This is Shakespeare no.11 for me this year. I really very much loved this story. The first 5-6 pages felt quite difficult to read.. but then it was away on a roller coaster of a tale.. a dark wintery fairy tale that ends in the first buds of spring.


Reread in 2024

I liked it much more this time round.
It has paranoia, insane jealousy, treacherous betrayal, consequences, remorse, lost children, found children, enraged kings, romance and statues that come to life. Bonkers right! But still a lot to think about and relate to today’s world.
Shakespeare didn’t include loads of stage direction in his plays, but this one does have the wonderful instruction ‘Exit, pursued by a bear’ (