Book 50: Richard II

So when I read Richard III last week, I was really supposed to be reading Richard II. Oops.



I'm reading these plays because the Hollow Crown series (Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V) will air on PBS in September. It won a number of awards in England, so I'm pretty excited about it.

Richard II is a complex play. I wasn't sure whose side I wanted to be on, unlike Richard III, which has a definite villain.

Book 49: Richard III

I'm slowly working my way through five dramas this year, as part of my 5/5 goal. I haven't read Shakespeare since college, which was actually last century.



Richard III was great. The history (the succession to the throne, the wars and assassinations) was new to me, so a Wikipedia primer was very helpful.

Why haven't I read Shakespeare in so long, I don't know. I'm now going backward in time and reading Richard II so I can get a feel for more of the histories. There are lots of the comedies that I have never read, either.

Book 25: A Man for All Seasons

Having read the first two books of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy, I knew I had to read this, to get another (fictionalized) view of Sir Thomas More.

 

I liked it a lot. Sir Thomas More gives some stirring speeches about conscience, and the Common Man has some interesting scenes, too. The stage directions were so detailed that I could picture quite clearly what the staging looks like. Now I just need to see it staged. The film was released in 1966 and won an Academy Award. It's on my Netflix queue now--we shall see if it lives up to my expectations!

Book 17: Three Sisters

One of my 5/5 challenges this year is to read five dramas. Since I hadn't started a single one and it's mid-March, it was time to get going.



I'm sure I've actually read this before. And I really do love Chekhov. But I was often so confused. Why is Olga suddenly crying? I thought Masha left--why is she still here?

I looked to see if there was a production of it I could watch, since that's the way it's supposed to be enjoyed. I found a couple from the 70s and they got terrible reviews because "nothing happens." Well, yes, that's pretty much the point of the play, my friends.

So maybe I'll stick with Chekhov short stories. And plays in which something happens? Like Shakespeare, perhaps? We'll see.