Comments: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

by Carol7 Comments
I listened to Shakespeare's Hamlet performed by Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I'll grant you, it's not the same as seeing the actual play, but it's closer than just reading it would be, though I do wish I had had a print copy to refer to at times. Most of us know the basic plot line. Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark is dead. His uncle, Claudius, has taken the thrown, and the queen, and to top it off, the ghost of Hamlet's father claims that Claudius killed him. Hamlet swears to the ghost to avenge his death and suggests that he will act crazy to divert suspicion. We've also got Ophelia, who he was courting but now has more or less turned his back on. She may or may not be pregnant. So, Hamlet's going crazy or at least pretending to, and also wanting to make sure that Claudius is guilty before killing him. He ends up accidentally killing Ophelia's dad and she...
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

by Carol6 Comments
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving Happy Halloween! Tomorrow I'll have some pictures to share, but needless to say, Amber got quite a haul of candy this evening. And I handed out candy to batches of ghouls and ghosts and witches. This year, for October, I finally got around to reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. It's one of those classics that I know the basic plot of, but had never actually read. It's the story of a schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, who is courting one of the local lasses, a pretty girl who is a bit of a flirt. His rival, Brom Bones, is one of those rough, mischievous young men who, whenever there's trouble in the area, all the neighbors and smile and say it must have been Brom Bones and his friends. I love the descriptions of the area and the locals. It really sets the stage for the story. They are given to all kinds of marvelous...
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Chuck Fischer

by Carol49 Comments
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Chuck Fisher The Blurb: This beautiful re-imagining of Charles Dickens's timeless fable, A Christmas Carol: A Pop-Up Book features artist Chuck Fischer's richly painted depictions of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, brought to life in intricate pop-up scenes by paper engineer Bruce Foster. The entire text of A Christmas Carol is reproduced in five removable, illustrated, keepsake booklets. An introductory booklet provides a biography of Dickens and an illustrated feature on the enduring appeal of this beloved story. The perfect gift, A Christmas Carol, now in pop-up form, will brighten the holidays for young and old. My Thoughts: This is simply gorgeous! Pop-up books have evolved so much from the ones I can remember from when I was a child. It's magical, seeing the story I know and love brought to life in this way. I also love that the...
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The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner

by Carol6 Comments
The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Garnder First, an admission. I never watched the Perry Mason TV series. I know who he was and the general idea of the shows, but this book is my first true meeting with Perry Mason, and I have to say I'm impressed. As a lawyer, he's all for representing his client, even if his actions are sometimes skirting the edge of legal. Mason studied Drake stedily for several seconds, and then said, "were you going to tell me how to practice law?" "I might tell you," said Paul Drake, "how to keep out of jail. I don't know law, but I know thin ice when I see it." "A lawyer," said Perry Mason slowly, "who wouldn't skate on thin ice for a client ain't worth a damn." (pg. 99) The story starts with a client coming to Perry Mason's office to discuss a will and a complaint about a howling dog, but a seemingly simple case...
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The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

by Carol13 Comments
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux I've never actually seen the musical or watched the movie, but I still had some general idea in my head of what the story was like. I had some idea of a romantic love story. Apparently I was wrong. It's more like a horror story. Leroux presents this as a true story, that he has researched in depth. After having spoken with some of the main characters and reviewed the written records, he is ready to present the actual story of the scandal. The Opera ghost really existed. He was not, as was long believed, a creature of the imagination of the artists, the superstition of the managers, or a product of the absurd and impressionable brains of the young ladies of the ballet, their mothers, the box-keepers, the cloak-room attendants or the concierge. Yes, he existed in flesh and blood, although he assumed the complete appearance of a real phantom; that is...
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Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

by Carol16 Comments
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer The word "classics" tends to bring to mind long, boring books, the kind you just have to wade through. I'm not sure why that is. The classics I've read over the last several years have, for the most part been, been wonderful, some of my favorites. I almost wish I could refrain from referring to them as "classics," simply because for so many people the word is such a turn-off. Cotillion was published in 1953 and is one of many Regency Romance written by Heyer. To be honest, I haven't quite finished reading it yet. I could have rushed through I guess, but I'm finding it a delightful story and want to take my time with it. Kitty, the heroine, is a charming young woman. She is to inherit a fortune from her guardian, but only if she marries one of his great-nephews. Kitty is not appalled by the plan, but wants the right nephew to propose - Jack,...
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