As part of Stainless Steel Droppings Once Upon a Time event I have just read a Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.  Not only is this rather fitting for the time of year but it’s something of a novelty for me as I have never managed to completely read any of Shakespeare’s stories before.  I know this may seem staggering to some but I’ve always got distracted by the fact that they’re plays not books.

Anyway, I read a Midsummer Night’s Dream and I did enjoy it.  Obviously the prose are lyrical (although I still maintain that it’s nicer to hear somebody speaking the words than reading them and I really do love this play) and the story is quirky and amusing.  I’m not going to go into the plot other than to say it’s a story about love primarily and how love sometimes goes round in circles.  The story involves four separate couples and we also have a small troupe of would-be actors who intend to stage their own play for one of the soon to be married couple as part of the celebrations.

What I love about this novel and what primarily struck me is the fact that we loved then, and continue to love now, stories that involve the fey.  Of course there is no shortage of novels these days that have the fey living amongst us but I enjoyed going back and reading a play from the tudor times where the author also works on this concept.  I wonder how far back we could look and find such fairy stories or more to the point how these ever came about.

So, I won’t go into it any further.  I’ve chosen a couple of quotes (well, it’s Shakespeare so it felt obligatory) that I enjoyed.

Bottom: ‘methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face; and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me I must scratch’.

Titania: ‘My Oberon! What visions have I seen! Methought I was enamoured of an ass.’ (I love that quote)

Anyway, in conclusion, I did enjoy this and I will pick up more of the bard as a result – but I’m not sure it beats seeing the play!