Shakespeare Retellings

Shakespeare's words and stories continue to resonate with readers hundreds of years after his death. They've been read and re-read and adapted and re-written to update the characters and language countless times. These books take their inspiration from The Bard but bring fresh takes and modern language and sensibilities.

Updated January 11, 2024
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Fond du Lac Public Library
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Hag-seed : The tempest retold
Atwood, Margaret
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The beloved author of The Handmaid's Tale reimagines Shakespeare's final, great play, The Tempest, in a gripping and emotionally rich novel of passion and revenge.   "A marvel of gorgeous yet...
Ten things I hate about the Duke
Chase, Loretta Lynda
Paper Book
USA Today bestselling author Loretta Chase continues her Difficult Dukes series with this delightful spin on Shakespeare's classic, The Taming of the Shrew. This time, who's taming whom... Cassandra Pomfret holds strong opinions she isn't shy about voicing. But...
Bright ruined things
Cohoe, Samantha
Paper Book
"A deftly-plotted tale about ambition and belonging, Bright Ruined Things takes Shakespeare's The Tempest and brilliantly reimagines its themes of family and love. Cohoe writes with a magic that dazzles and cuts right to the core." - Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling...
William Shakespeare's Star Wars : verily, a new hope
Doescher, Ian.
Paper Book
May the verse be with you! Inspired by one of the greatest creative minds in the English language--and William Shakespeare--here is an officially licensed 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)...
The last true poets of the sea
Drake, Julia
Paper Book
"Profound and page-turning." --Madeline Miller, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Circe The Larkin family isn't just lucky--they persevere. At least that's what Violet and her younger brother, Sam, were always told. When the Lyric sank off the coast of Maine, their great...
These violent delights
Gong, Chloe
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! A BuzzFeed Best Young Adult Book of 2020 Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Serpent & Dove, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai...
The porpoise : a novel
Haddon, Mark
Paper Book
In a bravura feat of storytelling, Mark Haddon calls upon narratives ancient and modern to tell the story of Angelica, a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship with her father. When a young man named Darius discovers their secret, he is forced to escape on a boat bound for the Mediterranean....
Better hate than never
Liese, Chloe
Paper Book
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! A Best of the Month Pick from: Amazon · Apple · LibraryReads Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. ...
Two wrongs make a right
Liese, Chloe
Paper Book
Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn't be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realise they have something else in common...
Fool
Moore, Christopher
Paper Book
"Hilarious, always inventive, this is a book for all, especially uptight English teachers, bardolaters, and ministerial students." --Dallas Morning News Fool--the bawdy and outrageous New York Times bestseller from the unstoppable Christopher Moore--is a hilarious new take on...
Macbeth
Nesbø, Jo
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 Shakespeare's dark and tragic play retold in a heart-pounding New York Times bestselling thriller from the author of The Snowman and The Thirst.   Set in the 1970s in a run...
Dunbar
St. Aubyn, Edward
Paper Book
A reimagining of one of Shakespeare's most well-read tragedies, by the contemporary, critically acclaimed master of domestic drama Henry Dunbar, the once all-powerful head of a global media corporation, is not having a good day. In his dotage he hands over care of the corporation...
Vinegar girl : The taming of the shrew retold
Tyler, Anne
Paper Book
Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies   Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity,...
If I'm being honest
Wibberley, Emily
Paper Book
Mean Girls meets The Taming of the Shrew in this romantic follow-up to Always Never Yours Cameron Bright's reputation can be summed up in one word- b*tch. It's no surprise she's queen bee at her private L.A. high school--she's beautiful, talented, and...
Much ado about you
Young, Samantha
Paper Book
At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling's life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she's passed over for promotion at work, Evie realises she needs to make a change. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a...

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