My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

What we're reading

2018 Reading Group - March: Play and/or novel - King Lear by Shakespeare and A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley - *Spoilers from 25 March*

50 replies

Chillywhippet · 25/02/2018 10:09

So we have a Shakespeare themed challenge for March. A play and a novel inspired by the play. Feel free to read either or both.

King Lear by William Shakespeare

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
In Idaho, Larry Cook announces that he will turn his farm over to his three daughters...

Another novel suggested and also inspired by King Lear is Wise Children by Angela Carter if anyone gets into the theme.

OP posts:
Report
mamapants · 25/02/2018 18:07

Just to quickly point out that Wise Children came up as a suggestion for Hamlet which is why I originally listed it but having looked closer it seems it references quite a few Shakespeare plays but isn't really a retelling of any of them. Just in case anyone reads it expecting something different.

Report
Chillywhippet · 25/02/2018 18:12

Thanks mama. In that case ignore the Wise Children suggestion.

OP posts:
Report
KiteyDelighty · 25/02/2018 20:48

I can't find the Jane Smiley on kindle. Anyone else?

Report
mamapants · 25/02/2018 21:15

Don't think its on kindle. I've ordered a second hand copy via Amazon.

Report
MyBrilliantDisguise · 25/02/2018 21:17

1000 acres is absolutely brilliant.

Report
desperatelyseekingcaffeine · 03/03/2018 07:52

Just started king lear and ordered 1000 acres. Haven't read a Shakespeare play since school so finding it hard work

Report
runningoutofjuice · 03/03/2018 12:30

Hi chilly, do you want to get the title edited as it says spoilers from 25th Feb? I think we all know it's March but just for clarity maybe?

Report
runningoutofjuice · 03/03/2018 12:51

I think I'm going to skim my study notes for King Lear and order the 1000 acres. Looks good.

Report
endehors · 04/03/2018 00:02

Thanks Chilly

I've just ordered Thousand Acres. There will be a copy of King Lear somewhere (my favourite Shakespeare play, though I haven't read it in 20+ years!)

Report
mamapants · 04/03/2018 15:51

A Thousand Acres has arrived.
I'm just reading A Room with a View at the moment, then going to read King Lear. The introduction to my copy of King Lear referred to 1000acres, and gave away what I imagine is quite a big spoiler Angry

Report
Plentyoffishnets · 06/03/2018 21:22

Marking my place! Have the play, brodies notes and the novel all ready to start. It's good we can do either/or. I'll see how I get on with the play - but may resort to reading just the notes and the novel! I've not read any Shakespeare in 20+ years and have not studied king Lear before so definitely up for the challenge!

Report
mmack · 06/03/2018 22:05

I got a film version of King Lear from the library-the 1971 version starring Paul Schofield. It got a good rating on imdb and I was a bit worried that I'd struggle with reading it-it's nearly 30 years since I read a Shakespeare play.

Report
mmack · 06/03/2018 22:11

I love A Room with A View, mamapants. Have you seen the film? It's one of my all time favourites. It must have one of the greatest supporting casts ever-Daniel Day-Lewis and Maggie Smith are fantastic in it.

Report
Chillywhippet · 07/03/2018 20:53

Great to see people up for the challenge.

I have reported thread title to get it changed to March.

Have ordered 1000 Acres and started play on Kindle. Will resort to film of the play if need be. Blush

OP posts:
Report
endehors · 09/03/2018 22:58

My copy of the novel arrived today. I'll get started with it tomorrow. Haven't looked at the play yet.

King Lear isn't my favourite Shakespeare play, that would be the Scottish play, not sure how I managed to confuse the two...

Report
mamapants · 10/03/2018 21:50

mmack no I've never seen the film, I can see why it would make a good film for sure. So will try and watch it soon.

Have read the first two scenes of Lear am finding the notes a bit distracting at the moment. Need to get into a better rhythm. Good so far though. There's a couple of versions on Amazon video I will try after I've finished.

Report
mamapants · 13/03/2018 21:08

I've read the first two acts of Lear. And first 60 pages of A Thousand Acres. Enjoying both so far.
How are people getting on?

Report
Chillywhippet · 20/03/2018 19:56

Argh. In danger of missing deadline.
Read a bit of Lear. I love seeing sayings in Shakespeare. “Nothing comes from nothing.”

Have read a few chapters of 1000 Acres and I love the writing and how she draws the landscape and the characters. Her writing reminds me of Carol Shields, economical and evocative.

OP posts:
Report
mamapants · 21/03/2018 19:47

Finished 1000acres a few days ago but not got much further with King Lear. Hoping to get it finished.

Report
AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 21/03/2018 20:02

People are reading king Lear...for fun?

Not at all mentally scarred by a level English

Report
mmack · 21/03/2018 22:19

I watched King Lear. I had the summary of the play open on Wikipedia and if I hadn't had it I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on. I think I should have made an attempt at reading it instead.
I'm 100 pages into A Thousand Acres and I think I'm enjoying it even more than I did the first time I read it. She is a brilliant writer.

Report
mmack · 21/03/2018 22:23

Unless by Carol Shields is one of my favourite books ever, Chillywhippet. I was just thinking about it because I saw somewhere recently that there is a film version with Catherine Keener as the mother. It would be a good choice for the book club.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

desperatelyseekingcaffeine · 22/03/2018 22:12

Have to admit I've not really enjoyed reading King Lear - almost finished now but finding it a real chore. Going to read 1000 acres once finished.

Report
mamapants · 23/03/2018 06:53

Finding King Lear a slog too, was my suggestion as well. Apologies.

Report
mmack · 23/03/2018 09:39

I'm glad I watched King Lear because it's making me appreciate A Thousand Acres more. The first time I read it I wasn't aware of all the Lear characters and I think she did a great job fleshing out Edmund into Jess Clark.
Some of the updates of classics novels just don't work but trouble after the signing over of land must be the universal story that can always work.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.