8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
He hath been at a great feast of language...., June 7, 2001
This review is from: Brush Up Your Shakespeare!: An Infectious Tour Through the Most Famous and Quotable Words and Phrases from the Bard (Paperback)
BRUSH UP YOUR SHAKESPEARE. By Michael Macrone. With Illustrations by Tom Lulevitch. 235 pp. New York : Harper Perennial, 1990 and Reprinted.
There are many possible approaches to Shakespeare, and in the present book Macrone has hit on the new and interesting idea of giving us, not yet another standard anthology or ponderous critical study, but a lighthearted "tour through the most famous and quotable words and phrases from the bard."
Macrone writes : "We're here to give you a handle on the famous lines you already know are Shakespeare's, and to alert you to our quieter, less conspicuous borrowings. . . . In the meantime, you'll be offered an incidental introduction (or reintroduction) to famous passages, concisely explained. . . ." (page xii).
In other words, to paraphrase Moth in 'Love's Labor's Lost' - 'He hath been at a great feast of language, and stol'n the scraps.' The main body of the book - 'THE QUOTABLE AND THE NOTABLE : Famous Phrases from Shakespeare' - gives us well over one hundred of these glorious 'scraps,' scraps such as Othello's :
"My story being done, / She gave me for my pains a world of sighs; / She swore, in faith 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange; / 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful. / She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished / That heaven had made her such a man" (page 108). Each of the passages, which have been kept "as short as possible ... while still providing enough of the context to make the key phrase intelligible" (page xiii), has been chosen to highlight an original usage of Shakespeare - in this case "passing strange" - usages which seem to have set the course of the English language. They are accompanied, on average, by about two thirds of a page or so of Macrone's interesting comments, some of which may hold surprises even for the seasoned Shakespearean.
Despite his light touch, the book is a work of careful scholarship, and is rounded out with several interesting extras : a 10-page list of 'Common and Uncommon Words Coined by Shakespeare;' a list of 'Phrases Often Misattributed to Shakespeare;' and a list of famous 'Titles Borrowed from Shakespeare.' We have also been given two useful indexes : an 'Index of Words and Phrases,' and an 'Index of Characters by Play.'
Truly surprising is the first list. Who would have thought that we owe to Shakespeare such common words, for example, as - admirable, amazement, bloodstained, coldhearted, dewdrop, employment, eventful, hostile, laughable - and a whole host of others?
Finally, to further enrich what is already a rich mix, interspersed throughout are thirty-nine clever and amusing drawings by Tom Lulevitch, drawings which remind me a bit of Tenniel's illustrations to the Alice books, and which add to the cheerful atmosphere of the book.
Macrone seems to have spared no pains in making BRUSH UP YOUR SHAKESPEARE as pleasing, useful, and interesting as he could. It would make a wonderful gift, not only for those who already like Shakespeare, but also for those who, probably as the result of an unpleasant earlier experience, think that they don't. Macrone's joy in Shakespeare is infectious. His touch is light, and he has the art of teaching without seeming to teach. His book is hugely entertaining, and can be read straight through or simply browsed in an idle moment.
It would, among other things, make a great book for the bathroom, and it might just lead at least a few anti-Shakespearians to rethink their position, and maybe even go on to savor the full feast by reading a play or two. In fact, I suspect that this was probably Macrone's secret aim. He wants others to fall in love with Shakespeare too. Let's hope his Love's Labor's weren't Lost!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whod thought we use so many phrases written by Shakespeare?, July 2, 2000
This review is from: Brush Up Your Shakespeare!: An Infectious Tour Through the Most Famous and Quotable Words and Phrases from the Bard (Paperback)
I wasn't all that sure until I read "Brush Up On Your Shakespeare" by Michael Macrone. Did you know that "Such stuff as dreams are made on" is from The Tempest, spoken by Prospero? Or "Wild goose chase" was said by Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet? Well, now you do! This guide to William Shakespeare's most famous words and classic phrases are now in one entertaining guide. Listed by the phrases themselves, with in-depth explanations as to its original meaning and how it was used back in its time. Macrone also includes in the back, some "Household Words" coined by the famous Bard and "Faux Shakespeare: Phrases Often Misattributed to Shakespeare".
People have used these expressions in everyday interactions as well as in the media. The book is even sprinkled with delightful illustrations by Tom Lulevitch. This guide is an easy way to learn a bit more about Shakespeare, for just about anyone.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be..., September 5, 2001
This review is from: Brush Up Your Shakespeare!: An Infectious Tour Through the Most Famous and Quotable Words and Phrases from the Bard (Paperback)
Buy and Keep this book only for thee!
The perfect size book to keep with you to brush up on your Shakespeare. A unique list of illustrations is followed by "At First Brush," which helps you to dive right in to subjects such as: Spelling and punctuation, organization and dating (A list of plays and dates, with revision noted).
The second section is called: The Quotable and the Notable. This area is a larger section devoted to famous phrases. Each phrase is followed by a small paragraph to give explanations and background for say...how Shakespeare wanted the actor to express the phrases. These sections are filled with tidbits worth reading and also help to "set the stage" or point to where the phrase is used in the play.
"King Lear has cut a deal with the two more flattering of his three daughters: he will turn power over to them as long as he can keep the name and respect due to a king......" pg. 131
"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child!" then makes more
sense after we understand that his "snakelike daughters
represent a quality he feels all women possess."
The section on Household Words explains common and uncommon words coined by Shakespeare. Here the author lists a partial list of words for which Shakespeare is said to be the first authority according to the Oxford English Dictionary. "well-read" is in this list. ;>
Faux Shakespeare is a list of phrases often misattributed to Shakespeare. So, who really said: "Fool's Paradise?" It is interesting how "I wold not be in a flis paradyce." turns up in Love's Labor's Lost and Romeo and Juliet.
Good Enough to Call Your Own is a list of titles borrowed from Shakespeare and many a catchy phrase has turned into a title.
An Index of Words and Phrases and an Index of Characters by Play will make it easy to find phrases and set them in their original context.
Another favorite: Shakespeare's Insults by Wayne F. Hill, however..the quotes are mostly insults. I much preferred this work, but did find the Insult book amusing when I found a quote I just knew I could use!
Similar books by Michael Macrone: It's Greek to Me! By Jove! Brush Up Your Bible!
These are perfect books to carry along with you
so you always have something to read. They fit
nicely in a purse or coat pocket.
A book you could give to anyone who loves Shakespeare or
to those who are just being introduced to the most famous and quotable words and phrases from the Bard!
~The Rebecca Review
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