{"id":25298,"date":"2014-10-26T15:40:52","date_gmt":"2014-10-26T19:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=25298"},"modified":"2014-10-26T15:40:52","modified_gmt":"2014-10-26T19:40:52","slug":"review-of-the-empire-striketh-back-by-ian-doescher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=25298","title":{"rendered":"Review of The Empire Striketh Back, by Ian Doescher"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"empire_striketh_back_large\"<\/a>William Shakespeare\u2019s<\/p>\n

The Empire Striketh Back<\/em><\/p>\n

by Ian Doescher<\/p>\n

Quirk Books, Philadelphia, 2014. 172 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

\u2018Tis here! The sequel to Verily, a New Hope<\/a>.<\/em> Here we have the second volume, Part the Fifth, in the Star Wars<\/em> saga, as Shakespeare himself would surely have written it.<\/p>\n

This one includes Yoda, who already sounded Shakespearean, now speaking in haiku.<\/p>\n

Nay, nay! Try thou not.
\nBut do thou or do thou not,
\nFor there is no \u201ctry.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And we\u2019ve got Han and Leia\u2019s love story:<\/p>\n

HAN:
\nA cloth of fiction thou dost weave, yet I
\nHave found the fatal error in thy stitch:
\nFor I believe thou wouldst not let a man
\nSo beautiful as I depart from thee.<\/p>\n

LEIA:
\nThe only stitch I know is in my side,
\nFrom laughing at thy pride most heartily.
\nThou mayst attempt to needle at my heart,
\nBut I am sewn of stronger thread than this.
\nTo say I would not let thee go \u2013 pish, pish!
\nI know not whence thy great delusions come,
\nThou laser brain.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I especially like the Ugnaughts on Lando\u2019s planet of Bespin. The Dramatis Personae list calls them \u201cmerry dwarves of Bespin,\u201d and they go about their work singing:<\/p>\n

Enter<\/em> UGNAUGHTS 1, 2, and<\/em> 3, singing.<\/em>
\nUGN. 3 The time is ripe!
\nUGN. 1 His time is nigh!
\nUGN. 2 And soon he will be frozen!
\nUGN. 1 We\u2019ve never done \u2013
\nUGN. 2 This on a man \u2013
\nUGN. 3 But someone\u2019s now been chosen!
\nUGN. 2 A merry prank!
\nUGN. 3 O shall it work?
\nUGN. 1 Or will the man be dying?
\nUGN. 3 What\u2019er befall \u2013
\nUGN. 1 One thing is sure \u2013
\nUGN. 2 The pleasure\u2019s in the trying!
\n[Exeunt Ugnaughts.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That Ian Doescher has put a lot of thought into making these authentic is expressed in his Afterword. He explains his choice of haiku for Yoda, as well as other choices like having Boba Fett speak in prose rather than iambic pentameter.<\/p>\n

These books are far too much fun. I\u2019d be willing to bet that no one\u2019s ever read one of the volumes all the way through without bursting out and reading sections aloud.<\/p>\n

IanDoescher.com<\/a>
\nQuirkbooks.com\/empirestrikethback\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Teens\/empire_striketh_back.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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