FROM SHAKESPEARE—WITH LOVE

Naxos AudioBooks and David Timson offer a collection of the best of Shakespeare's love sonnets in celebration of the 400th anniversary of their first appearance in print. They’re perfect for audio. Director Timson lets the poems speak for themselves through the voices and interpretations of a group of diverse and talented actors. Listeners are treated to some of the Bard's lesser-known sonnets as well as some of his most famous, including David Tennant's reading of Sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"; Juliet Stevenson's version of Sonnet 116: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds . . ."; and David Timson's rendering of Sonnet 29: "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes. . . ." Each gem illustrates Shakespeare's take on the multifaceted nature of love, from obsession and possession to longing and delight. A must for any collection. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]