1973, 1974 Penguin edition
edited by Joan Goulianos
By a Woman Writt [sic]: Literature from Six Centuries by and about Women
Original price unknown, bought used for $4.25
Worn paperback
C+
Goulianos selects women's writings in English from 14th-century Margery Kempe to modern poet Muriel Rukeyser, so this collection is understandably uneven. I most enjoyed Aphra Behn, Lady Mary Wortley Montague, and Sylvia Ashton-Warner. In the introduction, Goulianos suggests some themes, like fear and motherhood, but I don't feel like there's enough commentary or organization here. Also, she doesn't give dates to all the pieces, and sometimes not even birth or death dates for the authors, so my labels are limited to the wider eras and I can't include the 20th-centuries decades, other than the 1970s of course. (Not that there aren't a lot of labels on the post anyway.) This is a serviceable introduction to women's literature, deliberately omitting some of the better known writers (although Wollstonecraft and daughter Mary are here), without going overly obscure.
Showing posts with label 1600s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1600s. Show all posts
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Battle of the Books
1697 written, 1704 published
Jonathan Swift
The Battle of the Books
C
A companion piece to A Tale of a Tub, which in fact has digressions on this "Ancients vs. Moderns" literary argument. It may be because I've only read Dryden and Aphra Behn of the "moderns," but much of the satire falls flat three centuries later. I kept flashing back to that Merrie Melodies cartoon Have You Got Any Castles?, where a fight breaks out among book characters. (It's the one with the House of Seven Clark Gables.)
Jonathan Swift
The Battle of the Books
C
A companion piece to A Tale of a Tub, which in fact has digressions on this "Ancients vs. Moderns" literary argument. It may be because I've only read Dryden and Aphra Behn of the "moderns," but much of the satire falls flat three centuries later. I kept flashing back to that Merrie Melodies cartoon Have You Got Any Castles?, where a fight breaks out among book characters. (It's the one with the House of Seven Clark Gables.)
A Tale of a Tub
1697 written, 1704 published, The Modern Library (Random House) edition of this and the other Swift works from 1931
Jonathan Swift
A Tale of a Tub
Original price not shown, bought used (obviously) for $2.25
Spine broken
C
Heavy-handed fable about various churches (symbolised by brothers Peter, Martin, and Jack), has its moments but almost completely derailed by unfunny digressions.
Jonathan Swift
A Tale of a Tub
Original price not shown, bought used (obviously) for $2.25
Spine broken
C
Heavy-handed fable about various churches (symbolised by brothers Peter, Martin, and Jack), has its moments but almost completely derailed by unfunny digressions.
Don Quixote
1605 for Part I, 1615 for Part II, Signet Classic edition 1964
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, translated by Walter Sarkie
Don Quixote of La Mancha
Original price not shown, bought used for unknown
Pretty bad condition, not surprising given the age of this paperback and my frequent rereads (at least every 5 years)
B+
Still funny and fresh after four centuries, this meandering set of adventures takes two memorable main characters and a lot of good supporting characters around late Renaissance Spain. Both a satire of and a tribute to chivalry, it manages to make even book-burning entertaining. I could've done with less about whipping, although as it turns out, the trees suffer more than the people. The attitudes to the Turks, Moriscos, and Sancho Panza's imaginary black subjects are regrettable but could be worse given the time. A pleasant surprise are the number of clever women, notably Dorotea. This translation is smooth and accessible, although when one phrase was footnoted as equivalent to "our 'wigs on the green,'" I had to shrug. (It means roughly "a fight's breaking out.")
Due to the difference in calendars in England and the Continent at that time, Cervantes and Shakespeare both died on April 23, 1616. But Cervantes was still at the top of his game a year before he went, while Shakespeare had peaked back in the 1590s.
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, translated by Walter Sarkie
Don Quixote of La Mancha
Original price not shown, bought used for unknown
Pretty bad condition, not surprising given the age of this paperback and my frequent rereads (at least every 5 years)
B+
Still funny and fresh after four centuries, this meandering set of adventures takes two memorable main characters and a lot of good supporting characters around late Renaissance Spain. Both a satire of and a tribute to chivalry, it manages to make even book-burning entertaining. I could've done with less about whipping, although as it turns out, the trees suffer more than the people. The attitudes to the Turks, Moriscos, and Sancho Panza's imaginary black subjects are regrettable but could be worse given the time. A pleasant surprise are the number of clever women, notably Dorotea. This translation is smooth and accessible, although when one phrase was footnoted as equivalent to "our 'wigs on the green,'" I had to shrug. (It means roughly "a fight's breaking out.")
Due to the difference in calendars in England and the Continent at that time, Cervantes and Shakespeare both died on April 23, 1616. But Cervantes was still at the top of his game a year before he went, while Shakespeare had peaked back in the 1590s.
Henry VIII
1613
William Shakespeare
Henry VIII
C-
As in Antony and Cleopatra, WS has a talent for making vibrant historical figures flat and uninteresting onstage. Almost 80 years after her death, was there a reason to strip Anne Boleyn of her vivid personality? Even Henry comes across more vividly in every book I've ever read him in than he does here. Ironically, pious, demure Katherine of Aragon steals the scenes she's in. Also LOL at the way the last scene works in praise not only for Elizabeth I but for her successor James I. (You'd think Henry might be annoyed by a prediction that his daughter will not only be the ruler but die a virgin, considering all his succession issues.)
Overall, this collection of Shakespeare averages out to a C. I'll hold on to it, but I'll probably continue to read it through only once every 20 years.
William Shakespeare
Henry VIII
C-
As in Antony and Cleopatra, WS has a talent for making vibrant historical figures flat and uninteresting onstage. Almost 80 years after her death, was there a reason to strip Anne Boleyn of her vivid personality? Even Henry comes across more vividly in every book I've ever read him in than he does here. Ironically, pious, demure Katherine of Aragon steals the scenes she's in. Also LOL at the way the last scene works in praise not only for Elizabeth I but for her successor James I. (You'd think Henry might be annoyed by a prediction that his daughter will not only be the ruler but die a virgin, considering all his succession issues.)
Overall, this collection of Shakespeare averages out to a C. I'll hold on to it, but I'll probably continue to read it through only once every 20 years.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Tempest
1610-1611
Shakespeare
The Tempest
B
The penultimate of WS's surviving plays (until Cardenio and The Two Noble Kinsmen turn up) is his first good play in about a decade (since Hamlet). Interesting characters and setting, memorable quotes (including "brave new world"), and the themes of reconciliation, young love, and of course getting monsters drunk, all blend well. Weaknesses: perhaps too many subplots and more needless cameos by the gods. (Ires, Ceres, and Juno here, while Cymbeline brought in Jupiter. At least As You Like It gave Hymen some good lines.)
Shakespeare
The Tempest
B
The penultimate of WS's surviving plays (until Cardenio and The Two Noble Kinsmen turn up) is his first good play in about a decade (since Hamlet). Interesting characters and setting, memorable quotes (including "brave new world"), and the themes of reconciliation, young love, and of course getting monsters drunk, all blend well. Weaknesses: perhaps too many subplots and more needless cameos by the gods. (Ires, Ceres, and Juno here, while Cymbeline brought in Jupiter. At least As You Like It gave Hymen some good lines.)
Cymbeline
1610-1611
Shakespeare
Cymbeline
D
The title character's daughter, Princess Imogen, goes through a series of unfortunate events, but with none of Lemony Snicket's wit. The title is sort of fun to sing to the tune of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene."
Shakespeare
Cymbeline
D
The title character's daughter, Princess Imogen, goes through a series of unfortunate events, but with none of Lemony Snicket's wit. The title is sort of fun to sing to the tune of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene."
Friday, November 25, 2011
The Winter's Tale
1594-1611
Shakespeare
The Winter's Tale
C-
While certainly a continuation of Shakespeare's midlife slump, this is a definite improvement over the somewhat similar Pericles (a king's wife and daughter disappear for about fifteen years, presumed dead), even if Leontes is a jealous idiot for half the play. Credit goes to the comic relief: Autolycus the pedlar, the Shepherd, and the latter's son the Clown. Also, things aren't quite so far-fetched and there's a lot less distasteful material. And, yes, this is the play that J. K. Rowling took Hermione Granger's first name from, as well as being the drama with the wonderful stage direction "Exit, pursued by a bear." Plus, there's a certain d-word that will make you blink in surprise in Act IV, scene iv.
Shakespeare
The Winter's Tale
C-
While certainly a continuation of Shakespeare's midlife slump, this is a definite improvement over the somewhat similar Pericles (a king's wife and daughter disappear for about fifteen years, presumed dead), even if Leontes is a jealous idiot for half the play. Credit goes to the comic relief: Autolycus the pedlar, the Shepherd, and the latter's son the Clown. Also, things aren't quite so far-fetched and there's a lot less distasteful material. And, yes, this is the play that J. K. Rowling took Hermione Granger's first name from, as well as being the drama with the wonderful stage direction "Exit, pursued by a bear." Plus, there's a certain d-word that will make you blink in surprise in Act IV, scene iv.
Sonnets
1609
Shakespeare
The Sonnets
C-
Mostly over-rated and over-quoted, although I'm sort of fond of cynical Sonnet 138 (the one with all the puns on "lie").
If I count these as a group, and weight the two longer poems (Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece) about equally, WS's poetry averages out to a low D, the three shorter poems (which average out to a C) pushing to a definite D. But then I'm generally not a poetry fan, as my book collection reveals.
Shakespeare
The Sonnets
C-
Mostly over-rated and over-quoted, although I'm sort of fond of cynical Sonnet 138 (the one with all the puns on "lie").
If I count these as a group, and weight the two longer poems (Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece) about equally, WS's poetry averages out to a low D, the three shorter poems (which average out to a C) pushing to a definite D. But then I'm generally not a poetry fan, as my book collection reveals.
A Lover's Complaint
1609
Shakespeare
A Lover's Complaint
C
OK short poem on the usual topic of frustrated romance.
Shakespeare
A Lover's Complaint
C
OK short poem on the usual topic of frustrated romance.
Coriolanus
1608
Shakespeare
Coriolanus
F+
Possibly WS's most boring play, in which an unappreciated Roman hero gets exiled as a traitor during a political campaign.
Shakespeare
Coriolanus
F+
Possibly WS's most boring play, in which an unappreciated Roman hero gets exiled as a traitor during a political campaign.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Pericles
1608-1609
Shakespeare
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
D-
Our title-character hero solves a riddle that reveals that a neighbour king is incestually involved with his daughter. (The riddle is painfully obvious and it's unclear why this is used as a way to weed out suitors for the said daughter.) So Pericles has to run for his life from the evil king, who later conveniently dies offstage. Then Pericles marries a different king's daughter, who seems to also die offstage, giving birth to their daughter, Marina. But it turns out that she's not really dead, so she's revived and becomes a priestess of Diana. Meanwhile, Pericles has Marina raised by friends for the next fifteen years or so. But the foster mother pays to have her killed off, except Marina is kidnapped by pirates, and then ends up in a brothel, where her purity makes the customers try to be more virtuous. In the end, father and daughter, and then mother, are happily reunited.
Probably the most ludicrous plot in all of WS, but much less bloody and racist than Titus Andronicus.
Shakespeare
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
D-
Our title-character hero solves a riddle that reveals that a neighbour king is incestually involved with his daughter. (The riddle is painfully obvious and it's unclear why this is used as a way to weed out suitors for the said daughter.) So Pericles has to run for his life from the evil king, who later conveniently dies offstage. Then Pericles marries a different king's daughter, who seems to also die offstage, giving birth to their daughter, Marina. But it turns out that she's not really dead, so she's revived and becomes a priestess of Diana. Meanwhile, Pericles has Marina raised by friends for the next fifteen years or so. But the foster mother pays to have her killed off, except Marina is kidnapped by pirates, and then ends up in a brothel, where her purity makes the customers try to be more virtuous. In the end, father and daughter, and then mother, are happily reunited.
Probably the most ludicrous plot in all of WS, but much less bloody and racist than Titus Andronicus.
All's Well That Ends Well
1606-1607
Shakespeare
All's Well That Ends Well
D-
As with Measure for Measure, a "light" title hides a darker play that involves bed-partner substitution, along with other questionable material. AWTEW is worse because we're actually supposed to be rooting for not very sympathetic Helena and totally unsympathetic Bertram to get together. Helena is sort of a female doctor but lacks the cleverness of Merchant of Venice's "lawyer" Portia.
Shakespeare
All's Well That Ends Well
D-
As with Measure for Measure, a "light" title hides a darker play that involves bed-partner substitution, along with other questionable material. AWTEW is worse because we're actually supposed to be rooting for not very sympathetic Helena and totally unsympathetic Bertram to get together. Helena is sort of a female doctor but lacks the cleverness of Merchant of Venice's "lawyer" Portia.
Antony and Cleopatra
1606
Shakespeare
Antony and Cleopatra
D+
Not very interesting version of Cleopatra. Rather than being a clever, complicated woman, she's basically a jealous nag, but a sexy jealous nag. Antony's just there to Othellically think the worst of the woman he supposedly adores. Octavian comes off as more interesting than either.
Shakespeare
Antony and Cleopatra
D+
Not very interesting version of Cleopatra. Rather than being a clever, complicated woman, she's basically a jealous nag, but a sexy jealous nag. Antony's just there to Othellically think the worst of the woman he supposedly adores. Octavian comes off as more interesting than either.
Macbeth
1603-1606
Shakespeare
Macbeth
C+
Another brief halt in WS's decline, Macbeth is a bloody political drama with some pretty good speeches. The "ironic" predictions could've been fulfilled a bit less eh. "Look out, here comes an army with branches! Look out, here comes a man delivered by cesarean!"
Shakespeare
Macbeth
C+
Another brief halt in WS's decline, Macbeth is a bloody political drama with some pretty good speeches. The "ironic" predictions could've been fulfilled a bit less eh. "Look out, here comes an army with branches! Look out, here comes a man delivered by cesarean!"
Timon of Athens
1605-1606
Shakespeare
Timon of Athens
D
For some reason reading this, I kept thinking of the folktale The Little Red Hen. I guess it was the whole "I've spoiled you ungrateful bastards and now you won't help me in my hour of need" thing, although Timon serves the gang water and stones rather than refuses to share the bread. But it's hard to care about Timon or his "friends," and there are no memorable lines.
Shakespeare
Timon of Athens
D
For some reason reading this, I kept thinking of the folktale The Little Red Hen. I guess it was the whole "I've spoiled you ungrateful bastards and now you won't help me in my hour of need" thing, although Timon serves the gang water and stones rather than refuses to share the bread. But it's hard to care about Timon or his "friends," and there are no memorable lines.
King Lear
1603-1606
Shakespeare
King Lear
C-
Speaking of over-rated, it's hard for me to get into a play where most of the characters are unsympathetic, except for Cordelia of course. This soap opera is mildly interesting, but I'd rather read Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, or listen to "I Am the Walrus" for that matter.
Shakespeare
King Lear
C-
Speaking of over-rated, it's hard for me to get into a play where most of the characters are unsympathetic, except for Cordelia of course. This soap opera is mildly interesting, but I'd rather read Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, or listen to "I Am the Walrus" for that matter.
Othello
1602-1603
Shakespeare
Othello
C+
Shakespeare's streak of bad 17th-century plays is temporarily interrupted by this decent if over-rated drama. Iago isn't in Richard III's league as a charming villain, and the Othello & Desdemona marriage must have some of the worst communication issues ever, but there are some nice turns of phrase here. Plus, it's hard to dislike a play that inspired a boardgame title. (Hungry, Hungry Hippos is of course a classic comedy.)
Shakespeare
Othello
C+
Shakespeare's streak of bad 17th-century plays is temporarily interrupted by this decent if over-rated drama. Iago isn't in Richard III's league as a charming villain, and the Othello & Desdemona marriage must have some of the worst communication issues ever, but there are some nice turns of phrase here. Plus, it's hard to dislike a play that inspired a boardgame title. (Hungry, Hungry Hippos is of course a classic comedy.)
Measure for Measure
1600-1603
Shakespeare
Measure for Measure
D+
The title suggests a comedy like As You Like It, but instead it's the story of a hypocritical politician who gets tricked into sleeping with his wife while thinking he's successfully blackmailing a virgin into bargaining for her fornicating brother's life. Oh, and there's the Duke sneaking around disguised as a friar in order to spot the corruption of the politician he's appointed, and not speaking up till the end.
Shakespeare
Measure for Measure
D+
The title suggests a comedy like As You Like It, but instead it's the story of a hypocritical politician who gets tricked into sleeping with his wife while thinking he's successfully blackmailing a virgin into bargaining for her fornicating brother's life. Oh, and there's the Duke sneaking around disguised as a friar in order to spot the corruption of the politician he's appointed, and not speaking up till the end.
Troilus and Cressida
1601
Shakespeare
Troilus and Cressida
D+
Both tasteless and forgettable, but nice to see where the word "pandar" comes from.
Shakespeare
Troilus and Cressida
D+
Both tasteless and forgettable, but nice to see where the word "pandar" comes from.
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