This was an oddly nostalgic read, as [b:A Midsummer Night's Dream|1622|A Midsummer Night's Dream|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327874534l/1622._SY75_.jpg|894834] was the first Shakespearean play I ever read. While the prose is vibrantly rich, the plot is surprisingly simple and accessible, and it is for these reasons that I feel this play has had so much continued popularity. On the whole, it is a fun experience.

That said, the four main “lovers” are horrifically one-dimensional with little characterization outside of their singular romantic goals. For instance, I for the life of me still cannot understand why Helena is so hung up on Demetrius, he really is not anything special. Her whole role is to exist as an insecure and clingy plot device, more so than actually being an interesting character. Also, in this ballpark—it is hard to happily cheer on a couple that ends up together because one individual had their free will stripped of them from a god. If anything, this is a pretty tragic ending for both parties involved, though I digress.

My criticisms aside, even though I consider the play to be a lower-tier Shakespeare outing, I still enjoyed A Midsummer Night’s Dream and would recommend it to anyone interested.