s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all]'s Reviews > The Winter's Tale

You'll certainly appreciate The Gap of Time more for having read this.

Cecily wrote: "You'll certainly appreciate The Gap of Time more for having read this."

Ooo yes I started it on the flight home and am really glad I read the play first because she puts in so many subtle and clever little nods. Which also just made me think about how clever her playfulness in stories is in general.
But I also love that she directly quotes The Passion at one point and it keeps coming back up, the whole “what you risk reveals what you value” line (also what she signed in my book so it was extra exciting to come across again the very next day).

I think we all should have an exit line, though I fear mine would be something more suited for the court jester or Puck. Gotta admit, I may add this as it is one of only 3-4 plays I’ve neither read, nor seen staged. As always, appreciate your lovely review!

Heidi wrote: "I think we all should have an exit line, though I fear mine would be something more suited for the court jester or Puck. Gotta admit, I may add this as it is one of only 3-4 plays I’ve neither read..."

Haha yes! Okay that makes me think I want my obituary one day to read [exit *insert cause of death*] haha.
Ooo do you have a favorite? This was the first I’ve ever read not assigned for a class and I enjoyed it way more than I thought. Please say King Lear because I also bought King Lear (the next Julia Armfield book is a King Lear retelling and I used to be obsessed with Kurosawa’s adaptation Ran)

I don’t think I truly appreciated King Lear until I was an adult— definitely not in college. I confess to loving the first one I saw staged (at Yale Repertory when I was a mere teen)— As You Like It. Reading it, then watching it come alive was magical. But if you push me for a tragedy, Othello immediately spring to mind!

I'm curious what "kind of all over the place" meant for you here (I haven't read the play)

"Exit pursued by bear" has a completely different meaning for me . . . Strangely this is actually one of the few plays by Shakespeare that I haven't read, thank you as your review has moved it up my tbr pile

Heidi wrote: "I don’t think I truly appreciated King Lear until I was an adult— definitely not in college. I confess to loving the first one I saw staged (at Yale Repertory when I was a mere teen)— As You Like I..."

Ooo I should read that one, I feel like As You Like It is always being staged somewhere around me and I've yet to see it.

Sasha wrote: "I'm curious what "kind of all over the place" meant for you here (I haven't read the play)"

Oh yea I guess I explained…nothing here haha my bad. It’s like, it jumps between two kingdoms, across 16 years, go from the rage of a king who suddenly snaps over an assumption of infidelity to a story about forgiveness, dude tries to kill his buddy, people are like living in disguise, a bear eats another dude, there’s a cool pickpocket stealing shit all the time, the king tries to get with his daughter and then they realize she’s his daughter, oracles show up, this story has everything hahaha

Love this review, and praise for your use of the word "bonkers" - which we don't nearly see enough of in reviews!

s.penkevich wrote: "Sasha wrote: "I'm curious what "kind of all over the place" meant for you here (I haven't read the play)"

Oh yea I guess I explained…nothing here haha my bad. It’s like, it jumps between two kingd..."

Oh wow, that is indeed the Tesco Extra of stories. It has everything you might be looking for, unless you're looking for something weird. Except, well, actually, scratch that. It has everything.

Tym wrote: ""Exit pursued by bear" has a completely different meaning for me . . . Strangely this is actually one of the few plays by Shakespeare that I haven't read, thank you as your review has moved it up m..."

Haha well played!
Yea I feel like I don’t really see this one talked about much (and really mostly knew about it just because of Winterson) but it is quite fun. Hope you enjoy!

This one sounds fun. I recently discovered I like Shakespeare. May give it a try when I’m done with Romeo and Juliet!

Angela wrote: "Love this review, and praise for your use of the word "bonkers" - which we don't nearly see enough of in reviews!"

Thank you! hahaha I guess I've been saving it up for something that really couldn't be expressed any other way than bonkers haha.

Sasha wrote: "Oh wow, that is indeed the Tesco Extra of stories. It has everything you might be looking for, unless you're looking for something weird. Except, well, actually, scratch that. It..."

I also JUST found out today that Shakespeare wrote it rewriting a novel by a guy that always trashed him in his editorials after the guy died as a way of getting the last word which is...awesomely petty haha.

Luh wrote: "This one sounds fun. I recently discovered I like Shakespeare. May give it a try when I’m done with Romeo and Juliet!"

Oh good call, Romeo and Juliet is super fun. I agree, I also only recently realized I actually enjoy Shakespeare. I think being taught him while I was too young to really appreciate it sort of made me think it just wasn't my thing but wow is his stuff wild when I read it now.
Oooo have you ever seen that 90s Romeo and Juliet film with Leonardo Dicaprio thats set more modern day? Its bonkers in all the right ways.

I started it just because I went to Verona, and I felt like I had to, haha. It’s so funny. Especially with how we’re used to thinking of them as star-crossed lovers, and when you’re reading it, it’s more like infatuation. And I love how dramatic everything is, haha. I never had to read his books but always assumed I’d find them boring but he’s funny. It’s crazy when you think how old his books are! Yes. Like a very long time ago. I wanna rewatch it as soon as I’m done with the book. It’s also funny that Leo and the actress who played Juliet hate each other (seems like they barely talked).

s.penkevich wrote: "Sasha wrote: "Oh wow, that is indeed the Tesco Extra of stories. It has everything you might be looking for, unless you're looking for something weird. Except, well, actually, scratch that. It..."
..."

that is so petty! i really hope that was the real motivation.

Never heard of him. Guess I’ll give this a shot, but I’ll wait until he finally finishes his tetralogy of seasonal works.

This has been staring at me from my bookshelf 😳

Luh wrote: "I started it just because I went to Verona, and I felt like I had to, haha. It’s so funny. Especially with how we’re used to thinking of them as star-crossed lovers, and when you’re reading it, it’..."

OOooo thats amazing how was Verona!? Yea I like reading books of the places I'm travelling (I did a Welsh book and another Winterson while on my trip to get the UK covered ha)
YEA hes so funny right? Agreed, its like teenagers being obsessed and overdramatic and I sort of got the sense its more a joke on the whole situation than like "look at this romantic story" right?
Hahaha true. Oh yea isn't it like Claire Danes or something? I just remember Paul Rudd wearing the spacesuit haha

Sasha wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Sasha wrote: "Oh wow, that is indeed the Tesco Extra of stories. It has everything you might be looking for, unless you're looking for something weird. Except, well, actually, s..."

Haha me toooo

Excellent review as always

Zoe Anne wrote: "Excellent review as always"

Thank you so much!

It was amazing. They have this arena that looks just like the Coliseum but smaller ( It’s also older than the Coliseum) and there are concerts there. It’s cool! ( I love doing that too. Did you enjoy the ones you read?)
Yeah. He’s really funny. I wanna try one of his comedies next. Exactly. It’s also a great show of how impulsive teenagers are. If you look critically at the story, if their families were not rivals and there was nothing in the way of their ‘love’ it’d have ended differently. Maybe just as bad but with both alive. Also, I hate her father. He’s the real villain haha.
Yeah exactly. Wait, I need to watch it again I don’t remember that part.

Luh wrote: "It was amazing. They have this arena that looks just like the Coliseum but smaller ( It’s also older than the Coliseum) and there are concerts there. It’s cool! ( I love doing that too. Did you enj..."

Oh that is amazing, I want to see a concert in a coliseum haha. And I did! I keep trying to review the Winterson but I swear every time I start writing a sentence I get some involved patron question haha.

Yea, I should too. Or King Lear, just because that new Julia Armfield is a Lear retelling. HA he IS the villain! If their families didn't hate each other I wonder if Romeo would have gotten bored haha hes just into the drama. I love how all the family members are like well shit guess we gotta kill each other now "for honor" haha. Its so fun. But also like...such a cornerstone of narratives?

ME TOO. I actually snagged the library copy of it after I wrote to you because I want to watch it this weekend. I just rewatched Clueless last week, apparently young Paul Rudd had to do all the bonkers modern retellings of that era haha

Jakob J. wrote: "Never heard of him. Guess I’ll give this a shot, but I’ll wait until he finally finishes his tetralogy of seasonal works."

Hahaha yea he better hurry up on that, where’s my spring play, Bill!?

Melissa wrote: "This has been staring at me from my bookshelf 😳"

Oh wait I think I’ve seen this on Doctor Who…whatever you do, do not blink!

Lovely review, Steve, hevn't heard of this one. Would try it sometime later. Thanks for sharing :)

Gaurav wrote: "Lovely review, Steve, hevn't heard of this one. Would try it sometime later. Thanks for sharing :)"

Thank you! Yea I really only came across it because of Winterson, I don’t think it’s one of the more popular ones? Which is cool to realize he has plays i didn’t even know about hah

Me too. We couldn’t because Liam ( my son) is too small. Oh no. That always happens! Your reviews are always great. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait. I sometimes try to write reviews, but I never find time, so I always give up, haha.

I didn’t know that. That makes sense. I think I’ll try to read it before, too. ( before The new novel comes out). I’m so excited to read it. I loved Our Wives Under the Sea!
Haha, he definitely would. He does love drama. Maybe he’d love someone to death anyway, haha. ( I’m sorry. That was a terrible joke haha). The family rivalry reminds me of when you fight your siblings and forget the reason but still act mad only to feel righteous, haha.
True. It’s one of the plays I didn’t have much interest in ( since I know the Story), but I’m so glad to read it because it’s the same story but at the same time, it’s not the same. ( the tone is much different than what I had in mind).

I need to watch it! I love Clueless. And I can’t believe it took me until I read Emma to find out it was an Emma retelling, haha.
Haha, true. Poor guy. I feel bad, but I’ll always think of him as Phoebe’s boyfriend, haha.

Luh wrote: "Me too. We couldn’t because Liam ( my son) is too small. Oh no. That always happens! Your reviews are always great. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait. I sometimes try to write reviews, but I never f..."

Ha i know the feeling, im behind on a few reviews and it’s like when will I sit down to write this instead of just actually reading lately. Jobs, they get in the way.
Aw Liam is such a great name!

Haha he probably would though. I think there was a Romeo and Juliet choose your own adventure style book a few years ago, I wonder if that is one of the endings. I’ve always said someone should write a choose your own adventure erotica novel, I bet that would sell haha. Maybe I’ll write one that’s set during the Swift Eras tour and call it Look What You Made Me Do. Haha

Clueless is the best haha and no shame because exact same for me. I was reading that novel the first time in college and was like wait…Isn’t this the plot to Clueless…ooooh haha
YEA! He’s so funny in Friends! Has he ever played anyone that isn’t likable? I always think of the one where he tells Phoebe he’s going to change his name to Crap Bag haha

s.penkevich wrote: "I always think of the one where he tells Phoebe he’s going to change his name to Crap Bag"

Well, he was married to Princess Consuela Bananahammock 🤷‍♀️

Nataliya wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "I always think of the one where he tells Phoebe he’s going to change his name to Crap Bag"

Well, he was married to Princess Consuela Bananahammock 🤷‍♀️"

Hahaha YES!!

s.penkevich wrote: "Okay that makes me think I want my obituary one day to read [exit *insert cause of death*] haha...."

Aim for Shakespearean (Winterson would approve). "Pursued by a bear" springs to mind!

Cecily wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Okay that makes me think I want my obituary one day to read [exit *insert cause of death*] haha...."

Aim for Shakespearean (Winterson would approve). "Pursued by a bear" spring..."

The best way to do anything really haha
I mean, I am in Michigan its a very real possibility!

'Exit pursued by bear' is an excellent phrase.

Erika wrote: "'Exit pursued by bear' is an excellent phrase."

RIGHT!?