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.)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Hamlet
1599-1601
Shakespeare
Hamlet
B
Like Romeo and Juliet, this is perhaps overquoted but still remains entertaining. The bloodbath ending is a bit over the top, though nowhere in the neighbourhood of Titus Andronicus. Also, Ophelia's fate is probably the most tragic and/or unnecessary, because she's the most innocent of the characters. And the side-trip to England, which seems only there so WS can make affectionate fun of his countrymen, is a bit odd. On the plus side, the dialogue, Hamlet's especially, is clever and multi-layered. Plus, Polonius is a delight in all his hypocrisy and thick-headedness.
Shakespeare
Hamlet
B
Like Romeo and Juliet, this is perhaps overquoted but still remains entertaining. The bloodbath ending is a bit over the top, though nowhere in the neighbourhood of Titus Andronicus. Also, Ophelia's fate is probably the most tragic and/or unnecessary, because she's the most innocent of the characters. And the side-trip to England, which seems only there so WS can make affectionate fun of his countrymen, is a bit odd. On the plus side, the dialogue, Hamlet's especially, is clever and multi-layered. Plus, Polonius is a delight in all his hypocrisy and thick-headedness.
Twelfth Night
1601
Shakespeare
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
B+
Probably my favorite of all Shakespeare. Very witty and playful, but not without its darker side (Malvolio's subplot). This became the very silly movie She's the Man (2006), which is nowhere on the level of 10 Things I Hate About You. The 1996 version, with lovely Helena Bonham-Carter as Olivia, comes closer to capturing the magic of the play. If the play has weaknesses, they are that the joke on Malvolio goes a little too far, and Duke Orsino is sort of a jerk.
Shakespeare
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
B+
Probably my favorite of all Shakespeare. Very witty and playful, but not without its darker side (Malvolio's subplot). This became the very silly movie She's the Man (2006), which is nowhere on the level of 10 Things I Hate About You. The 1996 version, with lovely Helena Bonham-Carter as Olivia, comes closer to capturing the magic of the play. If the play has weaknesses, they are that the joke on Malvolio goes a little too far, and Duke Orsino is sort of a jerk.
The Phoenix and the Turtle
1601
Shakespeare
The Phoenix and the Turtle
D+
Short but forgettable poem on the romance between two birds. (Turtle as in turtledove.)
Shakespeare
The Phoenix and the Turtle
D+
Short but forgettable poem on the romance between two birds. (Turtle as in turtledove.)
As You Like It
1599
Shakespeare
As You Like It
B
A bit slow to get going, but the Cesario courtship training and the "Rosalind" doggerel are great. Also, probably the best female friendship in all of Shakespeare. The "mewling and puking" seven ages speech is in this one. Possibly the best "fool," too.
Shakespeare
As You Like It
B
A bit slow to get going, but the Cesario courtship training and the "Rosalind" doggerel are great. Also, probably the best female friendship in all of Shakespeare. The "mewling and puking" seven ages speech is in this one. Possibly the best "fool," too.
The Passionate Pilgrim
1599
Shakespeare
The Passionate Pilgrim
B-
The "Venus & Adonis" stuff is handled better here than in the longer version, and there are some nice insights into relationships. The most "human" poem so far.
Shakespeare
The Passionate Pilgrim
B-
The "Venus & Adonis" stuff is handled better here than in the longer version, and there are some nice insights into relationships. The most "human" poem so far.
Julius Caesar
1599
Shakespeare
Julius Caesar
D+
Although this has the "friends, Romans" etc., speech, it's otherwise flat.
Shakespeare
Julius Caesar
D+
Although this has the "friends, Romans" etc., speech, it's otherwise flat.
Henry V
1599
Shakespeare
Henry V
D+
The title character is more of a jerk than in the other plays. Otherwise, this is pretty boring.
Shakespeare
Henry V
D+
The title character is more of a jerk than in the other plays. Otherwise, this is pretty boring.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Much Ado About Nothing
1598
Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing
B
Good, solid romance/farce, where the darker subplot blends in well. The Benedick & Beatrice love-hate relationship of course has influenced rom-coms for over four centuries, and it's a relief to see how witty the original is. (Well, as original as WS gets.)
Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing
B
Good, solid romance/farce, where the darker subplot blends in well. The Benedick & Beatrice love-hate relationship of course has influenced rom-coms for over four centuries, and it's a relief to see how witty the original is. (Well, as original as WS gets.)
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1597
Shakespeare
The Merry Wives of Windsor
C+
I suspect that this play is better on stage than on page. It's an OK farce but the subplot is forgettable and probably needs to be seen. (What colour was Anne Page wearing if not white or green?) Also, funnier than any joke in the play is Kaiser Wilhelm's joke about The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Shakespeare
The Merry Wives of Windsor
C+
I suspect that this play is better on stage than on page. It's an OK farce but the subplot is forgettable and probably needs to be seen. (What colour was Anne Page wearing if not white or green?) Also, funnier than any joke in the play is Kaiser Wilhelm's joke about The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Henry IV, Part 2
1596-1597
Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 2
C
The strongest part here is the father-son relationship between the two Henrys, and more should've been done with that.
Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 2
C
The strongest part here is the father-son relationship between the two Henrys, and more should've been done with that.
Henry IV, Part 1
1596
Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 1
C+
The main interest here is Prince Hal and Falstaff, but it's hard to warm up to nobles who go in for petty crimes.
Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 1
C+
The main interest here is Prince Hal and Falstaff, but it's hard to warm up to nobles who go in for petty crimes.
The Merchant of Venice
1596
Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice
C+
Whether or not the Shylock plot is anti-Semitic, it's less interesting than the Portia plot. Lots of memorable quotes but I didn't feel invested in most of the characters.
Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice
C+
Whether or not the Shylock plot is anti-Semitic, it's less interesting than the Portia plot. Lots of memorable quotes but I didn't feel invested in most of the characters.
King John
1596-1597
Shakespeare
The Life and Death of King John
C+
This history play has no connection to the War of the Roses, for a change. "The Bastard" (son of Cordelion, Richard I) steals all his scenes.
Shakespeare
The Life and Death of King John
C+
This history play has no connection to the War of the Roses, for a change. "The Bastard" (son of Cordelion, Richard I) steals all his scenes.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1595
Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream
B
This is both a farce and a fairytale, with the play within a play getting a deserved MST3K treatment. The plot hangs together better than it should, maybe because it's all a dream. And of course there's the "What fools these mortals be" line.
Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream
B
This is both a farce and a fairytale, with the play within a play getting a deserved MST3K treatment. The plot hangs together better than it should, maybe because it's all a dream. And of course there's the "What fools these mortals be" line.
Romeo and Juliet
1593-1595
Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
B
OK, so the title characters are two teens who are too hormone-clouded to think, "Oh, maybe I should verify that he/she is actually dead before I off myself." Still, this play has a lot of justly famous lines and vivid characters, particularly the Nurse. Aside from the ending, the plot is stronger than most of WS's.
Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
B
OK, so the title characters are two teens who are too hormone-clouded to think, "Oh, maybe I should verify that he/she is actually dead before I off myself." Still, this play has a lot of justly famous lines and vivid characters, particularly the Nurse. Aside from the ending, the plot is stronger than most of WS's.
Richard II
1595
Shakespeare
Richard II
C+
Mostly notable for the "This England" speech. Does a decent job of explaining how the whole Lancaster vs. York thing got started.
Shakespeare
Richard II
C+
Mostly notable for the "This England" speech. Does a decent job of explaining how the whole Lancaster vs. York thing got started.
Love's Labour's Lost
1594-1595
Shakespeare
Love's Labour's Lost
C+
Lots of wordplay, not much plot, except in the cliffhanger ending.
Shakespeare
Love's Labour's Lost
C+
Lots of wordplay, not much plot, except in the cliffhanger ending.
The Rape of Lucrece
1594
Shakespeare
The Rape of Lucrece
F
While I suppose parts of this are well written, this poem is alternately creepy and boring. I really don't want to read about how gorgeous a rape victim's hair is, nor do I want to hear that she has to kill herself because she's no longer "pure" for her husband. Yes, it's a product of its time, but I'm not of that time and couldn't wait for this poem to be over.
Shakespeare
The Rape of Lucrece
F
While I suppose parts of this are well written, this poem is alternately creepy and boring. I really don't want to read about how gorgeous a rape victim's hair is, nor do I want to hear that she has to kill herself because she's no longer "pure" for her husband. Yes, it's a product of its time, but I'm not of that time and couldn't wait for this poem to be over.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Comedy of Errors
1594
Shakespeare
The Comedy of Errors
C+
Although the double twinning is a cute gimmick and WS keeps it clear who's who, there's a bit too much of people going back and forth in this play. ("Go now and don't return until you explain why you left and then returned to talk to someone who wasn't really me.") Also, beating the servants kills my farce buzz.
Shakespeare
The Comedy of Errors
C+
Although the double twinning is a cute gimmick and WS keeps it clear who's who, there's a bit too much of people going back and forth in this play. ("Go now and don't return until you explain why you left and then returned to talk to someone who wasn't really me.") Also, beating the servants kills my farce buzz.
Venus and Adonis
1593
Shakespeare
Venus and Adonis
D
Early poem by WS, with a classical setting. And I just don't care. Adonis is some prude who'd rather go hunting than shag a goddess, and then I'm supposed to feel bad for overly aggressive Venus when Adonis dies. That said, some of the adjectives are nice.
Shakespeare
Venus and Adonis
D
Early poem by WS, with a classical setting. And I just don't care. Adonis is some prude who'd rather go hunting than shag a goddess, and then I'm supposed to feel bad for overly aggressive Venus when Adonis dies. That said, some of the adjectives are nice.
Richard III
1592
Shakespeare
Richard III
B-
If I can turn off the anachronism-spotting part of my brain (especially in regard to Clarence's children), this is quite enjoyable. Richard is a good villain, yet a few other characters (mostly the women) get memorable lines. On the other hand, it is a history play, which means battle scenes that are quite boring to read and a bit too much "Let me make a speech that points out that I am making a speech that shows how historically significant and dramatically ironic what you just saw is."
Shakespeare
Richard III
B-
If I can turn off the anachronism-spotting part of my brain (especially in regard to Clarence's children), this is quite enjoyable. Richard is a good villain, yet a few other characters (mostly the women) get memorable lines. On the other hand, it is a history play, which means battle scenes that are quite boring to read and a bit too much "Let me make a speech that points out that I am making a speech that shows how historically significant and dramatically ironic what you just saw is."
Titus Andronicus
1591-92
Shakespeare
Titus Andronicus
F+
I tried to go into this with an open mind, not thinking "This is Shakespeare's worst." But really, everything is so over the top and implausible, and there aren't any worthwhile characters or any lines. The + on the F is because I did laugh out loud a couple times. Not quite so bad it's good, but I suppose there are productions of it that might qualify.
Shakespeare
Titus Andronicus
F+
I tried to go into this with an open mind, not thinking "This is Shakespeare's worst." But really, everything is so over the top and implausible, and there aren't any worthwhile characters or any lines. The + on the F is because I did laugh out loud a couple times. Not quite so bad it's good, but I suppose there are productions of it that might qualify.
Henry VI, Part 3
1590-91
Shakespeare
Henry VI, Part 3
C+
This is an improvement over the earlier parts, mostly due to a bigger role for villainous Richard (later III).
Shakespeare
Henry VI, Part 3
C+
This is an improvement over the earlier parts, mostly due to a bigger role for villainous Richard (later III).
The Taming of the Shrew
1590-91
Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew
C-
It's not just the misogyny, although that is indeed there (if milder than I remember). It's also that I don't really care about the kid-sister subplot either. That said, there are some slightly witty lines in this, and it's definitely not WS's worst. And, yes, supporting my "sometimes the movie is better" theory, Ten Things I Hate about You is better on every level.
Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew
C-
It's not just the misogyny, although that is indeed there (if milder than I remember). It's also that I don't really care about the kid-sister subplot either. That said, there are some slightly witty lines in this, and it's definitely not WS's worst. And, yes, supporting my "sometimes the movie is better" theory, Ten Things I Hate about You is better on every level.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
With this and most of the other works of Shakespeare, I'm going with the dates from Wikipedia, so 1589-91, from a 1983 collection.
William Shakespeare (supposedly, ha ha)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Price for book unlisted, but it's hardcover so it probably wasn't cheap
Very good condition of whole book
B- for this play
Amiable farce and not a bad start, if this is indeed WS's first. My favorite characters are the comic relief servants, Speed and Launce.
William Shakespeare (supposedly, ha ha)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Price for book unlisted, but it's hardcover so it probably wasn't cheap
Very good condition of whole book
B- for this play
Amiable farce and not a bad start, if this is indeed WS's first. My favorite characters are the comic relief servants, Speed and Launce.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Utopia
1515, Norton edition 1975
Sir Thomas More, Latin translated by Robert M. Adams
Utopia
Original price not shown, bought used for $3.50
Surprisingly good condition
C+
The two main things you have to know about Utopia are is it's not Utopian in the usual sense, since it's not a place most people would want to live, and it's more of a criticism of early Renaissance culture and politics than it is any kind of a blueprint for a society. Why does every city in Utopia have to have roughly the same number of households and why does every household have to have roughly the same number of adults? Why is discussing politics considered treasonous? Why, outside of a 1980s TV-movie starring John Ritter and Penny Marshall, would the two "injured parties" in adultery want to marry each other? Gulliver's Travels is a better satire (funnier and more cutting), while Looking Backward is a more pleasant alternative society. But as the book that invented the genre (at least for "modern" readers, ignoring the ancient Greeks and all), this isn't a bad start.
Sir Thomas More, Latin translated by Robert M. Adams
Utopia
Original price not shown, bought used for $3.50
Surprisingly good condition
C+
The two main things you have to know about Utopia are is it's not Utopian in the usual sense, since it's not a place most people would want to live, and it's more of a criticism of early Renaissance culture and politics than it is any kind of a blueprint for a society. Why does every city in Utopia have to have roughly the same number of households and why does every household have to have roughly the same number of adults? Why is discussing politics considered treasonous? Why, outside of a 1980s TV-movie starring John Ritter and Penny Marshall, would the two "injured parties" in adultery want to marry each other? Gulliver's Travels is a better satire (funnier and more cutting), while Looking Backward is a more pleasant alternative society. But as the book that invented the genre (at least for "modern" readers, ignoring the ancient Greeks and all), this isn't a bad start.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Canterbury Tales
Roughly 1385 to 1400, this edition 1982
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales
$2.95
A bit shabby condition but not bad
C
This Bantam Classic edition has just a few tales: The Prologue, The Knight, The Miller, The Wife of Bath, The Merchant, The Franklin, The Pardoner, The Prioress, and the Nun's Priest. The original Middle English is on the left-hand page, the modern translation on the right. I mostly read the translation. While the stories have some nice details and turns of phrase, and I appreciate Chaucer's ability to write in the styles of a diverse group of people, I can't say I was particularly gripped by this reread. My favorite tale was the Nun's Priest's, because I like the idea of a flock of educated chickens. The Prioress's Tale would have to be my least favorite, not only because of the anti-Semitism, but because the story (murdered kid keeps singing about the Virgin Mary) doesn't really interest me. The translation, by A. Kent Hieatt and Constance Hieatt is well done (although they keep euphemizing "queynte" in the many places it occurs), and the tales move along briskly, with the exception of course of The Knight's Tale. Verdict: Keep but not reread more than the once a decade I seem to do.
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales
$2.95
A bit shabby condition but not bad
C
This Bantam Classic edition has just a few tales: The Prologue, The Knight, The Miller, The Wife of Bath, The Merchant, The Franklin, The Pardoner, The Prioress, and the Nun's Priest. The original Middle English is on the left-hand page, the modern translation on the right. I mostly read the translation. While the stories have some nice details and turns of phrase, and I appreciate Chaucer's ability to write in the styles of a diverse group of people, I can't say I was particularly gripped by this reread. My favorite tale was the Nun's Priest's, because I like the idea of a flock of educated chickens. The Prioress's Tale would have to be my least favorite, not only because of the anti-Semitism, but because the story (murdered kid keeps singing about the Virgin Mary) doesn't really interest me. The translation, by A. Kent Hieatt and Constance Hieatt is well done (although they keep euphemizing "queynte" in the many places it occurs), and the tales move along briskly, with the exception of course of The Knight's Tale. Verdict: Keep but not reread more than the once a decade I seem to do.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Lais of Marie de France
Late 1100s (probably 1170s or 1180s), this translation from 1986
Marie de France
The Lais of Marie de France
$9.95
Decent condition
C+
Sort of an odd book to start with, since not much is known about the author or the text. A lai is a short story-poem, but this translation puts the twelve lais into prose. Compared to some medieval works, this is pretty accessible, since it's simple courtly romances. Marie has a conversational style, which can be cute, like when she swears a story really happened, but can get a bit annoying when she recaps the plot in a seven-page story. Also, some of the details are a bit ridiculous-- the woman who carries around her lover's sword for twenty years until the day she can pass it on to their lovechild, or the weasel who knows of a plant that brings weasels and people back to life-- and I don't know how I'm supposed to take this. As parody? As folktale? Still, should I keep and someday reread this book? Sure.
Marie de France
The Lais of Marie de France
$9.95
Decent condition
C+
Sort of an odd book to start with, since not much is known about the author or the text. A lai is a short story-poem, but this translation puts the twelve lais into prose. Compared to some medieval works, this is pretty accessible, since it's simple courtly romances. Marie has a conversational style, which can be cute, like when she swears a story really happened, but can get a bit annoying when she recaps the plot in a seven-page story. Also, some of the details are a bit ridiculous-- the woman who carries around her lover's sword for twenty years until the day she can pass it on to their lovechild, or the weasel who knows of a plant that brings weasels and people back to life-- and I don't know how I'm supposed to take this. As parody? As folktale? Still, should I keep and someday reread this book? Sure.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Introduction
The Project
I'm in the process of moving, for the first time in seven years. Every time I move, I wonder why I own so many books. Yes, I like to reread, but do I really need all of them? I donated a few books as I packed, but those were the easy ones to eliminate, ones I couldn't imagine ever rereading. The only way to evaluate whether to keep the rest is to reread them. Plus it'll be fun to revisit the books en masse. Hence this project.
When I say every book, do I mean every book, like the dictionary or my senior yearbook? All I can say at this point is that I'll decide that when I get there. I'm going to do this chronologically by the original year of publication, although that's looking to be a bit more complicated than it sounds.
1. If it's a clear copyright, great.
2. If it's before the times of copyrights, I'll go with the year it was written, distributed, or (in the case of Shakespeare for instance) performed.
3. If it's a translation, I'm going to go with the year of translation, unless it's a decade or more after original publication.
4. If it's a collection of writings (essays, short stories, novels), then I will read each piece in the year it's from if clearly indicated, unless the editing is significant enough in itself to go with the year the collection was published.
5. Barry Williams's Growing up Brady is going to be in both 1992 and 1999 because the later edition has significant changes. On the other hand, I will reread the British editions of Harry Potter and just note the illustrations for the American editions.
6. Within each year, I'll go alphabetically by author. "Anonymous" will be first.
How long will this project take? No idea, probably years if not decades
How many books do I own? No idea, a few hundred?
What will I do if I acquire more books before the end of this project, as is very likely? Drop them in chronologically if I haven't gotten to their years yet, otherwise not blog about them.
Format
Year, original and this edition if different
Author, and perhaps Illustrator
Title
Price of this copy, both original and what I probably paid for it used
Condition, including any interesting notes other people wrote (I don't write in books unless a typo really bothers me.)
Grade, F- to A+
Review
I may revise this, but at least this gives me a starting point.
I'm in the process of moving, for the first time in seven years. Every time I move, I wonder why I own so many books. Yes, I like to reread, but do I really need all of them? I donated a few books as I packed, but those were the easy ones to eliminate, ones I couldn't imagine ever rereading. The only way to evaluate whether to keep the rest is to reread them. Plus it'll be fun to revisit the books en masse. Hence this project.
When I say every book, do I mean every book, like the dictionary or my senior yearbook? All I can say at this point is that I'll decide that when I get there. I'm going to do this chronologically by the original year of publication, although that's looking to be a bit more complicated than it sounds.
1. If it's a clear copyright, great.
2. If it's before the times of copyrights, I'll go with the year it was written, distributed, or (in the case of Shakespeare for instance) performed.
3. If it's a translation, I'm going to go with the year of translation, unless it's a decade or more after original publication.
4. If it's a collection of writings (essays, short stories, novels), then I will read each piece in the year it's from if clearly indicated, unless the editing is significant enough in itself to go with the year the collection was published.
5. Barry Williams's Growing up Brady is going to be in both 1992 and 1999 because the later edition has significant changes. On the other hand, I will reread the British editions of Harry Potter and just note the illustrations for the American editions.
6. Within each year, I'll go alphabetically by author. "Anonymous" will be first.
How long will this project take? No idea, probably years if not decades
How many books do I own? No idea, a few hundred?
What will I do if I acquire more books before the end of this project, as is very likely? Drop them in chronologically if I haven't gotten to their years yet, otherwise not blog about them.
Format
Year, original and this edition if different
Author, and perhaps Illustrator
Title
Price of this copy, both original and what I probably paid for it used
Condition, including any interesting notes other people wrote (I don't write in books unless a typo really bothers me.)
Grade, F- to A+
Review
I may revise this, but at least this gives me a starting point.
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