Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year

by Allie Esiri (Compilation)

A magnificent collection of 365 passages from Shakespeare's works, for the Shakespeare scholar and neophyte alike.

Make Shakespeare a part of your daily routine with Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year, a yearlong collection of passages from Shakespeare's greatest works. Drawing from the full spectrum of plays and sonnets to mark each day of the year, whether it's a scene from Hamlet to celebrate Christmas or a Sonnet in June to help you enjoy a summer's day. There are also passages to mark important days in the Shakespeare calendar, both from his own life and from his plays: You'll read a pivotal speech from Julius Caesar on the Ides of March and celebrate Valentine's day with a sonnet. Every passage is accompanied by an enlightening note to teach you its significance and help you better appreciate the timelessness and poetry of Shakespeare's words. Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year will give you a thoughtful way reflect on each day, all while giving you a deeper appreciation for the most famous writer in the English language.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Shakespeare, Plays, Fiction, Reference, Drama

608 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2019

Reviews

[Mackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wonderful way to fill your life with Shakespeare! In Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year, you get a new quote from Shakespeare a day - obviously. Some correlate to the day itself Of course March 15th would not be complete with the quote "beware the Ides of March," but other days are filled with delightful bits of prose that are not as well known but equally perfect none the less.

If you adore and/or collect quotations as I do or if you know of someone who could use a bit of classical lit in their daily lives, this is the perfect book to own! It would make are marvelous gift this holiday season as well

[Books I'm Not Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great way to incorporate Shakespeare into life!

[Mariasilvia Santi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Affascinata dall'idea quanto delusa dall'esecuzione del leggere giornalmente Shakespeare. Molti aneddoti che ruotano attorno alla figura del Bardo e alle sue opere, ma poca razionalità nella scelta e disposizione dei pezzi. E il grado di approfondimento di ogni estratto è, purtroppo, minimo.

[hawk]

I found myself enjoying the narration more than the quoted material! 😯 I think the reader for that is clearer, and the others more variable in volume, pace, etc.

I kinda expected the quotes to be more enjoyable. and it also was not always clear which character is which when it's part of play 🤔

but it was nice to get a sense of the breadth of Shakespeare work - prose poems awa sonnet, etc 🙂

unfinished for now - well, for a while now - but I might revisit/dip back in sometime.


🎭 🖼 🎭


accessed as a library audiobook.

this short review comes to you as part of the series: 'tidying up my shelves' 😉

[Julie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In college I had a choice in required classes between Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Milton. I chose Chaucer. Loved it. Will most likely not slog through Milton, but reading a little Shakespeare each day this year has been fun. My Shakespeare knowledge is pretty much limited to movies and children's books. A synopsis of each work helped. I could easily start over again this year as there are so many works it is a tad overwhelming to remember.

[elen liya · Rating 5 out of 5]

went through the worst reading slump of my life this year, so i’m glad i read a few pages every day

[Riatta Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully produced, this is something to wallow in. Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year does precisely what it says on the tin; three hundred and sixty five extracts from Shakespeare for every day of the year. It cover "sonnets, soliloquies, quotes and extracts" and rather delightfully pairs these with a little note of introduction for the relevant time of the year. So, for example, February 14th sees sonnet 29 "When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes" and a paragraph talking about how Valentine's Day was handled in Shakespeare's, er, day. April 1st sees a witty extract from As You Like It whilst November 5th sees Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discuss their plot to bring down the King.

It's an honest, unflinching volume this, which covers not only the bright fame and glory of Shakespeare's more popular work but also the darkness as well. As such, some extracts might need contextualising with parents or adults before fully being understood or even read. I suspect something like this might work rather brilliantly in an educational context, with the teacher picking and choosing the passages to support the relevant classes. That's not to say that it won't work well for home, especially when read in company, (because, as we can see in this video, Shakespeare gives something for every age ). It's a book to share and talk about and discuss and argue over and fall in love with.

It's really rather beautifully done.

I'm grateful to the publisher for a review copy.

[Sara Cantoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un bellissimo compagno per questo 2020.
Confesso che non tutti i brani mi sono piaciuti e, in alcuni casi, ho trovato la scelta dell’estratto strana.
Un’ottima occasione per spizzicare nel corpus di Shakespeare alla riscoperta di perle dimenticate.

[Jack Reilly Gillic · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag.
It’s a very nice way to incorporate Shakespeare into daily life, yet many of the entries failed to engage me. I’d have preferred more insight into Shakespeare - the man and his times.

[Clarissa Valirya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ogni giorno un estratto preso dalle intramontabili opere del nostro amato bardo.
Interessante raccolta piena di spunti. Sarebbe un ottimo regalo per gli appassionati. Forse non sono molto convinta sulla traduzione, abituata a quelle solite, a volte suonava strana.

[Eva B.]

Got this solely because I picked it up at Barnes and Noble on the way home from being in As You Like It and saw that the quote for my birthday was not only a Jaques quote but my absolute favorite Jaques quote to deliver and I think part of my soul ascended to another plane.

[Mathilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciated reading some Shakespeare excerpts I didn’t know about, I guess taking them out of the context of the play didn’t work for me.

[Jeana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I almost did it 😂

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started every day in 2021 with a Shakespeare vitamin!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vooral een cover buy en daardoor kon het al niet mis gaan. Eerst deed ik trouw per dag 1 stukje, maar in de laatste maand gewoon me er doorheen geploegd. Ik vond de informatie die rondom het gekozen stukje tekst stond interessanter dan het schrijfwerk van Shakespeare zelf, juist omdat dit telkens kleine stukjes waren zonder al te veel context van de rest van zijn tekst.

Al het met al voelt het vooral als een klassieker dat elke boekenliefhebber in de kast moet hebben staan.

[san ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

the cover gave me romantic aspirations of waking up each day ready to better acquaint myself with the bard, maybe while having morning tea and listening to violin in the background. in hindsight it was a mistake to buy a collection of unrelated passages instead of just reading a full play. 3 stars for an impressive compilation, but it just didn’t do it for me.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really doesnt get any better than this. Want to read Shakespesre but not a while play. This book gives you a speech or passage for every day of the year, with notes and fascinating facts. Perfect for everydsy dipping!

[max theodore]

this is exactly what it says it is: a shakespeare quote for every day, including a few lines or a few paragraphs of context for why each quote matches each day. like a little morning calendar! if that is the kind of thing you like, you will like this. in case anyone was curious, and because i was, i counted the number of quotes from each play (they were listed in an index in the back; i didn't have to flip through all those pages), and the least quoted plays are coriolanus, pericles, and sir thomas more (which i didn't even think shakespeare wrote? maybe i'm wrong), with two quotes each. most quoted is--well, it's the sonnets (28 quotes), but there are dozens of those; the most quoted play is a midsummer night's dream (14), which makes sense. extremely iconic part of the canon.

there are some iffy bits. bold move, for example, to place shylock's "hath not a jew eyes" speech on international holocaust remembrance day. even BOLDER move to summarize the merchant of venice (in the summaries of each play in the endnotes) WITHOUT EVER SAYING THE WORD JEWISH. (???) (?????)

but a beloved friend got this for me, so i'm fond of it. at some point in the year i started using it vaguely as an obsessive-compulsive divination tool? i had to get surgery in august and all i’m saying is that that very day’s piece was a richard ii quote about trimming excess branches so the tree can flourish healthily. all i’m saying. drop your birthday in the comments and i'll give you the quote for that day

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recommend enough a small, daily dose of Shakespeare. It was a treat to read these this year to be exposed to his brilliant use of language, to recognize famous lines or realize a line I'd heard was actually Shakespeare. The introductions give helpful background to each day's reading, and I love that Esiri organizes the readings by the days and the seasons.

[Evelyn Joie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no way to finish any text of Shakespeare

[LauraT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una bella compagnia per tutto un anno

[Michela Querini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con un giorno di anticipo ma ho concluso il viaggio durato un anno insieme a questo libro che è una raccolta di estratti delle opere del Bardo, corredate da piccoli aneddoti e qualche commento. Sinceramente speravo meglio, sia per la scelta dei brani che per le analisi, però è stato piacevole e qualche chicca me l’ha regalata.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Penguin Group through NetGalley.
I've already put this book in my Barnes and Noble cart.
Esiri has compiled a year's worth of readings from Shakespeare's canon. Along with the reading, she provides further informative text about the writing and the significance for each day. At the end of the book, she provides a synopsis of each of Shakespeare's works along with citations for when each is quoted in the book as well as an historical timeline.
It's delightful to see how she chose to connect each reading with a particular day. This will make a special gift for teachers and readers who treasure the classics.

[Elena_19_02 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ovvio che mi sarei innamorata di una raccolta di estratti di un autore che già amo in tutto per tutto, e ora, con maggior conoscenze, la mia ammirazione è solo cresciuta. Ma non mi aspettavo di innamorarmi anche dei commenti e delle idee di Allie Eisiri, esperta redattrice e, appunto, commentatrice delle opere: analisi semplici, incisive al punto giusto e che, insieme alle belle parole di William Shakespeare, aggiungevano dettagli e curiosità, facendo solo sempre più entrare nella mente di una tale produzione artistica, che ha toccato ogni livello, dal sociale, al culturale, al familiare all’economico, tutto in linea ma anche anti-convenzionale all’epoca. Questo libro è l’originalità fatta a pagine, delle quali c’è sempre qualcuna che spicca giorno dopo giorno per la data scelta. Ma chi riuscirebbe a fermarsi al calendario giusto? :’)💗

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a really good collection of Shakespeare excerpts. A lot of important scenes are included, as well as some more obscure scenes from the less Hollywood plays (looking at you, Timon of Athens). The author did a pretty good job of trying to match up scenes to relevant dates, and provided some good background information. Naturally, there is not a Shakespeare quote/scene that perfectly aligns with every day of the year, but there was an attempt to find a good, corresponding phrase.
I would recommend this for anyone who has a passing interest in Shakespeare but doesn't want to commit to reading an entire play. This could potentially introduce a new reader to a play they haven't heard of though, which is always exciting!

[Yesenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, I read this book throughout the year for exposure therapy. Shakespeare wasn’t important in my childhood so I wanted to see what the hype was about. The editor does a good job at trying to make it inclusive and relevant to modern times but it’s still missing a warmth to it. I feel more like it was a tool for me to practice a daily habit rather than an investment into my education.

[Ellesha Syke]

🎭William Shakespeare wrote thirty seven plays, one hundred and fifty four sonnets and a handful of longer poems and you can discover them all here.

Each page of Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year contains an extract - a soliloquy, poem, quote or scene - matched to date. The introductory paragraphs serve as a window into the work, time and life of the greatest writer in the English language.

Perfect for reading or sharing, this anthology brings you Shakespeare's best-known and best-loved classics alongside less well-worn extracts. With Allie Esiri's entertaining and insightful thoughts on each entry, this book will fill your year with wonder, laughter, wisdom and wit.🎭

I was first introduced to Shakespeare aged eleven at school, we watched Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet - loved it. I've studied Macbeth, Othello and I think I've seen either the Tempest or Twelfth Night in Stratford-upon-Avon - I can't remember which but a man crawled out of a tank under the stage soaking! I've seen so many films inspired by his work, but didn't realise until much later. This is a brilliant collection, one I'll definitely read again. The boxset I got from the Globe Theatre shop, I didn't have enough time see a play but wandered around the grounds and central London, I do miss my home city sometimes.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of Shakespeare For Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri from Goodreads.

History buffs, Shakespeare fans, and individuals who enjoy learning something every day will simply love Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri. This fascinating compilation, from the beautiful cover, to the wonderfully laid out content, appeals to book lovers. The book is organized for daily consumption through the year. Each date offers a brief history about the times in which Shakespeare lived or any other item that may have inspired the Bard to compose the piece quoted for that date, whether it be from one of his plays or sonnets. At the back of the book, readers will also find a section containing brief synopses of the plays, a timeline for the Shakespeare canon, and a very handy Index of Works so that readers may quickly find an inspirational or entertaining passage in the book. Keep this book within easy reach as you will want to peruse it often!

[AcademicEditor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I could give this 6 stars! The author has an eye for interesting details and a wry sense of humor, bringing fresh insights into a well-worn topic. The almanac-style format provides a manageable way to get into reading or re-reading the Bard's works. It would work well for a classroom, tying in Shakespeare excerpts to other events, such as the Oscar-themed entry in February, followed by one for Ash Wednesday. I learned details such as that the poet's paternal grandfather was a tenant farmer on land owned by his maternal grandfather in a town called Snitterfield, and these Warwickshire country roots may have informed Shakespeare's discussions of flora and fauna. Other stories, such as that of Shakespeare's son Hamnet, are more familiar but are helpfully paired here with pertinent excerpts from his writing. A fascinating book to have on hand and give as a gift.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.