I bought this recently because of my increasing interest in Marlowe.

I find this to be a very engaging work because Scarsbrook has done an enormous amount of research on Marlowe's life, many of the details of which are contained herein, the text of the letter from the Privy Council to Cambridge enabling him to get his degree, the infamous Baines report, where he is accused by a fellow spy, the coroners report on the great reckoning in the little room, which led to Marlowe's untimely death, or was it staged so that he could avoid the headman's axe. It also includes details of the pardon of his accused murderer Frizer, and the interest of the queen in the matter.

If you are a Shakespeare fan like me, you may be struck by the huge similarity in style and use of language between both. Shakespeare, born in the same year as Marlowe, yet to publish his first poem at the time of Marlowe's death. Venus and Adonis followed shortly after Marlowe's death.

I would not call this particualr collection complete, but it certainly has the greatest hits. One of my favorite pieces is The Passionate Shepherd. I am also enjoying the play Faust. Two of Marlowe's plays have been made into movies, Faust with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and Edward II by Derek Jarman.

Several weeks after Marlowe's death Shakespeare published his first poem Venus and Adonis, which made many allusions to Hero and Leander. Both are tragic poems. Both poems refer to each other by title, and several phrases are common to both poems. Yet Venus and Adonis refers to a poem by Marlowe which would not be published for several years. And Hero and Leander refers to a poem which had yet to be published. How is this possible?

Another book I am currently reading a book by Calvin Hoffman lists over 200 parallel phrases that occur in both Shakespeare and Marlowe:

Whoever loved, loved not at first sight. C Marlowe, Passionate Shepherd & W Shakespeare, As you Like It.

Was this the face that launched a thousand ships And burnt the topless towers of Ilium? C Marlowe (Kindle Locations 55195-55196.

She is a pearl, whose price hath launched above a thousand ships. Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida)

I bought this in the USA. If you cannot get it here on Amazon Canada I recommend you get the Complete Works of Christopher Marlowe (Illustrated) edition of Marlowe which currently available here at an inexpensive price. I think you will enjoy it, and I hope this was helpful.

I recently bought this on Amazon, and like another reviewer discovered that the Edward II play actually was the text of the apochryphal play Edward III, which some have wrongly in my view attributed to Shakespeare.

Internal references and wordplay offer strong evidence that this is in fact a Marlowe play, and some Marlowe scholars also contend that it is a Marlowe play, particularly the allusions to Hero and Leander, an as yet unpublished poem at the time of Marlowe's death. In E3, the word Peers is capitalised relating to the meaning peers and punned upon. There is a character Piers of Gaveston in Edward II where the exact same wordplay is used.

Unlike the other reviewer, I contacted the publisher who immediately replaced my file with the correct Edward II text. Clearly the Kindle file sold by Amazon has not been updated with this information, or else the other reviewer bought it before it was updated.

I also bought the Kindle book by The Life & Complete Works Of Christopher Marlowe, which does have the original play, which I have separately reviewed.

I consider this to be a great investment, because there are no complete paperback versions of Marlowe's complete works available on Amazon. You can buy the Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays and The Complete Poems and Translations (Penguin Classics)separately, spending more money, so this is a great bargain.

My first impression is that reading Marlowe is a very similar experience to reading Shakespeare, and there is a somewhat eerie similarity in the treatments of plays and development of characters and themes, and the use of language. There are numerous sayings in Marlowe repeated throughout the Shakespeare canon. A recent book I read on Hamlet listed over 100 parallel quotations in Hamlet alone repeated from the Marlowe works.

Similarly, Shakespeare's first published work the narrative poem Venus and Adonis in 1593, references the then unpublished Hero and Leander, by the recently murdered Marlowe, and Marlowe's poem references the then un;ublished Venus and Adonis. Both poems describe Adonis as rose-cheeked, and have quotes about Narcissus trying to kiss his shadow in a brook, even though Narcissus is not part of the source story of either poem.

In addition to the complete works, are several books of biography. I particularly enjoyed Leslie Hotson's 1925 book, an incredible piece of research, in which he was able to discover the public record of Marlowe's murder inquest, and discover who Marlowe's murderer was, the pardon of the murderer, and the exact official account of Marlowe's death. This book is now out of print. Another is Ingram's biography. There is also a piece by TS Eliot on Marlowe's revoulutionary use of blank verse, which influenced every playwright of the era.

I highly recommend you get this product, as it is probably single Kindle product I use the most. I found this publisher to be quite proactive in making corrections, and they sometimes even include source texts. For example, the Delphi Shakespeare, includes numerous source texts, and narratives about the apocryphal plays.

If you're new to Marlowe, two of his plays Doctor Faustus, and Edward II or Edward II have been made into movies, and Shakespeare scholars acknowledge the huge influence on Shakespeare. I love both Hero and Leander, and particularly The Passionate Shepherd, an extraordinarily beautiful and tender romantic poem.

In the unlikely event that you have any difficulties email delphi at their website. They will send you the revised file. If that does not work Amazon has a great refund policy on Kindle.

I think you will enjoy it, and I hope this was helpful.

Previously Baz Luhrmann directed a version of Romeo and Juliet also starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and he is best known for the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge. The Great Gatsby opened to a much higher than expected $51 million weekend.

I was highly impressed with Baz Luhrman's direction. We don't see Gatsby for a while. We know him by how others react to him before we meet him, and DiCaprio does an amazing job of bestowing his own charisma on the character, and create a certain aura of mystery. We get the sense that Gatsby is not quite on the level, yet he is a caring and considerate neighbor almost to a fault, old sport.

Nick Carroway the narrator, and everyone's confidante, which puts us firmly in the passenger seat to this adventure and he lives next door to Gatsby's huge mansion where he throws lavish parties. Nobody knows how or where he got his money. As the movie progresses we learn why. Seemingly inconsequential events lead to unpredictable places.

Essentially, it's a story about lavishly wealthy people, who sometimes lead careless, amoral and irresponsible lives.

In the hands of Luhrmann for me at least this is a visually masterful movie, with some amazing shots. We have people celebrating and swigging champagne in an open top car on the bridge into the city, and then the camera magically zooms away as the film speeds up. Was this shot from a helicopter flying at bridge level? There is a certain magical flow about how the movie unfolds visually, and moves between different visual images. I particularly liked how Gatsby in the flower scene imposes his greater reality on his neighbor's humble house, and how the woods add almost a surreal fairy tale element.

It's almost as if Gatsby is godlike and creates the universe that surrounds him. Everything except free will.

Gatsby's place is like a Disneyland for adults. Set in the 1920s the movie boasts a fusion of musical sounds with introducing a textured range of styles all the way to the current era, including some jazz but also hiphop. I particularly loved a piece played on a giant Wurlitzer, and the scope of the movie is huge.

We have beautiful cars including a yellow Duesenberg, plush almost ridiculously ostentatious Long Island mansions, impeccable costumes, and a wild unrestrained feeling. We have the rich and poor hobnobbing. I sensed rather than knew this a Luhrmann movie because it was somewhat reminiscent of the style of Moulin Rouge. This was not a bad thing. In fact, I wished that the musical aspect was played up at times, with more music or seeing a theater or performance of some kind within the scenes rather the performance being a backdrop to what was happening onscreen.

And the character of Gatsby reveals first through a legend, based on image and respectability and being accepted by other rich people. Then we have the real story which for me was more impressive, and really encompasses the American dream. Perhaps that is why the story is so popular.

Gatsby is special, and destined for greatness. He always knew this, and when he meets a certain someone it motivates him to achieve that greatness. But he did not seek this greatness only for himself. If there is shadiness involved, there is also a certain purity of heart, which sometimes skirts the edges of narcissism. For nothing will dissuade him from his true purpose, and he wants an equally unbridled love in return. Does that sound unreasonable?

I loved this movie. It's a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood formula. Usually one has to wait to year end for this type of quality entertainment so it's great to see such a movie in summer.

After watching this I viewed the 1974 Gatsby starring Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterson and Lois Chiles.
The screenplay was written by Francis Ford Coppola. I found myself wishing that Coppola also directed that movie as it was somewhat slow in pacing, and the outstanding cinematography, a hallmark of Coppola's movies would have given it a visual splendor. I certainly recommend it for a viewing if only to compare and contrast. I loved some of the music and party scenes.

It's clear that Luhrmann did use the 1974 movie as a template yet elevates this story and delivers a version that is superior in almost every respect, and the visuals especially were a feast for the senses. Some of the story elements are far clearer especially the denouement. Most importantly even though Gatsby was not perfect, Gatsby was great. And I feel privileged to have watched it. Apparently it got mixed reviews from critics. I say never the critics. Check it out for yourself.

Truly it looks better than the real twenties.

When I heard that someone was going to write a blank verse novel about the master of tragedy and blank verse I was initially less than enthused.

Then I read that Ros Barber the author and notable poet in her own right had won the Hoffman Prize for an essay based around this idea. Now I was becoming intrigued

She was inpired by Jonathan Bate's idea in Much Ado about something that the Marlowe story would make a good novel. Barber is a Marlovian, a group who believe that not only did Marlowe not die in a knife fight in a tavern or was it a boarding house in Deptford as supposed but went on to write the works of Shakespeare. Unlike other authorship candidates Marlowe's influence on Shakespeare is widely acknowledged particularly among early Shakespearean scholarship.

Ten days before Marlowe had been arrested in connection with the 'Dutch Church' libel, (an inflammatory poem signed in the name of Marlowe's most famous character Tamburlaine) and summoned to appear before the Privy Council. He was released. His writing partner Thomas Kyd, apparently innocent in the matter, was also arrested and tortured.

Around the same time the Bane complaint appeared, charging Marlowe with atheism, reading an atheist lecture, proselytising atheism, and making numerous gibes against the Bible, and particularly claiming he had as much right to coin as the Queen of England.

A year earlier Marlowe and Bane, both spies, were arrested in Flushing Holland on charges of counterfeiting. Bane initiated the charge against Marlowe. Marlowe was deported with Bane to England to Lord Burghley and Marlowe was released without charge. Now Bane reappears with a vengeance. Is he a spy with a personal grudge, or is someone pulling his strings?

One of the three people present at Marlowe's demise was Robert Poley, a noted spy and on Her Majesty's payroll. The other two Skeres and Frizer both worked for Marlowe's patron Thomas Walsingham. The Queens own coroner Danby handled Marlowe's inquest, and Frizer was pardoned by the Queen for his role in the murder a month later. While few commentators trust the testimony of these professional dissemblers most still still consider Marlowe's death to be true.

Frizer continued to work for Marlowe's patron for many years as if nothing had happened, and Hero and Leander five years later was dedicated to Lady Audrey Walsingham, the patron's wife. Thomas Walsingham was a cousin of Francis Walsingham the head of the intelligence service.

The poem Venus and Adonis was registered anonymously at the Stationers Office on April 18, 1593.

Within days of Marlowe's reported death on May 30,1593 the name William Shakespeare appears in print for the first time as the author of Venus and Adonis. The first recorded sale was entered in William Stoney's diary on June 12, 1583. A dedication to the Earl of Southampton promises a graver labour. The poem contains many eerie similarities to Hero and Leander as yet unpublished, and there is apparent cross referencing between these two works. What is the precise relationship between Shakespeare and Marlowe?

How can a first time poem refer to a poem that would not appear for five years? How can a poem five years later by a dead poet have the exact same allusions for example to Narcissus drowning in a brook, when that story is unrelated to either of the two source stories. The manner of Narcissus death is a mistake/embellishment consistent only to both these poems, but to no other English source at the time. Both poems refer to Adonis as rose-cheek'd. Why does the latin dedication lead to Marlowe's Elegies which not appear for six years? And the elegy to which it refers talks of envy biters pulling down great poets who get their due fame after death.

In the Marlowe Papers Barber pursues an alternative history, from the one received.

Did Marlowe shuffle off this mortal coil, go to discover countries yet unknown or stay to haunt the works of Shakespeare? Did highly placed friends once again protect him from scandal, serious charges and possibly execution?

The Marlowe Papers offers a highly skilled,enjoyable, even moving account as when Marlowe meets several of the characters that would inform his life. I found it enjoyable not only for the story but for the skill with which it was told. It is a novel, and therefore not to be taken as true. Still as not true stories go it may be closer to the truth than you imagine.

I think you will enjoy it and I hope this was helpful.

I am very interested in the subject of Shakespearean authorship, and have read many books on the topic.

Why should you be sceptical of Shakespeare as an author?

If you are like me you may assume that the person who wrote Shakespeare was University educated. Yet there is no evidence even that he attended grammar school. If he had attended University either Oxford or Cambridge would have claimed him. Yet the plays express scholarly values and some even feature scholars as main characters.

What of connection with patrons?

Other than the first two poems Venus and Adonis and Rape of Lucrece both dedicated to the Earl of Southampton, there is no documented record of any correspondence between Shakespeare and Southampton.

What about his will?

His will does not mention a single poem or piece of literature, and assumming the writer of the plays had books yet William Shakspeare does not bequeath any literature in his will.

What about about evidence of writing?

Not a single handwriting example exists that can be said to be Shakspeare. Only six signature said to be his exist, and even these are inconsistent and experts cannot agree that all are his. The method of making out the signature compared to well known writers of the era is considered by some not to be that of a writer.

What about references from other poets?

Considering the supposed fame of Shakespeare there is only one reference to Shakespeare by other poets following his death in 1616 and the publication of the First Folio in 1623. Even though Shakespearean scholarship has determined that he cowrote plays with Fletcher Wilkins and Middleton, and a poem named Ghost of Lucrece a response to Rape of Lucrece has been attributed to Middleton, none of his reputed cowriters had a thing to say about his death. A shroud of poetic silence concerning his death.

The Pembrokes were the patrons for the 1623 Folio and Ben Jonson's First Folio of 1616, and Ben Jonson wrote the famous eulogy. However, Shakespearean scholars would point you away from Jonson's poem 'On Poet Ape' of 1616 which
appears to be a diatribe about Shakespeare. One has to wonder why Jonson would be asked to write a eulogy where he praises Shakespeare yet makes sarcastic comments such as: "I confess thy works to be such as neither man nor muse can praise too much," and undercuts him 'little knew he Latin and less Greek'.

What of this book?

The evidence supporting the candidacy of Mary Sidney as the writer of the plays is not as ludicrous as it might seem. A piece called the Tragedy of Antonie was published under her name, and another piece The tragedy of Cleopatra was published by her protege Samuel Daniel. Another piece by Daniel the Civil Wars is a source for several Shakespeare plays. There is some speculation that she may have written portions of work by Philip Sidney her brother after his death.

I would consider her as a stronger candidate for authorship than say DeVere whose adherents rely on commonalities in the events of DeVere's life and parallels with the plays. However with Mary Sidney actual published source material constitutes some strong if not overwhelming evidence. So I do consider this book worth a read if you are interested in this topic.

Another book I enjoyed was North of Shakespeare / The True Story of the Secret Genius Who Wrote the World's Greatest Body of Literaturewhich puts the case for Thomas North. Several plays such as Julius Caesar, Timon of Athens, and Antony and Cleopatra did use North, the translator of Plutarch's Lives as a source occasionally copying pasages from prose into verse and dialogue almost verbatim.

I think you will enjoy it and I hope this was helpful.

It seems like only yesterday that Jennifer Lawrence made her big screen debut in Winters Bone, a small scale but critically acclaimed movie which gained her an Oscar nomination.

Since then she has gone from strength to strength starring in two of the biggest box office successes we have seen in the last two years X Men First Class and Hunger Games. I think it's fair to say that her rise has been meteoric.

As I watched the movie and the camera's love affair with her, I was impressed by how well her face was highlighted, still young enough to play a teenager.

A grisly murder of two parents takes place in a remote house in a leafy suburb of an upscale neighborhood of a typical rural town. The daughter who killed them was never found thus stoking local legend that she is still running around loose.

Years later a mother played by Elisabeth Shue and her daughter Elissa (Jennifer) move to said town they end up in a house nearby from which the slightly rundown, seemingly abandoned and spooky murder house is visible. Cue the scary music when Jennifer looks through the trees and sees the house light unexpectedly come on. Wooh.

As Elissa adjusts to school life her curiosity ensures familiarity with the story, and then one night walking in the rain a car stops to offer her a ride home, and the driver is the current occupant of the scary house the only surviving member of the family. Does she get in the car or keep walking?

Elissa and her mother have one of those fractious relationships and her mother forbids her from having anything to do with the occupant of the house but Elissa is attracted to him and teens will be teens. While she likes this misunderstood boy the town as a whole is understandably suspicious of a boy who would choose to live in the house where his parents were killed. Creepy, right?

Not all the horror of the past has been resolved and although Elissa is on the alert things can happen so you can become scared or horrified. What I liked was that this movie did manage to surprise me. This movie may scare you at times and I liked its unusual twists particularly about the daughter.

I found the movie entertaining and definitely elevated by the star power of Jennifer Lawrence. I think most people will love it and I hope this was helpful

I went to see this movie because I wanted to see Whitney Houston's last performance.

Sparkle tells the story of three sisters, raised in a nice home by a strict mother, played by Whitney Houston who used to be an alcoholic, but has found the Lord and wants to keep her daughters on the narrow path.

As you watch this movie you will begin to notice this strategy has limited success.

It's also framed as a cautionary tale about the bumpy road to fame.

One daughter is a beautiful talented singer, another Sparkle is a talented songwriter who has always been in the sister's shade but prepared to sacrifice for the good of the group. The other one is simply brainy and attractive.

The pitfalls of music and life are explored as the girls form a group and the singer gets into a relationship with a tv comedian and experiences a fall from grace. The movie explores themes of drugs and violence. Will she manage to retrieve herself or will tragedy ensue? Rifts occur which threaten the family itself.

I found the movie enjoyable. I loved Whitney Houston's singing solo. The quality of songs were pretty good with a mixture of gospel music and 60s motown type pieces.

After I saw this movie I watched the original Sparkle with Philip Michael Thomas of Miami Vice, Irene Cara of Fame, and Lonette McKee.

I highly recommend you check out the original. If you happen to be an Amazon Prime member as I write you can watch it for free. While the production values of the current movie are better, the original movie definitely has its moments. It features songs by Curtis Mayfield, a funk master, and I loved the singing performances of the girls with their delicate close harmonies. It also has an organised crime element. Events do differ between the two movies.

The original is set in Harlem while the remake is set in Detroit. Judging by the reviews the original seems to have achieved a cult classic status with people claiming to have seen it a hundred times. I prefer the original but you may feel differently particularly if you are a Whitney Houston or Jordin Sparks fan. It really is a vehicle for her talent.

I think most people will like it and trust this was helpful.

A problem I have with old earphones and headphones I use on my computer or with my electronic keyboard is that the connection point becomes loose so I have to physical hold where my headphones connect to my computer or keyboard to get the full audio without cutout or lapsing into mono, or cutting out altogether.

I knew I would have to get some decent headphones possibly even wireless headphone to get around this issue. And headphones can be pricey. In the local electronics store one could easily spend in the three digits, and one of the buzzwords is noise canceling. This means the headphones cover your ears and cancel out external noise.

This was not a selling point for me as I listen mostly at home and there is little other noise that I need to cancel.

I bought both this model and the Sennheiser SR120 a wireless headphone that cost over twice as much mostly because I like to be able to list to trance tapes in bed without worrying if the cable is long enough or accidentaqlly damaging the connection if I should fall asleep.

Let me say that I love these headphones. I listen to a movie on computer and it has the perfect stereo sound separation and sound quality with no hiss. The instrumentation was very clear. I listen to classical music and it's a totally new experience. I can locate in my head where different instrument sounds in an orchestra are coming from, or on a pop record where the harmonies sounds are coming from as compared to lead vocals, all the sounds are authentic, crisp and clear.

I like the fact that connecting to the larger connector you would use on a keyboard or hi fi is a screw-in, and that there is a steel wound coiled spring that surrounds the end of the cable and protects the thin wires from wearing out.

SR 120. While I paid much more for the Sennheiser SR120, I don't think the sound quality is significantly better. It does have the convenience of wireless so I was able to hook it up to both my tv and stereo. It is battery operated with rechargeable batteries, and a charging cradle, and the headphone has an on off switch in the left ear, and a volume control knob and separate tuning knob on the right ear. The headphones settle on the ear rather than covering the entire ear, a matter of personal preference.

I love these Audio Technica headphones. I highly recommend them and I would definitely buy them again. In fact I may buy a second set to use exclusively with my electric keyboard. This was the popular reviewed reasonably priced headphone product I found on the Amazon USA site, and clearly the customer feedback is very good. I think you will love it.

Seeking a Friend for the end of the World was written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, who also wrote Nick and Norah's Infinite playlist, which I vaguely remember as a dorky coming of age movie with surreal overtones. This is her first directing venture.

The end of the world has become a common theme in recent years sometimes post apocalytic such as The Book of Eliwith Denzel Washington, or pre apocalyptic such as Von Trier's Melancholia, Emmerich's blockbuster 2012, an action movie on a grand scale, or my personal favorite Another Earth [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy]in which another earth appears in the night sky but may not be apocalyptic at all.

A news announcement of terrifying proportions sets in course a sequence of events in the life of Peterson Dodge played by Steve Carell. His wife leaves him immediately. Peoples behavior changes. He meets Keira Knightley's character, somewhat of a free spirit.

Both initially have plans which do not include each other. He wants to reconnect with a high school sweetheart, and she wants to go back to her family, except the airlines are shut down.

Yet, as time goes by and they help each other to get what they really want, they realise they both want the same thing, and that thing is closer than they realised.

To tell you more would be unfair. SFEW has good and weak points. It's engaging enough and I think could have been better. I wish there was more oomph in the movie. Carell plays his character Peterson Dodge as subdued and perhaps a little depressed at the beginning which is understandable yet there is no huge contrast in his behavior later in the movie when things are going better and they are having their adventures.

Two emotionally powerful scenes later in the movie made the entire movie worthwhile for me. After he carries carries her sleeping, and a later surprise. I thought wow.

While I would not give this movie as high a rating as say Another Earth or Book Of Eli which I liked better, if you like the premise and the potential romantic theme you may find this to be worth your time. I hope this was helpful.

Legendary billionaire hedge fund magnate Robert Miller appears to have it all, great wealth, great family, supportive wife, a pending sale of his business empire, and a charming if somewhat cloying French mistress. But disaster can lurk behind the most distinguished facade waiting for its golden opportunity.

Borrowing $450 million off the books to cover up fraudulent accounting, testing an impatient hard nosed friend come debtor for his sake, negotiating the sale of his business to a businessman blowing hot and cold, a frustrated and dangerous mistress, inquiring auditors, a loyal curious daughter played by Brit Marling, a doltish son, an entitled wife played by Susan Sarandon who may be working her own Arbitrage. This creates much stress in a billionaire's life.

Anything can go wrong. The inciting event occurs early when his mistress dies in a Chappaquiddick style accident while he drives becoming the tragic glass through which the movie is imbibed.

Miller faces a succession of moral dilemmas. The choices being black and white he somehow selects the moral grey. You may wonder what you would do in his situation. If you're like me you suspect he might do the right thing under different circumstances.

The person who rescues him from this situation becomes the lever the police detective played by Tim Roth use to get at Miller. Interestingly, the detective does not pursue people of wealth directly, but puts the poor weak link to the most difficult test even illegally manipulating the legal system against him.

Susan Sarandon looked spectacular in this movie I thought and performed excellently and effortleslly in her scenes. I have preferred Brit Marling's performances in her Indie movies such as Another Earth and Sound of my Voice.

I found this to be quite an entertaining and engrossing movie which kept me guessing throughout. Undoubtedly, there are shades of Madoff and other financial scandals which inspired Arbitrage. What gets me is that Miller is fully aware what is right and wrong. It's not like he is a bad guy, and certainly his behavior is understandable, and yet I feel a sense of conflict about him.

On the one hand you want him to get get caught or take responsibility. On the other hand you find yourself rooting for him to find the light at the end of the tunnel and get out of the mess. Kudos to the writer director Nicholas Jarecki for doing such a good job with this.

The golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules.

Does Miller learn from his experiences? If a movie does not give you the type of closure you expect, it may be a good thing because that is what happens in life, and life can be full of surprises,can it not?

I think this is one of the best performances of Gere's career. It achieved a modest $2 million on its opening weekend on a very limited release in 197 theaters yet managed an impressive $10,000 per theater. Why it was opened in such a limited way is somewhat of a puzzle as it's quite a good movie.

I think most people who like the premise will love the movie and I hope this was helpful.