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The Taming of the Shrew (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.00) - 82,609 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Kiss me, Kate, we will be married o'Sunday - Petruchio
A Shakespeare Society Production.
The complete play in five acts.
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"Surprisingly, I typically prefer Shakespeare's tragedies over his comedies (with the exception of Much Ado About Nothing). I haven't read as many of them as I have the tragedies, and I suspect a lot of that has to deal with the fact that I typically find the relationships in his comedies to be unrealistic because, much like the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the characters seem to fall in love upon first meeting with one another. I know that by definition, the comedies are meant to be funny, but it was just always something that bothered me. I was, however, pleasantly pleased with this play. Yes, the characters seemed to fall in love quickly, but the wit and content of the play was so thick and rich that I couldn't help but laugh along as I read through it. I can definitely see why this is a cherished comedic masterpiece of Shakespeare's, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of puns and/or wit in a play, because I can assure you, The Taming of the Shrew holds that in abundance."
— Danielle (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A lusty, witty, well-crafted comedy. The Taming of the Shrew abounds in vigorous, often ribald wordplay. Too farcical to be taken seriously as antifeminist, the work is a romp on the hoary subject of the battle of the sexes.”
— Masterpieces of World Literature
The Taming of the Shrew Listener Reviews
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" I remember seeing a performance of this as a kid and really enjoying it. I don't remember it being quite so infuriatingly sexist. Kind of disappointing. The wordplay was nice, though, as always. "
— Charlie, 2/19/2014 -
" One of my favorite Shakespeare stories - abit sexist though! Lol. But one of the two Shakespeare heroines I had a crush on! "
— Amit, 1/28/2014 -
" So hard to understand though! I played Hortensio and Biance :3 "
— â™’, 1/21/2014 -
" Honestly, this may be one of Shakesphere's worst plays. "
— Lichen, 1/19/2014 -
" meh, its shakespeare always happens the same way "
— Bridgette, 1/16/2014 -
" Is it horrible that I love this mysognistic comedy? Kate is just so awesome, she doesn't even have to cross dress. "
— Brandy, 1/13/2014 -
" My FAVORITE Shakespeare. If you are into an angsty girl, with a meddling and overbearing father, a prissy sister, and reservations about men... this book is for you! Sometimes being a shrew does work! "
— Fareesa, 1/6/2014 -
" I laughed a lot over this book and loved the movie with Elizabeth Taylor in it........She was great. "
— Shokufeh, 12/2/2013 -
" This was the first Shakespeare that I read and saw. It reeled me and no matter how many times I see and read each time I notice something new. This is my favorite! "
— Rachel, 11/30/2013 -
" One of his funniest plays... though our culture today may not agree with the treatment of women in this play. "
— Jason, 11/25/2013 -
" One of Shakespeare's comedies. This book is hilarious!!! A fun story of a man who marries a woman to spite her. And comedic genius ensues. The original romantic comedy, in Old English!!! "
— Christian, 9/12/2013 -
" Acted this book out in class, what a riot! "
— Roderick, 5/24/2013 -
" Very comical book. Shakespeare is a true marvel when it comes to storytelling. "
— Soo, 4/22/2013 -
" Wonderful. The interaction between the two main characters is priceless! "
— Beowulfwulf, 3/18/2013 -
" OK, read for English class. Some of the language and the story were had to follow sometimes but it was actually an OK book, and I understood it. "
— Iris, 8/26/2012 -
" This play... bothered me. I wanted Katharina to win. It's actually quite a disturbing work. "
— Meltha, 2/24/2012 -
" I like it, even though it bugs a lot of people. If you decide that everything Petruchio and Kate do is a performance and not an expression of their true characters, the whole play goes down a little easier. "
— Fred, 12/18/2011 -
" I find myself rereading this play every couple of years. I ADORE it. It is witty and fun and a purely enjoyable read. One of the MANY reasons why I studied literature at university. "
— Aleisha, 12/4/2011 -
" primer on misogyny and sex puns. For: high school boys "
— Berkles, 8/11/2011 -
" This is one of my favorites by Shakespeare, especially for sassy ladies. :) "
— Delaine, 6/22/2011 -
" This play best exemplifies how my love life will play out. "
— Benjamin, 5/23/2011 -
" The first straight comedy of Shakespeare's that I ever read. The characters and situations are hilarious, and I love the Kate and Petruchio relationship. A must read for anyone who's even remotely interested in Shakespeare! "
— Heather, 5/21/2011 -
" I'm rating this 3-considering-it's-Shakespeare, not 3-compared-to-the-majority-of-books. It's fantastic, of course; just not among my favorites of his plays. "
— Leigh, 5/20/2011 -
" Cant give five stars to a play that encourages spousal abuse--even if its Shakespeare "
— Carly, 5/18/2011 -
" loved 10 things i hate about you, loved this. "
— Hay, 5/16/2011 -
" I had a hard time with the gender roles of the day. It was entertaining enough, but very sexist. "
— Sarah, 5/8/2011 -
" Such a good book! And funny in a Shakesperean sort of way. "
— Katie, 5/5/2011 -
" i think bell shakespere's productionof this ruined the story for me. "
— Candice, 5/4/2011 -
" The language is exquisite, as usual.<br/><br/>The initial set-up never pays of. Kate's last speech would only make sense if a husband is perfect. I wish she could have taken that into consideration.<br/><br/>Also, some dialogue could have done with a little more subtext. "
— Ke, 4/11/2011 -
" funny book, in a shakespearian sense...the original bridezilla! "
— Lori, 4/11/2011 -
" Another example of William Shakespeare's insight into human relationships. Recently saw the film version-excellent portrayal of "the shrew" by Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton-very entertaining and funny! "
— Esmeralda, 4/9/2011 -
" i love the book because i love the movie 10 things i hate about you (what it's based off of) but not sure about the ending... kinda iffie on that "
— Jessica, 4/5/2011
About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and dramatist of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean period, is the most widely known author in all of English literature and often considered the greatest. He was an active member of a theater company for at least twenty years, during which time he wrote many great plays. Plays were not prized as literature at the time and Shakespeare was not widely read until the middle of the eighteenth century, when a great upsurge of interest in his works began that continues today.