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rebeccasreadingrambles's review against another edition
2.0
If I had rated this book halfway through the "introduction" I would have given it a lower rating. However, as I read more it got slightly better to me. My favorite part of this book was reading The Tragedy of Arthur by "Shakespeare". The rest of the book didn't appeal to me as much and maybe that is because this is the first book by Arthur Phillips I have read and I'm not used to his style. However, Arthur really annoyed be (which was probably his point and therefore he executed it very well). I just couldnt stand how selfish Arthur was and got so annoyed at him at times that I ended up skimming far a page or two and then having to go back and re-read. Arthur was always demanding love from everyone, his sister (who loved him anyway) his mother his farther, Petra. But when his father expressed his love or gave him praise Arthur immediately criticized it and rejected it. I just wanted to shake him and say GET OVER YOURSELF. Learn to accept love from those around you even if it's flawed because no one is perfect. I really did enjoy the play though and actually read it twice. This was an okay book, but it dragged on too much for me.
missyjohnson's review against another edition
3.0
this is the first book by Phillips that I have read and it is an odd one to say the least. characters fold one upon the other in some very interesting ways. the question, Is this part real?, comes up time after time. I did find myself caught up in the wonder of it all. by the time I finished the "introduction" I wanted to know more. What happened from there.....
kathleenguthriewoods's review against another edition
5.0
You have to really know your Shakespeare to appreciate this. If you do, you will love it. Protagonist's father is a conman who spends much of his life in prison. Late in life he reveals he owns a rare copy of a long-lost Shakespeare play. Is it real, or a brilliant forgery? As a bonus, the full play — with notations — is included. A slow read because it requires a lot of thinking, and so worth it.
ptothelo's review against another edition
2.0
I liked it but I put it down before I went on vacation and when I picked it back up I lost steam. Maybe Arthur's constant stream of psychoanalysis is too similar to what I do sometimes, maybe he's just an unlikable character, but after a while it was hard to care about what happened. The family dynamics are very well written but wearing after a while (which is probably what it feels like to be in that family).
alanaleigh's review against another edition
5.0
4/4 Longer review to come, but I had to note that this morning, I was actually sad that I had finished reading The Tragedy of Arthur this weekend. I missed its company on my commute. If that doesn't say something about how great this book is, I don't know what does.
3/2 Oooh. Won an early reviewer copy from LibraryThing.
3/2 Oooh. Won an early reviewer copy from LibraryThing.
in_and_out_of_the_stash's review against another edition
1.0
Oh my gosh can I say boring? I don't even know why I persevered; because I hoped it would have a great ending? No it didn't.
I'm counting this as read even though I didn't even bother with the play.
I'm counting this as read even though I didn't even bother with the play.
gabiloue's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Such an interesting story about family, identity, and the ever-prevailing character known as Shakespeare. Arthur Phillips writes a novel that brilliantly weaves together a modern family, an ancient playwright, and a play, into a narrative that captivates and touches the reader.
This book consists of a short letter from Random House verifying "The Tragedy of Arthur" as a Shakespeare play, a long introduction by Arthur Phillips, and then the play, "The Tragedy of Arthur" by William Shakespeare. Supposedly.
The introduction tells the story of Arthur and his twin Dana, and their eccentric Shakespeare loving, con man of a father. Each character leaps out of the book into real life, and are recognizable in people you know in your own personal life.
The writing is beautiful and honest, and I found myself wanting to bookmark certain places, just because I really liked a line here and there.
And then the play itself of course is moving and interesting, but definitely takes on a new meaning after reading the Introduction. The Introduction allows you to consider more aspects of the play and delve further into it's meaning and context. And even it's authenticity.
All in all, I really don't know why this book isn't talked about that much, it definitely deserves some hype. Read it if you get the chance, you won't regret it.
Such an interesting story about family, identity, and the ever-prevailing character known as Shakespeare. Arthur Phillips writes a novel that brilliantly weaves together a modern family, an ancient playwright, and a play, into a narrative that captivates and touches the reader.
This book consists of a short letter from Random House verifying "The Tragedy of Arthur" as a Shakespeare play, a long introduction by Arthur Phillips, and then the play, "The Tragedy of Arthur" by William Shakespeare. Supposedly.
The introduction tells the story of Arthur and his twin Dana, and their eccentric Shakespeare loving, con man of a father. Each character leaps out of the book into real life, and are recognizable in people you know in your own personal life.
The writing is beautiful and honest, and I found myself wanting to bookmark certain places, just because I really liked a line here and there.
And then the play itself of course is moving and interesting, but definitely takes on a new meaning after reading the Introduction. The Introduction allows you to consider more aspects of the play and delve further into it's meaning and context. And even it's authenticity.
All in all, I really don't know why this book isn't talked about that much, it definitely deserves some hype. Read it if you get the chance, you won't regret it.
joelkarpowitz's review against another edition
4.0
For Shakespearephiles, mostly. Arthur Phillips' narrator--the author Arthur Phillips--is a narcissistic jerk, for the most part, but that doesn't make the story less interesting. Phillips' father is a conman and a forger, in and out of jail. So when he presents his son with a copy of a lost Shakespeare play--The Tragedy of Arthur--should he believe in its authenticity or not? Should we? The mystery at the heart of the novel has loose connections to the play itself, the entirety of which is found at the end of the novel. It's a pretty impressive piece of faux-Shakespeareanism, and in some ways I enjoyed the play even more than the novel itself, which tends to drag. Still, overall it's a fun book with a clever sense of humor, though I can see it being tedious for a lot of readers who don't have as much interest in Shakespeare's role in our literary ways of thinking. Pretty enjoyable.
rebeccasreadingrambles's review against another edition
2.0
If I had rated this book halfway through the "introduction" I would have given it a lower rating. However, as I read more it got slightly better to me. My favorite part of this book was reading The Tragedy of Arthur by "Shakespeare". The rest of the book didn't appeal to me as much and maybe that is because this is the first book by Arthur Phillips I have read and I'm not used to his style. However, Arthur really annoyed be (which was probably his point and therefore he executed it very well). I just couldnt stand how selfish Arthur was and got so annoyed at him at times that I ended up skimming far a page or two and then having to go back and re-read. Arthur was always demanding love from everyone, his sister (who loved him anyway) his mother his farther, Petra. But when his father expressed his love or gave him praise Arthur immediately criticized it and rejected it. I just wanted to shake him and say GET OVER YOURSELF. Learn to accept love from those around you even if it's flawed because no one is perfect. I really did enjoy the play though and actually read it twice. This was an okay book, but it dragged on too much for me.
skybalon's review against another edition
4.0
So [a:Arthur Phillips|16223|Arthur Phillips|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1300779822p2/16223.jpg] is one of my favorites so I'm predisposed to like this book. And it really doesn't disappoint. A story of the son of a con man who spends the whole book basically conning the reader, while complaining about being the son of a con man. And of course a whole phoney play by Shakespeare. Just read it--it's worth it.