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happylilkt's review
5.0
Like most poetry and most Shakespeare, reading this one time through isn't going to accomplish much. Sure, you'll recognize a few of the more famous ones, or maybe a few phrases here or there, but it's not much of a way to spend an evening, is it?
My husband and I have been reading [b:The Splendid and the Vile|51187948|The Splendid and the Vile A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz|Erik Larson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567638164l/51187948._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71768608] together and read that Churchill's frivolous daughter Mary at one pointed toyed with memorizing Shakespeare's Sonnets. As one of our few shared pastimes, my husband and I sometimes memorize poems together so I decided to memorize a few. I started with sonnet 116 since it was the most familiar to me, but then my second one was sonnet 29. Memorizing is such a wonderful way to digest poetry. I will *not* be memorizing all of these sonnets, but I can definitely attest that it has already paid dividends. I was able to recite one to a poetry-loving friend on the phone for her birthday--but more frequently when I find I can't sleep at night (I'm a master ruminator), I can try to recite the entire sonnet or at the very least mouth small morsels of Shakespeare's sacred sonnets ("within his bending sickle's compass come," "sings hymns at heaven's gate,") to myself until my brain finally accepts its duty to sleep.
So if you only want to read this once, I recommend reading one sonnet at a time, reading it a few times and absolutely reading it aloud.
My husband and I have been reading [b:The Splendid and the Vile|51187948|The Splendid and the Vile A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz|Erik Larson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567638164l/51187948._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71768608] together and read that Churchill's frivolous daughter Mary at one pointed toyed with memorizing Shakespeare's Sonnets. As one of our few shared pastimes, my husband and I sometimes memorize poems together so I decided to memorize a few. I started with sonnet 116 since it was the most familiar to me, but then my second one was sonnet 29. Memorizing is such a wonderful way to digest poetry. I will *not* be memorizing all of these sonnets, but I can definitely attest that it has already paid dividends. I was able to recite one to a poetry-loving friend on the phone for her birthday--but more frequently when I find I can't sleep at night (I'm a master ruminator), I can try to recite the entire sonnet or at the very least mouth small morsels of Shakespeare's sacred sonnets ("within his bending sickle's compass come," "sings hymns at heaven's gate,") to myself until my brain finally accepts its duty to sleep.
So if you only want to read this once, I recommend reading one sonnet at a time, reading it a few times and absolutely reading it aloud.
mariettula's review
5.0
Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds
Need I write more?
This is perhaps Shakespeare's best work. His sonnets are beautiful.
breadandmushrooms's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
eloisesal's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm glad I read an annotated version of this!! My favourite sonnets were the sonnets I already knew (shall I compare thee to a summer's day, my mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun, etc.), and the rest were a very difficult to read and understand so difficult to truly appreciate as poetry. So I was grateful for the summaries after each sonnet!
I loved the overarching story though! I had no idea that the sonnets made up a sort of soap opera, and also hadn't realised that most of them are love poems to another man. The author of this version seems sure that it was platonic love because the speaker encourages 'the young man' to marry a woman and have children, but I see that as a perfectly normal thing to ask of your gay lover at a time when homosexuality was taboo!
The love at the end, towards the dark lady, is depicted as pure lust (even though she's apparently ugly inside and out 😅) and the love towards the young man is for everything about him, his intelligence, kindness, youth, etc. There is a lot of possessiveness, jealousy, and general lovesickness. The poet gets so worked up by the end that even a spa day doesn't calm him down!
I loved the overarching story though! I had no idea that the sonnets made up a sort of soap opera, and also hadn't realised that most of them are love poems to another man. The author of this version seems sure that it was platonic love because the speaker encourages 'the young man' to marry a woman and have children, but I see that as a perfectly normal thing to ask of your gay lover at a time when homosexuality was taboo!
The love at the end, towards the dark lady, is depicted as pure lust (even though she's apparently ugly inside and out 😅) and the love towards the young man is for everything about him, his intelligence, kindness, youth, etc. There is a lot of possessiveness, jealousy, and general lovesickness. The poet gets so worked up by the end that even a spa day doesn't calm him down!
sidharthvardhan's review
4.0
"When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow's form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me. ”
It is a mix bag - some of themes are repeated too many times, others are really, really beautiful. All that critical nonsense though that centers around historical meaning of these sonnets is simply despicable. There seems something illogical and even unethical in trying to analyse author's character or life from a book of fiction - even if the urge is too strong. Think Lolita or Brothers Karamzov! One must remember that no author has ever subjected herself/himself to public scruitany of personal life. Any comments made on author beyond his writing skills is unwarranted. One must forget the artist once the art start speaking.
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow's form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me. ”
It is a mix bag - some of themes are repeated too many times, others are really, really beautiful. All that critical nonsense though that centers around historical meaning of these sonnets is simply despicable. There seems something illogical and even unethical in trying to analyse author's character or life from a book of fiction - even if the urge is too strong. Think Lolita or Brothers Karamzov! One must remember that no author has ever subjected herself/himself to public scruitany of personal life. Any comments made on author beyond his writing skills is unwarranted. One must forget the artist once the art start speaking.
scarylions's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
booksnbubbly7's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
dukeofthelotls's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0