Books : Shakespeare: The World as Stage (Eminent Lives)
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 809
EAN: 9780061673696
ISBN: 0061673692
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 208
Publication Date: 2008-10
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Sales Rank: 11571
Studio: Harper Perennial
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Product Description:
William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. His Shakespeare is like no one else's—the beneficiary of Bryson's genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and a gift for storytelling unrivaled in our time.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
The author has written a slim and cautionary book concerning what is factually known about William Shakespeare, including a critical look at opinions regarding various aspects of his life that have been perpetrated based on either questionable extrapolations or, worse, wishful or agenda-driven thinking. Only church documents, legal proceedings, and a few mentions by contemporaries give small hints as to his affairs. There are not even unambiguous details concerning his appearance. As the author states, Shakespeare left behind no written documents; only his signature appears a few times. One can only speculate from his poems and plays as to his basic thinking and personality. A written record of his plays exists primarily due to the very diligent efforts of two of his fellow troupe members who compiled most of his plays for publication in 1623, seven years after his death. Even they had to rely upon memory and variety of fragmentary remnants of his work, producing approximations in some cases.
The author examines Shakespeare in the context of the late sixteenth century during the reign of Elizabeth, an unusually tolerant monarch for the times, especially considering that England had transformed from being Catholic to Protestant over the last half of the 1500s. Although theaters and the production of plays flowered during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, the times were harsh. Disease, especially plagues, and filth were rampant. Plagues closed theaters for a year ... Read More
Rating:  -
Bill Bryson's biography of Shakespeare has the perfect subtitle. Not just because it is so fitting for Shakespeare, but--as Bryson shows--it is a necessity when looking at the greatest genius of all humanity. Bryson cuts through the speculation and goes to what we actually know about Shakespeare the man, which is next to nothing. And yet, Bryson writes a wonderful book filled with his compellingly trademark style that engages and engrosses the reader. He focuses on the world of Shakespeare and what little we know about him, and also how wonderful he was and how lucky we are to have had him. Sure, most of the information isn't really new, but that's not the point. It, like with Shakespeare himself, is how it is done. This is going on the treasured spot on my bookshelf right next to Bryson's Mother Tongue. Grade: A+
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Shakespeare:The World as Stage (eminent Lives) by Bill Bryson
I have always found Bill Bryson"s books filled with just the right kind of humor and information. I was surprsed to see this title. This has to be the best bio on Shakespeare I've ever read and I have read alot of them. As Bryson points out, there isn't alot to tell. Somehow he manages to give you just about everything known about the man but conveys it in ways that are just plain funny. But don't think Bryson hasn't done his homework. This must have been quite an endeavor. If you like to learn about Shakespeare, you'll love this book. Long Live Bill Bryson!! gail maizel
Rating: -
Bill Bryson's concise biography of Shakespeare is brilliantly written, humorously insightful, and entirely delightful. The prose is a well-crafted and playful presentation of the dozen odd facts known about Shakespeare and many of the suppositions, inferences, and wild speculations about the man and his work. This Shakespeare primer can be easily understood by any high-school level reader and no prior knowledge about Shakespeare is required--Bryson even helpfully informs the reader that "William Shakespeare of Stratford was unquestionably" (p. 196) the author of Shakespeare's plays and poetry, a fact that is apparently not self-evident.
Bryson has written several books including the prize-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything. The book under review is provided as a volume in the "Eminent Lives" series of concise biographies by varying authors and as such conforms to an imposed restriction on length. With a candid honesty that permeates his offering, Bryson notes that the world didn't really need another Shakespeare biography but that the "Eminent Lives" series did. Bryson is straightforward in admitting that no groundbreaking research is presented, but rather the biography gathers the known facts, the supposed facts, and much pithy innuendo into a single engaging and accessible overview. Bryson's strength, then, lies not so much in his Shakespearean expertise but rather in his obvious ability to turn a phrase.
As expected, the book presents ... Read More
Rating: -
I really enjoyed this quick read. I knew virtually nothing about Shakespeare; never having read much of his work, nor any explanation of his existence. I learned a good bit, stayed entertained and walked away with a much better appreciation of Shakespeare's impact on the world.
I still can't watch Laurence Olivier's Hamlet however.....
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