Summer Reading: Romeo and Juliet, revisited

The History and Fall of Caius Marius (1680), a rewrite set in classical Rome. West Side Story (1961), an Oscar-winning film of the Broadway musical, with rival New York street gangs. Rosaline (2022), a rom-com movie retelling the story from the POV of Rosaline, Romeo’s ex. Throughout the centuries and across disciplines, Romeo and Juliet has inspired countless artists to create something new from Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed teenagers. 

Is it any wonder, then, that there is a Romeo and Juliet-inspired read for almost any type of book lover? To continue with your summer TBR—and to celebrate Romeo and Juliet on stage at the Folger this fall—here are three very different takes on that tragic couple that have been featured as part of the Folger Book Club.

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson

Given the source material’s reputation as a timeless love story, it’s no wonder that the first recommendation on our list hails from the romance category. Spicy in more ways than one, Ramón and Julieta moves the action from Verona to San Diego’s Barrio Logan. The feuding families of Shakespeare’s original become the competing interests of Julieta Campos, head chef at the sea-to-table restaurant she runs with her mother, and Ramón Montez, CEO of the Taco King restaurant chain looking to expand into the neighborhood. Full of rich culinary and cultural descriptions alongside thoughtful considerations of gentrification, this steamy summer read will make you hungry for more.

Learn more about the novel through our introductory post, explore Romeo and Juliet and Latine communities in our Resource Guide, or read about Katherine Gillen, Adrianna Santos, and Kathryn Vomero Santos’s research on Borderlands Shakespeare on the Folger Spotlight Blog.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

From tacos to…brains? For those who crave something in the horror genre, Marion’s zombie love story delivers. Made into a 2013 movie starring Nicholas Hoult, Warm Bodies imagines Romeo as “R,” a member of the Dead looking for more from his not-life, and Juliet as “Julie,” a member of the living and part of a fragile community attempting to protect itself at all costs. Full of clever nods to the original and a fair bit of gore, Warm Bodies is a Romeo and Juliet adaptation you can really sink your teeth into.

Get an introduction to the novel, learn more about Shakespeare and different genres in our Resource Guide, or discover the connection between zombie containment and early modern plague in our Collection Connections post, all on the Folger Spotlight Blog.

Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls

The last title is one that brings back the romance of Shakespeare’s play, but this time concentrating on the feeling as experienced in youthful adolescence. Romeo and Juliet is doubly present in this touching coming-of-age story: first and foremost as the amateur production in which Charlie Lewis finds himself acting in order to win the heart of Fran Fisher, and then again, more subtly, in the ups and downs of their budding relationship. Funny and sad in equal measure, Sweet Sorrow is a poignant reflection on the marks that first love leaves, and what it feels like to remember it again from a more mature perspective.

You can learn more about Sweet Sorrow through our introductory post, explore Shakespeare and adolescence with our Resource Guide, or take a tour through related Folger holdings with our Collections Connections post, all available on the Folger Spotlight.

Find more of our Summer Reading series on this blog by looking for the tag “Summer Reading.”