Welcome to Litsy!

Recent home library acquisition:

📖 The Little Book of Shakespeare

I obviously needed to see a second ballet this month. 😂

★★★☆☆

Greenblatt knows Shakespeare and Shakespeare knew the human condition; both are amply demonstrated here. But somehow, I was still left wanting. Perhaps it was the lack of clear connections between textual observations or between what the author had read in Shakespeare and witnessed in the real world, especially during the first Trump administration. It's not weak, but it could have been stronger.

Even though interviews are definitely not my favouritw kind of text type I enjoyed the interviews with Judi Dench very much. She is a very witty person and her insight on the different characters were very interesting. I‘m going to use excerpts of this book in my English lessons for sure. 💪💪💪

“Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene”

La casa di Giulietta a Verona.
Juliet‘s home, at least the one featured in the movie Letters to Juliet, in Verona.

I love that Judi Dench‘s own drawings were used. 😍😍😍

p. 76 'Earlier in [Richard III], the Lieutenant of the Tower... receives a written directive that he turn over his prisoner... to the two thuggish-looking characters.... [He] knows perfectly well that his prisoner has not received a trial, fair or otherwise, but, handing the keys to the murderers, he asks no questions and offers no protest.... By multiple acts of this kind, taken by respectable people..., tyranny is enabled.'

I really enjoyed this R&J retelling, which centers Rosaline's POV. Sure, it takes a bunch of liberties and they may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was a great new viewpoint to read Romeo as a Very Bad Man. I didn't love Tybalt's characterization but seeing the Friar in a new light was fascinating and chilling. Now I need to go search for every Rosaline-centric work out there! #BooksAndBlooms

Just another great and funny Shakespeare story turned into a choose your own adventures. Illustrations were cool as well.

For the rest of the review, visit my Vlog at:

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZzJM9vjbB3Q?feature=share

Enjoy!

#WhereAreYouMonday
This is NF about Shakespeare and scholarship questions about his plays so I'm "in" 1600 England. So far it's interesting.
@Cupcake12