Saturday, October 8

37. The Tempest

Book 37: The Tempest by William Shakespeare (B) (C+)

Not my favorite Shakespeare! I found the whole story to be lacking in... I don't know, Shakespearianess. I've never read one of the comedies until The Tempest, and it wasn't what I was expecting. And, I actually like Shakespeare!
A storm crash lands the king of Normandy, his son, and his company on what appears to be a deserted island. Actually, the storm was magic from the marooned Prospero who is dishing out revenge. His brother took away his seat as duke through treachery that involved all who are now on the island. And stuff happens...
I know that's horrible of me as a reviewer, but I was really not enthusiastic about this book. It was for my Critical Approaches in the Study of Literature class... yes, the one with the cackling professor. Later, I'll be writing a major research paper on some kind of critical analysis of the piece.
It was just such a bizarre story. And, it put me to sleep. Maybe this book shouldn't be getting a B......
The only interesting aspect of the story was trying to figure out what Caliban, the twisted son of a witch, must have looked like. In my reader, there was a segment in the middle that showed drawings and photographs of several interpretations of how Caliban must have looked or was costumed for plays. They ranged from your stereotypical monster with a big mouth and a long tail to an obese man with an "Old Greg" type appearance. However overall, Shakespeare, I was not impressed, sir. What was the point of this work?

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