Henry is my first choice. I'm downloading it now.

Geo has created a thread in the Fiction Book Forum for Henry IV.

If any of you plan to participate please make at least 1 post in the thread at http://www.booktalk.org/topic18602.html stating your intentions. If we have 4+ people planning to participate I will create a forum for that discussion.

In other words take the Henry IV conversation to http://www.booktalk.org/topic18602.html please.

Is Henry IV one of Shakespeare's histories? I can't remember.

Movie Nerd wrote:Is Henry IV one of Shakespeare's histories? I can't remember.

Hi Nerd. Yes, Henry IV is usually categorized as a history, but according to David Scott Kastan in the introduction to the The Arden Shakespeare, the word "history" was used generically and the distinction between the Histories and the Tragedies is not really that clear. Even The Merchant of Venice was first published as the "Most Excellent History."

Also, as I've mentioned, the four plays that make up the tetralogy are thematically grouped together—chronologically following the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V—but each play stands on its own. In particular, the two plays of Henry IV (part one and part two) are believed to have been composed some years apart. Did Shakespeare know that he was going to write a Part II when he wrote Part I? Some scholars think so, but more likely, Part II was a kind of sequel based on the popularity of Part I. According to Kastan, the plays were not traditionally performed together until later.

Hey everybody, Chris is about to launch the threads for Henry IV (Part 1). I'm sort of recommending the Arden Shakespeare version of the play (see link below), but any version is fine of course. It looks like a couple of you are reading Kindle versions.

I'm suggesting that the discussion for this play run Dec. & Jan. which leaves plenty of time to start reading.

http://www.amazon.com/King-Henry-Part-A ... 1904271359

I'll create this new discussion forum today.

The forum for King Henry IV, Part 1 has been created and is now ready for action!!!

In fact I'm going to move this thread into the King Henry IV forum.

I read "King John" a while ago and really loved it. Especially the Bastard. I'm definitely going to try to get into King Henry IV, Part 1!