What a Griffin Reads and Watches : Friday Reviews 5: September 30th- October 6th, 2017

Friday Reviews Week 5:

September 30th- October 6th

🍁 Book 1: Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller 🍁

Narrated by Deryn Edwards

Listened to September 24th- October 1st

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Sallot Leon is a thief that steals a poster announcing the open auditions for the Left Hand, who are the powerful collection of the Queen's personal assassins. They are named after the rings that she wears-- Ruby, Emerald, Amethyst, and Opal. Sal goes to the auditions hoping to be able to become the next Opal. Their reasoning is more towards wanting revenge.

Sal is a gender-fluid character that has had to be tough their whole life because of their horrible past. This character really interested me especially once I learned more about their past. The bits and pieces we get throughout were important for their overall character. I have never read a book quite like this and was not sure of how I would like it. I'm glad to say that I enjoyed it.

Deryn Edwards (the narrator) not only reflects the viciousness of the main character, Sal, but also the other characters that she is voicing. She conveys the brutality of this novel in her narration and also the vulnerability of Sal. As the story continued, I began to get attached to Sal and was rooting for them.

This is a compelling story that will pull the reader into the world that is being created, wondering what will happen next. I would have liked to have a bit more about this world that we are getting thrown into so early on. There are many times that we do learn more, but not enough. This book intrigued me and I will be picking up the rest of the series.

*I received the audiobook for free for an honest review*

🍁 Book 2: Hamlet by William Shakespeare 🍁

Read October 5th and 6th

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~Favorite Quotes~

I really love this play. This was the second time that I have read it, the first time was in my senior year of high school. It is one of my favorites of Shakespeare's plays. There are so many quotes that I could mention here, but I'll keep to three. My favorites:

- HORATIO. Good night, sweet prince. (5. 2. 364)- Hamlet by William Shakespeare- stunningly beautiful

- HAMLET. A dream itself is but a shadow. (2. 2. 265)

- HAMLET. To be or not to be- that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep-

No more- and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep-

To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come - my favorite part of this

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause. There's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of times,

Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office, and the spurns

That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscovered country, from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will,

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pitch cast of thought,

With this regard their currents turn awry

And lose the name of action. (3. 1. 56-89)

This had to be here as a favorite. There are so many great lines and many that we still use today that come from Hamlet's famous soliloquy. This was hard enough to type up on here, I could not imagine memorizing the whole thing to act out. It's such a great part of the play.

~ The Plot ~

Hamlet is about a young prince who has become doomed by his father's murder (or should I say murther) to plot his revenge. It is about a man's quest to avenge his father. The madness and tragedy ensues while he tries to incriminate his uncle.

Hamlet's actions in this play can be quite comical. I enjoyed many of the parts of the play when he is acting "crazy" and the reactions of the others around him that are witnessing this madness. He can be quite cruel at times, especially to Ophelia. It was for the act but some of what he says to her is hard to read. Overall, I enjoyed Hamlet as a character and watching his actions. He's so funny.

The one thing that makes this not perfect to me is a couple scenes from Act 3 and 4. They sort of dragged on and to me were not as great as the rest.

I enjoyed reading this play again and seeing the actions of these characters again. Gosh, how I forgot how annoying Polonius truly is. Sure "brevity is the soul of wit", go by your own advice sir.

~ Overall Thoughts ~

If you are looking for a play of Shakespeare's to read this should definitely be on your list. And there's a ghost, so it somewhat fits with the Halloween vibes of October.

Also, if you would rather watch the play there are many great performances you could watch. One is from the BBC from 2009, it has Patrick Stewart and David Tennant as Hamlet. It's fantastic.

Hamlet BBC 2009, soliloquy scene