I don’t read as many books as I feel I should, and what I do read tends to be from my Kindle. However, I do still enjoy a wander round a bookshop and yesterday I came across Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare - The World as a Stage. Published a while ago, but I have never seen it before.
I have no great affinity for Shakespeare; probably because I was forced to play Bottom’s second assistant fairy in a school play, inducing a trauma so severe that I still refuse to wear green tights. But I do love anything by Mr. Bryson.
As Bryson explains in his introduction, there are very few facts known about our Willy; other than that he was born, married, had some children and died. Oh, and wrote some stuff, and even that is disputed by some. Perhaps that is why the book is only 250 pages, even with the help of many colour illustrations. But the pictures add considerably to the story, so I made one of my rare non-digital purchases.
Being Bryson, his story of Shakespeare is warm, entertaining, illuminating and thoroughly charming. It’s as much about England in Shakespeare’s time than about the man himself, but no less interesting for that. More than half way through already and will probably finish it before the day is out.
In the evening it was time to sit back and enjoy the first episode of the final series of Breaking Bad; by far my favourite TV series of recent times (of all time). Series four ended with a bang (literally); and series 5 gets underway with barely a pause for breath. Brilliant and intriguing television.
Having been assaulted with quality via the medium of books and TV, what I need next is a similar experience from the world of cinema. How fortuitous then that Sir Christopher Nolan’s latest offering hits the screens tomorrow. Do I see it here on the best screen I can find; or catch the full experience in IMAX whenever I can arrange a trip to the big city? The answer is of course “both”.
Comments 🔗
2012-07-18| Grant saysThere has, unfortunately, been far too much total bullshit written about Shakespeare and too much of that has been from across the Atlantic where they should be sitting quietly waiting to be told when it is their turn to speak. Bryson’s slim tome is magic and contains all that ever need be said about the Bard and is one of the finest books on my extensive shelves. I learnt the length, width, breadth and weight of the English language doing Shakespeare at school nearly 50 years ago and the import has never left me. I would give one million of Spanky’s rustproof Thai baht to see the video of uncle Spike doing Bottom’s second assistant fairy in green tights, especially the deeply traumatic bits… Congratulations on buying a book Spike, well done!
2012-07-18| Craig saysIf you go to the flix locally I may leave me box on the beach and join you - I promise to wear an embarrassing hat
2012-07-18| Grant saysJust leave the green tights behind…
2012-07-18| Jock saysOOR WULLIE … we talking about a different bloke here then … this is the one I remember !!
2012-07-18| Spike saysSimilar Jock. Oor Wullie is Scotland’s answer to Shakespeare.
2012-07-18| Spanky saysMy baht is impeccable!
While my knowledge of Shakespeare is questionable at best (being from across the Atlantic), I am still trying to wrap my mind around Spike in green tights as a young lad. It explains so much about this site and his tortured soul. I believe it was best said that physical scars heal. Mental scarring lasts a lifetime.
2012-07-18| Spike saysFinished it this afternoon; a joy.