Ten years ago I asked for an AppStore gift card and I picked this app. I’ve always loved Shakespeare and this purchase did not disappoint! The readings are wonderful and the text is phenomenal. It’s also wonderful to have Sir Patrick Stewart recite one of your favorite sonnets. A must get for any Shakespeare fan, you will not regret the purchase. It’s sad that I am only the 7th review. This app should have far more interest for the content it contains. I especially loved the scanned images of original works, what a treat to see!
I've been going through the sonnets with Patrick Stewart's social media presentation of them. Then I found this app and added that to the mix. Patrick is enthusiastic but unpolished, so these very polished and professional readings make for a nice complement. I have found just a very few readings disappointing, but the rest are excellent, and some are brilliant. I was just this evening blown away by James Shapiro's rendition of Sonnet 138.
If the sonnets are of any interest to you (and they should be) this gem is a wonderful first resource: a combination of video/audio performances synced to the onscreen text, historical and literary commentary (also linked to the text, with copious references to other works, as well as to other sonnets-linked, of course!), a favorites list, a space for my notes, and the kicker, a Quarto, also linked and cross referenced! This is my first stop when I undertake the journey of a new sonnet. A slick, attractive, intuitive and well thought out interface makes it a breeze to use, with nearly all its many features available no matter where you are in the app. Great design and content make this a no brainier for anyone needing an accessible introduction, or a deeper understanding of, these often overlooked masterworks.
This app is so enthralling, I spent my first evening with it simply selecting an actor and a sonnet and listening, just listening and following the text. Every reading was heartfelt and moving. In these fresh interpretations, in a delicious variety of voices, it is easy to understand why Shakespeare's Sonnets are immortal. I fell in love all over again with the poetry and with the sheer beauty of the English language. You will too. The elegantly integrated commentaries are fascinating and informative. To anyone intimidated or put off by Shakespeare, I heartily recommend Don Paterson's analyses of each sonnet: candid, witty and spot on. Bravo. There is much that grinds a person down in this day and age. This project makes me not only glad to have an iPad, it renews my faith in the human spirit.
Not much else to say but Wow. Not only do we have the complete text of the sonnets. Not only do we have the full Arden introduction and notes by the formidable Katharine Duncan Jones. Not only do we have wonderful readings of every single one of the sonnets, on video, by some of the finest actors of our time (Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow, Cicely Berry, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw). Not only do we have on-screen commentary by notables like the aforesaid Duncan Jones and James Shapiro, Ben Crystal, and others. But we have all this in a well-designed and easily navigable app. So - just Wow. A labor of love for all concerned, with us as the beneficiaries.
Whenever I walk into a room and see everyone glued to their smart phones, I fear that technology is turning humanity into a bunch of morons. This app proves that when used properly, technology can bring civilization to a higher level. Everything about this app is absolutely perfect. These poems have never been so accessible and enjoyable. It's like having a private troupe of Shakespearean actors to recite sonnets whenever you feel in the mood, and a roomful of professors to explain them.
There are many virtues of this interactive multimedia edition a poetry lover or Shakespeare fan will appreciate. Sonnets are read by accomplished Shakespeare actors; notes are from a renowned Shakespearean scholar; and the edition is based on one of the best publishers of Shakespeare's work: The Arden Shakespeare. There other thoughtful touches also, it appears the publisher spared no effort to put out this wonderful multimedia edition. If you like the Bard's poetry I assure you, you cannot do better.
I've been exploring this app relentlessly since I bought it. It's completely enthralling. I especially love the scholarly explanations and how some of the scholars completely disagree. Some apps may have edited those differences out to make everything conform to one viewpoint. But those scholarly differences really illustrate the depth of the sonnets' complexity. I can't imagine a better way to spend $13.
The video performances of the sonnets are outstanding. All the performers give thoughtful and powerful performances of the poems. The texts--both the modern version and the facsimiles--are clear and helpful. Unfortunately, the commentary is awful. It is both limited and limiting in its interpretation of the poems, often tying them down to a single biographical meaning instead of allowing for the many levels of meaning that makes Shakespeare's writing so enjoyable. Skip this commentary and read Booth or Vendler instead.
What can I say but that this is a fantastic app. The content is compelling; I did not want to stop exploring the sonnets. The video and audio portions bring the poems to life while the background commentary and notes make the sonnets interesting and accessible. This app is an example of how good digital books can be. I only hope we see more!
This app brings Bill S. to life like nothing else in a very long time. HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who hopes to understand or appreciate the power of the English language to communicate, to astound, to inform, to make you cry. This is the real deal. Make your kids learn to read it, understand it , then memorize it!! This is the REAL deal....
This has to be the most humongous app ever which is a necessary downside to keeping it on an iPad that doesn't have the most memory. But that aside, it is beautifully done. My next iPad will have all the memory available. This app alone is worth doing that!
You've got the Shakespearean actors and scholars reading the bard's sonnets, along with a plethora of extras. It just couldn't get any better. Bravo and thanks to the creators of this fine app. Come on, you other owners of this app, get in there and write the kind of reviews this app deserves!
Shakespeare's Sonnets is excellent. It is visually rich, has a great deal of information that is easily accessed, and the videos give these poems a kind of freshness. Each poem comes with Arden notes and also commentary by a noted Bardolator. Finally, there are troves of articles about the sonnet form and more. This is well worth the money.
I love this app! The facsimile edition, useful notes, the sonnets read by different people, including Patrick Stewart, David Tennant, Stephen Fry etc. Ben Crystal even read one sonnet in the original (reconstructed) pronunciation! The app is huge (over 1Gb), so I recommend downloading it using the wired connection and not wifi.
This is an amazing collection of high quality videos of talented actors reciting the sonnets, the sonnets themselves with academic notations and analysis as well as facsimiles of the originals. Truly a gift to those who love Shakespeare and want to share him with others. Money well spent!
This is a terrific app for an educator, student, or actor. The treatment of the sonnets is both thoughtful and playful in both performance and commentary, and I feel that the app has made me fall in love with the work all over again.
A great use of the iPad to bring Shakespeare to life. I especially enjoy the Arden notes being easily accessible as well as being able to look at the Quarto. Absolutely worth the cost.
I can't think of a better way to enjoy the Sonnets than read by these wonderful actors. "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day", read by David Tennant, just made my Valentine's Day.
What a wonderful app: scholarly yet entertaining and packed full of features, all for a relatively low cost. I wholeheartedly recommend this app to existing Shakespeare lovers and soon-to-be Shakespeare lovers.
A masterpiece! Worth the purchase if you're a Shakespeare sonnet lover. Each actor's rendition is entertaining and moving. Sir Patrick Stewart is my personal favorite. Highly recommended!
Call me a purist, but I don't want to see images of celebrities on top of my text when I am reading Shakespeare. Especially I don't wan't to see a talking head of Kim Cattrell. I rate this Meh because the concept is good but the designers have underestimated their audience, believing this presentation is what people want.
I don't write reviews, especially for apps with hundreds of reviews already, but this app deserves it. It needs more reviews, it needs more support. Applications like this are what makes the iPad such an incredible piece of technology. I've never been that into poetry, but I am somewhat literary-minded, and I must say that this application has opened my mind to a world I've only barely entered, though I now desire immersion. The performances are spectacular. Emotions portrayed are deep-felt and descriptive. The notes are very clear, and help me to understand every single aspect of the poem without flooding me with references and other less important information for someone not so interested in the scholarly aspects. To watch the performances and look at the original publication, complete with words I never would have known how to pronounce, provides me with a feeling I never could recreate on my own. It is 100% unique to this application, and it is a feeling I appreciate far more than I could express in this review. Here's what I think: if you are even slightly interested in poetry, invest in this application. Of course it's great for those who already love poetry, but if you've been thinking about it for a while and hadn't been able to decide which app to buy, get this one. This company provides only the highest quality applications, and are truly reinventing the way we read poetry. Worth every penny and so, so much more. I will recommend to everyone I know who can access the Apple app store, and will look into buying more of their apps.
The text is all messed up following an upgrade to iOS7. The lines are widely spaces and the indentations are all off. The sonnets no longer fit on a page, I can't stand reading them in such an ugly format. It is vile and vile esteemed.
A masterly app...As accessible as it is scholarly, it’s an extraordinary achievement, that brings the sonnets bracingly to life and definitively sets the bar for the future of digital reading.' – Robert Collins, London Sunday Times The Sonnets presents William Shakespeare’s immortal collection of love poems in an interactive digital edition that allows you to explore, appreciate and understand this great work of literature as never before. All 154 sonnets are performed to camera by a star-studded cast including Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek, X-Men, Royal Shakespeare Company), David Tennant (Dr Who, Hamlet), Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City), Fiona Shaw (The Waste Land, Harry Potter), Stephen Fry (The Hobbit) and Dominic West (The Wire). These performances – all specially filmed for the app – are synchronised to the text, which highlights line by line as each sonnet is spoken. The performance videos, running over two and a half hours, are just the beginning. Also included are the complete Notes and Introduction from the Arden Shakespeare, offering unsurpassed scholarly commentary and insight. Touch a mysterious line or difficult word in any of the poems and the corresponding Arden Note highlights to provide comprehensive explanation. An alternative commentary on every sonnet comes from poet and musician Don Paterson, whose humorous and accessible style complements the academic rigour of the Arden Notes. Features include: • Beautiful filmed performances of all 154 sonnets by an incredible cast of Shakespearian actors and experts • The complete Arden edition text of The Sonnets plus A Lover’s Complaint • The complete Arden Shakespeare notes and introduction fully integrated • New commentary on The Sonnets by Don Paterson • Facility to add your own notes on any sonnet • High resolution facsimile of the original 1609 Quarto showing Shakespeare’s Sonnets as originally published • Forty interviews with scholars and experts discussing the meaning of The Sonnets and their author • Share-a-Sonnet allows you to send a sonnet to friends by email, Twitter or Facebook • Second generation interface based on the acclaimed Faber / Touch Press literary app The Waste Land • AirPlay enabled allowing the performances to be streamed full screen to AppleTV The Sonnets are published by RGB, the people behind the best-selling iPad titles The Elements and The Waste Land. The Sonnets was produced and published in partnership with Faber and Faber, Illuminations and the Arden Shakespeare.
