I have heard of the famous Shakespeare & Company bookshop on Paris' left bank, but have never heard that there were more than one such bookshop in Paris, nay the entire European continent. So It was serendipity to discover this fact at M S Gopal's blog. He has found a Shakespeare bookshop in Prague also, imagine! It's heartening to note that a Communist-oriented East European nation would encourage an imperialistic-leaning author's name to be put up on its marquee. Come to think of it, wasn't Shakespeare's writing on imperialism: King Lear, Henry VIII, and suchlike. I guess, it's because writers of those days used to receive the patronage of royalty.
In the movie Shakespeare in Love there's a scene where Queen Elizabeth I is shown enjoying a Shakespeare play. Those were the Elizabethean days of creativity, of Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Read more about it here.
Well, strange things happen in this world. It shows Shakespeare's influence wasn't confined to the English-speaking world. Though I am not a great fan I grudgingly admit his contribution to the English language. And, this isn't half as strange.
I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.
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