. . . one of my favorite scenes in all of Shakespeare.
I am winded, you guys. Winded from laboring over this list. This is the first time I've attempted to cobble together a Best Books of the Decade list, and I can't say I'll be up to it for another ten years or so. But my, I couldn't resist the challenge (or profound pleasure, if we're being honest). I kept trying to winnow it down, kept forcing myself to be ruthless. Like somehow I could (or should) keep it to a top ten (flat impossible) or at least a top twenty-five (who are we kidding?). But after bidding those constraints good riddance, I really did press myself to take a hard, clear look at what hurts (to mangle my favorite Hemingway quote). Because these novels hurt in the best way. Each entry on this list is a five-star book in my books. Which means I wouldn't change a single thing about a single one of them. They are the ones I call perfect when I recommend them to friends and strangers. They are the ones I have read and reread over the past ten years and…
OMG totally just had a squee moment, haha. This is also my absolute favorite passage of Shakespeare. Love it, and love Kenneth's version :)
ReplyDeleteWe had to memorize that speech in 10th grade...I think Kenneth did a rather better job of it than I did!
ReplyDeleteKenneth Branagh + Shakespeare = LOVE
ReplyDeleteHayley, it's my favorite version of it as well.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, nice. I'd love to have it memorized.
Tiah, definitely.