The Modern Scholar: Shakespeare: The Seven Major Tragedies Audiobook

" As it says on the jacket, "The indispensable critic on the indispensable writer." "

" Bloom is such a good reader of Shakespeare but I don't find all his arguments convincing. If you want to learn about the plays, this isn't the book for you. If you want to learn what Bloom's opinions are regarding the plays and Shakespeare's achievements and shortcomings then this is the book for you. "

" I liked it, but Bloom did not hold my interest enough to give it a better rating. "

" I hate to call any book worthless, but I'm having a hard time thinking of anything of value in this narcissistic bore of a tome. Bloom has done absolutely no research on Early Modern culture, has no concept of the current scholarly discussion in Shakespeare studies, and his readings of the plays amount--basically--to platitudinous gut-reactions. Sure,he has his insights here and there, but the layperson that thinks this is in any way a great contribution to Shakespeare studies is being hoodwinked. Try to find a single citation for this book in any serious books or articles on Early Modern literature. "

" I didn't read it all - just the parts I needed to for my class. I found the half dozen essays I read very helpful. "

" Harold Bloom is unique, inflammatory, and at times quite endearing. I do not always agree with his interpretations but they are all worthy of thought. His considerable knowledge of the Elizabeathan era and its poets and playwrights (specifically Marlowe) makes this work singularly interesting. On top of which, I must say that his great love for Falstaff is something which I share. A gut full of sack, possibly the most intelligent character in all of Shakespeare save Hamlet, exposing the world of titles and honor as a sham -- and yet blinded by his love for a boy who will use him to be king. Sigh. "

" Glad it's on my shelf...but depressed about it at the same time. A big hunk of what Bloom is trying pass off as revelatory is more like a response to younger literary critics and their beliefs. (And it's kind of charmingly ironic that Bloom attacks others for their blind devotion to narrow paradigms in a book where he spends a big glob of time psychologically fawning over Falstaff.) It's not really a book about Shakespeare; it's a book about what Harold Bloom wants us to know about Shakespeare and why he thinks we should know it. Which means a lot of the book is really about Harold Bloom; it would be better titled "Harold Bloom's Stentorian Voiceover of Shakespeare (With Added Important Commentary)." But you have to have balls like church bells to even try something so patently self-serving. I'm surprised Stanley Fish didn't get to it first. "

" The ambitious aim of this work is captured in its title. Bloom sets out to argue that Shakespeare "invented" the modern human through his plays, creating and encouraging the wit and archetypal relationships which have endured in the centuries since. It is a bold claim and the word "re-invented" might have been better used. But he makes a breath-taking case for Shakespeare's primacy, which stands as a classic of literary criticism. "

" Second time reading this text and it's better than the first. Bloom is a favorite. "

" He is a cranky man, an academic elitist, but he really finds good reasons to still be interested in Shakespeare. "

" I don't know whether it's his arrogance or his writing style but I have discovered that I loathe Bloom. "

" Found a few very interesting ideas in this book. "

" Must read for all with any interest in life. "

" Super duper accessible -- little essays for each play that are very illuminating, often with a slight twist. "

" Have been dipping into this one a lot this year, as I re-read King Lear, Hamlet & Twelfth Night. Really an excellent source of deeper insight into the plays, with strongly-held arguments against fashionable trends of academic criticism. "

" Bloom is so bossy, so overstated, and so inpenetrable sometimes. But, gotta follow along, and when he's right . . . he's right. "

" Bloom is . . . well, Bloom. Whatever credibility he may sometimes lose as a scholar as a result of some outrageous claims (see title of the book, for one), he more than compensates by his incredible knowledge of not only Shakespeare, but other great literature. "

" Harold Bloom is deep and often verbose in his illumination of Shakespeare's themes. Though I don't always agree with his interpretations, I constantly find myself refering back to this book. "

" I use this book as a reference for Shakespeare's plays. It's the type of book that I return to again and again for the extraordinary insights into themes found in the plays that are so in tune with modern understanding of human nature. "

" I love his topics, but YAWN I find Bloom such an insufferable bore. "

" Some flashes of insight here and there, but Marjorie Garber's Shakespeare After All is much more interesting. And like many, I disagree with the premise of even someone as great as Will "inventing the human." "

" This book can be summed up in basically one word: Falstaff. After awhile it's just amusing. "

" Harold Bloom....I need say no more!!! "

" The bible of Shakespearean criticism. "

" My first book of Blooms and his literary theorums about Shakespeare. Makes me want to read more works by Shakespeare with a new sharpened awareness. "

" I read everything by Harold Bloom. He is wise and never afraid to share his opinion! "

" I read each of his essays after listening to each play (audio book). Fascinating study. Of course there are different interpretations, but his insight is excellent. He is also very easy to read and to understand compared to most literary analysis. "

" Absolutely love this work. I may not always agree with Bloom, but his insights and thoughts add to my experiences with the greatest writer who ever lived. I've read through this book three times and it still informs me. "