Stoppard's play is a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet from the point of view of the tertiary characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. These characters take the main stage here and Stoppard fills in what happens to the two when they are "off-stage" in Hamlet. This is definitely a tragicomic play, with the two leads, who seem to be buffoons in Shakespeare's original, coming off as victims of a deranged monarchy in which everybody is more unstable than the last.
The dialogue is snappy, and this play reads best after a viewing or reading of Hamlet in order to fully appreciate all the references, locations, and plot points. Even without that reading though, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a comedic and beautiful play that should be read by even casual fans of Shakespeare.
Check out this book at the Sacramento Public Library
--GS
Showing posts with label humor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humor. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
review: THE THIN MAN by Dashiell Hammett
While you may have seen the many film iterations of The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, this book is the one that started everything. (It is also the only Thin Man book written, the last book written by Hammett at all). This upper-crust husband and wife are used to making wisecracks in between pouring drinks in prohibition San Francisco, but they have traveled to New York to celebrate the new year when a person from Nick's past turns up murdered and a note is left beseeching him to help find the killer. Nick, a retired private investigator, refuses, drinks, eats, and parties some more, but all the while he is investigating the case in his own style.
This book is an absolute joy to read. Written in the first person from Nick's perspective, the witticisms and snarky comments are amplified by Nick's inner perceptions. The dialogue is snappy and keeps this book rolling at a breakneck pace, and the dynamic between Nick and Nora on these pages is legendary; it's easy to see how so many movies were made based on these characters. For a fun, clever, and genuinely humorous detective story, pick this one up. It will be a night or two well spent.
Check out this book at the Sacramento Public Library
--GS
This book is an absolute joy to read. Written in the first person from Nick's perspective, the witticisms and snarky comments are amplified by Nick's inner perceptions. The dialogue is snappy and keeps this book rolling at a breakneck pace, and the dynamic between Nick and Nora on these pages is legendary; it's easy to see how so many movies were made based on these characters. For a fun, clever, and genuinely humorous detective story, pick this one up. It will be a night or two well spent.
Check out this book at the Sacramento Public Library
--GS
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