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ratings: ★★★☆ ☆ (3.5/5)
Genre: Drama / Shakespearean Comedy / Romance

Book Review:
''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is an early Shakespearean comedy, and you can see the master learning his craft. It has all the ingredients of his later, greater works: faithful friends, a cross-dressing heroine, a love triangle, and a journey to the big city. But here, the elements aren't quite as perfectly blended. The plot moves quickly, sometimes too quickly, and the ending is famously abrupt and a little unsettling for modern audiences. That said, it's still a charming and entertaining play. The real highlight is Launce, the clownish servant, and his scenes with his dog, Crab, are pure comic gold. He steals every scene he's in. And you can see the prototypes of characters who would appear later: Julia, disguised as a page, is a forerunner of Viola in ''Twelfth Night.'' It's a fascinating play for anyone interested in Shakespeare's development, and it's short and fun. This Cambridge edition is excellent, with great notes. Worth a read for the dedicated fan.