Back in October when Heidi and I went to Ashland, Oregon, I was lucky enough to find a large volume of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" for $2.49 at the Good Will Thrift Store in Ashland. It came compete with a slightly bedraggled dust jacket, and was published by Spring Books of London, England, but published in Czechoslovakia. It's been around, and now it has been brought to its new home in Kelsey.
What a fitting find, since Ashland is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I have been there many times, my favorite Shakespeare play still remains Richard III, which they also performed last year, but our Richard was in 1993. It was fantastic!
Above is the back cover. I got busy as soon as I got this tome home, finding the first read for my book club, which is aptly entitled "Blue Stocking Sisters" and is a spin off group from the Placerville Shakespeare Club.
For the month of December we met to share and read our favorite Shakespearean sonnet. I chose No. 130, and so did my friend DG. Lucky her, I read first, and she didn't have to! But it was fun reading these aloud. Here is my Sonnet:
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hair be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white;
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, - yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go, -
My mistress when she walks, treads on the
ground;
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
An honest and loving ode to an earthy and regular woman!
My next foray into Shakespeare will be to read Much Ado About Nothing to prepare for my part as Beatrice in our Placerville Shakespeare Club's Shakespeare Players performance of "An Interview with Shakespeare's Ladies" in April.
I had forgotten all about that great book you found that day! What year was it published?
ReplyDeleteI wore my nice Orvis jacket that I purchased at the same place just yesterday. That was a pretty nice store; we had such a good time on our trip!
There was no date on the book anywhere to be found, sorry to say, but it is definitely an older book. Probably 1940s era. Yes that store was super! Where else could you buy everything from Shakespeare to a Where the Wild Things Are costume?Love T
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