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minheeshock 's review for:
King Lear
by William Shakespeare
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.