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Reids on Film's avatar

Maybe not reaching the heights and insights of Hamlet, Lear et al but boredom? I recently watched the Peter Hall Wars of the Roses adaptation for the first time and was really impressed. I'll have to look at the text for examples...but I did like the way the two French women, Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou are front and centre. Whereas Richard III? Alway entertaining but a bit of a pantomine... looking forward to your bookclub.

Kieran Garland's avatar

enjoyed the BBC Hollow Crown adaptations of the Henry VI plays, but stunned by how Jack Cade and his rebellion were completely absent from the story.

also thoroughly enjoyed Nuttall in The Thinker on this, taking up this initial idea in Shakespeare's earlier plays of a twinned nature that's more socially concerned, and later showing how it's then compressed and internalised in Richard III - just a marvellous observation, and as you suggest the beginning of something great. looking forward to book club

Henry Oliver's avatar

what an insane decision…

Kieran Garland's avatar

threw a pearl away

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Now, I think I understand why Lev Tolstoy didn't like Shakespeare.

Henry Oliver's avatar

but he didn't like King Lear!!

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Yes! I still don’t understand why. My university practice (OMG, a century ago)was in the Yasnaya Poliana, his family estate, where we found about his personal literary taste. And we, students loved Hamlet and King Lear. These works seemed so philosophical to us. But not to our L. N. Tolstoy

Henry Oliver's avatar

I am reading War and Peace and it's so good.

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Yes, it is. But such a disappointment, especially for the feminists, his beautiful, so spontaneous Natasha turns out just an ordinary wife with all regular family troubles.