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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
funny
informative
fast-paced
informative
fast-paced
Bryson's a wonderful writer. This book's focus wasn't on Shakespeare's achievements, but on how little we actually know about the guy. Did you know there's only like four paintings of him and none of them really look the same? That's just the start of all the stuff we don't know.
I enjoyed much of the content of this look at the world of Shakespeare, but it lacked depth in areas where I would expect there to be such. This was helpful in giving a succinct, not insignificant window into the theatre, publishing and historical world in which Shakespeare lived.
this book was so so interesting and so incredibly executed
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Rapid jaunt through Shakespeare's life. The final chapter debunks all the conspiracy theories around who really wrote the plays (spoiler, it was Shakespeare).
Easy reading in Bryson's typical style.
Easy reading in Bryson's typical style.
3.5 stars. I'm not a Shakespeare fan, but was intrigued by the idea of digging through 16th century history to solve a few mysteries. I picked this one since it is written by Bill Bryson. I was disappointed that this book doesn't have his usual sense of humor and style, but found a lot of the trivia and descriptions of the time very interesting.
Basically, this was a biography about Shakespeare that's sole purpose was to continually state that there is very little factual information we actually know about Shakespeare. I never would've thought it would take 200 pages to say that we know next to nothing about him. I found this book to be more informative on the times and society in which Shakespeare lived rather than on Shakespeare himself. Although I must admit that Bryson does make several good points with regards to Shakespeare's language and his talents and abilities within the world of the theater.