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Shakespeare's Wife

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Germaine Greer

September 01, 2008

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York Notes on "Atonement" (York Notes Advanced)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Ian McEwan, Anne Rooney

September 14, 2006
J.A. Fletcher has a wonderfully obtuse misapprehension that the York Notes is in fact the novel itself, and at times was overshadowed by his/her lengthy disturbed delusion for what seemed to be incessant wordy misunderstandings that left you feeling wryly amused.

The passionate shallowness of this
review cannot be overlooked, that it became sometimes a tedious monologue of words that drove you into reading the next sentence was maybe its intention. You need time to absorb the heavy prose and yet you miss nothing by not ignoring the details. Eventually there is an acceptance of this pointlessness that at times left me wondering why I persevered and finished the review. Please read the actual novel and look forward to seeing ... Read More:

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The Works 2: Poems on Every Subject and for Every Occasion

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Brian Moses, Pie Corbett

August 09, 2002
J.A. Fletcher has a wonderfully obtuse misapprehension that the York Notes is in fact the novel itself, and at times was overshadowed by his/her lengthy disturbed delusion for what seemed to be incessant wordy misunderstandings that left you feeling wryly amused.

The passionate shallowness of this
review cannot be overlooked, that it became sometimes a tedious monologue of words that drove you into reading the next sentence was maybe its intention. You need time to absorb the heavy prose and yet you miss nothing by not ignoring the details. Eventually there is an acceptance of this pointlessness that at times left me wondering why I persevered and finished the review. Please read the actual novel and look forward to seeing ... Read More:

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The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Charles Nicholl

July 03, 2008

Charles Nicholl's books about Marlowe and da Vinci have previously graced my reading list: the first is a meticulous reconstruction of Marlowe's final meal in an attempt to explain the playwright's death, which is sometimes a little repetitive; the second a more conventional biography of the renaissance polymath.

The Lodger is closer to the first, in being a depiction of how Shakespeare possibly lived whilst in London, centring on a single event, the signing of a legal deposition by the playwright which concerned his landlord, but fortunately without the repetitiousness.

So little is actually known about the bard that to say it is amazing nobody did this before is an understatement, but it is a tribute to Nicholl that ... Read More:

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Plays: "Ivanov", "The Seagull", "Uncle Vanya", "Three Sisters", "The Cherry Orchard" (Penguin Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: A.P. Chekhov

July 25, 2002
For anyone who doesn't know Chekhov, I recommend you get acquainted with his work immediately. His short stories are superb, and his five plays are masterpieces of theatre. It is such a shame that he died when he was only 44 - like Mozart, you really wonder what on earth he would have produced by the time he was 60.

As always with Chekhov, I am amazed at the fact he is able to create tension and high drama from absolutely nothing - boredom, loss of zest for life, inability to move on, hopeless incompetence, arrogance, etc etc. Characters are absolutely pared down to the minimum necessary to dissect a psychological state, atmosphere, general state of affairs etc., and the language is an exercise in economy - it functions only as a vehicle for creating ... Read More:

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The Lion Who Wanted to Love (Orchard picturebooks)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Giles Andreae, David Wojtowycz

April 29, 1999
This book is about a lion named Leo who didn't fit in with his pride, because he just wanted to look for love and make friends with other animals in the jungle. After he was forced to leave the pride of lions, Leo did his best to help every kind of animal in the jungle, but never asked for a thing. Eventually, he became the king of animals in a different way.
The lovely colorful cover of this book will catch your eye in the bookshop. The illustrations are animated and charming as if you were in tropical Africa. From the illustrations page by page, Leo's enthusiasm and kindness are obviously an important part of the whole story. And the most brilliant drawing is the one in which Leo's friends arrive at the bank and link themselves up tail to paw to rescue him. ... Read More:

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A Midsummer Night's Dream (Penguin Popular Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: William Shakespeare

June 30, 1994
If you are a fan of Shakespeare, then you will already love this enough to want your own copy. If not, there is no better place to start than with A Midsummer Night's Dream, it is a perfect example of Shakespearean comedy with characters you will love, mystery, romance and Shakespeare's best:a great deal witty, smutty jokes and plenty to keep everyone amused and in suspense.
Ideally, it is best to watch any play but being able to go over a text and see behind the 'show' enables a deeper and more profound understanding. Add it to your library!

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Dr Faustus based on the A text (New Mermaids)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Christopher Marlowe

May 30, 2003
Dr Faustus is a play about a man who has pretty much achieved everything. He's endlessly clever and successful but he wants MORE. I think that feeling of desire and ambition is still such a driving factor in today's society that it's impossible to miss the relevance. He begins to dabble in dark magic, excelling at it, and conjures Mephistophalis, who allows Faustus to sell his soul to the Devil in return for twenty five years of Mephistophalis's services. So come twenty five years of rather pointless, hollow fun and achievement (the style of the scenes during this time deliberately reflects their shallow nature) and then the time comes when Faustus must pay the price he has promised...

This play changed my life. I can't quite put my finger on it..It was a ... Read More:

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Everyman & Medieval Miracle Plays (Everyman)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
from: Phoenix

July 01, 1993
A.C. Cawley's selection of English medieval plays has shown remarkable durability, and was for its time the best accessible anthology of early English drama. Unfortunately it is now showing its age, leading the reader into all manner of questionable assumptions. It remains, however, one of the only accessible editions of 'Everyman', that archetypal medieval English play now known to be a translation from the Dutch.

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The Insider: The Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Piers Morgan

September 08, 2005
I have decided that it really is necessary that I write a review of this book. I came to the book curious and clueless as to the exact nature of it's content, but given that Piers Morgan has the Marmite effect on most of the people i know (you either love him or you hate him) I thought I should give it a go. I am so glad that I did. Piers' writing style which managed to capture the rush of a newsroom combined with salicious gossip and witty commentary on the news stories of the nineties made 'The Insider' a complete sleep-snatcher, literally, I couldn't put it down. On top of which I was completely entertained, sometimes I even laughed out loud or braced myself as I was taken on a ride through the scandalous exposés of Britain's best-loved/hated celebrities, MPs and royals.
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