Love's Labour's Lost

Shawna

Loves Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

#temptingtitles
#withlost

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Beautiful edition ❤️❤️ 2y

16 likes1 comment

Cuilin

Loves Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

#TemptingTitles #withlost 💜 Shakespeare

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Beautiful 🖤💗💜 2y

55 likes1 comment

merelybookish

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

A little ditty from Shakespeare. To-whit, to-whoo. 🦉
#keel #poetrymatters @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Shakespeare! ❤ 3y

readingjedi This is so evocative of my childhood ❤ 3y

36 likes2 comments

rachelm

Loves Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

In college, I was able to be Rosaline in a production of Love‘s Labours Lost, and our old costume designer just sent me all the old sketches from costumes I wore! 😭 miss seeing live theater. My favorite way to enjoy Shakespeare

Soubhiville Wow, what a cool gift and memory! I miss theater and live dance shows. 😔 4y

rachelm @Soubhiville miss it so much! 4y

67 likes2 comments

La_Cori

Loves Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

#QuotsyFeb21 @TK-421
Day 7 #Academic

“From women's eyes this doctrine I derive:
They sparkle still the right Promethean fire;
They are the books, the arts, the academes,
That show, contain and nourish all the world.”

51 likes

alisonrose

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

so-so

When ppl complain about insta-love in YA, I‘m like...okay but Shakespeare was the OG of insta-love, one example being this play. It‘s a silly one, but fun. Olivia at Olivia‘s Catastrophe on YT called it “dark academia, but annoying” which is accurate. Funny at times w/some good innuendo, but a paper thin plot and the dudes‘ “here‘s why it‘s ok to break our oath so we can get laid” speeches get tedious. Prob much better as a live performance 3/5 ⭐️

22 likes

alisonrose

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

Our wooing doth not end like an old play.
Jack hath not Jill. These ladies‘ courtesy
Might well have made our sport a comedy.

18 likes

alisonrose

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

None are so surely caught, when they are catched,
As wit turned fool. Folly in wisdom hatched,
Hath wisdom‘s warrant and the help of school,
And wit‘s own grace to grace a learnèd fool.

16 likes

alisonrose

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

They have been at a great feast of languages and stolen the scraps.

[I do love when Shakespeare subtweets elitists.]

17 likes

alisonrose

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

26 likes

alisonrose

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

BEROWNE: Your wit‘s too hot, it speeds too fast; ‘twill tire.

ROSALINE: Not till it leave the rider in the mire.

18 likes

anushareflects

Loves Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

so-so

I wish there was an option between Pick and So-So because I‘d have picked that for this play. This play was all over the place, with some truly unnecessary characters in it. Some of the sonnets were catchy and well-written, and the plot is amusing. A King and his 3 attendants meet and randomly fall in love with a Princess and her 3 attendants; to eventually be mocked and scorned by the latter. The women were funny and badass. Not his best work.

4 likes

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Loves Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

#WilliamShakesphere
#AugustAuthors

Photo cred to one of my besties @TheBookHippie 💗 I love that bookmark!!!

OriginalCyn620

OriginalCyn620 Great pic! 4y

73 likes1 comment

erzascarletbookgasm

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

pick

Pic of the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting arrived on a diplomatic mission, but causing the gentlemen to break their oath immediately.

A very light hearted and frivolous play with plenty of rhymes and misunderstanding of words in the language. I find that certain acts need to be reread to enjoy the wit. Overall it was okay-fun, and the ending was a surprise to me, unlike his other comedies.

#shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

63 likes1 stack add

merelybookish

Love's Labours Lost | Shakespeare William

We have reached the end! What did you think of the longest scene in Shakespeare? Was your head spinning with all the dressing up, deceiving, and witty delivery? Were you disappointed by the unusual ending? According to the marginalia in my text, the theme is "keeping one's word." Do you agree? Anyone know what honorificabilitudinitatibus means? ?
Thankful as always for this #shakespearereadalong community and all you bring to the discussion!

merelybookish @GingerAntics @Graywacke @readinginthedark @Lcsmcat @batsy @TheBookHippie @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice @jewright @Cuilin @mollyrotondo @Melismatic @Sace @Liz_M @MoonWitch94 @Sunraven @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @ladyneverwhere @erzascarletbookgasm @catebutler @CoffeeNBooks @Daisey @saresmoore @rabbitprincess @IndoorDame @Mtroiano @mhillis @kathedron @MrsMalaprop @readordierachel @teainthelibrary 4y

merelybookish @Susannah @Kristy_K @rachelm @kristenm @slategreyskies @Panic70 @Carolyn11215 @Alliterati @Wife @wanderinglynn @Jess_Read_This @greenreads 4y

mollyrotondo Keeping one‘s word? Really? I did not get that. I was reading another analysis that said how it‘s a play about growing up. The young men and women are deceiving one another playfully and falling in love like school children do, but then when word comes that the Princess‘s father died, it forced them to grow up a little more and taking life snd love seriously. I thought that was very beautiful but the play itself not so much 😂 4y

See All 54 Comments

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Oh I like that theory! It was a lot of play! And I think it somewhat fits with keeping your word. The men made a vow and then were ready to break it the next day. There is some maturity required to commit to something in word as well as deed. 4y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Maybe you'll enjoy Titus Andronicus more. Although "enjoy" might not be the right word. ? 4y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish yes I get that too. They were not committed to that study in isolation idea lol. It makes me wonder if they will be as quick to break their vow to the women and wait a year. Are they more mature by the end to keep a vow of love in waiting? Or are they just as frivolous as they were at the beginning? 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I loved the mixed up favors, courting etc....wasn‘t too happy with the play within a play and the end. But I guess it forced them to at least study for the year they were in morning. 4y

AllisonM89 So what is the next play and when do you start reading? Excited to jump in! 4y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yeah the play-within-the-play just seemed like another excuse for a bunch of jokes and puns. Although I guess it adds more to the immature playing around that @mollyrotondo mentioned, that they don't take anything seriously. 4y

merelybookish @AllisonM89 We are reading Titus Andronicus next. @Graywacke will be hosting so we will make sure he adds you to the group tag. I expect he will announce a start date soon but typically we have a few weeks break between each play. 4y

AllisonM89 @merelybookish got it! Thank you!! 4y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Yeah, that is up in the air. I'm skeptical they will keep their vows. 🙂 4y

merelybookish @AllisonM89 No problem! And welcome! Always glad to have some new people join us! 4y

batsy Like @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I wasn't thrilled with the play within the play, either. That made the last scene overlong, though I loved this on the whole. It seemed like a young man's play of egotism and exuberant wordplay but with sharp lessons to learn. And it was interesting that it ends with the women putting forth a test, as it were. I am very curious to know if any of them remembered which women they were in love with after a year 🥴 4y

Cuilin So it's not called Love's Labour's Delayed, but Lost. It reminds me of summer romances when reality intervenes. I loved Berowne's wit the most, though on the whole the play was fun, though I think my preference for the Tragedies and Histories remain. 4y

mollyrotondo @batsy haha I‘d be surprised too if they remember which woman they were in love with after a year. I thought it was interesting how quick witted the women were in this play. That was something I really loved and was surprised by. It‘s a shame that it gets lost amongst the other silliness. The play within a play was so distracting. And I felt like Armado ended up being a waste of a character too. He really doesn‘t do much at the end. 4y

mollyrotondo I would have liked it more if it only focused on the would-be scholars and the Princess and her ladies. And maybe just the intellectuals and Costard for a more banal comic addition. The rest took away from the main crux of the play. 4y

Graywacke @AllisonM89 Titus Andronicus is next. We‘ll do Act I on July 19. I‘ll post the schedule later today. 4y

Melismatic I do understand after reading why Rosaline is such a coveted role to play but I‘m still searching for a great live adaptation truly appreciate all the clever word play. 4y

batsy @mollyrotondo Yes! And considering the fewer lines they had, the women did convey their wit with an economy of words 🙂 4y

Graywacke My signet edition has a note on the names - can‘t remember if we had already been over this: “The Marshal de Biron (Berowne) and Longueville were close associates of Henry, not Ferdinand, of Navarre. The Duc de Mayenne (Dumaine?) was once his enemy but later an ally. Boyet and Marcadé are the names of historical persons.” Henry of Navarre was Henry IV of France 1589-1610. 4y

Graywacke On Honorificabilitudinitatibus 🙂: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorificabilitudinitatibus 4y

TheBookHippie @batsy 🤣🤣🤣 I‘m thinking no they didn‘t remember which women!!!! Not a fan of play within play. Interesting way to get point (?) across. 4y

TheBookHippie @Cuilin I love that analogy! Yes. That is what it is. I like the histories best I think . 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke signet editions are calling me... 4y

Graywacke I loved this play and all of Act V. Two main thoughts on Act v: (1) over the long stretch this is 3 really difficult acts to follow, then lots of silly sonnets. Finally Act V is easy to follow. The play is the easiest part, lets peeps like me relax a bit and just enjoy the silliness. So I appreciated that and it made the length palatable. 4y

TheBookHippie Thanks for leading this I learned a ton this time. I enjoyed the women the most. Wish there was more. Parts of it reminded me of the beginning of Les Miserables when the men played and then just left the women forever. 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie yes, on Signet! Reliable. I decided to stick with Signet from now on (I blame @batsy 🙂) 4y

merelybookish @Melismatic I did a search for a performance as well but couldn't find any easy/available options. Even Kanopy let me down. 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke I think that‘s the Titus I have!!! I am happy to blame @batsy 🤣🤣in future purchases. 4y

Graywacke Second thought on Act V: I think the point that this was all for naught is a perfect touch. I don‘t believe these relationships will last out the year, although it‘s possible. I think that year-wait highlights how this is all a game, all flirtatious fun. And it highlights how there is still a serious world out there to deal with 4y

merelybookish @Cuilin Yes, good point! Presumably absence is not going to make the hearts grow stronger. 4y

batsy @Graywacke I love hearing that you enjoyed the play within the play! I on the other hand adored the silly sonnets and how they all played at being critics 😄 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke LOL. Thank you. I guess I could have googled it as well. 😂 4y

batsy @TheBookHippie @Graywacke My job here is done! #SignetGang 😂 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish so, I don‘t buy the keeping one‘s word theme. 😁 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie i have that Titus too. But - phew, the opening paragraph of the introduction...and the first lines of the afterword stuff. What are we getting into? 4y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie My pleasure! Appreciate our stalwarts like you who always read and participate. 😘 Eventually we are going to have to read a history. Glad someone will be looking forward to that. 🤣 4y

Graywacke @batsy oh, I loved the sonnets. But Pompey the Big is funny on an easier level. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke a horror story. 🤢 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke and that's fair about not buying the (not) keeping one's word theme. It looks like a note by a college student. But I appreciated how tidy it was! 4y

Graywacke @Cuilin i think Berowne becomes the play‘s hero. But probably only because Rosaline is less developed (even if a more fun name to rhyme) 4y

Graywacke @batsy on the ladies‘ fewer lines - I was hoping Act V would be their chance to wax bad sonnets. Rosaline‘s would surely have been brilliant. The Bard raised up a step above that silliness. Our loss... 😕 4y

GingerAntics That sounds like a valid theme. I think another might be “being realistic.” If they had been realistic with themselves in the beginning, this would have been a much different play. Or maybe “all things in moderation.” Studying is great, but attraction is going to happen whether you like it or not. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I‘m not sure it would have been healthy to keep their words on those oaths, but I see that in the play. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @batsy Did any stay faithful to that pledge.... and yes, I liked that princess and her ladies played them a bit, set them in their places, saw through their disguises, and set them a new challenge by the end. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish wait, which part is the horror story? (I like the college love analogy. Sometimes it leads to life long relationships, and sometimes it‘s just scattered leaves.) 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke I was confused. I thought you were referring to Titus. This was not a horror story, unless you abhor punning. 🙃 4y

Cuilin @merelybookish yes a case of, out of sight, out of mind. 4y

erzascarletbookgasm I think the theme leans towards having moderation, as what @GingerAntics suggested? Total refrain from pleasures and love is not possible. And when they totally devote themselves to court the women, diplomatic businesses were forgotten. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish “unless you abhor punning” ❤️ 🤣 Titus might be one to have fun making fun of. ?? Not sure yet... 4y

CoffeeNBooks I usually like Shakespeare's play within a play, but not so much this time, it was somewhat confusing. Overall, I liked Act V. 4y

mollyrotondo @Graywacke is this the signed edition you have? Titus Andronicus and Timon of Athens (Signet Classic Shakespeare) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0451529561/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IMLaFbQ7KJK9A 4y

Graywacke @mollyrotondo yes. That‘s the edition. 4y

mollyrotondo @Graywacke thank you! I think I might order it. 4y

53 likes54 comments

Daisey

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

so-so

I finished listening to Love‘s Labour‘s Lost this morning. I liked the ending of this one, but overall it was just ok. It felt very unbalanced in the lengths of the different acts, and I was not that invested in any of the characters. I would be curious to see this play, as I‘m sure that would make for a better experience.

#ShakespeareReadalong #ArkAngelShakespeare

Katies_always_booked I want to like Shakespeare so much but I always have such a hard time getting into it too. I‘ve got Twelfth Night coming up from my library holds soon. 4y

Daisey @Katies_always_booked I have a really hard time reading and appreciating it on my own, yet I feel I should read more. It‘s why I‘ve joined the #ShakespeareReadalong to read and discuss with others. It‘s just an act a week so it‘s pretty reasonable to fit in with other reads. 4y

51 likes2 comments

merelybookish

Love's Labours Lost | Shakespeare William

Theme: keeping one's word.
Always helpful to get some dutiful student's notes in a secondhand text. Especially ones that sum the play up so neatly! 😀 Bit of an oddball, but I enjoyed this comedy. Looking forward to discussing the final act tomorrow with #shakespearereadalong.

Lcsmcat I love notes in secondhand books! 4y

batsy That's a good one! I probably should have seen it coming because of the title, but I also thought it noteworthy how this seems to be the only of his comedies to end this way. (I think) 4y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Me too! The notes in this text have mostly confused me (bits of a lecture without context) but I feel like she ended strong! 😁 4y

merelybookish @batsy The ending is supposedly unique..and kind of fun because the women got the say! 4y

62 likes4 comments

Graywacke

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

pick

Love‘s warriors armed with sonnets.

I had trouble with the language in the early parts, but then it gets more fun and relaxed as the lovers make a mockery of love poetry and continue their ruthless back and forth cleverness. The heavy satire on intellectuals and the play within a play help lighten it up. And, it‘s all for not. A game striving effort, and pointless conclusion. I was won over. Great fun.
#shakespearereadalong

merelybookish, GingerAntics

Graywacke (That‘s David Tennant in 2008) 4y

GingerAntics @Graywacke 🤣😂🤣 I‘ve seen photos and even some video of him from this. He has a great personality for the goofiness of this play. A long, lanky, 6 foot man in white heels certainly doesn‘t hurt either. 🤣😂🤣 (edited) 4y

rabbitprincess Awww great pic of Ten 😍 4y

batsy "Love's warriors armed with sonnets"... Nice! Makes me think about how Armado wants to "turn sonnet"; to become the very embodiment of language. 4y

Graywacke @batsy that was exactly the line i had in mind when i wrote this? 🙂 4y

51 likes5 comments

Melismatic

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

so-so

I finished this early and I‘m still a little confused. Lots of clever barbs and clapbacks and meta jokes...but it would definitely help to see a live version as it‘s hard to picture all of these side convos from the text alone. Currently scouting YouTube for a solid interpretation...

#shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

merelybookish Ha! Is that a picture from a production? ? The "princess" looks a bit like Britney Spears. You aren't alone in feeling underwhelmed by LLL! But glad you joined us and hope you stick around for Titus Andronicus! 4y

Melismatic @merelybookish yes! Apparently it was a Central Park production from a few years ago? Looking for vid versions - it‘s not so much underwhelmed as overwhelmed and feeling like I missed the joke. If you see a good version online let me know! Looking forward to the next play always 🤗 (edited) 4y

27 likes2 comments

batsy

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

pick

From Northrop Frye's essay in this edition: "We spend our lives partly in a waking world we call normal & partly in a dream world which we create out of our own desires [...] For Shakespeare, the subject matter of poetry is not life, or nature, or reality, or revelation, or anything else that the philosopher builds on, but poetry itself, a verbal universe." I loved being in this verbal universe with its wild language ? #shakespearereadalong

batsy @merelybookish 4y

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Too bad we have to keep waiting for the sequel! 4y

Tanisha_A A verbal universe as a phrase sounds so good 🙂 4y

See All 19 Comments

vivastory Great review. Will definitely add to my list of Shakespeare plays to read this year. 4y

readordierachel If I ever start a band, I'm stealing Wild Language 😃 4y

Lcsmcat I agree! The language was everything in this play. 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Lovely 💫 I haven‘t finished yet. Need to catch up last week‘s act! 😬 4y

Cathythoughts Great review ✨✨✨✨✨ 4y

batsy @TobeyTheScavengerMonk Right? What are the chances of a lost play still undiscovered... 4y

batsy @Tanisha_A I love that phrase too! 4y

batsy @vivastory Thanks! It's the closest to poetry in certain parts but there's also nonsense rhymes and songs and whatnot and he's just really having a blast with words. 4y

batsy @readordierachel 😁 4y

batsy @Lcsmcat Yes! I felt Frye captured the essence of this play so well although he was writing about the comedies in general. 4y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you! Enjoy your read; the last two acts are pretty long and jam-packed in comparison to the early ones :) 4y

batsy @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! 4y

Cathythoughts I just went to the post office with something for your birthday, but no post to Malaysia at the moment because of covid & there are no boats. The lady said try again in a few days ... so I will .... anyway , I‘ll get in to you eventually ❤️👍🏻 4y

batsy @Cathythoughts You're too kind to think of me, Cathy ❤️😘 Thank you. I hope it's not too much trouble for you :( I too just recently learned that we're unable to send mail from Malaysia to the Netherlands (there's a specific list of countries allowed) so here's hoping the international post gets back to normal soon 🤞🏽 4y

Cathythoughts It‘s only something small & it‘s no trouble at all .... X 4y

Graywacke Straggling in late. Fun play and interesting essay (although I was frustrated he had all this stuff laid out, then says, roughly, doesn‘t apply to LLL. 😐 ☺️) 4y

100 likes19 comments

GingerAntics

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

so-so

As with so many of the other comedies, this one seems to just end abruptly. The sudden departure of the women is almost too convenient. Not a huge fan of this play. It felt like there was a lot of going around and around in circles. I didn‘t hate it, I just didn‘t like it.
#Shakespeare #LovesLaboursLost #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

merelybookish I haven't finished yet so will respond later! 🙂 5y

12 likes1 comment

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

so-so

A so-so for me on this one, it started out so much silly mixed up reluctant lovers fun, but I felt like he had a very hard time sticking the landing with this one.

41 likes

batsy

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

As far of declarations of war go, this one is pretty cute. I like how it's all, "Warning: love doth approach disguised!!!" ? #ShakespeareReadAlong @merelybookish

Rosie5 I was recently reading Bill Baileys Shakespeare, and there maybe another play he wrote called love labours won 5y

batsy @Rosie5 Ooh, intriguing! 5y

merelybookish @Rosie5 @batsy I think that's what Much Ado About Nothing is sometimes called. 4y

See All 6 Comments

batsy @merelybookish @Rosie5 Thanks for that! I just looked it up and it's one of the theories that it's the alternative titles for MAAN or possibly a (missing) play and it's all very intriguing now 🧐 4y

Rosie5 @merelybookish @batsy they recently found a book shop stock sheet with both love labours won and MAAN in the same stock suggesting there separate texts. 4y

batsy @Rosie5 Oooh that's really cool! 4y

72 likes6 comments

merelybookish

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

Act IV, all of our chaste scholars led by Cupid. 😀 Letters are read. Sonnets are composed. Everyone is in love and they all seem pretty silly and stuck. No wonder Act V is so long!
What do you think #shakespearereadalong? Did you enjoy a longer act? Who is the biggest fool? Who is the best wit? And are there bigger themes at work in this play beyond the antics of love?

merelybookish @batsy @GingerAntics @Graywacke @jewright @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @mhillis @Melismatic @mollyrotondo @MoonWitch94 @Cuilin @CoffeeNBooks @readordierachel @Liz_M @saresmoore 5y

Cuilin This act confirmed to me that a visual helps when there are many characters. I‘m planning on watch a version today for this reason. It was very witty and clever and fun. But hard to keep track of who‘s saying what. I‘ve an old version too with abbreviated names. 5y

merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm @IndoorDame @Sunraven @teainthelibrary @kathedron @Jess_Read_This @readinginthedark @wanderinglynn @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @rabbitprincess @Mtroiano @greenreads @Linsy @rachelm @Kristy_K @ladyneverwhere @kristenm 5y

See All 41 Comments

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Sace @Daisey 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘m liking the mixed up, fun, silliness of this one, so light-hearted after the tragedies! Honestly this would be a fun Shakespeare read for high school kids to start out with instead of Romeo & Juliet. 5y

mollyrotondo @Cuilin yes I agree. It is hard to picture it so I very much want to watch this one. I didn‘t even really realize until after reading a summary that Berowne, Dumaine, and the King keep hiding every time another person enters the scene. I did not pick up on that while reading. 5y

batsy @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Same! I'm enjoying it a lot. 5y

batsy I enjoyed that there was textual critique of the sonnets! That was a cute touch. Also how Shakespeare enjoys mocking the schoolmaster with the lines he spouts. I also like Berowne's long monologue in Scene 3...it's silly in that it's trying to justify its own logic for love over study, but maybe there's also a point there about life experience being necessary for study to be worthwhile. Otherwise we'd all end up like schoolmaster Holofernes 😅 5y

batsy I also think the Princess is very witty but we don't get nearly enough of her! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @batsy The next act... I read ahead a little 😉 5y

batsy @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Ah! Nice 😁 5y

Graywacke It was fun...but I‘m going to read it again and come back here. @batsy yes on the Princess. After all that, we need hear from the other side. 5y

Melismatic Whoooo this was a doozy of an act. I‘m also having trouble remembering who‘s who - I think it will help to see a live version. Any suggestions of versions to watch on demand? 5y

MoonWitch94 I do this Act, but it is rather busy. I agree with @Cuilin that I‘d like to watch a version this week to help make some visual sense. 5y

GingerAntics It all seems pretty silly and (dare I say) pointless to me. Maybe it would make more sense if seen. I‘ll have to look up a production and see if things fall into place. It seems like this act was obvious from act I, they made all these paths and now they‘re having to justify falling in love. 5y

Graywacke Ok, i read it again and...i got more of the subtlety and... my impression and enjoyment hasn‘t changed at all. Lots if subtle stuff, but the most fun is on them surface, I think. Just goofballs having fun with love poetry in a variety of forms and perspectives. With Holofernes adding a stodgy silly intellectual into the commentary. 5y

Graywacke @GingerAntics definitely obvious. Plot is not the attraction, just contrived silly prom-like love stories. For me the draw is the various flawed attempts at poetic expression. 5y

Graywacke @batsy “textual critique” - if reading is game we play trying to work through all the characters and author-character associations- then maybe this whole play is a textual critique - in the sense if this-type-of-silly-person-will-make-poetic-what-out-of-this. Even Costard gets into it, “Walk aside the true folk, and let the traitors stay.” 5y

Graywacke @merelybookish do you have thoughts on the bigger themes? 5y

batsy @Graywacke I like your take! Kind of metatextual in a way. Can I use this as an excuse to peddle my pet theory that Shakespeare was a modernist before modernism was even invented... 😉 5y

Graywacke @batsy I admit I don‘t entirely know what that means ☺️, but yes, you definitely can! 5y

Gezemice Can you add me to the list? I did not get the notification. Thanks! 5y

GingerAntics @Graywacke that is pretty good, in that the poetry is REALLY bad. 5y

batsy @Graywacke 😁 5y

Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @batsy @Graywacke I enjoyed it a lot, including the critiques, and the whole meta-ness of it. Very modern in that respect. Also it is a showcase of the mastery of different forms of writing by the Bard. I agree, we need more princess! My favorite was the ridiculous letter by Armado. I was also wondering how the four-way hiding scene is staged. Must have several props to hide behind! 5y

Gezemice @batsy Definitely a modernist! Experimenting with forms and meta themes, and language. 5y

batsy @Gezemice It's quite sophisticated, with the fizzy surface of silliness! I'm having lots of fun. Armado's letter was 👌🏽😂 5y

merelybookish @Cuilin Did you find one to watch and would you recommend it? 4y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa That's a great point! It celebrates passion without all the tragedy. Maybe they worry it will encourage kids to ignore their studies. 😏 4y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo I imagine that scene is hilarious when performed! 4y

merelybookish @batsy I enjoyed the poems as well, and all the critique of them. So judgey! 😂 I enjoyed Berowne's speech too, although wasn't sure that women exist to be a source of knowledge for me. 🙃 But maybe I was misreading that. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke Not yet but I have big hopes for Act V! 😀 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @merelybookish I was thinking they‘d understand that theme 😂, but after reading the last act I‘ve changed my mind a bit, see you Sunday😉 4y

merelybookish @Gezemice I'm sorry I didn't tag you. Confession time: I was out of town and made the post on the fly. Ended up missing some folks. Also why it's taken me a few days to catch up. 4y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish I watched the “musical” movie with Kenneth Branagh and Nathan Lane and Matthew Lillard and Alicia Silverstone. They have it on Hoopla. I‘m not sure if it‘s streaming anywhere else. It helped me a ton! And it was clever. I enjoyed watching it very much. 4y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Hmmm. I'm intrigued! 🤔 4y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Good to know! I am partial to Branagh so expect I'd enjoy it too. 🙂 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @mollyrotondo That sounds perfect! 4y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I knew it was going to be good because Branagh was it lol he‘s the Shakespeare movie guy lol. And I had no clue the rest of the stars were in it until I started watching. I want to watch a stage production too. There might be one for free on Amazon Prime. But I know I wasn‘t having a lot of luck finding many stage productions to watch for free. 4y

batsy @merelybookish No, that's true! It's a pageant of male narcissism and Berowne is its poet-laureate 😆 I enjoyed how the women, Rosaline especially, are also witty but very prickly. They give the men no room for their self-regard and love for the idea of love to flourish; the women shoot it down. I think Rosaline is my hero? 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish “although wasn't sure that women exist to be a source of knowledge for me. ” - 🙂 thanks for this perfect commentary. (Also @batsy ) 4y

39 likes1 stack add41 comments

merelybookish

Love's Labours Lost | Shakespeare William

A very short Act III! (Be forewarned #shakespearereadalong friends, the next acts are much longer.) Armado opens the scene by asking Moth to "make passionate my sense of hearing" and the silliness goes from there. Costard has 2 letters to deliver. (I predict a mix-up!) And cynical Berowne confesses his love for a woman "with two pitch balls stuck in her face for eyes." Be still my ❤️? Any one have a fave joke or line to share?

merelybookish @GingerAntics @Graywacke @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Cuilin @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Melismatic @mollyrotondo @Daisey @saresmoore @readordierachel @mhillis @Liz_M @erzascarletbookgasm @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @wanderinglynn @Susannah @Wife @IndoorDame @Sunraven @teainthelibrary @rabbitprincess @kathedron @greenreads @Mtroiano @Gezemice @Linsy @Alliterati 5y

merelybookish @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This @Carolyn11215 @Sace @MoonWitch94 @rachelm @ladyneverwhere @Kristy_K @kristenm @MrsMalaprop @Panic70 5y

merelybookish Worth nothing Costard saying "My sweet ounce of man's flesh, my incony Jew" which is similar to famous line from Merchant of Venice. MOV was written after LLL. Some speculation line was added in later to LLL. 5y

See All 30 Comments

Lcsmcat I googled “concolinel” because I‘m reading an edition without bores, and found this: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3070386/amp... 5y

Lcsmcat It seems it was a well known (at the time) naughty song about the worthlessness of a certain character‘s “manhood.” (To keep it PG for Litsy.) 5y

mollyrotondo @Lcsmcat this song definitely fits Moth‘s mocking intentions. I wondered what exactly this song was. My version gives the stage direction [singing] after Moth speaks this line so I knew it was a song but wish there was more of it. I guess it was too dirty to write down lol 5y

mollyrotondo I loved the part about the “salve”. Moth purposely makes Armado speak the “salve” example which mentions a goose. Moth is making fun of Armado calling him the goose. I mean Moth and Costard were being so bad in this Act lol. And Armado is an idiot haha 5y

mollyrotondo And then on the flip side you have Berowne more maturely professing his love but at the same time says the girl he has fallen in love with is ugly. Did anyone else read it that way? He says something about why he should have chosen the one with all these unflattering features. It was odd lol 5y

Cuilin It was rather short. My copy is so old I thought it may have been wrong. But I‘m definitely enjoying the humor especially between Berowne and Rosaline. 5y

batsy @merelybookish I was drawn to that line, as well. Also the possibility that maybe he was inspired to add it to MOV since that play came later? 5y

merelybookish @Cuilin The first few acts are very short and then the last act is longer than the first three combined! It's strange. Makes me wonder if he hadn't quite mastered pacing yet. 5y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Oh, I hadn't thought of it that way! I will have to reread it! I read it as he is so inept at love that he doesn't even know how to speak romantically. Or even when he tries he still ends up poking fun at it somehow. Isn't there a sonnet mostly made up of insults but it still ends up professing love at the end? This speech reminded me of that too. 5y

merelybookish @batsy It is hard to ignore the use of Jew, in any context. I have to assume it's an insult. I wonder if it will make more sense when we read MOV. 5y

Cuilin I also looked up Joan apparently this was used like today people use Karen! 5y

mollyrotondo @Cuilin I was confused about that too. Okay I see now. That makes sense 5y

batsy @merelybookish True; I can only read it that way. 5y

batsy @Cuilin Ha! That's amusing ? @mollyrotondo I read it as Berowne sighing over the fact that he picked a "difficult" lady to love (instead of a a docile or meek one, presumably) as opposed to unattractive. It was a passage that made me ponder a bit, too! 5y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Ha! Thanks for the link. I assumed it was lewd but fun to know the details. 🤣 5y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish Yes, it‘s Sonnet 130 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45108/sonnet-130-my-mistress-eyes-are-not... 5y

Graywacke Enjoying the comments and links here. I‘m actually finding it difficult! It‘s funny, but I have to figure out what‘s going on while trying to maintain the perspective of the humor - I‘m having an analytical-brain/stay-light-hearted-and-amused-brain mental clash. (edited) 5y

Graywacke I guess i‘m lost with Costard when he says, “O sweet gardon! Better than remuneration” 5y

mollyrotondo @Graywacke I know! I‘m in the same boat. I am reading each act twice because the humor doesn‘t get absorbed the first time I read it haha. I like it after the second time but am completely lost the first time through. 5y

GingerAntics @Graywacke @mollyrotondo me too!!! I feel really slow. I‘m glad it‘s not just me. I find myself rereading a lot and even going to the back of my copy for the summary. (edited) 5y

mollyrotondo @GingerAntics @Graywacke I keep looking up explanations of things too lol I feel like I understand the joke and wordplay of remuneration and gardon but I don‘t know how to explain it 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5y

GingerAntics @mollyrotondo I‘ve been all over the footnotes and the scene by scene analysis so much with this one. I don‘t usually need them to understand what‘s going on, but I certainly do with this one. It‘s mildly exhausting. 5y

merelybookish @Graywacke @mollyrotondo I think Cosard thinks renumeration = a certain amount of $, and same for gardon. So a gardon is worth more than a renumeration. Or that's how I understood it. 5y

merelybookish @Cuilin Joan, the original Karen. 😂 I was wondering the other day if the name Karen will ever recover or if it will stay an insult. 5y

MoonWitch94 I‘m behind!!! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Catching up this week!!! 5y

TheBookHippie “No master ; The hobbyhorse is but a colt and your love perhaps the hackney .. but have you forgot your love” The whole hobby horse had me lol!!! Then with research it‘s a loose woman!! I‘m like the rest of you reading rereading researching words ! It is fun though. Much laughter . (edited) 5y

Melismatic Just finished - yes, it requires a could re-reads. I‘m looking forward to watching a live adaptation for more context, I think. 5y

50 likes30 comments

GingerAntics

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

#Shakespeare #LovesLaboursLost #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

11 likes

merelybookish

Love's Labours Lost | Shakespeare William

And so goes Cupid, marching into battle. It's Act II of LLL and colour me NOT shocked that romance may be afoot. 🤣The princess and her entourage arrive but are not allowed into the court. The women discuss the men. The King and his crew come out to meet them. Everyone gets a private exchange. And Boyet says what we all know: Navarre and his celibate scholars are infected/affected by love!
Thoughts? Predictions? Fave lines?
#shakespearereadalong

merelybookish @GingerAntics @Graywacke @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @readinginthedark @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @Melismatic @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @erzascarletbookgasm @Sace @Cuilin @mollyrotondo @Sace @wanderinglynn @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @rachelm @mhillis @Wife @Daisey @rabbitprincess @Susannah @readordierachel @saresmoore @Liz_M 5y

merelybookish @kathedron @MoonWitch94 @IndoorDame @Gezemice @ladyneverwhere @greenreads @Kristy_K @kristenm @Alliterati @Linsy @Sunraven @catebutler @Mtroiano @MrsMalaprop @teainthelibrary @Panic70 @Carolyn11215 @Jess_Read_This 5y

merelybookish The little Cupid is by illustrator Michael Goodman for an 1846 edition of LLL. There are lots of fun illustrations for all of Shakespeare's plays at the Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive. 5y

See All 35 Comments

Graywacke Fun stuff with everyone acting so clever (with lots of rhyming) and the princess wanting everyone serious. The last lines on Cupid‘s grandfather were fun. I think that makes Boyet a Zeus/Jupiter (unless we follow Hesiod). 5y

Lcsmcat I love how they all seemed to have met at so and so‘s wedding. 😂 5y

mollyrotondo @Lcsmcat yes I loved that too! What a cliche! I like Boyet because he‘s the witness to the flirting going on and is playing the instigator so that the Princess can use this flirting to her advantage. And when the King tries to act all noble and say that he swore an oath but meanwhile is batting his eyes at the Princess. Uhh Berowne was so right that these guys cannot keep this allegiance to such an oath! 5y

GingerAntics It‘s taken me two acts to figure out why I‘m so confused when I have a video of this play on my computer I love ...I don‘t actually have a video of this play on my computer. I‘ve never seen it. Whoops. 🤣 Not to get everything straight in my head. I liked the line “Then was Venus like her mother, for her Father is but grim.” I‘m not entirely sure why. It just sort of jumped out at me. 5y

batsy I found this act incredibly fun, too. It was good to read witty women and the Princess having some fun with teasing her ladies ("God bless my ladies, are they all in love... ") Also Katharine saying her lips belong "to my fortunes and me" was a nice touch. When Shakespeare writes witty, feisty women it's always a treat... And I guess the Princess is looking forward to "a civil war of wits" with Ferdinand ?? 5y

GingerAntics I think the future is obvious for the characters that swore off love. Of course, what they do with that is going to be the interesting part. 5y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Yes! (I met my husband at a wedding. 😂) 5y

Lcsmcat @mollyrotondo @merelybookish Well, it‘s a cliché because there‘s truth in it, isn‘t there? ? 5y

merelybookish @GingerAntics That's funny! What play do you have? 5y

merelybookish @batsy I agree. These women are no fools! And can easily match wits! 5y

merelybookish @GingerAntics Yes. I am curious about where things will go with Armado and the others and how that will play into the love story. 5y

GingerAntics @merelybookish Much Ado About Nothing...they were billing it as “Love‘s Labour‘s Won” (which some people think Much Ado is a different title for that lost play) and I got all turned around. So I have a lovely video of that play when we get to it. They‘ve turned it into a musical sort of and I‘ve even got the soundtrack. Love that play. 🤣😂🤣 5y

merelybookish @GingerAntics I do see resemblance between those 2 plays. Berowne reminds me a lot of the main guy in Much Ado. And there is a similar girls vs boys battle of wits going on. 5y

GingerAntics @merelybookish absolutely. There are definitely parallels. I think there is a valid argument that Love‘s Labour‘s Won isn‘t lost, just renamed. Berowne and Benedic are very similar. Of course, we don‘t know for sure, which makes some scholars say no. Either way, it‘s always interesting to view them together. 5y

Sace I guess I will show myself the dummy with my lone comment but this act sounded very Seussian. I see where he got his inspiration now. 😂 5y

Gezemice I loved the word play, too. I liked when the Princessis told she was supposed to stay outside and was not having it. I wish Shakespeare made her win that argument. Otherwise they are killing each other with flirting. Loved when the boys all return one by one asking for the girls‘ names. So high school. Btw I thought this one was so short that I looked further. Act III is even shorter... but 4 and 5 are really long. Who broke it up this way?... 5y

Graywacke @Sace 🤣 5y

Graywacke A favorite line:
“Why, all his behaviors did make their retire
To the court of his eye, peeping through desire.“
I thought Boyet and his lines offered a kind of unexpected element, an unexpected memorable character. (edited) 5y

merelybookish @Sace Ha! Boyet's rhymes sounded a bit to me like Twas the Night Before Christmas. 5y

Sace @merelybookish 😂 that too. 5y

mhillis I was surprised that the Princess appeared already. This act was entertaining! 5y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics is there a list of all the plays you‘ve already read for #shakespearereadalong ? 5y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Yes, I think @GingerAntics does. Off the top of my head we've done Hamlet, MacBeth, Othello, King Lear, Cymbeline, A Winter's Take, Troilus & Cressida, Much Ado about Nothing, Tempest, Twelfth Night Comedy of Errors, Merry Wives of Windsor, Midsummer Night's Dream, JC, A&C, and some histories... What have I missed? @Graywacke 5y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish wow you have done a lot! Lol I want to read Cymbeline so since I see you‘ve already done that one I‘ll read that on my own and search for your discussion! Lol thank you! 5y

GingerAntics @mollyrotondo I didn‘t come into the group until Cymbeline, so anything before that I don‘t have. As You Like it, taming of the shrew, Richard II, Henry IV (both parts)...I think @merelybookish for the rest of the list I have that we‘ve done. Much Ado and Hamlet must have been before I came along. I think someone told me at some point that Cymbeline was one of the first few plays the group did, so it may have been just those two I missed. 5y

mollyrotondo @GingerAntics thank you! I will make sure I check these off my list since the group has done them already. 5y

GingerAntics @mollyrotondo we‘ve talked about finishing the complete works and Shakespeare and then starting over, so there is still a chance to read them with the group. We‘re about half way through with everything, including the sonnets and narrative poems, so there is certainly time to read them on your own and then read them with the group again. 5y

GingerAntics @mollyrotondo @merelybookish @Graywacke I was just looking at the list, and we have more histories left to read than anything else (7 histories, 4 tragedies, 5 comedies) and we seem to have the hardest time with those. We may have to break up the sonnets and narrative poems with some of the histories. 5y

mollyrotondo @GingerAntics oh a reread would be amazing! I have another Litsy friend @AllisonM89 who might be interested. So knowing the group will read through his plays again makes me feel better about bringing her in this late in the game lol 5y

Jess_Read_This Thanks for keeping me on the tag. I‘m so hopelessly behind this time too. I promise to be ready for the next group read. 5y

AllisonM89 @mollyrotondo Definitely interested in jumping into this group! I'll start with the next play! 5y

mollyrotondo @AllisonM89 yayy! It‘s a great group! 5y

53 likes35 comments

Melismatic

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

On to the next — Act 1 is done! I‘ve never read this one but it‘s giving me “Midsummer Nights Dream” vibes.

#shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

19 likes

merelybookish

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

Halloo #shakespearereadalong friends! Time to jump into Act I of LLL. Look at that poor shackled Cupid! 🚫💘 No time for him! Oaths have been made to study, to fast, to not sleep! Women, stay away! The men must not be distracted. 🤪 (Except for the Princess of France. Oops!) New story with some familiar characters: the wit (Berowne), buffoon (Armado), clever servant (Moth). Armado's letter made me laugh. Overall, an enjoyable act! What say you?

merelybookish @GingerAntics @Graywacke @readinginthedark @batsy @TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat @jewright @MoonWitch94 @erzascarletbookgasm @Melismatic @Daisey @Sace @Cuilin @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @readordierachel @saresmoore @mollyrotondo @kathedron @Wife @Susannah @Gezemice @wanderinglynn @rabbitprincess @ladyneverwhere @Liz_M @IndoorDame @rachelm @greenreads @mhillis @Kristy_K @kristenm @Alliterati @Linsy 5y

merelybookish @CoffeeNBooks @Sunraven @catebutler @Mtroiano @MrsMalaprop @teainthelibrary @Panic70 @Carolyn11215 @Jess_Read_This 5y

mollyrotondo I ended up reading this act twice. I‘m so used to Shakespeare‘s tragedies that it was hard for me to relax into the humor lol. But I really love Berowne‘s questioning of the rules and the play on words. And how academia is only to be pursued because it will bring them fame. But once again women are wenches. I hope the women get more of the stage as we continue. 5y

See All 43 Comments

Cuilin I‘m very much enjoying Berowne‘s witty banter! 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I thought it was a promising start, and you can just see the troubles coming on the horizon.... with the Princess‘s arrival. 😂 (edited) 5y

merelybookish Fave passage: "These godfather's of heaven's lights/That give a name to every fixed star/ Have no more profit of their shining nights/ Than those that walk and wot not what they are/ Too much to know is to know nought but fame,/And every grandfather can give a name." I.i.87-92 5y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Quite a difference from our last two plays! And so much depends on word play in the comedies, it does take a different kind of attention. Hopefully we get a female character who can match wits with Berowne. Their arguments against having women around reminded me of school dress codes today. Burden on the women not to distract the boys! 5y

merelybookish @Cuilin Me too! I appreciated his skepticism! 5y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Indeed! Those pesky women are going to show up and ruin everything! 😄 5y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish yes! I realize now that I have to adjust my mind while reading the comedies. I haven‘t read one in so long! Haha yes the dress codes were always so much more difficult to follow for girls than boys and we‘d get in trouble more often than the boys for our uniform presentation. But it‘s okay to break that rule when a Princess arrives lol 5y

CoffeeNBooks I thought Act I was amusing, and I love the word play! Looking forward to Act II. 5y

rachelm I love this opener. There just so much set up for irony— the steadfast vows for academia, the brotherhood of scholars, the way they interact. I love Berowne! 5y

Lcsmcat I love all the word play and Biron (the spelling in my Edition) is a favorite. I went into this thinking I‘d never read it, but immediately became clear that I have _seen_ it somewhere. I can picture the sets, and hear the actors in my head but can‘t for the life of me remember when or where. Must be getting old. 😀 5y

merelybookish @CoffeeNBooks Yes, me too! 5y

GingerAntics Man, those oaths were intense. I have to say I rolled my eyes at them a bit. 5y

merelybookish @rachelm Yes, I won't be surprised if the brother/scholars fall for the same woman and turn on each other! 5y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Oh I'm curious now about the Biron/Barowne spellings! I wonder if the latter is meant to be more phonetic? I also wondered how Jacqunetta is pronounced. (Because of the whole debate about how to say Jacques in As You Like It.) Funny about the forgotten production! It may come to you in the night. 😀 5y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish I tried to find out which folio my edition was taken from but it doesn‘t say. 5y

Graywacke @mollyrotondo me too, had to read it twice to get some sense of the wordplay. @merelybookish a promising start. Lots of clever rascals. And I loved that line you highlighted. 5y

Sace My edition has Biron as well, which I quite prefer as this takes place in Spain 😊 I am listening to the audio as I read along and the actor playing Don Armando lisps for any silibant which I guess was supposed to be funny but I'm more like 🙄 Costard cracked me up. 5y

Graywacke @Sace “as this takes place in Spain” - i was wondering why the the Lords have non-Spanish names. 5y

Melismatic I‘m using an online open source version (opensourceshakespeare.org) and they use Biron as well! He was a clear favorite for sure. Typically, I listen along to the audio as I read but the audiobook had a longer hold so I read alone - but Jacquenetta‘s brief lines came across funny/sarcastic to me. Looking forward to the ladies‘ Grand entrance to the plot. 5y

Melismatic @Sace yes!!! The letter reading bit and Costard being like “he‘s talking about me, right?” made me cackle out loud. 5y

Gezemice @merelybookish @Lcsmcat I have a pdf of the Arden edition and it has Biron. I did not like the annotations so I looked up our huge Riverside Shakespeare - it has Barowne. I was a bit confused! Much better annotations (like, actually explains meaning), but it is huge! 5y

Gezemice @Graywacke I had to read it twice, too. The word play is fantastic. I decided to look up a translation online and they totally cut out any word play. Since that is the best part of this play, they should have at least made an effort. 5y

Lcsmcat @Gezemice We have the Riverside too, but you‘re right. I‘d have to read it at a table. I‘d never be able to hold it and read. 5y

Sace @Graywacke Dumain and Longaville strike me as rather French and I guess I didn't question names since Navarre is on the border with France. In my head Biron is "Bee-Roan" (emphasis on last syllable). 5y

Sace And interesting, the synopsis in The Friendly Shakespeare spells it Berowne.

Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard

mhillis I enjoyed it! My edition doesn‘t have annotations though so I think I‘d better find one that does! 5y

Graywacke @Sace I see them as French-ish. That helps. 5y

mollyrotondo @mhillis mine doesn‘t have annotations either but I want very badly now lol 5y

mhillis @mollyrotondo I know right?! I think it will really help to understand it in more detail! 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Berowne stands out. And Costard‘s ‘Me?‘ ‘Me?‘ ‘Still me?‘ ‘O, me!‘ made me laugh. Really enjoyed the first Act. Certainly not ‘Dull‘! 5y

erzascarletbookgasm @mollyrotondo @mhillis I agree. I‘m reading from Shakespeare.folger.edu which has no annotations either. 5y

TheBookHippie Berowne Barowne in my books . My favorite line “ Well sir I hope when I do it I shall do it on a full stomach.” Loving the banter. (edited) 5y

Liz_M @mollyrotondo I always read twice. 🙂 The first time fast, ignoring the notes to get the gist, and the second time through slowly with the footnotes. 5y

Liz_M I, like most everyone, am enjoying Berowne (Pelican Shakespeare spelling). I think he is the "wise fool", the one able to see reality and make fun of the ruler. I think his banter in I.i.55-66 is him basically saying he is going to study women, food, and sleeping. But a few lines later I'm thinking "truly you have a dizzying intellect". 5y

batsy I'm sorry to be late to the party, but I finally finished Act 1 ? This has been some week. I really enjoyed the tone and satire in this, too. Very refreshing. Loved the passage you picked out @merelybookish and also relishing the silly jokes. Like Armado saying, "Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows melancholy?" and Moth replying, "A great sign, sir, that he will look sad". 5y

merelybookish @batsy Moth has some great lines! And such a good name too! 5y

merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm The whole letter was hilarious! And I love that we have a character named Dull! 😂 5y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie Double name! With all the banter, you know it would be great live! 5y

merelybookish @Liz_M That is how I tend to read too. I don't get bogged down my annotations till I get the gist! Berowne is definitely the star of Act I! 5y

merelybookish @Liz_M @TheBookHippie @erzascarletbookgasm @batsy Thank you for all your comments and for posting such good lines. (I think that says so much about the play!) I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner! 5y

45 likes43 comments

GingerAntics

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

Started this one a bit late, but at least I made it before the discussion.
#Shakespeare #LovesLaboursLost #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

Sace I actually read the section for this discussion! I feel so accomplished. 5y

GingerAntics @Sace 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y

13 likes2 comments

Graywacke

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

“Assist me some extemporal god of rhyme, for I am sure I shall turn sonnet.”

🙂

Started Act 1 for #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

merelybookish Just finished! Feels good to be doing a comedy. 5y

46 likes1 comment

Daisey

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

I started my morning with Act I of Love‘s Labour‘s Lost. I‘m very much looking forward to reading a lighter play with everyone.

#ShakespeareReadalong #ArkAngelShakespeare

merelybookish Yes. I don't always like the comedies.but really appreciated the light tone! 5y

61 likes1 comment

batsy

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

Happy bookmail day! The Signet edition of LLL arrived right in the knick of time for the #ShakespeareReadAlong 😅 @merelybookish I'm hoping the copy of Titus Andronicus is also on its way...

Also ordered Bunny from Kinokuniya for #bunnyread I'm about two months early and very excited, lol @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen

Cinfhen #GreatMindsThinkAlike 🐰💕 5y

Graywacke Woot! 5y

Sace *whisper* Have I missed the Merchant of Venice readalong? 5y

See All 23 Comments

erzascarletbookgasm Yay! I‘m still waiting for my orders from 22 Apr! 5y

readordierachel I can't wait to hear what you think of Bunny! 5y

Cuilin @batsy Is there a schedule for #ShakespeareReadAlong, I have some plays but may need to order others? 5y

batsy @Cinfhen 🐰🐰😁 5y

batsy @Graywacke 🎉🎉 5y

batsy @Sace Nope! 😁 It's coming up after LLL. I'll tag you and @cuilin both on the schedule posts once I find it. 5y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Nooooooo 😢 Sending good postal energy vibes that it pops up next week (it's definitely Raya holidays that have delayed the post) 5y

batsy @readordierachel I'm super looking forward 🙂 5y

batsy @Cuilin Tagged you and @Sace on the posts... Hope that helps! 5y

Cuilin @batsy 👍 cheers, thanks. 5y

saresmoore Ooh, lovely! You deserve #alltheprettybooks 5y

LeahBergen I need to pick up a copy of Bunny, too. 👍🏻 5y

merelybookish So glad it arrived on time! I quite enjoyed Act 1. And thanks for sharing and updating others on our upcoming plays! (And Bunny is a trip!) 5y

batsy @saresmoore 😘💕 5y

batsy @LeahBergen I was a teeny bit excited and got a head start 😆 5y

batsy @merelybookish I'm a bit behind and haven't finished reading yet! But will join the discussion as soon as I do :) 5y

Cathythoughts Exciting ✨✨✨you‘re all set up for Shakespeare & Bunny read- a -longs !! 5y

batsy @Cathythoughts 🤗 5y

BiblioLitten I would love to hear your thoughts on Bunny. It was my first read of the year and it was so bizarre... I loved it😊 5y

batsy @BiblioLitten Glad to know you loved it 🙂 I'm really looking forward to the buddy read 🐰 5y

105 likes23 comments

merelybookish

Love's Labour's Lost | Wiliam Shakespeare

Hey everyone, just a reminder our discussion of Love's Labour's Lost begins this Sunday! If you're feeling behind, you're not alone. My copy just arrived today. Good news: Act I appears to be pretty short.
I hope everyone in the #shakespearereadalong family is doing okay! I know I've found it hard to concentrate on reading lately, so glad to have a reason to read this with all of you! @GingerAntics @Graywacke

merelybookish @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @jewright @readinginthedark @Sunraven @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @ladyneverwhere @erzascarletbookgasm @MoonWitch94 @catebutler @CoffeeNBooks @rachelm @Sace @Cuilin @saresmoore @rabbitprincess @Mtroiano @IndoorDame @kathedron @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @readordierachel @Gezemice @MrsMalaprop @Melismatic 5y

merelybookish @teainthelibrary @Susannah @kristenm @Panic70 @Carolyn11215 @Alliterati @Linsy @Wife @wanderinglynn @Kristy_K @Liz_M @mhillis @Wife @Jess_Read_This @greenreads @mollyrotondo 5y

TheBookHippie Mine says delivery by 9pm tomorrow 🤣🤣🤣🤷🏽‍♀️ 5y

See All 22 Comments

merelybookish Oops @daisey forgot to tag you. 5y

mollyrotondo I‘m excited for this one! 5y

batsy I don't know if my Signet edition is ever arriving ... 🤷🏾‍♀️ But I just went excavating in my precariously triple-stacked shelves and found an RSC edition in there. Hooray! 🙈 5y

Sace I‘m so stinking proud of myself! I read/listened to act 1 scene one this morning and actually laughed aloud a little 😂 5y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie plenty of time! 😅 5y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo Me too. I'm going in completely clueless. 5y

merelybookish @batsy 😂😂 find any other treasures in your dig? 5y

merelybookish @Sace Huzzah! An actual LOL! 🤣 5y

mollyrotondo @merelybookish me too! I‘ve never read this one 5y

merelybookish @mollyrotondo It doesn't seem to have a big cultural life like his other comedies. From the teensy bit I've read, it was more popular during and shortly after his life time because people knew who the characters were. It dipped in popularity once they became less known. 5y

Graywacke I read my intro... anyway, looking forward to the rest and to Sunday. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂 5y

rachelm Excited for the chat!!! 5y

MoonWitch94 I‘m behind, not much reading happening from where I am. But hopefully I can catch up. 💕 Hope everyone is safe. 5y

Cuilin @sace me too, I laughed out loud. Then checked an old BBC version to see if I was laughing in the right spots. 😂 5y

Sace @Cuilin I'm really beginning to think that audio is the way for me to go when it comes to Shakespeare. 5y

merelybookish @Graywacke 👍 5y

merelybookish @rachelm Glad to have you along! 5y

merelybookish @MoonWitch94 Join us when you can! Hope you are staying safe too! 5y

Gezemice I skimmed the intro sort of. It seems like there is much witty word play. I do own the Riverside Shakespeare but it is too bulky, and a Kindle version but the formatting is not good. So I am reading a free Pdf. I ran out of shelf space so no buying for me. 5y

71 likes22 comments

merelybookish

Love's Labours Lost | Shakespeare William

Bid adieu to tragedy and Ancient Rome! Next up for #shakespearereadalong is a comedy set in the court of Spain. According to Wikipedia, LLL has the longest scene, longest speech and longest single word in all of Shakespeare's plays! How's that for a teaser?! 😛
This will be my first time reading this play and am excited to see where it goes!
We launch into Love's Labour in June. Please join, one and all!
@GingerAntics @Graywacke

merelybookish @readinginthedark @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Sunraven @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @ladyneverwhere @erzascarletbookgasm @MoonWitch94 @catebutler @CoffeeNBooks @jewright @saresmoore @rabbitprincess @IndoorDame @kathedron @Mtroiano @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @readordierachel @Gezemice @MrsMalaprop @Melismatic @Sace @teainthelibrary @Susannah @kristenm @Panic70 @Carolyn11215 @Alliterati 5y

merelybookish @Kristy_K @Liz_M @Daisey @mhillis @Wife @wanderinglynn @Jess_Read_This @Linsy @MellieAntoinette @greenreads @mollyrotondo 5y

TheBookHippie Yay!!! 5y

See All 31 Comments

merelybookish Please share when you can @LitsyHappenings. Much obliged! 5y

Lcsmcat I‘m ready for a comedy! 5y

Melismatic Can‘t wait! I‘ve never read this one either but I had a friend who was in a musical reimagining of it. 5y

GingerAntics I can‘t wait. I adore the Tennant/Tate production of this play. It was hilarious! 5y

Gezemice Longer than Act 4 of A&C? Impossible. 5y

merelybookish @Gezemice I don't know about Act but the it says scene 2 of Act 5 is longest. 🙂 5y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Yes, feels like time to lighten the mood! 5y

merelybookish @Melismatic A musical sounds fun! Looking at the posters, it appears to have been adapted to many different eras. 5y

merelybookish @GingerAntics Maybe we can find a good production online! 5y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie Have you ordered your pretty edition yet? 🙂 5y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish YES 🤣🤣🤣 waiting on the mail 🤪🤦🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ 5y

Graywacke Have my new Signet Classic edition, have no idea what‘s inside. Completely ready... 🙂 5y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I haven‘t read this one yet either, looking forward to it! (edited) 5y

GingerAntics I actually have a digital copy of the above mentioned production. I can probably post it on my Dropbox or something. 5y

Cuilin @merelybookish May I join in? 5y

merelybookish @Cuilin Of course! We'd love to have you! I'll add you to the group tag. We usually discuss an act/a week. Act 1 will be on June 7th. 5y

Cuilin @merelybookish Thank you 🙏. An Act a week, wonderful. I was wondering how it works. I think I can manage that. 5y

batsy I'm really excited for this one! I ordered the Signet edition from Book Depository as soon as you posted the upcoming plays weeks ago and it's still not here 😅🤞🏽 5y

merelybookish @Graywacke Perfect! You're ahead of me. I still need to rustle up a copy. 5y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa 👍 5y

merelybookish @batsy Hopefully it arrives in the next few weeks! 5y

Graywacke @merelybookish have the next three ready to go. 🙂 (Signet is cashing in on my library‘s uncertain availability). @batsy is there some kind of secret sanctions against importing books into Malaysia? Hope LLL makes its way soon. (And maybe one particular Cather) 5y

batsy @Graywacke Haha! I always order from Book Depository and it usually arrives on time. The lockdown has caused delays in shipment and postal services. (I'm going with the kindle version for Shadows but I've already ordered Lucy Gayheart in advance :) 5y

Sace I can't make any promises on this. I've been lurking since Macbeth, but I want to be better at Shakespeare so I should make more of an effort. (So many readalongs I've flaked out on 😢) 5y

merelybookish @Sace We are happy to have you along as a reader or a lurker. No pressure from us! At the same time, if you ever want to be removed from the group tag, just let me know. 5y

Sace Nope. Never! Tag away. I'd rather flake than not know at all. 5y

rachelm Joining! I was in this play in college! 5y

batsy @cuilin This is the schedule for Love's Labour's Lost that starts this Sunday :) 5y

63 likes1 stack add31 comments

Eggs

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

“Let us once lose our oaths to find ourselves,/Or else we lose ourselves to keep our oaths.”

Berowne, Act 4, Scene 3
#lostlove
#bibliomaynia
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

OriginalCyn620 Great quote! 5y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Truth!! 5y

Eggs Thanks @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620 💗💗 5y

60 likes3 comments

LiterRohde

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

“From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: they sparkle still the right Promethean fire; they are the books, the arts, the academes, that show, contain and nourish all the world.”

#QuotsyMar20 | 22: #Sight

📷: Made with Typorama

TK-421

48 likes

TheEllieMo

Love's Labours Lost | Shakespeare William

#Gingerbread #QuotayDec19 @TK-421

StayCurious This is a nice holiday-esque post. +1! 5y

24 likes1 comment

EadieB

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

Day 1 - #LabourofLove #WilliamShakespeare #SoulSeptember

Eggs

Eggs 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y

51 likes1 comment

EmilieGR

Love's Labor's Lost | William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine

pick

Pretty funny

zsuzsanna_reads

Love's Labour's Lost | William Shakespeare

Word of the day: honorificabilitudinitatiubus. Meaning: ??

One of Shakespeare's neologisms that didn't take, possibly due to the non-appearance of Mary Poppins in the play, as it can be pronounced to the same rhythm as supercalifragilisticexpialadocious.

40 likes