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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Bill Bryson's take on the literary genius. He tries to stick to the facts (the primary documents that show where he was throughout his life) while presenting, but not going to in-depth, theories on the Man. An interesting read broken up with photographs and art pieces from history.
This is not my favorite Bill Bryson book, but it was fine for a weekend read. I was an English major, but my Shakespeare class was many, many years ago. I was glad to be reintroduced to Shakespeare the man. Since we really know very little about Shakespeare, I was especially glad to be reminded about the controversies associated with this great playwright. Why is it that many people can't believe [b:William Shakespeare|18135|Romeo and Juliet|William Shakespeare|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XTDJ3P4XL._SL75_.jpg|3349450] was the author of all those wonderful plays? Worth looking at, don't expect miracles.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
I didn't want to read two Shakespeare biographies back-to-back so after reading A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 by James Shapiro back in March, I intentionally waited until now to read Bryson's book. I shouldn't have waited.
This is a book about how little we know about Shakespeare. The facts we do know are rich and illuminating but Bryson paints the often comical journey that historians take in trying to recreate Shakespeare's life. The truth is, most biographies on Shakespeare are built upon a certain degree of the hypothetical, and the facts we do know often lead to more mystery, not less.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Shakespeare's writing, especially if you have read a biography or critical analysis of Shakespeare's work before (because this smaller book will give you new eyes to see). Plus, if you're of the crazy opinion that someone other than Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare, the final chapter of this book will set you straight.
This is a book about how little we know about Shakespeare. The facts we do know are rich and illuminating but Bryson paints the often comical journey that historians take in trying to recreate Shakespeare's life. The truth is, most biographies on Shakespeare are built upon a certain degree of the hypothetical, and the facts we do know often lead to more mystery, not less.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Shakespeare's writing, especially if you have read a biography or critical analysis of Shakespeare's work before (because this smaller book will give you new eyes to see). Plus, if you're of the crazy opinion that someone other than Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare, the final chapter of this book will set you straight.
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
This was a short, but thorough account of what we know of the life of Shakespeare (which Bryson will tell you isn't very much) told in Bryson's signature style. His facts about Shakespeare's works seemed thoroughly researched, and his asides about the culture and events of the time were extremely fascinating.
funny
informative
fast-paced
Bill Bryson, I love you. You've turned another painfully dry, lacking subject and turned it into a fast paced, beautiful read!
This book was at times engaging and at others painfully disjointed. It was meant to be a book written only about the things we can absolutely know about Shakespeare, but for at least half a chapter it devolves into the most annoying kind of conjecture. This book might be good for those who want to learn more about Shakespeare without plunging into a 350 page biography, but will probably annoy anyone who knows something about Shakespeare already.