Currently reading
The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature (Canto)
Boys and Girls Learn Differently!: A Guide for Teachers and Parents
Ambition and Survival: Becoming a Poet
Deep River: The Life and Music of Robert Shaw
Daring, Trusting Spirit
The Vatican Diaries: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church
The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
This is an other study guide from Peter Leithart, this one on six of Shakespeare's plays. Leithart picks "Henry V" and "Julius Caesar" for the historical plays, "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" for the tragedies, and "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Much Ado About Nothing" for the comedies. What is most worthwhile from this book are the lists of movies / theater productions of the various plays to watch. It is best to experience a Shakespeare play not by simply reading it flat, but seeing it acted. However each actor plays characters differently, so it is worthwhile to watch Richard Burton play "Hamlet", then to watch Sir Lawrence Olivier play "Hamlet" and compare the two. Or add Mel Gibson's "Hamlet" and then compare the three. Who plays Hamlet as totally mad, who plays him as sane but faking madness, who plays him as on the edge? Each of the plays listed gives a synopsis of the play, then elements to look for as you read and watch the play. While I do not agree with all of Leithart's assessments (I think he has Henry V wrong), this book overall is an excellent way to step into Shakespeare!
