Vinegar Girl

 

Tyler, A. (2016). Vinegar Girl. Penguin Random House. 

A modern revamp of The Taming of the Shrew, this version sees the older daughter of a medical researcher trying to be convinced to marry his assistant before he can be deported.

A tale of coerced marriage, this could be a hard story to sell to modern readers but both it and the original play use the premise to push the reader to re-think social norms and think critically about what it means to be forthright and sharp when the world wants you to be accommodating and dim.

Romeo + Juliet

 

Luhrman, B. (Director). (1996). Romeo + Juliet [Film]. 20th Century Fox.

An explosively colourful and at times frenetic telling of the classic tale of star-crossed lovers, this film by Australian director Baz Luhrman brings the story to 1990s Verona while keeping the original dialogue to create a whirling mix of classic and modern.

You know the story, you know how it ends, but even then keep tissues by your side and be prepared to be swept up in this film.