Romeo and Juliet: New English Translation | Michael Curtotti | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Romeo & Juliet, the tragic tale of two ill-fated young lovers succumbing to cruel and meaningless human rivalry, has captured the imagination of all sorts of creative minds for centuries, resulting in a multitude of adaptation in various mediums.

However, due to an abject lack of knowledge and disregard for the original source texts in popular history, I had attributed it to be solely the work of William Shakespeare.

Despite several clues, I was completely oblivious of the fact that this originally Italian tale has traversed oceans and countries and languages to finally land on English shores, which Shakespeare adapted for the London stage with his utmost brilliance.

In modern parlance this is what we would have perhaps referred to as adapted screenplay or dramatization for the stage.

The version of the story by Matteo Bandello, which has been translated by Curtotti here, is the text that Shakespeare seems to have followed for his adaptation.

Translation is a treacherous path to tread: capturing the essence of art created in a particular language by pouring it into the vessel of another, is a painstakingly arduous task that very few excel in.
Just by dint of the finesse, sophistication yet accessibility of the prose, one can easily gauge how wonderfully this task has been accomplished by Curtotti.

However, this indeed is not just a work of translation, but a most fascinating and enriching read which provides meticulously analyzed act by act comparisons between Bandello's and Shakespeare's texts, a diligent mapping of character names used, long and detailed commentaries rooted in rigorous academic research along with copious amounts of footnotes elaborating on the historical contexts.

This needs to reach more people so that due credit can be bestowed upon the rightful brilliant minds spanning generations and nations whose collective genius have culminated in creating such timeless masterpieces.

I would urge you to read this if only to be filled with wonderment at how altered history and colonial prowess have successfully suppressed facts and blinded our collective consciousness.

It was interesting to learn about the original story as compared to the Shakespeare play. This new translation was easy to follow and understand, possibly making it useful as an introduction or review for the story. Nicely done.

I had to read this in high school and it was definitely one of the more easier ones to follow along with, however having the English translation helps a lot

I am someone who has never read this version of Romeo and Juliet before, but I found it completely compelling. I think I may even like this version of the story better than its more favorite Shakespearean counterpart. There is more depth and explanation to the characters and settings, and I think any fan of Romeo and Juliet should read this translation!

I love Romeo and Juliet, it's my favorite Shakespeare's play and I try to read every version I can. I read it in English and Spanish, I listened to the audiobook and I've seen every film adaptation available. Having said that I have no problem with retellings and different takes of the story but right now I'm not a huge fan of novellas and I felt that in this case it was more "telling than showing" and the emotion was lacking.

Since discovering Romeo and Juliet was based on a short story, I have wanted to discover it but never found one fully translated until today. Bandello's Romeo and Juliet is an amazing read that is a must-read that differs from Shakespeare's play in many ways that change scenes, and show how characters were supposed to be. Honestly, I enjoyed Michael Curtotti's translation of Bandello's story more than Shakespeare's play.

Overall, Bandello's Romeo and Juliet is a beautifully written story that shows where the star-crossed lovers' tale originated. If you love the play, I recommend you read Bandello's original short story.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

dnf. you could literally not pay me to care.

i just recently read a romeo and juliet retelling, which made me want to read the original again (i read it for school a few years back), so i saw this on netgalley and figured, why not?

i’m not sure if it’s because of the writing, or if it’s because i hated shakespeare’s romeo and juliet, but this just didn’t do it for me.

with that being said, i think it’s an accessible way to read the story of romeo and juliet, whereas shakespeare’s can be difficult to understand at times because of the language.

This amazing translation by Michael Curtotti of the original “Romeo and Juliet” revives the nearly forgotten masterpiece of Matteo Bandello. In an age where we are more interested in authenticity and tracing thoughts and ideas back to their roots, and giving credits to the origins this translation comes to shed a light on the beauty of the original 16th century Italian novella that inspired the well known play of Shakespeare. Michael Curtotti's writing style is a harmonious blend of elegance and accessibility, making it a delightful experience for both seasoned literature enthusiasts, native English speakers, and readers from diverse linguistic backgrounds. His ability to convey the richness of Bandello's narrative in a way that resonates universally is a testament to the translator's remarkable skill.

Phenomenal story. This is the version we should have been taught in school instead of Shakespeare's version. Don't get me wrong, Shakespeare's plays have their pros, but they are not meant to be read as a book. They're meant to be watched in play format. This version reads beautifully as a novella. There are some significant differences and I thought they made the story much better. The story is darker, more poignant, and delves deeper into their emotions and mental states. The speeches by both characters are also lovely and powerful. I will most definitely read this again whenever I'm looking for a Romeo and Juliet fix.

Okay so I don’t know what I was expecting when I requested this, but definitely was not expecting what I got. That being said, I really like the idea behind this. It’s basically just a novelization of Romeo and Juliet that takes it out of the play format. There’s of course no replacing the original work, but that being said, I think this would be an excellent study guide or companion to have while reading the play to make it more accessible,

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

I like it, I would highly recommend it to all Shakespeare fans, a great translation.

Rating 4 Stars

I'm all for this idea of translating some of the sources that sit behind Shakespeare but it's also misleading to have positioned Bandello's novella as 'the' source for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet when it's actually only one of a chain of stories that help form Shakespeare's story.

The classical myths of Pyramus and Thisbe, or Hero and Leander already combine the elements of love and death of a pair of young lovers and, earlier than Bandello, we have versions of the Romeo story by Salernitano and da Porta - Bandello is a later re-teller though certainly translations of his work by Boaistuau and then an English translation of Boaistuaua have been generally regarded as direct sources for Shakespeare. It's just more complicated than this book reveals and is indicative of how this is a book aimed at a general popular audience without the necessary scholarly background and academic rigour that we'd expect when discussing Shakespeare's sources.

The story itself is certainly worth reading to see the outlines of the familiar story and how Shakespeare developed it but, again, it's simplified by the characters being given Shakespeare's names, not those of Bandello's original.

So definitely a project I'd support and interesting for a general audience - but it's just worth being aware that this is offering a fore-shortened, more simple, and not completely accurate picture of the sources behind Shakespeare.

Before Shakespeare, Matteo Bandello penned the original inspiration behind Romeo and Juliet. Now, Bandello’s authentic 16th century story is translated and presented in modern format, unveiling the clear beauty of his writing.

This gorgeous translation of Bandello's novella is a jewel for Shakespeare enthusiasts. It's unfortunate that the afterword questions whether Shakespeare can be said to have authored the play "Romeo and Juliet," since he didn't invent the plot. But literature isn't plot—it's expression. I can plot a novel in 20 minutes, but a hundred different authors would create a hundred unique novels from that plot. Shakespeare's play is beloved because of the text, the beautiful poetry, the expression of the idea, not the idea itself.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.