Avid Inkling

I’m not sure if the fact I could not finish Reduced Shakespeare the Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired [abridged] says more about me or the book.

I saw a the The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) in Vienna. It was quite something, if only the book could live up to the play.

The book started out promising, amusing, and then turned slightly tedious. I don’t think it was designed to be read in one sitting, or even a series of sittings.

I could see turing to the book to quickly skim over a plot synopsis before heading to the theater, or reading one of the movie reviews, or looking up trivia so I have an idea of what someone is talking about, but I really can’t ever see reading it cover-to-cover.

Some of the synopsis are quite nice to have, for example: Much Ado About Nothing

Plot: Beatrice and Benedick are made about each other but can’t admit it, so they spar verbally. The other characters trick these two into believing that the other has declared a deep love for them. Meanwhile, Claudio and Hero are in love, but Don John and his friends conspire to break them up by convincing Claudio that Hero has been unfaithful. The plot works. At the alter, Claudio refuses to marry Hero, and she faints. Claudio thinks she’s died. But the truth comes out, Don John and his accomplices are arrested, and the two happy couples get married.

One-Sentence Plot Encapsulation: People in love act like idiots.
Moral: Don’t believe everything you hear.
(from page 92-93 of Reduced Shakespeare)

It would’ve been nice to read over that before watching the movie with Emma Thompson and Keanu Reeves.

The book also rates plays in “bards” (little images of shakespear’s head), so I shall rate this book in “bards” as well… I’ll give it two and a half… only one is going to show up… they didn’t want to line up nicely.