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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Well researched and well written. Mostly history focused and I was looking for more of a literary focus. My favorite chapter was the one on word of course.
Acknowledging the lack of evidence needed to create an effective biography, Bryson instead opts to create a contextual biography showing life throughout Shakespeare's period. Bryson also effectively and thoroughly demolishes any alternative authorship question. Bryson, as always, produces a charming read.
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Honestly, the only book the every day person needs to read about Shakespeare. Clear, straightforward, engaging and fun.
informative
fast-paced
informative
medium-paced
A quick, good read that uncovers all we don't know about Shakespeare, plus a lot of color about the time and place he occupied. Bryson always feels like a humor writer grafted (successfully) to the travel/history genre, and this book is no different. The underlying joke here is how conjecture has compensated for the minuscule historical certainty that exists around Shakespeare and his work. Bryson pokes fun at some desperate past attempts to uncover the true Shakespeare, and highlights the hard facts with his usual wit.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Quite informative but not the most enjoyable read. It turns out everything we think we know about Shakespeare's life is either based on shaky evidence or completely made up. So it would be a mistake to say that I learned a lot about his life in this book, because all I really learned was that the answer is "we don't know" to almost every question. I do enjoy Bryson's style and it's a quick read, so I would recommend if you are interested in learning how everything you know about Shakespeare is actually wrong.
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced