De Profundis - August 6, 2007 -
I finished De Profundis by Mr. Oscar Wilde last night.
Remember also that I have yet to know you. Perhaps we have yet to know each other.
Damn, those lines really broke my heart.
I also finished Hamlet, then realised that my (1922 - it’s an OLD university library book!) edition actually has censored portions. AAAACK. I hope that when I do eventually get a collection of Shakespeare’s works, I won’t meet with this offensiveness again.
I’ve always been a little annoyed that I’ve never studied Shakespeare within an academic context. The first Shakespeare play I read was A Midsummer Night’s Dream when I was 16; then Romeo and Juliet (nice!!…it got better from here); Antony and Cleopatra (history’s a splendid thing); most recently, Hamlet (WOW). Next up is King Lear (where I believe somebody’s eyes are gouged out).
Oh, the struggle [I’ve never denied that I do find Shakespeare, on the whole, difficult (I didn’t say unenjoyable, I said difficult)].
I think a good way to do it would be to read the play first, then research and read up on all the (little and great) things missed out, then later read it again, copy out favourite passages…maybe I’ll keep a whole notebook of favourite passages from my favourite authors’ various writings, lol. And of course it’d be great to watch a live performance…man, I still remember the 1978 BBC production of Romeo & Juliet I saw on tape at Temasek Poly…that was awesome.
All in all, the past couple of weeks have been a much needed and well-spent break from completing my book, haha. I think I’ve read and appreciated more books in the past month than in all four years of secondary school: something I’m always proud to say to myself.
Posted by jess. 
