An absorbing and elegantly written examination of the spiritual wisdom in Shakespeare.
The Bard has much of the divine sage in him, according to this searching literary study.
Dickey, a Buddhist and a one-time fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library, argues that the lust, violence, power grabs, and revenge plots in Shakespeare’s plays are informed by Buddhist doctrines that aim to cultivate a detached and serene worldview. Othello’s jealous suspicion of Desdemona, for example, illustrates the Buddha’s warnings about letting obsessive thoughts dominate the mind. Shakespeare’s many beleaguered kings bear out the Buddha’s notion that power is an illusion that confers neither safety nor happiness. The Buddha’s teaching that the world is an illusion is also echoed in Prospero’s speech in The Tempest, likening life to a phantasmagorical vision, “such stuff as dreams are made of.” And a parade of Shakespearian villains, like Richard III, Macbeth, and Claudius, are duly brought down by the colossal karma built up by their murderous misdeeds. Indeed, so attuned is Shakespeare to the Buddhist vibe that, in an instructional appendix on meditation procedures, Dickey recommends a slew of lines, like Lear’s “Poor naked wretched whereso’er you are,” as mantras. Deeply read in both Shakespeare and Buddhism, Dickey is adept at showing how unwittingly Buddhist Shakespeare was and also how limpid and pithy a wordsmith the Buddha could be. Written in lucid, accessible prose, Dickey’s own interpretations of Shakespeare tease out hidden meanings in ways that are subtle but profound. For example, tracing the philosophical arc from Hamlet’s binaristic “To be, or not to be” to his climactic perception that “The readiness is all….Let be,” Dickey writes that “Life and death are no longer fixed states” but “passing stages in a never-ending process of becoming,” one through which Hamlet can finally enact the Buddhist ideal of “a surrender of attachment and aversion.” The result is a fascinating take on the playwright and the Buddha, full of illuminating insights.
An absorbing and elegantly written examination of the spiritual wisdom in Shakespeare.Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 9798664380866
Page Count: 170
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 5, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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