More from the
review in The School Librarian:
"Crystal
states that he wants to 'make Shakespeare's words
accessible without dumbing them down' and this he
does admirably. English staff would be delighted
with Crystal's practical suggestions to help in
deciphering and appreciating Shakespeare's works
as they stand rather than in translation. I would
imagine that any reader using it to help with a
specific concept would be hooked into reading it
... I certainly was!"
"The
most effective sections are the two last ‘Acts’
(half the book) where he goes into considerable
detail about Shakespeare’s use of metre. There
are numerous fascinating examples which bring out
facets of Macbeth, for instance, which I had
never noticed or taken for
granted."
NATE (National Association for the Teaching of
English)
"Crystal
ends up admirably succeeding in his ambition to
provide a toolbox for getting to grips with
Shakespeare’s plays."
The Guardian
"I
found myself engrossed and actually learning
interesting things. More than that, I was
beginning to envisage work-sheets, Power Points
and role-play activities that could breathe life
into the text for students based on what Crystal
was sharing.
His writing style is chatty and clear, easy
enough for a bright year 8 or 9 to follow and any
reasonably competent GCSE student with the desire
should have no trouble. However, the book is one
that both Literature and Drama students who are
anything more than seat-warmers at AS and A-Level
ought to read. It will certainly be on my
students’ reading list and I’ve already
recommended it to the librarian as well as our
English Advisor.
So, what is it that makes Shakespeare on toast
worth paying for? It is packed with anecdotes,
many of which bring at least a smile to the face,
all of which are interesting. And there are those
bits of fascinating trivia that students should
be gathering from somewhere that sometimes prove
to be just the nugget you need to add an engaging
touch to work. It also has a scattering of apt
quotes by writers, producers and actors that are
useful and informative.."
The Times Educational Supplement
"An
ideal way to gain an understanding of why
Shakespeare is so brilliant and
enjoyable"
Richard Eyre
"A
Masterclass"
The Times
"Compelling...
A tasty snack with genius"
The Independent
