Romeo and Juliet: The Novel

You get all the plays lines and the easy read of a novel. Now the reader can know the characters' actions, tones and to whom they speak. Moments of comic relief even become recognizable. Shakespeare's words and phrases are retained, but difficult words and phrases are no longer a big challenge. Alternate words and phrases bracketed just after them removes the challenge. The italicized text within the brackets avoids interrupting the reader with footnotes. It may be a novel, but the author has taken care to complement the dialog with a thin and delicate coating of description. After all, "The play's the thing."