I love the arts, especially literature and the arts. Shakespeare and Modern Culture by Marjorie Garber is an example.
Not so much as a critique of modern culture, or some kind or re-imagined version of modern culture as seen through Shakespeare-adjusted vision, just a modern, post-modern gaze through some of the works.
Worthy of a glance, the author carries all the correct heavyweight credentials needed to make her look like a serious academic.
Dense but easily accessible, the book looks at underlying thematic points. I was particularly drawn to the bit about Shakespeare’s Richard III as political fiction, or historical fiction that held important sway in the reign of Shakespeare’s Queen Elizabeth.
Interesting, from an arts view.
OK, on my TBR list, if I live long enough.
I remember in high school (I started at age 12) being introduced to Shakespeare–the first play was The Merchant of Venice (of course). My strongest memory is my astonishment and delight at discovering (for myself; everyone else knows this) how much of our modern linguistic currency is Shakespearean–the quality of mercy, a rose by any other name, to be or not to be–I read every play in our English class that I could find in the literature book, then went to the library. Titus was beyond my comprehension, but I cried and cried over King Lear. Cordelia loved him and he just didn’t get it. My first encounter with dementia.
Some things you never forget, no matter how old you are.