Reading complex matter is a bit like riding a horse at a high speed. Any misunderstood word can become an obstacle, and lead to an unplanned dismount. We have a tendency to think of reading as simply passing our vision through a series of words, and that after doing so, we'll "get it". But this isn't accurate. To improve at anything requires that we slow down and exaggerate the process. In terms of reading, this means that we must build the meaning of the material one piece at a time - letters, words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc. And because Shakespeare is both the most demanding and the most substantial literature, it is the best place to build these skills. Its complexity forces everyone to read like a beginner.

Love's Labour's Lost is known for its wordplay and the complexity of its syntax. This fits in with one of its primary themes: language itself, its use and misuse. For example, many of the characters speak in ways that are intended to hide their true natures, and much of the play's abundant humour comes from these discrepancies and watching them be found out. But there is a lot of work to be done to get to it - fortunately - as it is the most intellectually rewarding work to be found.