canker-blossom

Throughout my home there lies a trail of books and amongst them you will find at least one book of Shakespeare every seven steps.

I was a very lucky child being brought up on a diet of his matchless tales, 

holidays in Stratford Upon Avon to visit Anne Hathaway's cottage and being taken to see Shakespeare's plays performed on stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

A neat fact: 

I saw David Tennant, in the flesh, playing Romeo in the RSC's 2000 production of Romeo & Juliet.

I had no idea at the time but as i recall, he was pretty damn good.

I was genuinely dismayed when Tennant performed his last and fatal act as Romeo.

Isn't that just the most frustrating moment? 

If he'd only taken some time to get a little more information or she'd woken a few seconds later. 

If, if, if, if, if.

Frustrating.

But this is why it remains one of the greatest stories ever told.

I remember being infuriated by my 1st year high school English teacher robbing me of the last six lines of the play when we were reading it aloud in class.

I wanted to throw my book at his head.

Repeatedly.  

Those lines are flawless and i'd worked out days before that i would get to say them.

That bastard.

See, still bitter.

Anyhow.

Last night, during my nightly pottering around the house, i picked up a book called, 'How Shakespeare Changed Everything'.

Within this book there's a passage in reference to teenagers, the 'blazing youth' he called them:

Shakespeare created this category of humanity, which now seems as organic to us as the spring. In place of nostalgia and loathing, Shakespeare would have us look at teenagers in a spirit of wonder, even the spotty ones and the awkward ones and the wild ones. They're us before they fall into categories: not children, not adults, not monsters, not saints. They're beautiful because they do not fit. They're too much themselves and not enough.

I will now be reading 'How Shakespeare Changed Everything' as soon as my sister is done with it.

It is hers after all.

For Christmas, i was spoiled rotten with books.

It was great.

And one of the many i received was a leather bound copy of 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare', produced by Barnes & Noble.

It's everything i want a book to be.

Beautiful detailing on the binding, marble paper lining the inside, gold edged pages and of course, a bookmark made of ribbon. 

It even smells awesome.

If you tell me you've never sniffed a book and not longed for charming, old libraries then i don't believe you're real.

Not one bit.

Get thee back, non-book lovers.

Here's a look at my edition of the Bard's legacy: 

Pretty, ain't it?

Today.

For pure adolescent enjoyment, my sisters and i have been cussing each other out using The Shakespeare Insult Kit.

It's really rather hurtful when you're on the receiving end.

Have a try, you beslubbering, clapper-clawed, flap-dragons.

Fare thee well.

Listening to: Conduits 'Last Dirge'