Romeo and Juliet

This is a re-reading but the first time with this particular edition. The Royal Shakespeare Company Modern Library edition is just beautifully clear. When I picked this up I just had to buy it and now intend to get hold of them all.
It's the combination of modern font, clear, unfussy layout and the obvious accessibility of the notes on the page that make it so much easier to understand and enjoy.
The scholarship brings out all the earthy, bawdy double meanings and brings old Shakespeare to life.

2.0 - Audiolibro

Reacio a leerlo por muchos años decidí por fin darle una oportunidad a un Audiolibro encontrado en Spotify. Le di algunas ojeadas al Ebook que tenía por ahi en el cloud y definitivamente la versión de Audiolibro es mucho menos poética (para mi gran alivio) pero bastante bien interpretada (en la mayoría de los casos; aunque Romeo es realmente insufrible).

Esto está bien como símbolo del amor venciendo al odio pero nada más. Estos amores fugaces son tan inverosímiles para mí que caen en lo risible. El pobre y desdichado Romeo que, por culpa de un amor no correspondido por parte de una tal Rosalina (¿o era Rosalinda?... y creo que también era una Capuleto), decide olvidarse de ella en un santiamén para caer profundamente enamorado (en una noche...) de Julieta Capuleto.

Cuando Romeo confiesa esto a Fray Lorenzo, este le responde: “¿Otra vez, Romeo?”. Eso, señores, es una clara indicación de algún síndrome amoroso sufrido por Romeo Montesco. No es nada nuevo para sus conocidos. En conclusión: si no se mataba por Rosalina o Julieta, iba a ser por cualquier otra.

1/5 stars

I despise this book with a burning passion. I had to read it for my English class, and it was one of the worst books I've had to read for the class. If it had been read for the theater, it may have been a different experience, as they would at least add a comedic aspect to it. This book reminded me of why I despise the Romeo and Juliet trope so much. Very few retellings have made me tolerate this trope. Although some people have told me that this trope is just another version of enemies to lovers, I completely disagree. Going back to the book, I realized that this has another trope I dislike: insta-love. They met and immediately fell for each other. How am I supposed to feel sorry for them when I have no attachments to the characters of the relationship they had? I would love to say that I liked a character from this story, but in this case, all the characters annoyed me, especially since I had to analyze them.