Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard

by Ben Crystal

‘A master class for modern beginners and old hands alike.’ — The Times (London)

Actor, producer and director Ben Crystal revisits his acclaimed book on Shakespeare for the 400th anniversary of his death. Shakespeare on Toast knocks the stuffing from the staid old myth of the Bard, revealing his plays for what they really modern, thrilling, uplifting drama. Crystal explores his language, his life, his world, his sounds, his craft — and, astonishingly, finds Shakespeare’s own voice amid the poetry.

Whether you’re studying Shakespeare for the first time or you’ve never set foot near one of his plays but have always wanted to, this book smashes down the walls that have been built up around this untouchable literary figure.

272 pages, Paperback

Published December 24, 2015

Reviews

[Andrea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to understand Shakespeare, look no further than his words. This author shows how Shakespeare's use or misuse of iambic pentameter added excitement to his character's speeches.

Take for example when King Leer says "never, never, never, never, never" in Act 5, scene 3. Because we don't pronounce never ne-VER, this part of the speech breaks the iambic pentameter's natural rhythm expressing King Leer's chaotic personal life. In another example, the author shows how Romeo and Juliet spontaneously create together a sonnet with their words. This elevates their speech to a very high emotional level.

In the last chapter of this book he gives a checklist for how to unpack any speech in Shakespeare. I liked this quote, "No matter how complicated, no matter how ostensibly random, how annoying, boring or just plain bad a scene or a line appears to be, there is always a reason for it being there. You just have to find out what it is."

[Inga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up after a search on how to read Shakespeare after finding out that The Tempest was one of my set texts for my OU module. I hadn't studied Shakespeare since secondary school so was aprehensive about going back to it. I am so glad I got this book! It really made Shakespeare more accessible to my mind and I am looking forward to digging into The Tempest now.

It was such an easy, enjoyable read that I read it in one day. The prose is easy and straightforward and Ben has a wonderful way of breaking down his examples in a way that is understandable and does not make you feel that you have been talked down to.

I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand Shakespeare better. I know I do now.

[Andrew Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Crystal is such a witty writer. His joy and passion for Shakespeare really shine through in this book. Shakespeare on Toast is a fun and easy read, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to get into Shakespeare.

Also, as a side note, I realized after reading this book that Ben Crystal’s father, David Crystal, wrote my favourite textbook in university. I guess wit is genetic. I’m now going to revisit The Stories of English.

[Ev⭐️🪩 · Rating 2 out of 5]

for school

[Andrea]

Great for its purpose -- reminding me why I liked Shakespeare and giving me a taste for basic analysis / history around their original performance, but not a heavy duty book