A review by betsyrisen
She Speaks!: What Shakespeare's Women Might Have Said by Harriet Walter

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely LOVED THIS. So many strong, strange, and wonderful choices, delivered by a knowledgable actor, who knows what she's talking about. Dame Harriet Mary Walter (DBE), I remember from The Crown, personally. 

As the description of the book says, "With new parts for thirty Shakespearean women, written in `Shakespearean' verse and prose, Harriet Walter goes between the lines of the plays to let us hear what she imagines -- sometimes playfully and sometimes searchingly -- these women were really thinking." 

I don't think it will surprise most people to hear that I am more intrigued by the female characters in Shakespeare's plays (which happens when you have less to work with, which, obviously). This was a wonderful compendium. Including an Anne Hathaway section was just icing on the cake. The Miranda reworking was my favorite.