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The Sonnets

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The Sonnets

By: William Shakespeare
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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About this listen

Everyone knows something of Shakespeare's sonnets, even if only in memorable fragments like "the darling buds of May," or "remembrance of things past," or "the marriage of true minds." For centuries these wonderfully crafted, intense lyrics have stood for something valued about youth, love, and the emotional complexities belonging to that time of life. This new recording presents all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets, using the New Cambridge Shakespeare texts.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©1997 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd. (P)1997 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd. Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Drama & Plays European Literary History & Criticism Poetry Shakespeare World Literature

Editor reviews

William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets on subjects ranging from love and beauty to time and mortality, and this audiobook presents them all, narrated with empathy and brio by Royal Shakespeare Company actor Alex Jennings. Groundbreaking and unusual at the time they were published, Shakespeare's sonnets are still thought-provoking today, with many lines that are oft-referenced in modern literature and popular culture, from "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" in Sonnet 18, to "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun" in Sonnet 130. With their rolling cadence and dramatic subjects, these poems are at their best when performed live, as this compelling recording more than proves.

Critic reviews

"Jennings would get the Oscar for this extraordinary reading of my all time favourite collection. Intelligent, passionate, restrained, it's all of these and more. A 5-Star performance."( The Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
brilliantly narrated, all emotions sensitively handled and quite literally a life saver during the pandemic. highly recommended.

This is the best audio book I've ever bought

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Alex Jennings is one of the best of the few in his generation who can do this very particular performance superbly

We should all be listening to them from this week onwards - it was 20 May 1609 that WS took them in to be published !

20 May 1609 - 2009

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