A new edition of Ben Crystal's popular guide to the Bard
Ben Crystal is an actor and writer. He has worked in TV, film and theatre, including the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe, London, and is a narrator for RNIB Talking Books, Channel 4 and the BBC. He co-wrote Shakespeare's Words (Penguin 2002) and The Shakespeare Miscellany (Penguin 2005) with David Crystal, and regularly gives talks and workshops on Shakespeare.
Ben Crystal's excellent book is an ideal way to gain an
understanding of why Shakespeare is so brilliant and so
enjoyable.
*Sir Richard Eyre*
This is a brilliantly enjoyable, light-hearted look at Shakespeare
which dispels the myths and makes him accessible to all. I love
it!
*Judi Dench*
A recent poll of teenagers found Shakespeare to be the least
favourite read of those consulted. Ben Crystal, an actor at The
Globe and author of two previous books on the Bard, hopes to change
all this. He does so by focusing on the universality and
timelessness of Shakespeare's appeal and by unraveling the poetry
and its impact on our language, as well as the whole notion of what
constitutes 'entertainment' in our times.
*Publishing News*
A master class for modern beginners and old hands alike.
*Times*
Having Crystal as a companion through the stickier parts of Hamlet
and Macbeth is like going to the theatre with an intelligent
friend.
*Independent*
Enjoyable, light-hearted, accessible guide to Shakespeare.
*Inthenews*
An enthusiastic, accessible and entertaining introduction to
Shakespeare.
*Bookbag*
This book makes the reader want to get to a Shakespeare play as
soon as possible to see how much of it has sunk in.
*Ham & High*
Shakespeare on Toast is reassuring, and appealing, and Crystal's
bounding enthusiasm is hard to resist. If, like Crystal, you're a
bit of a Shakespeare evangelist, you'll want all your
Shakespeare-resistant friends to read it. I'll certainly be buying
copies for mine.
*Around the Globe*
[Crystal] is at his best when demonstrating the plays' origins in
the demanding world of early modern theatre.
*Times Literary Supplement*
This should be required reading for actors, anyone doing English
Literature at school or
university, and the girls who spoiled the performance of The Merry
Wives of Windsor I went
to at the Globe this summer by whispering to each other that they
couldn't understand a
word. Highly recommended.
*Civilian Reader Blog*
Humorous, unpretentious and fascinating.
*Independent on Sunday*
a surprise hit
*Libby Purves, Midweek, Radio 4*
Ben Crystal's witty and engaging book is a relaxed, user-friendly
reminder that enjoying Shakespeare should be as easy as
breathing.
*Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director, Shakespeare’s Globe*
Digestible and informative how-to-guide... Crystal's explanations
fizz and sparkle with educated clarity and infectious
enthusiasm.
*What’s on Stage*
It's a lively and unpretentious attempt to make Shakespeare more
accessible to those who are daunted by his status and
reputation.
*Rosemary Ham, Speaking English Journal*
Before you read the play, go and see it. Before you go and see it,
read Shakespeare on Toast!
*Stewart Ross, judge for the Society of Authors, Ceremony for the
Educational Writer of the Year Award 2010*
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