King Lear: William Shakespeare

I read this play back in my senior year of high school, so I was a little disappointed to see that we were reading it again in my Shakespeare class in sophomore year of college. I understand that our teacher was trying to give us as broad a look at his works as possible, but I know that LEAR is actually one of the more commonly-read works in senior year lit classes in this area.

I wasn't interested in reading this play again because it is just so sad! It was bad enough getting all depressed in high school, but I didn't want to do it all over again. Not to say that this play is bad--which it most certainly is not--but it was just something that I was not motivated to read once more.

When I did force myself to read it, however, I did see it slightly differently. Reading it with a little more maturity beneath my belt seemed to help. I was able to pick things out that I hadn't the first time and I think I appreciated it more. The language was easier to understand as well.

So, I recommend to everyone who's reluctant to read something once again later in their lives; at least give it a chance. I'm pleasantly surprised from my experience.

Macbeth: William Shakespeare

I've been dying to read this Shakespearean work and was so excited when I saw it on the syllabus for my Shakespeare class. I knew a little bit about it--thoughm bit really more than pop culture has main-streamed--and I was looking forward to learning more.

This play really dragged me in right from the beginning with the three witches. The TRUE supernatural wasn't something that I'd read much of in the other Shakespearean works I've read (well, other than THE TEMPEST). It was fascinating and attention-grabbing. Lady Macbeth was one of the most ruthless, cold-hearted female leads and I enjoyed watching her twisted mind work. However, I could actaully see the real love that she and Macbeth had for one another. Though ambition overtakes both of them, they don't seem to lose that caring. A running theme of this play is the proving of manhood. Though Lady Macbeth consistently criticizes her husband's "lackthereof", I still don't think that she stops loving him. This whole idea is something that I think it worth keeping an eye on throughout this play.

If you have a good copy of this play which details why Shakespeare added certain aspects and mentioned certain occurences that were going on during the period in which this was written; this will really add to your enjoyment of this work. If you don't have this, I highly suggest going out and putting effort into getting it--it's worth it.

Overall, I really liked this play. It was interesting and enjoyable, though tragic. In class, we watched part of one modern Australian version with AVATAR star Sam Worthington. Not a lot of people liked his acting (they already didn't care for him in AVATAR, which I actually disagree on), but I did. I thought, for what it was, it was a good version of Macbeth.

Richard III: William Shakespeare

This is another of the plays that we read in my Shakespeare class. This one was interesting. I liked it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I understood what was going on and who all of the characters were because I've read up on my English history while at work. However, everyone else in my class had difficulty handling the repetitive names and all of the complicated relationships. I had written out a relationship map before class and, since I knew what I was talking about, my classmates had be go up to the front to draw it out and explain it to them. So--for those of you who don't know the background (which is really needed to appreciate this work--here it is.

This play takes place after the War of the Roses between the Houses of Lancaster and York (in case you don't know, this was right before King Henry VIII's time). York defeated Lancaster for the crown.

The king that was overthrown was KING HENRY VI. Only his ghost appears in this play. His wife was QUEEN MARGARET. They had a son who was slain by Richard. His name was PRINCE EDWARD (his ghost appears as well). He left behind his wife, LADY ANNE. Now, King Henry had a favorite man, named HENRY EARL OF RICHMOND (simply called RICHMOND) and this is the man who later becomes KING HENRY VII (actually the father of King Henry VIII, but that's another story). His father-in-law is LORD STANLEY, Earl of Derby. Stanley's friend is William, LORD HASTINGS, Lord Chamberlain. Richmond's followers include the EARL OF OXFORD, SIR JAMES BLUNT, and SIR WALTER HERBERT.

The Lancaster king that took over was KING EDWARD IV. His wife was QUEEN ELIZABETH (who had been previously married. He title used to be Lady Gray, and Richard sometimes calls her this as a low blow. She had two sons from her previous marriage, MARQUIS OF DORSET and LORD GRAY.Also, Elizabeth's brother is Anthony Woodeville, EARL RIVERS.) These two rulers had three children. Their eldest was a girl named ELIZABETH. The thing is, this girl doesn't talk throughout the play. They also had two sons, commonly called THE PRINCES, but their names were PRINCE EDWARD (the oldest) and Richard, the young DUKE OF YORK (Now can you see where all of the name confusion begins?)

Edward had two younger brothers. George, DUKE OF CLARENCE and Richard, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER (who later becomes KING RICHARD III). *Something I think you need to know is how to pronounces "Gloucester". If you watch any BBC show or something along those lines, then you know that this is actually pronounced "Glosster". Now you know! Please, do me a favor, and remember this when you read it! Thanks!* Clarence also has a SON and a DAUGHTER who make a minor appearance. The mother of King Edward, Clarence, and Glocester is the DUCHESS OF YORK.

Richard Glocester, the play's antagonist, has a group of cronies. Their names are DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, DUKE OF NORFOLK, SIR RICHARD RATCLIFFE, SIR WILLIAM CATESBY, SIR JAMES TYRRELL, and two MURDERERS.

Other characters include SIR THOMAS VAUGHAN, A PAGE, CARDINAL, BISHOP OR ELY, John--a PRIEST, SIR CHRISTOPHER--another Priest, SIR ROBERT BRACKENBURY--Lieutenant of the Tower of London, LORD MAYOR OF LONDON, A SCHRIVNER, HASTINGS (a PUSVUIVANT, not to be confused with LORD Hastings), SHERIFF, Aldermen and Citizens, Attendants, two Bishops, messengers, and soldiers. These, I think you'll pretty much be able to figure out on your own.

So, there you have it! All of the complicated relationships that make up this Shakespearean work. I liked the play. It was a little depressing, but that's what a tragedy should be. I believe knowing the history behind this play really made it all that much more interesting. I highly recommend brushing up on your history before reading this.

In class, we watched the movie version of this play starring Ian McKellen. A lot of my classmates didn't care for some of the directing choices, but I thought it was really well-done. I recommend watching it, though. Besides, a very young Robert Downey, Jr. is in it as Lord Rivers. :) I hope you get a chance to experience this interesting work by Shakespeare!

Much Ado About Nothing: William Shakespeare

This play by the Bard, himself, has to be one of my favorites. I read this for my Shakespeare class and LOVED it. Beatrice with her whip-like tongue and Benedick with his sarcasm and biting attitude had to be my FAVORITE pairing by this famed playwright. One does, however, have to keep the time period in mind when reading this; as it makes ALL of the difference in appreciating the personalities and situations. I laughed aloud too many times to count. Dogberry deserves particular attention in order to see all of his aspects. Shakespeare put particular thought into him and he needs to be seen as such. As usual, the language was amazing. The imagery was beautiful. And the characters were awesome. I loved this work by Shakespeare and I recommend this one as a MUST READ.

Also, we watched the version by Kenneth Branagh in class and it TOTALLY made the play come to life. The directing was fantastic and the acting was outstanding (except for Kieanu Reeves...though that's another story entirely...). There were plenty of other bigger names in there that make it interesting even for those who are not Shakespeare-savvy. I absolutely loved this film adaptation and would gladly watch it over and over again!

Beyond the Horizon: Connie Mason

"Red and white, Indian and settler, male and female, they came together in a fierce clash of wills as the wagons trains rolled ever westward, following the dream of a new life...

"As the sheltered daughter of the once prosperous Branigan family; beautiful Shannon was ill-prepared for the rigors of the Oregon Trail, but she was still less prepared for half-breed scout Swift Blade. His dark eyes seemed to pierce her very soul, stripping away layers of civilization and baring her hidden longing to his savage gaze. His bronzed arms were forbidden to her, his searing kisses just a tantalizing fantasy; but as the countless miles passed beneath the wagon wheels, taking them to the heart of Indian territory, Shannon sensed that this untamed land would give her new strength and freedom to love the one man who could fulfill her wild desire."

Anyone who has read some of my other blog posts knows that I love Connie Mason. Though this book took me a while to get through, I really ended up enjoying it. Blade was a good, tortured character who was haunted by things he could not change, no matter how hard he tried. However, sometimes, Shannon fell a little flat. I loved her attitude in some parts, but she occasionally stumbled into the role of "thick-headed female lead". That didn't deter me from the plot, however. I'm not usually one for "Western" novels, but this one was good. It flowed well and kept me interested. It was a bit long...though I ended up liking it. As usual, I will keep on reading Mason's wonderful works!

***I had a feeling that there was more to the story of Shannon's family, but wasn't sure until I read the note from Connie Mason at the end of the book. Apparently, this book was some sort of a continuation of a book written by another author--Robin Lee Hatcher--titled "Promised Sunrise". It's the story of Shannon's older brother, Tucker. I really wish I had read that book first (that there had been some sort of note on her site or something), but oh well...I'll just have to go out and get that one now. I'll let you know how it is!***

Knight Swam: Katya Lezin

"In middle school, at least the one Drew attends, smart is not cool. In fact, smart is about as uncool as you can get. SCRABBLE Club is the one refuge in his socially ostracizing day and ends up spelling out his salvation and redemption. SCRABBLE also provides a shared outlit for Lily and her autistic brother, Jeremy. Competing together in the National School SCRABBLE Championship, these two bright, out-of-the-box students learn as much about themselves as they do words like mbaqanga and ouabain."

My aunt gave me this book while I was visiting her this past week. It was written by one of her friends and she wanted me to read it before I met her so we would have something to talk about (I am trying to get my own book published and my aunt thought Katya might be able to give me some pointers. It also only seemed logical that I know what she wrote so I didn't look like I was trying to get something from her). This book is so not what I usually read, but it was actually a very good, quick read. It did not take me long at all. However, I found that I loved the characters and truly enjoyed the plot. I think it's actually something that many children of the middle school age should read. It has relevant issues and fun little twists that kept me reading.

(Sorry that I don't have a picture of the cover. I actually wasn't able to find one!)

Talk to the Snail--Ten Commandments for Understanding the French: Stephen Clarke

"DON'T GO TO FRANCE WITHOUT READING THIS BOOK!

"Have you ever walked into a half-empty Parisian restaurant, only to be told that it's 'complet'? Attempted to say 'merci beaucoup' and accidentally complimented someone's physique? Been over-looked at the boulangerie due to your adherence to the bizarre foreign custom of waiting in line?

"Well, you're not alone. Internationally best-selling author Stephen Clarke has been there too, and he is here to help. In Talk to the Snail, Clarke distills the fruits of years spent in the French trenches into a handy (and hilarious) book of comentary and advice. Read this book, and find out how to get good service from the grumpiest waitor; be exquisitely polite and brutally rude at the same time; and employ the language of l'amour and le sexe. Clarke also illuminates some of the reasons the French get under our skins: How they work only thirty-five hours a week and yet still go on strike? Why are they so convinced of their own superiority? And what's this myth about French women not getting fat?

"Packed with useful phrases, candid tips, and deft intercultural analysis, Talk to the Snail is a must-have guide to getting what you want from the French."

I picked up this book at work for something to do when it was really slow. Little did I know that I would have to put it down many times because I was laughing too loudly in a library. It was HILARIOUS!!! I loved the wit and character that this book contained. The "commandments" themselves are only a hint at the laughter to come:

1) Thou Shalt Be Wrong (if you are not French): Why every Frenchman is 'Monsieur Right'
2) Thou Shalt Not Work: Why long weekends are good for the French economy
3) Thou Shalt Eat: Just because it smells of pig's droppings doesn't mean it'll taste like them
4) Thou Shalt Be Ill: Getting the best out of the French national drug habit
5) Thou Shalt Speak French: Fun ways to mispronounce words and offend people
6) Thou Shalt Not Sing (in tune, anyway): A French artiste says: 'Pretentious, moi?'
7) Thou Shalt Not Know: Don't mention the war, nuclear power, tax or structural surveys
8) Thou Shalt Not Love Thy Neighbor: Oui, I am smoking into your dinner, et alors?
9) Thou Shalt Not Be Served: Garcon? Waiter? Bonjour? Oh, forget it
10) Thou Shalt Be Polite (and simultaneously rude): Bonjour, Madame, vous etes une idiote
11) Thou Shalt Say 'I Love You': The perils of French-style amour

I have to say that number seven is one of my favorites, but all of the ten (though there are really 11...go figure...) commandments were awesome.

I REALLY recommend this book for anyone who likes to travel, plans to go to France, or is just looking for a REALLY good laugh!

:D