About the book
BOOK SUMMARY
Love triangles unfold in magical woods where fairies meddle with humans, a weaver gets transformed into a donkey, and amateur actors attempt to stage a showing of Pyramus and Thisbe.
Published 1600
Comedy Play
144 pages
Really funny, actually
July 1, 2026
I’m about to go on a Shakespeare binge and this is my starting point. Funny and accessible. Like, really funny actually. Especially the desperation of Helena’s character in the beginning, and then how she immediately assumes everyone is playing a joke on her when Demetrius and Lysander both confess their love. The cruel comments the men make toward Hermia while they are under Puck’s spell are also very funny.
I watched Peter Hall’s 1968 production featuring Helen Mirren and Judi Dench as I read along, and it was faithful to the text but comically low-budget. The scene transitions, direct-to-camera monologues, and costuming were so so bad. But it kind of worked for the play I guess.
kelsi’s reading diary 