Friday, March 9, 2018

Late Book Beginning: Shylock is My Name

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Sorry to be so late! I thought I had scheduled this post before I left for Montana for a court hearing in one of my sex abuse cases, but apparently not. My apologies!

When the post was supposed to go up last evening, I was waiting for a plane in the Missoula airport, reading this book.

MY BOOK BEGINNING



It is one of those better-to-be-dead-than-alive days you get in the north of England in February, the space between the land and sky the near letter box of squeezed light, the sky itself unfathomably banal.

-- Shylock is My Name by Howard Jacobson.

Jacobson's re-imagining of The Merchant of Venice is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series, where famous authors have written novels reinterpreting famous Shakespear plays. I love this one and now want to read them all.




Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




9 comments :

  1. I know exactly how it feels when you are convinced that you have done something and it turns out that you haven't. It happens to us all!

    This book definitely isn't my cup of tea, as I have spoken out voluably on several occasions about the classics being updated, re-written, re-authored etc. so we won't go there again.

    The opening lines are probably very true though, only they could just as easily apply to the south of England on a damp and miserable March day, if the weather outside right now is anything to go by!

    Here's hoping for better weekend weather, although I don't hold out much hope.

    Happy Reading :)

    Yvonne

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  2. Sounds like a really good book. I like re-tellings of old stories.
    Thank you for hosting Book Beginnings.

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  3. Sometimes it is good to shake things up a bit. Glad you are enjoying the book.

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  4. I read the Margaret Atwood from the series (The Tempest) and liked it. I have to imagine from the other Jacobson I read that his was very funny.

    Thanks again for hosting!

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  5. What a wonderful opening sentence. Really captivating. My Friday Quotes

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  6. I really liked Dunbar, a reimagining of the King Lear play, in the Hogarth series.

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  7. Glad you enjoyed your read. Hope you'll also like the others in the series.

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  8. Thanks for your patience! And your comments. I hope to visit everyone's posts this weekend.

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  9. I feel like the universe is telling me something today, this is the THIRD mention of Shakespeare retellings I've found today! And that beginning sounded kind of awesome... Off to do some research! I may join you for Book Beginnings next week!

    I'm a new twitter follower!
    Alli Cat's Meow

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