Not Gonna Lie, This Library is Hip

A smallish study break seems a good idea at this point in the day, after having finished one of the three Shakespeare plays lined up for my tutorial on Friday. I was asked to read Henry IV parts one and deux, as well as Henry V, to then write an essay to discuss. Shakespeare, like Classical music or Spongebob Squarepants, seems an acquired taste, for his plays don't always strike one as profound, enjoyable, or even comprehensible at times, which can be surprising given his enduring popularity. Yet, I'm beginning to move beyond all of the predispositions built up over the years of having heard others talk about him and his works, and feel that I'm starting to experience his works for myself, with the help of others, of course. Oxford seems as good a place as any for that to happen.


A lot of this Shakespeare reading occurs in the St. Catherine's library, usually in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that line the upper level walls. The architecture at this college is unusually modern given the general look of Oxford, yet it is a neat contrast with the much older buildings. There is a lot of natural light in the library, certainly designed with that in mind (in a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque way, no doubt), and the place is tomb quiet. Probably the most quiet place on campus, other than the chapel. Oh wait - St. Catherine's doesn't have a chapel (from the website: "The College is one of the few undergraduate colleges in Oxford without its own chapel, which adds to the inclusive and diverse feel of the place," a sentence loaded with implications of views on Christianity...). Sometimes when I'm bored, or restless, I wander about looking at all of the incredible literature sections. It's hard not to be wooed by Oxford's libraries, and I've seen some amazing ones already. Pictures to come.

Anyway, I enjoy coming here in the morning after a solid breakfast, especially if the sun is out. Since one wall of windows faces east and the other west, I tend to switch places after lunch if I return to read or write, like a snow buttercup flower. It's a cozy place, with nooks and crannies, and quite conducive to pondering things, or looking out the window, or spying on the librarians, each of which I may or may not participate in on a daily basis. A fun thing that happened the other day at the Catz library:

An 1866 version of Shakespeare's first folio from 1623, found, hiding in a bookshelf corner!