December 6, 2010
That Miranda. I told you she was a rock star. Not only does she find lists and things to do for herself, she’s always sending stuff my way too. Today she sends me a link to the Shakespeare Reading Challenge. On my Book List, I only have about 13 books left; unfortunately ONE of these is “Read the Complete Works of Shakespeare.” Yeah.
I like to think I’m actually ahead of most people on this. I’ve read: Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Taming of the Shrew. Some of these I’ve seen performed live (which I count since this is the way plays were intended to be consumed and the performances were very well done by the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival) and I was actually Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in sixth grade.
Here are the rules:
First off, the Levels:
1. Puck: Read 4 plays over the year, 1 of which may be replaced by a performance
2. Desdemona: Read 6 plays, 2 of which may be replaced by a performance
3. Henry V: Read 12 plays, 3 of which may be replaced by a performance
Now, the Rules:
1. All plays must be read between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Anything begun before that cannot be included.
2. Audio versions are also acceptable but all plays must be unabridged.
3. You don’t need to list your plays ahead of time but you may, if you’d like.
4. Review pages for each month will be created but are optional.
And you know I just gotta go for Henry V level!
So I guess I’ll participate in the Shakespeare Reading Challenge for 2011 in an effort to start ridding myself of the big, glaring volume of Shakespeare that I’ve been using as a doorstop for the last couple of years. With the 8 I’ve already got under my belt, and the 12 more in 2011, that only leaves…17 more. And then there are the poems (I’ve read the Sonnets, but there are 4 more LONG poems).
Who’s with me?
Woo hoo! I’m glad you’re going to partake. I’m still trying to narrow down my 2011 goals, but I hope to try to do Puck Level. Can’t wait to see how you do!
Yeah, I’m definitely planning on counting some performances or listening on audio.
Hi & welcome to the challenge! I hope you enjoy your reading this year!
Elena
Thanks for setting it up! I look forward to it!
I’m blaming school one this one, but they totally forced me into reading like 4 or 5 of Shakespeare’s works and I was too young to enjoy any of it. Also, school made me hate all of it. Enjoy the challenge though!! Maybe when I’m older I’ll try them again, haha!
I don’t think I enjoyed it much in High School. I will say that I like the comedies much better than the tragedies and that seeing the performances are much better than reading them. Try a performance and see if you like that better.
Wow, best of luck to you! I gave up Shakespeare in high school.
This sounds like such a challenge! I haven’t touched Shakespeare since high school. I’m glad there’s the option for the audio version because I think I would use the Complete Works book version for a pillow shortly after starting to read it!
Good luck!!
Jan, couldn’t you just skip over to London to catch Shakespeare performed at the Globe Theater?
Thanks for setting it up! I look forward to it!