For years scholars and others have been trying to out Shakespeare as an ardent Calvinist; a crypto-Catholic; a Puritan-baiter; a secularist; or a devotee of some hybrid faith. In Religion Around Shakespeare; Peter Kaufman sets aside such speculation in favor of considering the historical and religious context surrounding his work. Employing extensive archival research; he aims to assist literary historians who probe the religious discourses; characters; and events that seem to have found places in Shakespearersquo;s plays and to aid general readers or playgoers developing an interest in the playsrsquo; and playwrightrsquo;s religious contexts: Catholic; conformist; and reformist. Kaufman argues that sermons preached around Shakespeare and conflicts that left their marks on literature; law; municipal chronicles; and vestry minutes enlivened the world in which (and with which) he worked and can enrich our understanding of the playwright and his plays.
#385107 in eBooks 2014-09-22 2014-09-22File Name: B00MUJDGZA
Review
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great book!By PatThis book so far has been a great read. Once again Alex Ross takes the reader beyond the music and words and bring us to a new level of understanding about music; he really opens us to many different generas of music that i have not listen to until reading this book. recommend reading; for music majors and for anyone that loves music1 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Good gift; hopefully.By Twins RockThis was for my husbands birthday as he loves music in any kinds. I cant really say about the book because of this reason besides he seems to like it.56 of 57 people found the following review helpful. Read this!By Christopher CostabileFrom the first chapter of his second book; LISTEN TO THIS; in which he recounts how Beethovens "Eroica" symphony inspired a lifelong love of music in him - to the last in which he details the pathos lingering throughout the work of Johannes Brahms - Alex Ross cements his reputation as perhaps the most dynamic writer on music today. His first outing; THE REST IS NOISE; has become an international bestseller and established itself as THE premiere survey on twentieth century classical music - an obtuse subject effortlessly broken down and made accessible by Rosss seamless prose and clear narrative structure.LISTEN TO THIS proves to be far more episodic than THE REST IS NOISE. In contrast to that books linear chronology; LISTEN TO THIS is simply a collection of essays on various musical subjects; most of which have already been published in Rosss primary meal ticket; THE NEW YORKER magazine. But LISTEN TO THIS is no less riveting; as Rosss engaging writing is by turns emotional (the sentimental chapter on Lorraine Hunt Lieberson); intelligent (he chronicles the entire musical history of a particular walking bass line in chapter two) and funny (the many on-campus scenes he depicts involving Marlboro College in "The Music Mountain"). Also; since it includes chapters on a wide variety of musicians; from Mozart to Dylan to Bjork to contemporary Chinese classical composers; LISTEN TO THIS truly does have "something for everyone;" and reading through all of the essays is a great way to expose yourself to new music in which you may not have had any prior interest. Personally; I was less than enthused about reading the chapters on Schubert and Brahms; for example; but after making my way through them - which I ultimately considered more of a joy than a chore - I found myself researching more historical facts and seeking out samples of their music. It is a testament to Rosss skills as a writer that he has long been inspiring this effect in many of his readers. Dont be surprised if you pick up a Marian Anderson record or develop a sudden peculiar liking for obscure Chinese composer Qigang Chen after reading this book! Ross even makes it easy on us by providing a "suggested listening" section on each chapter; in which he recommends a slew of recordings.Ross isnt without his flaws; however: he is far more comfortable when covering classical subjects than pop or rock; as evinced by the rather bland chapter on Radiohead (though he fares better with Bjork; weaving comparisons of her music to the Icelandic classical tradition throughout that chapter). Also; the chapter "Edges of Pop" is without any real thesis - only offering brief glimpses at a small smorgasbord of oddball musical artists.Regardless; anyone with even a remote interest in classical or rock music would be hard pressed not to find inspiration and insight in LISTEN TO THIS. Alex Rosss devout love of music bleeds off of every page; without fail; directly into the heart of the reader.
