About stories of all kinds
170 years ago today, 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin. He became a popular playwright during his life, also writing many short stories, some poetry, and perhaps most famously today, the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. “Let us go to the theatre to-night,” said Lord Henry. “There is sure to be… Continue reading “a rather nice excuse”
Miss Susan. What is algebra exactly; is it those three cornered things?Phoebe. It is x minus y equals z plus y and things like that. And all the time you are saying they are equal, you feel in your heart, why should they be. Quality Street by J. M. Barrie Quality Street, Act II, by… Continue reading ‘Why should they be?’
There is probably no English author quite as well known by reputation as Shakespeare. The only others who could come close would probably be Chaucer, Dickens, and more recently, Agatha Christie. But for a playwright with such a firm position in the annals of English literature and a reputation as “serious literature for serious people,”… Continue reading A Tale of Sprites and Goblins: Books Inspired by Shakespeare
As a rule, I am impatient with the gaggle of quirky, silly sidekicks that populate many books and movies for the sole function of comic relief. Fantasy books are particularly egregious offenders in this regard because there is an abundance of lesser creatures that can be employed as throwaway comic characters with funny speech patterns… Continue reading Twilight: So Sparkling Bright
"The Play is the thing." While not originally reading material (unless we wanted to discuss Restoration closet dramas, which I don't), it is undeniable that plays, particularly Shakespeare's, are commonly found in literature courses. Despite being intended for performance, plays in printed form can stand up as fascinating reading material as well. Taking two terms… Continue reading 10 Recommended Plays: 100 Books to Read #2
Star Trek--Shakespeare's Star Wars I recently made a post about how drama compares to narrative and poetry. (Link here.) Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher is a good example of narrative (film) converted to drama employing poetry (verse). And I couldn't help but think the line "To boldly go where none hath gone" was a… Continue reading Bold Bones
What makes drama different from narrative and poetry? It's not a trick question. It is, however, a rather broad question, posed by my first-year English teacher. I attempted to answer it, addressing a few of the most apparent considerations, without by any means giving a comprehensive analysis: A narrative, especially one with an omniscient voice… Continue reading On-Line English Literature Discussion: Being Dramatic
In my first year of university, our English professor had us participate in an on-line discussion group about the texts we studied, providing us with different questions or topics to discuss. When we studied Shakespeare's Othello, the topic was the obscure motivation of Iago in his quest to bring Othello down. The professor wanted to… Continue reading On-line English Literature Discussion: Shakespeare’s Dark Knight
Fictitiously Yours 