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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
The is from the Eminent Lives series from HarperCollins. It is a series of short biographies by famous authors.
All the facts we know for sure about William Shakespeare can be written in a 5-page essay. We let his work speak for him, but as a man he is a mystery. Bill Bryson fills out the other 190 or so pages of his book by describing the times Shakespeare lived in and theatrical culture in that day. Bryson keeps it interesting, but it is frustrating how few answers we know.
All the facts we know for sure about William Shakespeare can be written in a 5-page essay. We let his work speak for him, but as a man he is a mystery. Bill Bryson fills out the other 190 or so pages of his book by describing the times Shakespeare lived in and theatrical culture in that day. Bryson keeps it interesting, but it is frustrating how few answers we know.
Just ran out of time. Would be happy to come back to it.
funny
informative
fast-paced
Interesting and concise biography of Shakespeare, particularly entertaining section at the end rubbishing theories that he didn't write his own work.
Surprisingly average and vague. I enjoy Bryson’s travel writing, but this seemed awkward and not in his usual style. It doesn’t tell us much about Shakespeare. But then we don’t know much about Shakespeare. It does debunk some myths and is interesting, but there are much better books on the bard.
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
I apparently read this before... and rated it highly too... cannot remember that so read it again and yes it’s absolutely fantastic, humorous with a dash of Shakespeare wit. I also loved that he finds the anti Shakespeare group as silly and idiotic as I find their theories.
Bill Bryson can hold my interest with almost any subject, yet he was stretching to do so in this volume. It's not that I don't like Shakespeare; I do - his tragedies and comedies particularly. It's just that I'm not much interested in where he lived, what property he owned and whether or not he was shagging men or women. As he so readily points out early in the book, almost nothing is known of the bard, and what is known boils down to 7 signatures and a handful of legal notices in obscure documents. His mystique is on the stage, in the sonnets, and recited by every educated person in the Western world.
What this boils down to is a slim volume of "mights," "could be's" and "I doubt its." Not much to write a biography on, and less to hold my limited interest.
What this boils down to is a slim volume of "mights," "could be's" and "I doubt its." Not much to write a biography on, and less to hold my limited interest.