Podcast & Book Recs

[neadods]

American iTunes has picked up a BBC Radio 4 podcast called "Shakespeare's Restless World." It's 13 episodes, each running slightly over 13 minutes, about political events in Shakespeare's time. Although the narrator has a slightly disconcerting habit of referring to things that we can't see ("This is an example of a silver whatsit" or "Where I am..."), I'm finding it an interesting listen.

I had an epiphany today - I'm suddenly buying a bunch of books because I'm actually trying to buy a lazy weekend with nothing to do but read a good book. Which is a bit much to ask Barnes and Noble to deliver.

That's not stopping me from reading books...

A Jane Austen Education was a great deal more charming and a lot less navel-gazing than I expected it to be throughout. In fact, it's given me new eyes for Persuasion (which needs a reread) and encouraged me to take another run at Mansfield Park, despite having failed 3 times to read it before.

And despite my absolute inability to wade through The Turn of the Screw again, (ye gods, that's turgid!), I have high hopes for Florence and Giles. It's a book that's going to demand to be taken on its own leisurely terms -- the second paragraph is a single sentence* -- but that sentence is built of gorgeously evocative words and phrases such as "a house uncomfortabled and shabbied by prudence, a neglect of a place... leaked and rotted and mothed and rusted."

I think the bedroom and library cleaning can go for a little while longer. I may have found me a book that takes precedence this weekend no matter the chores waiting.


*Nowhere near the run-on winner; I think I still have my copy of The Pyrates, in which the first sentence ends halfway down the second page.

Comments

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've heard about that, but I think I'd have to listen to it on the computer while I can look at the picture. I'm usually listening to podcasts while I drive to/from work and it was making my teeth grit a bit to keep hearing references to something I couldn't see.

[melusinehr.livejournal.com]

I listened to them in the car and looked up the pictures after, but I completely understand not being able to make that work. Still, most of the discussion is about what the objects signify rather than what they look like, if that helps. If not, I've seen the book (I still need to buy myself a copy!), and it's pretty.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

most of the discussion is about what the objects signify rather than what they look like

That helps a lot.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

The Shakespeare objects are also online: here.

Radio 4 seem to be doing a lot of these 'interactive' things, which need a few pictures to enhance the experience. I can't say it's good radio, but it is fascinating.