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cooknick 's review for:
Shakespeare: The World as Stage
by Bill Bryson
Recommended for anyone who likes knowing how much we don’t know about The Bard.
Originally Posted on Shot Glass Literature: https://shotglasslit.wordpress.com/
If there’s anyone I want to guide me through the mysterious void of Shakespeare’s personal life, it’s Bill Bryson, native Iowan. I’m not being facetious – I like Bryson. So yes, I jumped on this odd little biography of perhaps the most famous man we know nothing about. Almost everything we do know about Will Shakespeare comes from… Guesswork? Thin air? Whatever we can deduce from reading his plays and sonnets? The dude’s a complete enigma, honestly. Because of that “poverty of information,” any Shakespeare “biography” should be doomed to fail, but The World as Stage is really worthwhile if you have any interest in Will, Bill or 16th century London. I didn’t learn much new about Shakespeare the man (because of the lack of facts, not a lack of research on Bryson’s part), but I did gain new insight into Shakespeare’s London and his contemporaries. I also learned interesting things about King James I (hint: it involves jelly!), so that was an added bonus. This is a fast, engaging and super-fun read. My only complaint is that the book lacks an index or any clear order to help a reader find specific information. But Bryson has the funducational market down pat, so if you’re just looking for an intelligent good time, The World as Stage is a treat.
Originally Posted on Shot Glass Literature: https://shotglasslit.wordpress.com/
If there’s anyone I want to guide me through the mysterious void of Shakespeare’s personal life, it’s Bill Bryson, native Iowan. I’m not being facetious – I like Bryson. So yes, I jumped on this odd little biography of perhaps the most famous man we know nothing about. Almost everything we do know about Will Shakespeare comes from… Guesswork? Thin air? Whatever we can deduce from reading his plays and sonnets? The dude’s a complete enigma, honestly. Because of that “poverty of information,” any Shakespeare “biography” should be doomed to fail, but The World as Stage is really worthwhile if you have any interest in Will, Bill or 16th century London. I didn’t learn much new about Shakespeare the man (because of the lack of facts, not a lack of research on Bryson’s part), but I did gain new insight into Shakespeare’s London and his contemporaries. I also learned interesting things about King James I (hint: it involves jelly!), so that was an added bonus. This is a fast, engaging and super-fun read. My only complaint is that the book lacks an index or any clear order to help a reader find specific information. But Bryson has the funducational market down pat, so if you’re just looking for an intelligent good time, The World as Stage is a treat.