King Lear by William Shakespeare

December 5, 2014 by Christina

Fiction — audiobook. Read by Trevor Peacock, Julia Ford, Clive Merrison, and the Arkangel Cast. BBC Audiobooks, 2005. Originally published 1605. 3 hours, 8 minutes. Library copy. The aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters – Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia – in proportion to the amount of love each daughter declares to have for him. Goneril and Regan each made grand pronouncements and declarations of love for their father but Cordelia, the youngest daughter and the […]

Categories: 2014 Reads, Audiobook, Classics, Classics Club, Europe, Fiction, United Kingdom • Tags: Clive Merrison, Julia Ford, Trevor Peacock, William Shakespeare

“Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare

August 13, 2012 by Christina

Fiction — print. Washington Square Press, 2011. Originally published 1601. 272 pgs. Library copy. Also knows as “What You Will”, this comedy by Shakespeare is set around the close of the Christmas season known as Twelfth Night. The lead character, Viola, is shipwrecked on the island of Illyria. Convinced her brother, Sebastian, drowned at sea, Viola masquerades as a young page by the name of Cesario in servitude to the Duke Orsino. Desperate to win the hand of the beautiful but […]

Categories: 2012 Reads, AP Literature, Classics, Europe, Fiction • Tags: William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

June 23, 2011 by Christina

Fiction — print. Washington Square Press, 2004. Originally published 1598. 288 pgs. Library copy. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank has squandered his estate and wishes to travel to Belmont to woo the wealthy heiress Portia. He approaches his friend Antonio, for the money needed to cover these expenses, but Antonio does not have the money on hand. He promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns to the Jewish moneylender Shylock and […]

Categories: 2011 Reads, AP Literature, Classics, Europe, Fiction • Tags: William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

July 4, 2010 by Christina

Fiction — print. Washington Square Press, 1992. First published 1601. 239 pgs. Recieved from PaperBackSwap. In this tragedy of political conflict, Shakespeare turns to the ancient Roman world and to the famous assassination of Julius Caesar by his republican opponents. The play is one of tumultuous rivalry, of prophetic warnings— —and of moving public speeches. Ironies abound and most of all for Brutus, whose fate it is to learn that his idealistic motives for joining the conspiracy against a would-be […]

Categories: 2010 Reads, AP Literature, Classics, Europe, Fiction, Reread • Tags: William Shakespeare

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

August 12, 2009 by Christina

Fiction — print. Washington Square Press, 2005. Originally published 1609. 272 pgs. Received from PaperBackSwap. In my humblest opinion, “The Tempest” is the most confusing play written by Shakespeare. I actually saw a production of the play long before I was tempted to pluck “The Tempest” off my shelves that left me befuddled and wondering what in the world was going on. I was afraid it was the acting and how far away I was from the stage that contributed […]

Categories: 2009 Reads, AP Literature, Classics, Europe, Fiction • Tags: William Shakespeare

The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

August 9, 2009 by Christina

Fiction — print. Washington Square Press, 2005. Originally published 1623. 304 pgs. Received from PaperBackSwap. I saw a production of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” when we arrived in Montana that was set during the nineteenth century and unfortunately was lost in translation. I picked up my copy of the play because I wanted to flesh out something of the things that were confusing — scene changes that didn’t happen, voices that where muddled due to a lack of microphones […]

Categories: 2009 Reads, Classics, Europe, Fiction • Tags: William Shakespeare

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

July 19, 2009 by Christina

Fiction — print. Washington Square Press, 2004. Originally written between 1590 – 1594. 110 pgs. Received from PaperBackSwap. I recently went to see a wonderful production of The Taming of the Shrew — western style — through Shakespeare Dallas, which really helped jump start my personal goal of finding more of an appreciate for the Bard’s works. I have my favorites as I’m sure all of us do, but outside of the ones I’ve seen performed or been forced given […]

Categories: 2009 Reads, Europe, Fiction, Reread • Tags: William Shakespeare

Shakespeare Meme

December 21, 2008 by Christina

Becky posted this meme back in October, but I thought it was fitting now that we’re starting our Shakespeare unit at school. 1. What was your first introduction to William Shakespeare? Was it love or hate? I don’t remember the first play of his I read, although I’m sure it was probably Romeo and Juliet, but I’ve been attending plays at Shakespeare Dallas since we moved here. At five, I wasn’t much into watching the plays as I was into […]

Categories: Bookish Notes • Tags: William Shakespeare

“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare

December 17, 2008 by Christina

Fiction — print. Simon Schuster, 2003. Originally published 1603. 342 pgs. Received from PaperBackSwap. Hamlet, the young Prince of Denmark, is visited by the ghost of his father, who tells him that he had been murdered and that the culprit is his own brother, Claudius. The new King Claudius usurped the crown after taking Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, as his wife. Hamlet’s indecision and delay into how to enact revenge may be regarded as ploys by which he hopes to […]

Categories: 101 Great Books, 2008 Reads, AP Literature, Classics, Europe, Fiction, Scandinavia, Textbook • Tags: William Shakespeare

“The Tragedy of Macbeth” by William Shakespeare

October 31, 2008 by Christina

Comprised of five acts, The Tragedy of Macbeth starts as three witches agree to meet up again after a battle is fought. Originally, Macbeth starts off being portrayed as a hero, having led King Duncan’s forces successfully in battle, and hence will get a new title. The witches flatter his ego by telling him of the titles he will receive – more than he could ever have hoped – and that he will become king, ultimately. “Double, double, toil and […]

Categories: 101 Great Books, 2008 Reads, AP Literature, Classics, Europe, Fiction, Textbook, United Kingdom • Tags: William Shakespeare