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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I read this book after I read Roger Ebert describe Shakespeare as, roughly, "the writer who most understood the human condition," and "if you read one play every Sunday, you could read all his plays in 37 weeks." I was an English major who read Shakespeare in college, but I haven't picked it up since then, even though I've thought of it. Ebert's description prompted me to give it a try again and to one day read them all.
My giving this 2 stars isn't so much a reflection of the book as a reflection of me. Can I truly say that I enjoyed reading this book? No. Can I say I truly understood it? No. When I would pick up the book, I would spend so much time trying to remember where I had left off, I never had the feeling I had a true handle on the story. Next time I read a Shakespeare play, I'm going to read a synopsis of the play so that I understand the plot and can then focus on the words. I suspect that you have to read Shakespeare multiple times to truly absorb it, even for the best readers.
I also think that these plays are best understood if you see them, than if you just read them.
Despite my difficulty with King Lear, I will read continue reading more Shakespeare plays until I've read them all. Next up: The Tempest.
My giving this 2 stars isn't so much a reflection of the book as a reflection of me. Can I truly say that I enjoyed reading this book? No. Can I say I truly understood it? No. When I would pick up the book, I would spend so much time trying to remember where I had left off, I never had the feeling I had a true handle on the story. Next time I read a Shakespeare play, I'm going to read a synopsis of the play so that I understand the plot and can then focus on the words. I suspect that you have to read Shakespeare multiple times to truly absorb it, even for the best readers.
I also think that these plays are best understood if you see them, than if you just read them.
Despite my difficulty with King Lear, I will read continue reading more Shakespeare plays until I've read them all. Next up: The Tempest.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i can dig shakespeare but i hated this
too many characters, too much going on, the mix of blank verse and prose, everyone is awful and unlikeable and wow i just really hated this
too many characters, too much going on, the mix of blank verse and prose, everyone is awful and unlikeable and wow i just really hated this
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
This is one of my favorite plays but I don’t think Shakespeare is meant to be read.
Shakespeare uses too many phoneticism that don’t make sense outside of an actor giving meaning to it.
Shakespeare uses too many phoneticism that don’t make sense outside of an actor giving meaning to it.
Did not expect for Shakespeare of all people to enable my daddy issues.
I honestly thought the drama was funny at first, and then once everything started to spiral I stopped smiling. There was several points where I thought to myself, "this can't get much worse," and it would then proceed to get worse.
I don't know how to describe this in a way that makes sense but the way Shakespeare locked the fuck in after Act 3. I mean, he's literally Shakespeare so I'm not sure what I expected.
I honestly thought the drama was funny at first, and then once everything started to spiral I stopped smiling. There was several points where I thought to myself, "this can't get much worse," and it would then proceed to get worse.
I don't know how to describe this in a way that makes sense but the way Shakespeare locked the fuck in after Act 3. I mean, he's literally Shakespeare so I'm not sure what I expected.
