Charles Lamb was born on this date in 1775. With his sister Mary, he wrote Tales from Shakespeare, a book of Shakespeare’s plays adapted to story form for children. These tales are available at Bartleby, or they can be purchased as a book. We always read the Lamb prose version before we go to see a Shakespeare play so that the children can follow the plot without being to frustrated by the archaic language. I recommend it.

By the way, I found out while browsing books at Barnes and Noble that Mary Lamb stabbed her mother and killed her in a fit of temporary insanity. She also attacked and wounded her father. She was “in care”for three years after which she lived with her brother Charles for the rest of his life. She helped write Tales from Shakespeare in one of her more lucid periods, and it was the work that gave them the most fame. I wonder:
How much of the book was Mary’s work and how much was Charles’s?
Mary continued to struggle with recurring bouts of mental illnes for the rest of her life. She outlived her brother by thirteen years. Who took care of her after he died?
What did her father think about Mary? Did he see her after she attacked him and killed his wife?
Did Mary deal with remorse over her actions?
This book might answer some of my questions. I’ve already added it to my list.