Engaging, fascinating and illuminating

A brilliant book - so much packed in, with a light touch (and dry wit). Fascinating angles taken on individual plays - which add up both to a reading of the whole and an approach to reading and viewing Shakespeare. Teaching as it should be - makes you want to learn more.

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A fresh look at the plays of a genius

I always turn back to this book for a refresher before I see a performance of one of the plays. I can't say more than that!

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What fools these mortals be.

An in-depth reappraisal of Shakespeare's work which can be enjoyed by literature students and casual readers alike.

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Excellent Emma Smith & Excellent Shakespeare

For a complex & potentially dry subject, Emma's analysis of Shakespeare's plays, his times & himself were all excellent & excellently delivered!

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A great primer to understand the greatest writer

When I was young, I thought Shakespeare was the worst thing ever. I used to think what does this man have to say to people today when everything that he wrote is 400 years old. I studied ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘the Merchant of Venice’ when at school with Macbeth thrown in somewhere. I didn’t understand much of it and often thought what on earth the Hamlet speech of “to be or not to be“was about (it’s amazing now as he wonders what is life and if he should end it). Fortunately, I did further exams when I got to the age of 24 at night school and was introduced to ‘Richard III’, ‘the Tempest’ and ‘twelfth night’ and suddenly, like a switch bulb suddenly illuminating the dark, I begun to marvel at his prose, poetry and the wisdom. And then I was fortunate enough to see the ‘The Plantagenets: Henry VI and Richard III’ with a young Ralph Fiennes and Anton Lesser, and every word I understood and sparkled like gold. That the author states, Shakespeare is about asking questions not answering them. He certainly makes you ask questions about everything, and especially the human condition. Suddenly I was in love with everything that Shakespeare wrote. He went from my least favourite writer to being my favourite writer of all time (and still is). I had probably not lived enough or felt enough to understand how much his words could so explain the human condition. Who we are, how we behave, the contradictions within us, the passing of time, identity, family, love, why we exist and what is this little life we lead. And if Shakespeare is confusing or difficult to understand, it’s only because our emotions and lives are also too. But his words can be like soothing balm and just right. However, I often come to every Shakespeare play confused by the first scene (the author of this book also makes that point) and often take a while to understand what is going on. So you buy a theatre program at some extortionist price, and read it’s plot. But now I have this book on my phone (kindle), it replaces every program notes you need. 20 short essays cover the history, the sources, the themes and what the play means and has meant to audiences at different times. And written well. By buying this book, you probably no longer need to buy another theatre program again when you go to the theatre. and every time I go and see a Shakespeare play, providing it’s one of the 20 in this book which it probably would be (a few notable omissions but most of the great comedies, histories and tragedies), I would read the essay first to have a clear understanding of what will be going on before my eyes. I do wish that she wrote a bit more about Caliban when covering ;the Tempest; and there is a twist to ‘the Winter's Tale’ that is given away, but that’s fine because these summaries make me want to see some plays now that I haven’t seen. And I do enjoy the comments on the ones I know well. Well worth a read of any of summaries of the twenty plays included in this book before you see the actual play itself. You will have a greater understanding of it. And it will save you a fortune in buying programs (unless you want to know whose in the play) and perhaps we should buy the programmes to help the arts out. And this book definitely complements the plays.

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The best.

The best book (audio) on the subject I've come across. She has done a tremendous job of explaining just how great his body of work is. She blows away all the usual highbrow reverential nonsense. As she does it she becomes reverential herself, but in the right way. Up for hours last night.

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Negative capability

Who is this? What is meant by negative capability? If so, send it. Sorcha, Dr. And I particularly like cross referencing. From chapter to chapter. And play to play. Will read it again.

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Absolutely brilliant

Concise, unstuffy and clear. After a life enjoying Shakespeare it made me re-examine a lot of my “lazy thinking”. And I particularly like the concept of gappiness.

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Brilliant! Except...

... why aren't the Audible chapters given titles?!

Frustrating.

I love the context, both contemporary and modern, that Smith gives the plays.

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A Reading of Shakespeare to Make Shakespeare Important to Anyone

Lucid, witty, allusive, and thoroughly compelling. The very best critical appraisal of a playwright I love, but others don't for various solid reasons, that I have ever encountered.

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