World's Greatest (or at least most famous) Love Story

I just read about this book in the New York Times this morning. It's based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The book hasn't been released yet, but is getting great reviews. Since some of you expressed an interest in reading Shakespeare, this provides a great incentive. A lot of schools start with R&J in 9th grade, so here's your chance to get a head start. I suggest you begin by watching two film adaptations of the play. First watch the award winning 1968 version by director Franco Zeffirelli. He stays true to the scene and setting of the original play. The second film is a modernized version of the story made in 1996 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo. They update the scene, but retain the original dialogue. After watching these two films, you'll develop an ear for the language and will be able to read and understand the play.

After reading the play, the novel Juliet should be far more accessible and interesting. The character Juliet, by the way, was 13-years-old in Shakespeare's story.  To read an Amazon review of the soon-to-be-released-in-the-U.S. book, click here.