Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year (Hardback)

Allie Esiri (author,editor), Helen McCrory (read by)

£19.99

Hardback 608 Pages
Published: 19/09/2019

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Synopsis

Share twelve months in the enlightening company of the Bard with this gorgeous anthology of Shakespeare’s most resonant and lyrical quotations. From the editor of A Poem for Every Day of the Year, this is a fresh and exciting new way to engage with some of the finest, wisest lines in literary history.

From Allie Esiri, editor of the bestselling A Poem for Every Day of the Year and A Poem for Every Night of the Year, comes this beautiful gift anthology of Shakespeare's works.

William Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets and a handful of longer poems and you can discover them all here. Each page of this unique collection contains an extract, which might be a famous poem, quote or scene, matched to the date. Allie Esiri's introductions give her readers a new window into the work, time and life of the greatest writer in the English language.

Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year is perfect for reading or sharing and brings you Shakespeare's best-known and best-loved classics alongside lesser known extracts. Esiri's entertaining and insightful thoughts on each entry will fill your year with wonder, laughter, wisdom and wit.

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781509890323
Number of pages: 608
Weight: 878 g
Dimensions: 242 x 164 x 56 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

Perfect for reading, sharing and treasuring. Experience tells me that the best book presents are sentimental or serendipitous. Having a poem to read every day sweetened the passing of time, and with its hoard of immortal wisdom, the collection was a handrail to hold onto whenever I felt wobbly. A lucky dip for all ages and a handsome Christmas diversion. This month I’ll be reading Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year. Abandon Tweet of the Day for this excellently narrated daily dose celebrating the Bard. Beginning with the prologue to Romeo and Juliet (“Two noble households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona . . .”) and ending with Prospero declaring, “Now my charms are all overthrown,” it will inspire you to revisit Shakespeare’s writing

Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year (Macmillan) is a more questionable idea (do we want
Shakespeare in soundbites?) but it is persuasively pulled off in this daily dose of soliloquies, sonnets and snippets from plays. The book is nicely edited by Allie Esiri (like its predecessors A Poem for Every Night of the Year and A Poem for Every Day of the Year) and what distinguishes it are its fascinating, scholarly prefaces (Professor Michael Dobson should take a bow). A lucky dip for all ages and a handsome Christmas diversion.

Like McGough and Ayres, William Shakespeare understood the wisdom of clowns as well as the power of tears. This would make a perfect gift for anybody who has ever liked a single speech by Shakespeare. Esiri’s choices set 365 extracts in context and she provides a synopsis of every play. Wonderful.