What SHAKESPEARE NOVEL(s) have you been reading?

Trick question. Shakespeare didn't write novels, just plays and poems. I fulfilled my English Lit requirement in college by taking a class in Shakespeare, and all we studied was some of the plays. The professor was a flamboyant homosexual, which made the class fairly entertaining. After studying Shakespeare for one semester, I have never been able to take grammar Nazis seriously. Sure, it's good to have basic rules for clear communication, but languages evolve over time anyway. Reading Shakespeare was almost like studying a foreign language at times, because the language had changed so much.

Yeah not sure what I was smoking when I wrote novels instead of plays. That's a great point about the language and grammar, I always found it fascinating when my english teacher explained which words and rules Shakespeare simply created to suit his style. And on that note I was lucky to have a teacher who really loved Shakespeare and made the stories come alive (excuse the cliche). He even explained all the really filthy jokes, which was a nice change of pace in a strict christian private school.

I love Shakespeare. I want to point out that reading the plays is really no substitute for seeing them acted out.

Unless you are in a major metropolitan area, seeing a decent version on stage is difficult although I was pleasantly surprised by the production put on by Uba's spawn. The lead actress was quite good.

In any case, movies can take the place of live performance to a degree. My favorite Shakespeare movies:

1) Much Ado About Nothing (1993): What can I say...I love LOVE Emma Thompson. She even makes the presence of Keanu Reeves tolerable.

2) A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935): Mickey Rooney as Puck. This was the my first exposure to a Shakespeare play in a form other than the written word. Some nostalgia no doubt tainting my opinion but still the sets and costumes are great. And Rooney rocks as Puck.

3) Romeo and Juliet (1996): I like the clever updating of the scene for the play to quasi modern Verona Beach California. The true highlight though is Claire Danes....I LOVE Claire Danes. A bit too much shouting of lines but still cool.

4) Henry V (1989): Kenneth Branagh does Shakespeare very well. The intro is really cool.."Oh for a muse of fire!" and his Saint Crispin's Day speech is great. Others will say Olivier's version from 1944 is the best. Their opinion is valid.

repoman wrote: I love Shakespeare. I want to point out that reading the plays is really no substitute for seeing them acted out.

True. I've seen a few at the Stratford festival, and watching the plays with great actors shows how beautiful the meter and rhythm can be, which is something I often fail to appreciate just reading them. Also thanks for pointing out the films. It just dawned on me that I've never seen a single Shakespeare film. I'll check out your list!

repoman wrote: I love Shakespeare. I want to point out that reading the plays is really no substitute for seeing them acted out.

Unless you are in a major metropolitan area, seeing a decent version on stage is difficult although I was pleasantly surprised by the production put on by Uba's spawn. The lead actress was quite good.

In any case, movies can take the place of live performance to a degree. My favorite Shakespeare movies:

1) Much Ado About Nothing (1993): What can I say...I love LOVE Emma Thompson. She even makes the presence of Keanu Reeves tolerable.

2) A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935): Mickey Rooney as Puck. This was the my first exposure to a Shakespeare play in a form other than the written word. Some nostalgia no doubt tainting my opinion but still the sets and costumes are great. And Rooney rocks as Puck.

3) Romeo and Juliet (1996): I like the clever updating of the scene for the play to quasi modern Verona Beach California. The true highlight though is Claire Danes....I LOVE Claire Danes. A bit too much shouting of lines but still cool.

4) Henry V (1989): Kenneth Branagh does Shakespeare very well. The intro is really cool.."Oh for a muse of fire!" and his Saint Crispin's Day speech is great. Others will say Olivier's version from 1944 is the best. Their opinion is valid.

Richard III (1995): My first exposure to Sir Ian Mckellan's work. Tremendous production. I would love to see this live with him in the role.

i thought the recent BBC Hollow crown series with Richard II, and Henry IV parts 1 and 2 were awesome. (Henry V less so). Lots of Falstaff.

Romeo and Juliet. Must have read it a dozen times over till date and I end up loving it more and more every time.

Nice, that's a great choice. Also I remember how drunk I was when I wrote the title to this thread, jeez