". From Yoda's haikus to Hans and Leia's Beatrice/Benedict-esque squabbles it's a laugh riot all the way through. I especially like the soliloquies that allow the characters to expound on their personal thoughts and motivations; generally with humorous foreshadowing that will have a true fan giggling in no time. I absolutely adore this series and can't wait for the next book to come out.
    • 3/5
      I will admit that I was never a good Shakespeare student. But I find this series to be thoroughly enjoyable. The basic story of the 4th episode of the Star Wars series is retold in the style of the Bard. Even Chewbacca and the droids have lines. I'd like to think that the story of Luke and his friends, Luke and his father, the Empire vs the rebels, would be fit right in with Shakespeare's plays with the themes of family, good vs. evil, the learning of the student, etc.Quick read. Good fun.
    • 3/5
      Funny to see the classic trilogy in another style of written. Would consider looking at the Shakespearan version of RoTJ.
    • 5/5
      William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back is the second book in Ian Doescher's series that rewrites the Star Wars movies as Shakespearean plays. This is the first of the books that I have read, which is appropriate, since I saw The Empire Strikes Back before I saw the original Star Wars movie.Mr. Doescher does a good job of catching the spirit of Shakespeare's plays. There are several nods to various plays in the soliloquies("If flurries be the food of quests, snow on"). I liked the touch of having Yoda speak in haiku to make his speech different from the other characters. I also enjoyed the back and forth between Han and Leia, which brought to mind couples like Kate and Petruchio or Benedict and Beatrice. I did have trouble figuring out Chewbacca's speech. Growls don't lend themselves easily to iambic pentameter. I do admit, it adds charm to a duet with Princess Leia in Act V. It is interesting that he is the only character that doesn't get real lines. Even R2 can speak with Puckish attitude in his asides before returning to his beeps and whistles. I would love to see someone actually try to perform at least a scene or two from this book. In all, this was a fun homage to both Shakespeare and the Star Wars movie.
    • 5/5
      I got a copy of this book from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the first book in this series; Verily, A New Hope. This book was even better than that book and it was a ton of fun to read. The final book in the trilogy, The Jedi Doth Return, is scheduled to release in July 2014.Any Star Wars fan knows the story. Luke, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and crew are on the rebel base on the planet of Hoth. When things go South, Luke flees to get training from Yoda and the rest of the crew flee to seek help from Lando with the Empire hot in pursuit. There is definitely a lot of drama here and it lends itself to Shakespearean style well.I love Shakespeare and I love Star Wars, so of course I enjoy these books immensely. This book was even better than the first book and even more hilarious. I thought Doescher did a much better job with having the characters use asides to tell their point of view, this adds a lot more depth to the story.One of the most hilarious parts of this book is that we get to hear from some of the monsters and bad guys. There is a part where the Wampa laments the escape of his meal and how badly he has been treated. The Exogor (space slug that the Millenium Falcon hides in) has a soliloquy where he expounds on the loneliness of being a space slug. We even hear from some overly dramatic AT-ATs (this had me laughing so hard I was nearly in tears). In addition to the above you get a lot more insight into how people view Darth Vader in a long soliloquy from Admiral Piett. There is also more background on Lando and his past friendship with Han. The numerous soliloquies and asides add a lot more depth to these Star Wars characters we all know and love.Just as with the last book, the asides from R2-D2 are hilarious and his opinion of C3PO echoes my own. This is also the book where Han and Leia discover their feelings for each other, this storyline lends itself to a lot of wonderfully witty banter between the two and many asides where they discuss their feelings for each other. Again these are very witty and funny.As with the last book there are a number of well done Elizabethan style illustrations throughout, these are done in an etched sort of style and again add a lot of humor to this parody. Yoda in an Elizabethan collar is definitely a must see. Overall very, very well done. I really enjoyed this second installment in the Star Wars series retold in a Shakespearean way. There is a lot of witty humor and even parts so funny that I almost laughed until I cried. The illustrations are wonderful. In addition to all of the humor and fun, the asides and soliloquies really do add a lot of depth to the characters and expand on the story some. If you enjoy Star Wars and Shakespeare definitely check this out, if you enjoyed the first book in this Shakespearean Star Wars series definitely check this out. This book is even better than the first one.
    • 4/5
      I'll start this review the same way that I started the review for the previous entry in the series: "The math on this one is pretty simple. Do you like Star Wars? Do you like Shakespeare? Then you'll probably like this. Otherwise, it's not for you."In terms of source material, there's not a lot to say. This is an adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back, with very little deviation. There are a few new scenes, which add a bit of humor to the story but not much else. But you didn't come here to learn the story of The Empire Strikes Back. You came because you already knew it, and wanted to see how it was Shakespearified.On the whole, this was done more successfully than in Verily, A New Hope. Instead of sticking completely to iambic pentameter, Doescher uses some of the other forms employed by Shakespeare, including prose and (most notably) some really good songs. He even threw in a few trochaic inversions, and gave some lines an extra beat if it helped the flow. More questionable was the use of haiku for Yoda, this being far outside the realm of Shakespeare. I get what he was going for--trying to bring in the otherworldliness of Yoda's speech into a dramatic context. I get it, I do. It just didn't work for me. I found myself skimming over Yoda's lines, which is a disservice to the character.In terms of language, we get the same pseudo-Elizabethan English from the original, antique in structure but far too modern in vocabulary. It makes the text accessible to the modern reader and often works well for purposes of humor. We do see flashes of Bardic wordplay, but they are less common than I might have liked.On the whole, this is a worthy sequel to a genuinely innovative original, and I look forward to seeing this trilogy completed. Hell, I'd even love to see the same treatment given to the prequels.
    • 5/5
      Fantastically done. I am very impressed that the style is so meticulously researched and so lovingly carried out while also staying true to the Empire Strikes Back story and even building it. Several parts made me laugh out loud, and many parts were actually quite moving. I dare you to find something better for literary Star Wars geeks than watching Han and Leia turn from Beatrice and Benedick into Romeo and Juliet.
    • 4/5
      The whole idea of this series is both funny and unique. I really enjoyed this book and will get the others in the series. The asides and soliloquies let you in on the internal conflict, which makes the story more interesting and lets you get closer to the characters than the movie allows you to.I thought it was funny when the Wampa spoke to the audience and also when the rebel pilots dueled with the AT-ATs.
    • 4/5
      I was a little unsure about this when I first heard about it. I thought it was just some silly gimmick to cash in on Star Wars. But after listening to the audio version of "A New Hope" I was sold. Admittedly, I had more fun with the audio version than then reading it myself but there were some entertaining moments regardless. I have yet to listen to the audio version of this book, but I suspect it will also be enjoyable.It's harder to imagine some characters speaking this way than others. Han, for example, doesn't quite fit, but Yoda on the other can works perfectly.I'm looking forward to reading the Emperor's lines in ROTJ.
    • 4/5
      Proper iambic pentameter and all. The more Shakespeare you know and the more familiar you are with the Star Wars movies, the funnier this will be for you. The greatest moments may be when several verses plucked directly from The Bard can be inserted into the dialogue perfectly, but you have to be able to identify those snippets as originally Shakespearean to truly get the most out of the joke. It is of course a bit forced, using almost exclusively modern vocabulary with archaic grammar and style, but it's worth the forcing. Asides from R2 D2, songs from Chewbacca, and more come into play in proper Elizabethan theatrical style. May the Force be with you!
    • 5/5
      4.5 StarsI loved it! It's even better than the first one in the series. Clever, fun, and perfect for a stage interpretation of one of the best space operas of all time. The illustrations are great and fans can now hear the internal thoughts of characters without speaking parts in the films. Best for fans of Shakespeare and Star Wars.LT Early Reviewers
    • 5/5
      Having memorized the movie, I was replaying each scene as I read the book in my head, imagining the characters actually speaking this way. Many a time did I laugh out loud or make a audible "Awwwww". This book was excellent and I can't wait to read the others.
    • 5/5
      wonderful. like experiencing it all anew. Loved the atat conversations and the wookie song.
    • 4/5
      ARC provided by LibraryThing EarlyReviewsStar Wars. One of the most talked about, and perhaps to some, the greatest sci fi trilogy ever made. Will Shakespeare. One of the most productive playwrights ever, and to perhaps some, the greatest writer that ever lived. It would seem as if the two would be destined to meet and to combine to create the greatest story never told! But no writer was brave enough to take on this challenge. Until now. Ian Doescher rose to the challenge in William Shakespeare’s Star Wars and now continues the journey in the second book, William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back!Many nights have passed since the destruction of the Death Star. Young Skywalker and his friends have taken refuge on the icy planet knowneth as Hoth. But the evilith Darth Vader has plans! Evil dastardly plans! It is only with the help of a green Jedi master and a rascal named Lando that our heroes can escapeth the Empire’s wrath! Only then will Vader learn the power of a Jedi’s child! I have to admit that I approached this book with some skepticism. After all this seems to be the age of picking up other works and “translating” them into new genres, such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. And while these works have their purpose (what they might be I’m not sure), it is not something that everyone can enjoy. But this...this work by Doescher is something every fan of Star Wars can enjoy. Ian expertly blends Lucas’s story with Shakespeare’s style in a way that respects both new and old. And unlike some of the new genre books that just add the word zombie in, Doescher has worked out how to add iambic pentameter, choruses, asides, soliloquies, and more to stay true to the story of Star Wars, but giving it that Shakespearean twist. A well done job!I would recommend this book to any fan of Star Wars, plus its prequel and sequel. Four out of five stars.
    • 3/5
      Get thee once more to a Galaxy far, far awayLet me start by saying I’m a Star Wars fan. So much so that I waited until May 4th, Star Wars day to read Ian Doescher’s second installment. The Empire Striketh Back. This like his first, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars was sent to me by the good folks over at Librarything as part of their Early Reviewer’s program. Those who know me well also know I am a student of Shakespeare which is why I wanted to review the series. I absolutely loved the first one, but have some issues with the second. First let me praise Doescher for not only attempting to adapt Shakespeare for modern audiences but also for his masterful ability to condense an action packed movie into a 163 page book. Doescher manages to capture the excitement of the movie and doesn’t miss a beat as he seamlessly moves from one scene to the next. His use of iambic pentameter in such a skilled manner should earn him praise from poetry fans. Doescher sticks mostly to modern language and rhythm, with a few well known Elizabethan terms thrown in for good measure. Young fans of Star Wars can follow this book without feeling overwhelmed by the poetic style of writing and old language. One of the Doescher’s more cleaver tricks is giving voice to characters that had none in the movie. Take the Wampa who drags Luke off to his cave, as an example. Pray know that I a wampa simple am,And take no pleasure in my angry mood. Though with great force this young one’s face I slam,I prithee know I strike but for my food.Doescher reminds his audience that even the lowest of creatures have feelings and that their actions are not always done with malice. Wampa’s gotta eat too! We hear from the monster, Exogor, the worm like creature whose mouth the Millennium Falcon accidently flies into. He laments that his meal has fled and goes into a soliloquy about being alone. Yet for all of the fun Doescher brings to the mash-up, I cannot help but be disappointed in his use of Shakespeare’s work and the lack of ties to the plays. What no Henry IV or V battle scene speech? The back and forth banter between Han and Leia is very much like that we hear between Beatrice and Benedict, yet none of the other characters are nods to Shakespeare. Doescher in his Afterward likens The Empire Strikes Back to a Shakespearian tragedy, yet goes on to compare Luke with Oedipus. “Oedipus who learns only too late that his mother is his wife, tears out his eyes after she hangs himself. Luke discovers that Darth Vader is his father just after losing a hand-close enough, right?” No, wrong! How about this? Hamlet is told Claudius killed his father, just like Luke is told Vader killed his father. Luke finds out Vader is his father, just as Hamlet finds out Claudius is his step-father! Both spend a lot of time brooding over these turn of events. Come on Doescher, this was a no brainer. Doescher even has Luke questioning his place in the world and the use of war, yet never do we hear any hint of a doubting Hamlet. Doescher says he decided to have Yoda speak in haiku. He tells his readers this in the afterwards. I would have liked to have known this before I started reading. Yoda’s odd speech pattern baffled me, and jerked me out of the story. I spent too much time trying to figure out what Doescher was doing. Remember, Doescher is the one who is claiming to do a mash-up of Shakespeare and Star Wars. Sadly, Shakespeare just doesn’t show up enough to make this a true mash-up. Unlike the first book, the references are few and far between. When he does use Shakespeare the lines feel forced, as if Doescher had just remembered he had to add them in. If flurries be the food of quests, snow on.The oddest mix of Shakespeare and Star Wars comes right after Vader has entered. He has a conversation with a few commanders and after they leave he unexpectedly goes into a soliloquy that originally was Shylock’s speech, spoken in frustration for his abuse by the Christians.Hath not a Sith eyes?If you prick us, do we not bleed? If youBlast us. Shall we not injur’d be?While this may delight some Star Wars fans, it had me puzzled. Sure, he may feel abused by the rebels, but it is he who is embarking on a plan to wipe them all out. This famous speech feels forced and out of context to the scene before and after. For true students of Shakespeare Doescher’s use of the Bard’s words may fall flat. Doescher does remind his readers that above all else this book is written to be fun. And for all the faults I have pointed out, it really is fun. But, if this is a series titled William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, then more care should be given to make proper use of the Bard’s world. To quote Hamlet,”O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space…” Come on Doescher, Shakespeare’s world is infinite space, set in a time, long, long ago. Use it, and use it well.
    • 5/5
      This was so much better than I was expecting! When I heard about the first one—"Verily, A New Hope" :)—I thought, "That's cute, but I don't really care." When LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program offered up review copies of the second one, I thought, "Eh, why not?" I went in expecting (a) a tongue-in-cheek parody, and (b) that it would be dull to read. But neither of those things turned out to be true. Instead, it's a faithful adaptation that enriches the original story (the asides and soliloquies are fantastic) and the iambic pentameter is both easy to read and comprehend. (I was afraid I'd get lost in the meter and lose track of the actual words, as often happens to me with poetry, but nope!) I highly recommend it to anyone familiar with Star Wars.
    • 5/5
      The second installment in the Star War’s Shakespeare trilogy is just as good as the first, though it loses just a tiny bit because readers now know what to expect. The well-known plot follows Luke as he is trained by Yoda and Han and Leia as they travel to Lando Calrissian’s Cloud City.In this book Leia and Han’s antagonistic romance heats up with some cutting Shakespearean insults…“My feelings? O! Thou arrogant half-wit,Thou oversized child, thou friend of slime,Thou man of scruffy looks, thou who herd’st nerfs,Thou fool-born wimpled roughhewn waste of flesh!”Once again we get to enjoy R2-D2’s eloquent asides and the Shakespeare-themed illustrations. We get to see Han grow as a character as he struggles to overcome his past misdeeds and work for the rebel alliance. He’s never chosen others’ needs above his own and the book allows us to hear some of his inner-monologue that the films gloss over. The same is true for Lando, a character that’s barely in the second film. The book gives a little more insight into his decisions.The novelty of the concept certainly doesn’t grow old in this book. It feels just as fresh and original as the first one. The author manages to stick perfectly to the plot while also adding some depth.BOTTOM LINE: As the author reminds us in the Afterword “Remember, this isn’t scholarship; it’s fun.” Reading it should be exactly that: fun! It’s more than entertaining and I can’t wait for the final book in the trilogy to be released. 
    • 5/5
      The second installment of the famed Star Wars trilogy has been utterly transformed into iambic pentameter by the brilliant Ian Doescher. The Empire Striketh Back captures all the story’s drama with character monologues by the AT-ATs, the Wampa, and even the Exogor (the creature on the asteroid). Devouring the text, much like I had done with the first installment was an absolute delight. The “character asides” bring a whole other dimension to each character development. For example, this can be best seen with Leia and her growing feelings for Han. Also, I much appreciated the effort to maintain some of the original banter, which I’m sure is a challenge to translate it into the proper rhythm. For example: Lando talking about Vader and the altering of the deal“He orders what he will sans sense or rhyme—This is deal is worse becoming all the time!”And the very end:“Our story endth, though your hearts do burn,And shall until the Jedi doth return.”I do have confirmation from Quirk publishing that Return of the Jedi will finish up the trilogy. It’s uncertain if Doescher will continue with the new trilogy or not. But Episode 6 is definitely on the horizon. ☺