The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski (on CD)

I wanted to like this book. It's based on Shakespeare (supposedly), it's about dogs and Wisconsin, lots of people gave it stellar reviews.

But oh.my.GOD the depression never lifts, the sense of oncoming doom is pervasive, and finally, on disc 6, when the dogs start fighting...I'd had it. No more bad news. No more heavy-handed suspense that builds and never really seems to lead anywhere. I can't deal with it. And come to think of it, I find Hamlet annoying too. I did really like Edgar and Almondine, at least; I can't say that about Hamlet-the-character.

Maybe it would be different if I read it with my eyeballs, but the days of me reading a nearly 600-page book are in the past--maybe in the future too. In any case, I'm moving to another book now

Shakespeare : The Seven Major Tragedies, by Harold Bloom (on CD)

Well, I can honestly say that there are few people I'd be less likely to listen to another lecture from than Harold Bloom. What a puffed-up, annoying person.

However, he does know his Shakespeare. I just wish he didn't find so many things "extraordinary."