Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Published 1595
96 pages
Source: Purchased

Two words: Epic. Fail.

Seriously, I was expecting so much. This is Romeo and Juliet we're talking about here. It's only the best known romance in the history of English lit, right?

OK, I digress. The next generation might just consider Twilight to be the best known romance of all time. Shame on them. Such poor, misguided souls...

I thought R&J's ages caused all their interactions to take on an almost laughable quality. Two teenagers falling in love and getting married the next day? Psh, call me cynical, but that is just a wee bit too fast, eh? I understand that R&J's naivety adds to the realistic feel of the play, but it just didn't work for me. It doesn't help the situation, either, when, for some incomprehensible reason, one's English teacher feels the need to point out and explain every single innuendo Shakespeare included. After which the idiotic freshman guys in my class would guffaw and snicker-punch each other, and I would just die a little bit inside.

How dare they blaspheme Shakespeare in such a lowly manner in my presence...?

Anyways, I thought the only redeeming quality of Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare's beautiful writing. He has such a way with words, but I'm sure everyone who's read him knows this already. Romeo has some great lines. Incredibly melodramatic when put into the context of the story, but beautiful nonetheless.

Next up in class is The Merchant of Venice. Hopefully it will be more similar to Macbeth, which I enjoyed immensely last year.

Tidbit of random: If only I could write like Shakespeare is a thought that constantly goes through my mind every time I read one of his magnificent works. Like that's every gonna happen.

Rating: 3

fairly intriguing

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Published 1859
304 pages
Source: Purchased

Schoolwork is rarely pleasant, only mandatory and often mind-numbingly boring. I was expecting such when my English teacher announced the next book in our curriculum. With the memory of my attempt and failure at staying awake while viewing the movie adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities in History class last year still fresh in my mind, I flipped to the first page of my shiny new paperback feeling like I was participating in the beginnings of a new government-authorized torture session.

I was one thoroughly annoyed sophomore.

Needless to say, I experienced a gigantic mental turn-around a few chapters in. I ended up adoring this book and, throughout the course of the novel, often found myself digging ferociously through my pencil case, in search of my handy-dandy Bible highlighter to mark up favorite passages.

Radically different from the YA novels I devour on a regular basis, A Tale of Two Cities is probably the most beautifully written piece I have encountered so far. The lengthy list of characters is sometimes confusing, but Dickens’ writing style overshadows all that. His eloquence manages to convey the insanity of the French Revolution quite well, however contradictory that may seem. Admittedly, I did feel like I was plowing through a swamp in five inch stilettos at times, but I enjoyed every second of it.

A Tale of Two Cities is something I definitely would not have started on my own, without the threat of a failing grade dangling above my head. Who knew? Apparently school is sometimes beneficial…

Rating: 4

delightfully scrumptious