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jmrprice's review
4.0
carol8's review
4.0
"...O, learn to read what silent love hath writ: To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit."
"... So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
"...My love shall in my verse ever live young. "
"...With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn... Stealing away the treasure of his spring... His beauty shall in these black lines be seen, And they shall live, and he in them still green."
read_ofthe_stein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
_balexis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
heyitstim's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nataalia_sanchez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
hellothereforeitsalex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
oldwindways's review
3.0
They were a fascinating read, made exponentially more accessible thanks to Anthony's modern reformulations of the poems. That said, I only gave the book 3/5 stars for two reasons (both of which may say more about me than the content itself).
First, I struggled to get through the entire book. If I wanted to get through more than 1 or 2 sonnets in a sitting, I really had to make it a focused effort. As a result, it took me months to go cover to cover.
Second, I often found it a struggle to focus on the text I was reading. There is something about poetry (and possibly iambic pentameter in particular) that just frees my mind to wander. I would frequently find myself at the end of a poem, having read every word, but realizing that my mind was focused on something entirely unrelated since the second or third line.
The decreased rating is not a reflection on the quality of the poems themselves, or the retellings, but rather the reading experience I had. For those with a greater passion for poetry, or a deeper interest in Shakespeare, I imagine this would be an easy 5/5 stars, and a great source to return to over the years.