Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Genre: Fiction
Comments: In the pages that I read this week, the main character, Holling Hoodhood, had to play the role of a fairy wearing yellow tights in a Shakespeare play, The Tempest. Holling has to do this in order to be able to pay for the cream puffs that he owes to people in his class. After the play, Holling gets teased a lot and pictures of him wearing yellow tights are stuck to every single door, locker, wall, window and even in the ceiling by a school bully.
After the tight incident, Holling studies another Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. He finds it very stupid: 'Never mind that Romeo wears tights- at least according to the pictures- but he isn't very smart. And Juliet isn't too strong in that department, either. I mean, a potion to almost kill you? She drinks a potion to almost kill you? Who would drink a potion to almost kill you? Then Romeo goes ahead and drinks a potion that will kill you because he can't figure out that she's only had a potion that almost kills you? An then Juliet, who at least is smart enough to figure out that Romeo really is dead, makes sure that she uses a knife this time, which is not almost going to kill you, but really will kill you?
Does't this sound like something that two people who can't find their way around the block would get themselves into?
Of course it does.
Mrs. Baker couldn't see this problem at all. Because she's a teacher, and no teacher ever does. "Didn't you find it tragic and beautiful and lovely?" she asked me when I told her I'd finished reading it.
See?
"Not really," I said.
"What did you find it then?"
"Stupid." '
But soon enough, Holling discovers that the play isn't that stupid after all after a series of unexpected events.
No comments:
Post a Comment