The Tempest by Shakespeare

Hey guys,
I read the comedic play, The Tempest (W. Shakespeare) a while ago.
It's been rather difficult for me to decide whether I liked it or not. In the end, I would probably say, comparing it the other Shakespearean plays I've read, "just OK." This is partly because I'm not a huge fan of Shakespearean comedies in general and also because it was queer. It was unlike the other Shakes plays I've read. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but some people say the reason he wrote The Tempest was because his friends dared him to try something new and different. So some say he wrote it to prove he had the ability to write fantasy. Whether this is true or not, I did notice a slight difference of style in this play. That's not a bad thing; it was just something I noticed.
The story line wasn't all that attractive to me. It's basically about a sorcerer who tries to avenge his enemies who arose a tempest in order to banish him. Some of the characters are sprites and jolly fairies that make the storyline more playful. It was funny, amusing, and playful, and I consider it good literature, but it didn't amaze me.
I'm anxious to see what everyone's opinions are on this one. I rate it #2.
By the way, I'm sorry all I've done so far is Shakespeare. Next time I will write about a book on the book list, and it won't be another Shakespeare. Thanks, amigos!

Treasure Island

Hey People,
I recently read for the first time Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Honestly I loved it! Since this is a pretty well known book I won't give any background. I thought that the storyline was well thought out and beautifully articulated from beginning to end. He did an excellent job at grabbing your attention early on in the story and holding it there until the last page.The whole story is action packed and a real thriller. There were parts in the book that made my blood run cold, it was that good! It was creepy in parts, yet not so bad that you didn't want to read it anymore. Despite the previously stated points , there was enough humor throughout the book to keep it from getting depressing. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was that the language was much easier to understand than many other books I have read by Stevenson. I guess there weren't many things that I didn't like about the book, I was pretty well satisfied all the way around. Well thanks for listening to me gab.
$x Dodge x$

4/5 recommended

List of Suggested Books and Who's Turn it Is

Ok guys, here is the list of recommended books for you to review, proposed by Dewhurst and edited extensively by me.

The Hobbit, Tolkien
The Cricket on the Hearth, Dickens
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Verne
Thank You, Jeeves, Wodehouse
Treasure Island, Stevenson
Captains Courageous, Kipling
Roughing It, Twain
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare
Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery
Jane Eyre, Bronte
The Man Who was Thursday, Chesterton
Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis
The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde
The Spectre Bridegroom, Irving
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Orczy
The Call of the Wild, London

Ok, here is the order in which we will tentatively go:

Artful Dodger
Laura
Lady Arwen
Lord Anthony Dewhurst
Me

And if anyone else joins the blog, they can go to the back of the line. Start reading a book ahead of time so that you're ready to go when it's your turn.

-Tini

A Man for All Seasons

Greetings, fellow geeks! I have recently finished re-reading one of my favorite plays, Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons. This is one of the two non-Shakespeare plays that I actually like. It is interesting to note that the author was not a Catholic or even a Christian; he was an agnostic, which is a wimpy athiest. However, he is still able to portray Catholicism accurately and fairly.
The play's setting is probably familiar to most of you. It is sixteenth century England, and King Henry VIII wants a divorce from his wife, which the Vatican refuses to allow. This sets the stage for Thomas More's epic struggle with Cromwell and the King, who try to get him to go along with the divorce. More is ultimately martyred for his refusal. Through this struggle, Bolt portrays More as the ultimate man of conscience, who remains true to his beliefs and to himself no matter what the circumstances.
The play is incredibly entertaining, with vivid characters and an efficient narrative. There are no boring parts in this play. Most of you should be able to get through it in maybe two or three days.
If you want to see a movie version, there's a great one from 1966 that won the Academy Award.

3/5 Recommended.

Fabiola

Ok, so according to our rating system, I would say that this book is "Highly Recommended". What is so great about Fabiola anyway? I really can't put my finger on it, except to say that it is a really powerful story about love, revenge, faith, treachery, friendship and sacrifice. Sounds pretty well rounded, doesn't it? Since this book is not very well known, I will give a bit of a background.



The story is set during the time of the Holy Roman Empire under the reign of Diocletian. The title character is a typical Roman noble woman; proud, selfish, vain, pagan and beautiful. The story tells not only of her pagan life before her slow conversion to Christianity, but also gives a thrilling account of the lives and martyrdoms of Sts. Sebastian, Cecilia, Agnes, Tarcisius, and so many others. The ending is truly triumphant and satisfying. I don't want to give away too much of the story, so I guess you will just have to read it to find out exactly what happens!!



Now for some critique!



Although this book has many real people as characters, several of the characters' actions are not historically correct. Several of the deaths happen differently than how they really occured. I found that the way the "deaths" were written suited the story perfectly, and I wouldn't change them at all. Also, there are no documents that state that the real people who are mentioned even knew each other, or lived within the same years. But who really wants to work out historical details anyway? If you are a history freak who would just go nuts because this isn't perfect, then maybe you shouldn't read it. Usually, I am seriously particular about history, but this did not seem to bother me. The storyline bounces back and forth between Fabiola and the other characters very well. All of the seperate plots are masterfully entertwined by the end of the story, and it will make you wish that there was a sequal! I just love how peacefully and lovingly the martyrs accept their fates. I wish I was that brave! In my opinion, this story has just the right amount of love, comedy, tragedy, and all out heroism. I think everybody should definitely give this book a try, even if ancient Rome is not your forte.



Everybody, please read this book and tell me what you thought!



~Lord Anthony Dewhurst

Let's Implement a Ratings Sytem, Shall We?

Ok guys, when you write a post, how about you rate the book on a scale of one to five. And don't just rate everything five, either. I know you'll probably only post about books that you like, but be critical. Here's how the scale should be:

1: Not recommended. As in none of us will like it.
2: Recommended only if it's particularly your up your alley.
3: Recommended.
4: Highly recommended.
5: Frickin' awesome and if you don't read it ninjas will invade your house in the middle of the night.

Make sense?

Also, make sure you tag your posts. Put the author and any other tags that you deem necessary. You do this at the bottom of the post thing where it says "Labels for this post:". You just separate the words with a comma.

-Tini

Here it goes...

I just finished reading Romeo and Juliet!! (by W. Shakespeare) Wow. I just loved it! What I really like about W.S. is that he can put what everyone else is thinking into beautiful words. He explains peoples' thoughts perfectly. He has the power to do that. Every line seems so well thought out.
As for the story itself, it was incredible. It's so annoying how usually whenever someone thinks about Romeo & Juliet, they think, "Ewww...mushy love stuff...no thanks!" Now, of course it had romance. However, that does not mean there wasn't also excitement and drama! There was, and quite a bit. And it was so tragic! Hence the last lines of the whole book,...
"Never was there a story of more woe,
Than that of Juliet and her Romeo."
My favorite line in the whole play is when Tybalt says, "Have at thee, coward!" while in a fight at the very beginning.
You all probably know the story line, so I won't try and explain that. It was fantastic though, and I highly recommend it. Especially if you like tragic romances...
I am awed, and you will be too!
Thanks for reading.
~Lady Arwen