Tag Archives: Brit Lit
The Remains of the Day
Uptight British butler takes road trip, realizes he hasn’t always made good decisions. Sounds thrilling, right? Normally I wouldn’t have ever picked a book based on that description, but The Remains of the Day was really interesting. Mr. Stevens, the main character, is a fiercely loyal, dedicated butler. He constantly questions what it means to […]
Three Books For Sherlock Fans
I’m the first one to admit that I arrived late to the Sherlock party. I didn’t start watching this BBC show until a few months ago, but once I pressed play on episode one, I couldn’t stop! I love that the show is a modern adaptation of a Victorian classic, and I really love all […]
Henry V: The Last King of 2015
Other titles I considered for this post: Henry V: How many Henrys does it take to rule England? Henry V: I’m really only here for Tom Hiddleston. I am very glad to say that I have finished reading through “The Henriad,” one of Shakespeare’s two historical tetralogies. I decided to read the plays in the order […]
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte
2015 has been the year of excellent nonfiction, and Joseph Loconte’s book did not disappoint. The full title is A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18, and Loconte does justice to all of those topics in under 300 pages, which is pretty impressive.
Henry IV, Part II
If you ever need proof that history repeats itself, read Henry IV, Part II. Just like Henry IV, Part I, this play focuses on King Henry IV, his son Hal, and Hal’s less than perfect friends. In Part 2, however, Shakespeare plays on the reader’s expectations. He knows we are all waiting for Hal’s reformation, waiting for Hal to “banish plump Jack, and banish all the world.” He knows we are waiting, and he makes us wait. And wait. And then wait some more.
The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part I
Confession time: About fifteen minutes into this film I had to go get my copy of the play and follow along. I could hardly understand what anyone was saying, and it was difficult to understand the plot. There are a lot of people in these plays, and none of them go by their real names! If […]
Henry IV, Part I
Prince Hal is the Shakespearean character I want to love–but it’s tricky. At the beginning of the play, he’s a prodigal son. He wastes time in taverns, pulls pranks, and commits petty crimes. It’s easy to like this Prince Hal, the easygoing, carefree friend of Falstaff. But there’s an edge to Hal that doesn’t let you laugh along with him.
Quick Link: Shakespeare’s Pronunciation
Happy Saturday! I’m always stumbling across cool videos and links on Facebook, but I thought this one was especially relevant. I’ve been reading through Shakespeare’s histories, and this video is really good background information. I’ve always wondered why Shakespeare’s poems never quite rhymed. Even if you aren’t a Shakespeare fan, you should check this one out. Apparently Elizabethan […]
Richard II (in Retrospect)
If I had to pick a theme song for the first two history plays I’ve read so far, it would be “Another One Bites the Dust.” The play begins with a king who has blood on his hands. Once Henry deposes Richard, we see a new king with the same old problem. He’s guilty as well, and his hands are not clean.
Shakespeare’s Histories
One of my long-term goals is to read through all of Shakespeare’s works. Last year I started on his history plays, which was a larger undertaking than I realized. I only managed to read one–Richard II– during 2014. This year, I’m determined to finish three more by January 1. I thought I’d share the process here […]
Book Fifty 