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A review by muhly22
Blázni a smrtelníci by Bernard Cornwell
4.0
I've always enjoyed historical fiction written by Bernard Cornwell. They may not be the premier literary fiction that wins awards and critical acclaim, but they never fail to entertain.
This book was set in Elizabethan England, around the Lord Chamberlain's Men - or William Shakespeare's company of actors. And yes, Shakespeare is in this book, fairly prominently. However, he is not the main character - that honor falls to Shakespeare's brother, a struggling actor, trying to make the transition from boy to man (a significant transition in the theatrical companies of the time).
Without going into too much detail and spoiling the book for any other readers, there is religious drama in this book - the Puritans hated the stage, after all. There is personal drama. There is violence - at least some. You will encounter grand politics - the queen and her Lord Chamberlain also appear.
This book is also hilarious. The best moments in the book are not the violence, or the politics, or the religious drama. It's the peeks behind the curtain that you get when the Lord Chamberlain's Men are rehearsing their new play. It's the inside jokes that you become a part of. Those are what you'll most remember when the book is done, not the danger, not the derring-do of the main character.
This book was set in Elizabethan England, around the Lord Chamberlain's Men - or William Shakespeare's company of actors. And yes, Shakespeare is in this book, fairly prominently. However, he is not the main character - that honor falls to Shakespeare's brother, a struggling actor, trying to make the transition from boy to man (a significant transition in the theatrical companies of the time).
Without going into too much detail and spoiling the book for any other readers, there is religious drama in this book - the Puritans hated the stage, after all. There is personal drama. There is violence - at least some. You will encounter grand politics - the queen and her Lord Chamberlain also appear.
This book is also hilarious. The best moments in the book are not the violence, or the politics, or the religious drama. It's the peeks behind the curtain that you get when the Lord Chamberlain's Men are rehearsing their new play. It's the inside jokes that you become a part of. Those are what you'll most remember when the book is done, not the danger, not the derring-do of the main character.