I have a confession: I'm a Shakespearean scholar. I studied him and his works for years in college, I've won scholarships, written countless essays, written an entire thesis on the labyrinth of his identity, even threw him a 450th birthday party. Even with all that knowledge I learned a load from Shakespeare on Toast! I adored this book and sent copies to my Shakespeare classmates and professors who all said the same: this is brilliant! I highly recommend it to not just us nerds but to everyone who ever wished they understood what the heck Shakespeare was all about!

Shakespeare on Toast is like sawdust on rye
Posted on March 13, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

I’m not gunna lye. I didn’t ‘reed’ Shakespeare on Toast.

The idea of Ben Crystal’s mercifully thorough tome on how to break-down and understand Shakespeare’s classic work seems like something I should know. But I can’t seem to get interested enough to read it.

To give you an idea of my predicament, I’ve had this book in my review folder since August 2012. That’s not 2021. That’s nine years ago. Hmm. Maybe I should wait and make it an even ten.

Snooze …

Shame on me. How dare I call myself a writer without having keen respect and admiration for William Shakespeare, who I am told, is credited for putting on paper a bagillion different forms of storytelling the rest of us ripped off repeatedly as soon as the ink dried from his quill – or chalk – or coal – or whatever. I know some people claim he created storytelling’s foundational archetypes, but, I’m sorry. He isn’t the first. What about the Illiad, the Oddesy, the Bible? Shakespeare had to rip off someone. He was just an outstanding marketer.

Those darn marketers rule the world with their sleight of hand. And let’s face it. Shakespeare was a great marketer. Really great.

Author Ben Crystal is, however, a proper authority on this subject and his book “should be required high school reading,” according to his reviews.
In this book, Crystal breaks down Shakespeare’s stuffy attitude to reveal “plays for what they really are: modern, thrilling, uplifting drama.”

Thank God Crystal did this. All you high school students need to get this book. Spend your allowance. Do what you have to do. Invest in this book and your mandatory dive into Shakespeare will be easier on your brain. Not to mention, you won’t be inspired by that tired old “Romeo” story and kill yourself over a girl. Believe me. There are plenty more.

Well, maybe I shouldn’t say that so fast. My first love – though he was a boy – is still pretty important.

Just don’t kill yourself over it. Life is still full of way fabulous experiences.
You know what, reader. Suddenly I feel like I am back in high school. This is exactly how I got through that grueling four years of fear and hiding from bullies and gang members. I won’t even mention the pain I endured not using the school bathroom my entire high school career. How did I do it? Create a distraction, pave the road with baloney, run as fast as you can and learn everything you were supposed to learn in high school over the next 40 years. Ya. That did not serve me very well.

My advice? Just read Shakespeare on Toast, grab every Cliff Note-type book you can find, and hold on for the ride. I guarantee. A small percent of you will actually like this stiff stuff and learn something that cuud turn U into a righter sum day.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

I remember reading this and enjoying it because I love Shakespeare. It's not my favorite from the 'make Shakespeare more accessible' type of books, but I think that's probably because I dropped my education major around this time and never really came back to it.

I apologize for the delay - I thought that I had submitted feedback regarding this book, but it appears that I did not. I read it a long time ago and I am sorry that I do not recall the specifics of the book. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and I apologize for any confusion.

This book amazed me as I read it. It was a very unexpectedly entertaining and informative book. Providing the novice Shakespeare reader a way to understand the bard without dumbing it down in anyway and takes the reader back to the Shakespearean era and learn more about the hows/whys/whats of theater and life then, which in turn makes us understand Shakespeare better. Well, if I did not confuse you with that long-winded statement, then let me add that this book is a great read written with that right touch of wit and humor, and yet managing to convey a wonderful store of information! To understand the bard, and iambic pentameter - read this book!! Ben Crystal says of Shakespeare: ‘So without the internet, films, television, magazines, and everything else we have at our fingertips available to them, Shakespeare’s audience had an exceptionally open and hungry imagination. They were an audience that would love fabulous, exotic worlds being weaved before them, worlds they’d never experience, people wearing clothes they’d never wear, saying things they themselves perhaps would never get to say. So that’s what Shakespeare gave them’
And that is what this book gives us, a whole new world to experience!!

A humorous guide to Shakespeare's works for those who find his writing difficult to manoeuvre (myself included!). Fun, amusing, refreshing and enlightening in places, 'Shakespeare on Toast' gave a great insight into not only the plays and poems of Shakespeare but also an insight into the man himself and his times. As an English literature grad soon to study to be a teacher this book will surely be a treasure trove of information for myself during my training and in the work that I produce.