Shakespeare & Delval - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Deluxe) (EN) (preorder)

About A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Since its first performance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has inspired countless adaptations, translations and reinterpretations in literature and cinema as well as on stage. In literature, some illustrated editions have become cult classics, among which Arthur Rackham’s version perhaps remains the most iconic.

Today, Julien Delval invites you to rediscover this legendary play through his breathtaking illustrations. His work, both modern and faithful to Shakespeare’s spirit, offers an enchanting personal vision of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Lush natural surroundings, a romantic and magical atmosphere, and sumptuous settings will transport you to the heart of an enchanting evening, where the line between reality and dreams begins to blur…

This edition features a foreword by François Laroque, professor emeritus of English literature at the Sorbonne University and a specialist in Shakespeare’s works. The author of numerous works devoted to Shakespeare’s plays and their cultural context, he draws on a detailed analysis of the play to highlight the complexity of its structure, which is based on the interweaving of multiple narrative levels, spanning ancient mythology, English folklore, and popular comedy. By placing A Midsummer Night’s Dream within its historical, cultural, and theatrical context, he reveals its full scope — both festive and profound — where a celebration of the imagination, romantic entanglements, and reflections on the powers of poetic creation converge.

In the Deluxe version, the title has been hot foil stamped, resulting in a truly refined cover. The book comes in a thick cardboard and velvet box, and includes a bookplate signed by Julien Delval himself! This bookplate (in the same format as the book) features a sublime illustration of A Midsummer Night's Dream and has been printed on 300 gsm paper. You can find all the technical details of the book further down this page.

➡️ The book is also available in a Standard edition.

About the play

On a midsummer night, two lovers, Lysander and Hermia, flee to an enchanted forest so that Hermia can escape a forced marriage to Demetrius, a man she despises. Demetrius sets off in pursuit, followed by Helena, who is in love with him. At the same time, Titania and Oberon, rulers of the fairies, gather for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Meanwhile, a troupe of actors prepares a performance for the wedding. All these destinies converge and intertwine under the influence of Puck, a mischievous sprite and the mastermind behind this ballet, where romantic passions, pranks, and confusion run wild.