Publication
Atlas/Harper-collins (2007), 208 p.
Original publication date
2007
Collections
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Biography/Memoir — 2008)
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 supposition arranged around scant facts. With his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. Bryson documents the efforts of earlier scholars, and, emulating the style of his travelogues, records episodes in his own research. He celebrates Shakespeare as a writer of unimaginable talent and enormous inventiveness, a coiner of phrases ("vanish into thin air," "foregone conclusion," "one fell swoop") that even today have common currency. His Shakespeare is like no one else's--the beneficiary of Bryson's genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and an unrivaled gift for storytelling.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member sageness
Okay, really it should be 3 stars, but it's engaging enough to win the 4th on pure charm.
What I loved most was how frequently Bryson reminds the reader that there is no evidence for certain conjectures -- but when there IS evidence, he presents it clearly. He gives balanced pros and cons to
Also, he states outright that Shakespeare can be read as a gay poet and dramatist. No dithering. He also discusses the sonnets and the arguments concerning their assumed recipients at length, and reminds readers that James I used to make out with handsome young men in the midst of performing court business.
There were also interesting interviews with archivists that put the state and difficultly of the scholarship itself into context. My inner librarian was very happy about that.
The parts of the book concerning the history of the competing theatres didn't work for me at all, however. It was brief, confusing, and seemed possibly to conflate entirely different buildings, although I actually didn't stop to track down the discrepancies. The Ackroyd book was much clearer on what happened with which property under whose ownership (or tenancy) when, and Ackroyd's various histories of London and Britain lead me to trust his research in this and other questions of setting and daily life (where evidence exists involving other people for the same place and time, and so inserting Shakespeare into it is rational).
Awesome palate cleanser.
What I loved most was how frequently Bryson reminds the reader that there is no evidence for certain conjectures -- but when there IS evidence, he presents it clearly. He gives balanced pros and cons to
Show More
theories that could go either way, and he addresses the history of faulty and fraudulent Shakespearean scholarship. As for the authorship debate, he refutes the Baconian and Oxfordian arguments with a hilarious, "We have no proof Shakespeare owned any pants or shoes, either." Also, he states outright that Shakespeare can be read as a gay poet and dramatist. No dithering. He also discusses the sonnets and the arguments concerning their assumed recipients at length, and reminds readers that James I used to make out with handsome young men in the midst of performing court business.
There were also interesting interviews with archivists that put the state and difficultly of the scholarship itself into context. My inner librarian was very happy about that.
The parts of the book concerning the history of the competing theatres didn't work for me at all, however. It was brief, confusing, and seemed possibly to conflate entirely different buildings, although I actually didn't stop to track down the discrepancies. The Ackroyd book was much clearer on what happened with which property under whose ownership (or tenancy) when, and Ackroyd's various histories of London and Britain lead me to trust his research in this and other questions of setting and daily life (where evidence exists involving other people for the same place and time, and so inserting Shakespeare into it is rational).
Awesome palate cleanser.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rmckeown
The argument over the author of Shakespeare’s plays – and even his existence – rely on a rather silly and unsupported raft of ideas, which easily sink on close examination. The documents mentioning Shakespeare are legion, yet not a single document directly connecting another author to the
Bill Bryson has written a number of non-fiction works, which have occupied the best seller lists for some time. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but now lives in Norfolk, England. His smooth and entertaining style is accessible to anyone with even the slightest idea of Shakespeare from high school English classes. Bryson also provides vivid pictures of Elizabethan England. He writes of London, “City life had a density and coziness that we can scarcely imagine now. Aware from the few main thoroughfares, streets were much narrower than they are now, and houses, with their projecting upper floors, often all but touched. So neighbors were close indeed, and all the stench and effluvia that they produced tended to accumulate and linger. Refuse was a perennial problem. […] Rich and poor lived far more side by side than now. The playwright Robert Greene died in wretched squalor in a tenement in Dowgate, near London Bridge, only a few doors from the home of Sir Francis Drake, one of the wealthiest men in the land” (49). Bryson continues, “According to nearly all histories, the gates to the city were locked at dusk, and no one was allowed in or out till dawn. though as dusk falls at mid-afternoon in a London winter there must have been some discretion in the law’s application or there would have been, at the very least, crowds of stranded, and presumably aggrieved, play goers on most days of the week” (49-50).
The book also contains a number of interesting tidbits about the times. Of particular interest to me is the state of publishing and book binding. Bryson writes, “Printed books had already existed, as luxuries, for a century, but this was the age in which they first became accessible to anyone with a little spare income. At last average people could acquire learning and sophistication on demand. More than 7,000 ttiles were published during Elizabeth’s reign – a bounty of raw materials waiting to be absorbed, reworked, or otherwise exploited by a generation of playwrights experimenting with new ways of entertaining the public. This is the world into which Shakespeare strode, primed and gifted” (52). So much for the naysayers idea that a country boy, who did not have a college degree, could have written so many memorable and magnificent works.
In 1668, John Dryden wrote of Shakespeare, “Those who accuse him to have wanted learning, give him the greater commendation: he was naturally learn’d” (109)
Bill Bryson’s entertaining and enlightening book, Shakespeare: The World as Stage also has an extensive bibliography for further reading. I would also recommend Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World for a further and more detailed exploration of Shakespeare’s life. 5 stars
--Jim, 11/29/15
Show More
plays exists. Many of the candidates died before Shakespeare, and plays those candidates supposedly penned, contained events of ideas which occurred after their death. Bill Bryson has authored an entertaining and carefully supported review of what we do know about the Bard of Avon. His 2007 national bestseller, Shakespeare: The World as Stage, should be of interest to anyone even remotely curious about the greatest writer in the English language.Bill Bryson has written a number of non-fiction works, which have occupied the best seller lists for some time. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but now lives in Norfolk, England. His smooth and entertaining style is accessible to anyone with even the slightest idea of Shakespeare from high school English classes. Bryson also provides vivid pictures of Elizabethan England. He writes of London, “City life had a density and coziness that we can scarcely imagine now. Aware from the few main thoroughfares, streets were much narrower than they are now, and houses, with their projecting upper floors, often all but touched. So neighbors were close indeed, and all the stench and effluvia that they produced tended to accumulate and linger. Refuse was a perennial problem. […] Rich and poor lived far more side by side than now. The playwright Robert Greene died in wretched squalor in a tenement in Dowgate, near London Bridge, only a few doors from the home of Sir Francis Drake, one of the wealthiest men in the land” (49). Bryson continues, “According to nearly all histories, the gates to the city were locked at dusk, and no one was allowed in or out till dawn. though as dusk falls at mid-afternoon in a London winter there must have been some discretion in the law’s application or there would have been, at the very least, crowds of stranded, and presumably aggrieved, play goers on most days of the week” (49-50).
The book also contains a number of interesting tidbits about the times. Of particular interest to me is the state of publishing and book binding. Bryson writes, “Printed books had already existed, as luxuries, for a century, but this was the age in which they first became accessible to anyone with a little spare income. At last average people could acquire learning and sophistication on demand. More than 7,000 ttiles were published during Elizabeth’s reign – a bounty of raw materials waiting to be absorbed, reworked, or otherwise exploited by a generation of playwrights experimenting with new ways of entertaining the public. This is the world into which Shakespeare strode, primed and gifted” (52). So much for the naysayers idea that a country boy, who did not have a college degree, could have written so many memorable and magnificent works.
In 1668, John Dryden wrote of Shakespeare, “Those who accuse him to have wanted learning, give him the greater commendation: he was naturally learn’d” (109)
Bill Bryson’s entertaining and enlightening book, Shakespeare: The World as Stage also has an extensive bibliography for further reading. I would also recommend Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World for a further and more detailed exploration of Shakespeare’s life. 5 stars
--Jim, 11/29/15
Show Less
LibraryThing member beserene
So the cover blurb claims that this Shakespeare biography is vivid, fast-paced, and witty. And the fact that it's written by Bill Bryson does, at first glance, support that ambitious claim. But in the world of dead people biographies, Shakespeare is the king of dry, vague, and interminable, so I
Show More
still had some pretty strong doubts when I sat down to read this volume. I was, for the most part, pleasantly surprised. I will admit that, if you compare its vivacity to Bryson's travel writings, this piece will seem dull indeed, but compared to the vast reams of cotton-mouth-inspiring scholarship on Shakespeare's life, this version is downright cinematic (in a good way). The biography is relatively slim, as it should be, considering how few facts we have on Shakespeare's life. Bryson takes an admirably pragmatic view of the entire production -- he delivers the facts, and then takes an amusing gander at some of the non-facts that others have offered up to academic eternity over the years, all the while pointing out just how non-factual these tidbits are. While there are a few moments where Bryson drifts into some minor speculation, the vast majority of the book is crisp, quick, and frank about exactly what we know, and think we know, about Shakespeare's life. There are comparatively few laugh-out-loud moments here, but who was really expecting hilarity? Still, the fact that there were any (and there were, what with Bryson's dry wit and all) was a delight and made an interesting read all the more enjoyable. Academics will find this book good clean fun, and those who have a passing interest in Shakespeare, but not a consuming passion for his overpicked history, will appreciate it as a solid introduction to the man behind the bard. Heartily recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member abbottthomas
This book is refreshingly direct. Bryson makes it clear right away that we know virtually nothing about Shakespeare, the man. He pads out 150 or so pages with the sort of thing that he does so well - curious contemporary facts and statistics, and interesting anecdotes. The little hard evidence
Show More
about the Bard of Avon is described fully, birth record, will and the like, and the book ends with a dozen pages about 'Claimants'. These are not really claimants of the authorship but rather candidates put forward posthumously by crazy, obsessed or simply misguided folk as alternatives for the title of Britain's Greatest Playwright. I particularly enjoyed this last chapter. Bryson gives them all pretty short shrift using the, for me, irrefutable argument that while there is very little known about Shakespeare there is absolutely no documentary evidence to connect these candidates with the works of William Shakespeare. Show Less
LibraryThing member psiloiordinary
Ok you like Bill Bryson, so maybe you think that you can try this despite the title? Correct.
I think Bill has undergone a personal epiphany which is now seeing the light of day in this book. The epiphany he had was while researching and writing "A short history of nearly everything", the epiphany
Now he wields a sword of logic and a shield with a sceptical eye painted on it as he looks at what we do actually know about Shakespeare, and why we think we know it. What we do actually know about Shakespeare is in fact, "not a lot".
Bill tells us what we do know in an interesting and insightful way, with many a Brysonesque detour into interesting facts about the history, the people and the lifestyles of the time.
What he also gives us as added entertainment is a taste of the huge number and variety of "independent thinkers" who have come up with various theories about Shakespeare and his works over the centuries. "Independent" in this case meaning "independent" of the evidence.
So yes this book is well worth a go even if you have neither read Shakespeare nor read about the man nor read much about Elizabethan history before. Bill really is that good a tale teller, he really could pick any subject and make it entertaining.
The great achievement here is that he has done it whilst sticking to the facts.
I think Bill has undergone a personal epiphany which is now seeing the light of day in this book. The epiphany he had was while researching and writing "A short history of nearly everything", the epiphany
Show More
was the scientific method and rational argument. Not just what we know but why we think we know it. No of course I am am not saying he was irrational before. But he never let a poor argument get in the way of a good story before. Or at least that's what his travel books feel like to me anyway.Now he wields a sword of logic and a shield with a sceptical eye painted on it as he looks at what we do actually know about Shakespeare, and why we think we know it. What we do actually know about Shakespeare is in fact, "not a lot".
Bill tells us what we do know in an interesting and insightful way, with many a Brysonesque detour into interesting facts about the history, the people and the lifestyles of the time.
What he also gives us as added entertainment is a taste of the huge number and variety of "independent thinkers" who have come up with various theories about Shakespeare and his works over the centuries. "Independent" in this case meaning "independent" of the evidence.
So yes this book is well worth a go even if you have neither read Shakespeare nor read about the man nor read much about Elizabethan history before. Bill really is that good a tale teller, he really could pick any subject and make it entertaining.
The great achievement here is that he has done it whilst sticking to the facts.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
As Bryson points out, there isn't much we truly *know* about Shakespeare. In this volume, he tries to give us 'just the facts'. The trouble with that is that he has to pad out those facts with other ones, about other aspects of Shakespeare's life and times, as otherwise the book would have been
It's a good read, though, as an introduction to the life of the most famous Englishman ever. As with his 'Short history of nearly everything', Bryson concentrates on the characters of the people he mentions - the unhinged nature of some of the members of the anti-Stratford camp, for example, or the personal life of James VI.
As an archivist, I was pleased to see the focus on the raw materials of history - not to mention the presence of an actual archivist (one I know!) in the text.
Show More
even shorter.It's a good read, though, as an introduction to the life of the most famous Englishman ever. As with his 'Short history of nearly everything', Bryson concentrates on the characters of the people he mentions - the unhinged nature of some of the members of the anti-Stratford camp, for example, or the personal life of James VI.
As an archivist, I was pleased to see the focus on the raw materials of history - not to mention the presence of an actual archivist (one I know!) in the text.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
A very entertaining and informative book.
I must admit that I have never quite managed to make the leap of faith about Bill Bryson. I did enjoy his early travel books (in particular The Lost Continent and Neither Here Nor There), though perhaps I read too many within too short a period because I
Anyway, all of my reservations about him have been completely swept away by this book. Here Bryson sticks to what he does so well - portraying facts in a lucid, engaging, immediately accessible and readily memorable manner.
His analysis of Shakespeare's plays and verse shows a deep affection and respect for the beauty of the words, and he sets about recapitulating Shakespeare's life in a concise but compelling manner.
I particularly enjoyed his final chapter which attempted to debunk some of the more outlandish theories about possible alternative authors of the plays. So much energy has been expended in this field (more than 5,000 books to date!) which seems ridiculous when it is unlikely that any definitive conclusion could ever be established. Just enjoy the works for what they are.
After all, "the play's the thing…"
I must admit that I have never quite managed to make the leap of faith about Bill Bryson. I did enjoy his early travel books (in particular The Lost Continent and Neither Here Nor There), though perhaps I read too many within too short a period because I
Show More
very quickly came to find him merely irritating, and rather unwholesomely smug. It is also true that, in some of my more sclerotic moments, I might have been heard to remark that he has a face I could never tire of kicking. I apologise - we all have our lapses but that was uncalled for (even if, perhaps, true).Anyway, all of my reservations about him have been completely swept away by this book. Here Bryson sticks to what he does so well - portraying facts in a lucid, engaging, immediately accessible and readily memorable manner.
His analysis of Shakespeare's plays and verse shows a deep affection and respect for the beauty of the words, and he sets about recapitulating Shakespeare's life in a concise but compelling manner.
I particularly enjoyed his final chapter which attempted to debunk some of the more outlandish theories about possible alternative authors of the plays. So much energy has been expended in this field (more than 5,000 books to date!) which seems ridiculous when it is unlikely that any definitive conclusion could ever be established. Just enjoy the works for what they are.
After all, "the play's the thing…"
Show Less
LibraryThing member rubyjand
Shakespeare – The World as a Stage by Bill Bryson. 2007. Bought at the Globe Gift Shop in London, April 2008. Read in August, 2008.
It's always fun to read Bill Bryson. He has a sly, sometimes acid wit, and he writes about rather profound things (such as language, the history of the universe,
So what does all this have to do with Shakespeare? Well, this: Bryson has written a biography of him. As usual he has taken a vast subject and given us an unpretentious, amusing and affectionate nutshell of it.
He weaves the nuggets of fact we have on Shakespeare's life into the background tapestry of life in England, especially London, at the time. He presents the plays and writes about Shakespeare's language. Being a bit of a language expert himself Bryson makes this especially interesting. I always like to read about words Shakespeare invented (or as Bryson carefully points out, used in print for the first time that we know of), for example: antipathy, frugal, dwindle, assassination, lonely, zany... The list of course is almost endless. Did you know that Hamlet itself gave us about six hundred new words? A surprising number of Shakespeare's new words, about eight hundred according to Bryson, are still used today. Not to mention his phrases: one fell swoop, vanish into thin air, be in a pickle, flesh and blood, foul play – again one could go on and on.
Using the garnered knowledge of such experts as Stephen Greenblatt and Frank Kermode, Bryson also deals with some of the myths and lies about Shakespeare that have persisted down the ages. For example the fact that he bequeathed ten pounds to the poor has been interpreted to show that Shakespeare was stingy but Bryson points out that at that time this was very generous. A person of Shakespeare's wealth could be expected to bequeath about two pounds. Bryson comes to no conclusion about what has been regarded as a very cold mention of his wife Anne Hathaway in his will, but he also points out that this is actually not evidence that they weren't on good terms (just wait till we get to Germaine Greer's Shakespeare's Wife a few books from now!).
The book ends with a chapter about whether or not Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare's plays (a subject once again currently all the rage) and he very sensibly concludes that while there is a lot of evidence that he did, there is absolutely no evidence of any kind that anyone else did. He ends his book: “Only one man had the circumstances and gifts to give us such incomparable works, and William Shakespeare of Stratford was unquestionably that man – whoever he was.”
This is an excellent book for those who don't know so much about Shakespeare but would like to, and it's also very enjoyable for those who know quite a lot about him. In other words, read it!
First posten on [email protected]
It's always fun to read Bill Bryson. He has a sly, sometimes acid wit, and he writes about rather profound things (such as language, the history of the universe,
Show More
everyday life) in a down home, sit-around-the-fireplace kind of tone, much like Garrison Keillor. Very Midwest American. Bryson is from Iowa (has lived in England for years, still does) and Keillor is from Minnesota.So what does all this have to do with Shakespeare? Well, this: Bryson has written a biography of him. As usual he has taken a vast subject and given us an unpretentious, amusing and affectionate nutshell of it.
He weaves the nuggets of fact we have on Shakespeare's life into the background tapestry of life in England, especially London, at the time. He presents the plays and writes about Shakespeare's language. Being a bit of a language expert himself Bryson makes this especially interesting. I always like to read about words Shakespeare invented (or as Bryson carefully points out, used in print for the first time that we know of), for example: antipathy, frugal, dwindle, assassination, lonely, zany... The list of course is almost endless. Did you know that Hamlet itself gave us about six hundred new words? A surprising number of Shakespeare's new words, about eight hundred according to Bryson, are still used today. Not to mention his phrases: one fell swoop, vanish into thin air, be in a pickle, flesh and blood, foul play – again one could go on and on.
Using the garnered knowledge of such experts as Stephen Greenblatt and Frank Kermode, Bryson also deals with some of the myths and lies about Shakespeare that have persisted down the ages. For example the fact that he bequeathed ten pounds to the poor has been interpreted to show that Shakespeare was stingy but Bryson points out that at that time this was very generous. A person of Shakespeare's wealth could be expected to bequeath about two pounds. Bryson comes to no conclusion about what has been regarded as a very cold mention of his wife Anne Hathaway in his will, but he also points out that this is actually not evidence that they weren't on good terms (just wait till we get to Germaine Greer's Shakespeare's Wife a few books from now!).
The book ends with a chapter about whether or not Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare's plays (a subject once again currently all the rage) and he very sensibly concludes that while there is a lot of evidence that he did, there is absolutely no evidence of any kind that anyone else did. He ends his book: “Only one man had the circumstances and gifts to give us such incomparable works, and William Shakespeare of Stratford was unquestionably that man – whoever he was.”
This is an excellent book for those who don't know so much about Shakespeare but would like to, and it's also very enjoyable for those who know quite a lot about him. In other words, read it!
First posten on [email protected]
Show Less
LibraryThing member hibou2
Fine, unsentimental portrait. Honest in how much of what we believe we know about Shakespeare's life is nothing more than conjecture.
LibraryThing member yeremenko
Of all the Shakespeare biographies this is the most sensible I have seen. Bryson is careful to make clear how little is known of Shakespeare and how most of what is said about him is speculation. The final chapter where he effectively eviscerates those who question Shakespeare’s authorship is, by
The book is brief and to the point. And the point is a big book about the Bard’s life can’t be written without filling it with speculation. There is nothing mysterious or shady about the lack of information though. There is little information on anyone or anything from that era. There is but a single sketch of any Elizabethan theatre (and it isn’t the Globe) for example. The diary of a tourist (that didn’t speak English) provides a large portion of the information on drama of the period. After painstakingly following the tiny but of information on Shakespeare’s life, Bryson gives a brief history of the scholarship studying the great writer. This again points to many misdirect ions untruths and exaggerations.
As mentioned above, Bryosn uses all of this information to easily discredit the theories around authorship. He provided the most detail to the theories around Bacon and today’s fashionable phantom, Oxford.
Just like TV news sensationalism sells. There is little money in common sense, but this book makes far more sense than other, Shakespeare by Another Name for one.
Show More
itself, worth the read.The book is brief and to the point. And the point is a big book about the Bard’s life can’t be written without filling it with speculation. There is nothing mysterious or shady about the lack of information though. There is little information on anyone or anything from that era. There is but a single sketch of any Elizabethan theatre (and it isn’t the Globe) for example. The diary of a tourist (that didn’t speak English) provides a large portion of the information on drama of the period. After painstakingly following the tiny but of information on Shakespeare’s life, Bryson gives a brief history of the scholarship studying the great writer. This again points to many misdirect ions untruths and exaggerations.
As mentioned above, Bryosn uses all of this information to easily discredit the theories around authorship. He provided the most detail to the theories around Bacon and today’s fashionable phantom, Oxford.
Just like TV news sensationalism sells. There is little money in common sense, but this book makes far more sense than other, Shakespeare by Another Name for one.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Smiler69
From the outset, Bryson explains that his intention for this book was to relate the few known facts about Shakespeare, and not to indulge in theories and suppositions, as it would seem most biographers of the Bard have done, which in turn explains why it is such a short book. I'm very new to
Show More
Shakespeare, having only read one of his plays thus far—King Lear—and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm also not in the habit of reading very much non-fiction, but I found this short biography to be filled with interesting facts and amusing anecdotes. Many firsts with this book, as it was also my first book by Bryson, but I'll be looking out for more. The audiobook version narrated by the author was also quite delightful. Show Less
LibraryThing member cocoafiend
This brief biography of William Shakespeare is eminently readable and makes a good introduction to the poet and playwright. At fewer than 200 pages, it really is short - a reflection of the relative paucity of information we actually have about Shakespeare. This being the case, there's a fair bit
Bryson writes well and makes seemingly dry details (such as property ownership and the terms of wills) seem fraught with elusive significance. What can we conclude from the fact that Shakespeare left his wife his "second best bed"? What does what we know of the foul papers, prompt books, and early quarto editions tell us about Elizabethan play writing, revision, production and publication? What do we make of the homoerotic elements of Shakespeare's sonnets?
Bryson also takes stock of the losses and gains of early Shakespeare scholarship: the First Folio was a remarkable (and somewhat unusual) postmortem rescue of plays that might otherwise have vanished, edited by theatrical partners who had access to manuscript foul papers and had seen several stages of play production; the fact that no biographer interviewer either Shakespeare's daughter or granddaughter during their lifetimes was an incalculably large blow to biographers etc.
The one thing that really bothered me about this book, however, was the pointed shift in tone in the final chapter. I agree with Bryson that Shakespeare needn't be some Oxford-educated aristocrat, that it is well within reason to believe that a brilliant grammar school boy and son of the mayor of Stratford could grow up to write these plays. Nevertheless, his closing chapter on the controversy about Shakespeare's identity marks a rather sudden shift from the reasoned and balanced analysis that precedes it to something that can only be called outright mockery of the "anti-Stratford" lot. Don't get me wrong - I'm perfectly okay with snarkiness and editorialising, but here it comes on rather suddenly and therefore jars. Bryson comes off as a person with some sort of personal stake in the humiliation of those 'wingnuts' who think Will might have been someone other than the Stratford man.
Still, this is a good general introduction to the period and the playwright, written in an entertaining and readable style.
Show More
of historical context, and discussion of the tendency for scholars and biographers to resort to speculation. I actually enjoyed these aspects of the book, because they pay attention to the very interesting subject of precisely how scholars and critics arrive at their conclusions, how they do their research, and of course, where their biases lie. Bryson writes well and makes seemingly dry details (such as property ownership and the terms of wills) seem fraught with elusive significance. What can we conclude from the fact that Shakespeare left his wife his "second best bed"? What does what we know of the foul papers, prompt books, and early quarto editions tell us about Elizabethan play writing, revision, production and publication? What do we make of the homoerotic elements of Shakespeare's sonnets?
Bryson also takes stock of the losses and gains of early Shakespeare scholarship: the First Folio was a remarkable (and somewhat unusual) postmortem rescue of plays that might otherwise have vanished, edited by theatrical partners who had access to manuscript foul papers and had seen several stages of play production; the fact that no biographer interviewer either Shakespeare's daughter or granddaughter during their lifetimes was an incalculably large blow to biographers etc.
The one thing that really bothered me about this book, however, was the pointed shift in tone in the final chapter. I agree with Bryson that Shakespeare needn't be some Oxford-educated aristocrat, that it is well within reason to believe that a brilliant grammar school boy and son of the mayor of Stratford could grow up to write these plays. Nevertheless, his closing chapter on the controversy about Shakespeare's identity marks a rather sudden shift from the reasoned and balanced analysis that precedes it to something that can only be called outright mockery of the "anti-Stratford" lot. Don't get me wrong - I'm perfectly okay with snarkiness and editorialising, but here it comes on rather suddenly and therefore jars. Bryson comes off as a person with some sort of personal stake in the humiliation of those 'wingnuts' who think Will might have been someone other than the Stratford man.
Still, this is a good general introduction to the period and the playwright, written in an entertaining and readable style.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MarysGirl
Bryson is a favorite of mine and he does not disappoint. "More than two hundred years ago...historian George Steevens observed that all we know of William Shakespeare is contained within a few scanty facts: That he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, produced a family there, went to London, became an
Bryson is a wonderful essayist and a joy to read. I highly recommend this book.
Show More
actor and writer, returned to Stratford, made a will and died." Bryson sorts through the "scanty facts" (actually a few more than Steevens lists) and fleshes out this slim volume with wonderful divergences on the provenance of the portraits supposed to represent Shakespeare, the architecture of Elizabethan era theaters, anything known about anyone who knew Shakespeare, and ends firmly on the side of Shakespeare as Shakespeare rather than Bacon or any others put forward to claim the mantle of Bard.Bryson is a wonderful essayist and a joy to read. I highly recommend this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Talbin
Shakespeare: The World as Stage, by Bill Bryson, is a short account not so much of Shakespeare's life - very little is actually known - but more so about Shakepeare's work and times. This is a light and breezy history, very quick to read. It's the perfect introduction to Shakespeare and his times,
Show More
and I can imagine that it would set the stage perfectly in a college-level introductory Shakespeare course. In the last chapter of the book, Bryson recounts the various theories that say Shakespeare did not write the poems and plays. After describing the most popular of these theories, Bryson pretty strongly comes out in favor of Shakespeare having written his own material. Show Less
LibraryThing member carrieprice78
If I would write a book, I would hope to write like Bill Bryson. He's engaging no matter what he's writing about. I had the misfortune of having a complacent history teacher for all four years of high school, and so in early middle age, I have decided to read bits and pieces of history writing in
Bryson said as much as he could about what little is known about Shakespeare. Bryson made the connections where he could, and talked about the theories of prominent scholars as well as the theories of anti-Stratfordians--those who believe Shakespeare did not write the plays, although he gives them little credit. He's quick to point out discrepancies where they arise.
Overall, I'm not sure if I know much more about Shakespeare than I did to begin with, but I feel as though I've seen him as a human being existing in Elizabethan England. That much helps to put Shakespeare's story in perspective.
Show More
an effort to learn something, anything.Bryson said as much as he could about what little is known about Shakespeare. Bryson made the connections where he could, and talked about the theories of prominent scholars as well as the theories of anti-Stratfordians--those who believe Shakespeare did not write the plays, although he gives them little credit. He's quick to point out discrepancies where they arise.
Overall, I'm not sure if I know much more about Shakespeare than I did to begin with, but I feel as though I've seen him as a human being existing in Elizabethan England. That much helps to put Shakespeare's story in perspective.
Show Less
LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
Bryson admits that there is not much to say about Shakespeare without being in danger of extrapolating too far from what little we know, and that accounts for the slimness of this volume. Otherwise a well-written introduction to the Bard, one that whets the appetite without ever cloying.
LibraryThing member JeffV
Bryson is known for taking on huge, sweeping topics and approaching it in an affable, if shallow, manner. Shakespeare: The World as Stage is quite a bit more focused, and considerably less casual than the other books of his I've read.
The life of William Shakespeare is maddeningly undocumented; long
In the end, we know a little more of his times: the changing political climate that had a real affect on the staging of plays, and Shakespeare's contemporaries and rivals. But we don't really know anything more about the man himself. Bryson's biggest accomplishment in this book is bringing other, recent theories back to ground zero. He doesn't really lift off himself, and I think he came to realize this as the book lacks his usual engaging style in favor of something closer to an Economist report.
The life of William Shakespeare is maddeningly undocumented; long
Show More
frustrating scholars given the prodigious output that survives. There has been a lot of searching but not much finding, but that doesn't keep researchers from putting forth increasingly implausible theories. What Bryson does accomplish is debunking many of these theories, or at least expose them for the rantings of the lunatic fringe. In the meantime, we are reminded of what is really known about Shakespeare; and what can be inferred by clues contained within the texts of his plays. Shakespeare was a notoriously poor historian, yet he had an affinity of adopting contemporary events into his plays. This allows us to piece together probable time lines, sufficient enough to derail some theories.In the end, we know a little more of his times: the changing political climate that had a real affect on the staging of plays, and Shakespeare's contemporaries and rivals. But we don't really know anything more about the man himself. Bryson's biggest accomplishment in this book is bringing other, recent theories back to ground zero. He doesn't really lift off himself, and I think he came to realize this as the book lacks his usual engaging style in favor of something closer to an Economist report.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Shirezu
This was an interesting look at a figure I've heard of so much and whose plays I've performed but never really tried to find that much about. I was surprised initially to find how little real information there is about him but the book explains that the little we know is still far more then is
Show More
known about a lot of other people of his time. It was an interesting and informative read and I'd recommend it to anyone who has an interest in his plays. Now I must go read the rest of his work. Show Less
LibraryThing member sanddancer
The first chapter was mainly about how little is actually known for certain about Shakespeare, and while it was amusing enough, I did worry about how the book would unfold with so few facts. However, I shouldn’t have worried, because the book was so much more than a collection of facts about
Bryson does bring together some of the things that are known about Shakespeare that historians and fanatics have found over the centuries from surviving records, along with more ideas that are little more than theories. But he adds great detail about the period in history with some real gems of information about Elizabethan and Jacobian society and theatre in particular. This is all presented with Bryson’s usual humour with which readers of his previous work will be familiar.
As well as learning a lot about that period, I enjoyed the parts about the words and phrases that Shakespeare introduced to the English language, and the final chapter “Claimants” which looks at (and dismisses) the various theories about who else may have wrote Shakespeare’s plays. The only weak point in the book was the section on the various folio and quarto editions of the plays, which was essential to a comprehensive survey on Shakespeare but just not as entertaining as the rest of the book.
Overall a great read and highly recommended especially to anyone with an interest in Shakespeare, history or the English language.
Show More
Shakespeare.Bryson does bring together some of the things that are known about Shakespeare that historians and fanatics have found over the centuries from surviving records, along with more ideas that are little more than theories. But he adds great detail about the period in history with some real gems of information about Elizabethan and Jacobian society and theatre in particular. This is all presented with Bryson’s usual humour with which readers of his previous work will be familiar.
As well as learning a lot about that period, I enjoyed the parts about the words and phrases that Shakespeare introduced to the English language, and the final chapter “Claimants” which looks at (and dismisses) the various theories about who else may have wrote Shakespeare’s plays. The only weak point in the book was the section on the various folio and quarto editions of the plays, which was essential to a comprehensive survey on Shakespeare but just not as entertaining as the rest of the book.
Overall a great read and highly recommended especially to anyone with an interest in Shakespeare, history or the English language.
Show Less
LibraryThing member goancrow
An pleasant read, history in a way that is accessible and enjoyable.
LibraryThing member Fluffyblue
This was my first foray into Bill Bryson and apparently it's quite different from his usual fare in that he isn't the central character and that it's actually a biography on William Shakespeare, rather than an account of his travels of observations.
It took a bit of listening to this audiobook.
I found the experience informative, and lots of surprising details about Shakespeare's life. For instance, only 5% of his life is known fact, the other 95% is conjecture. It probably would have helped me enjoyed the book "The Shakespeare Secret" more as well as it made references to lots of things that appeared in that book which had a much greater significance then I attributed them to.
I think for a quick listen (about 6 hours' worth - unabridged version) it contained pretty much all you need to know about Shakespeare, and would enable anybody who wanted to know more some ideas about where to look for further, more details information.
It took a bit of listening to this audiobook.
Show More
Bryson is quite a dry narrator and you can easily drift off at a tangent (or I found I could) whilst listening, so it involved a bit of to-ing an fro-ing with my iPod.I found the experience informative, and lots of surprising details about Shakespeare's life. For instance, only 5% of his life is known fact, the other 95% is conjecture. It probably would have helped me enjoyed the book "The Shakespeare Secret" more as well as it made references to lots of things that appeared in that book which had a much greater significance then I attributed them to.
I think for a quick listen (about 6 hours' worth - unabridged version) it contained pretty much all you need to know about Shakespeare, and would enable anybody who wanted to know more some ideas about where to look for further, more details information.
Show Less
LibraryThing member anamuk
An entertaining look at the the bard, from BIll bryson (in his mother
tongue/made in america mode, rather than his travelogue mode). In which he
mainly points out the paucity of the historical record re the other bill.
Paints an intresting picture of Shakespeare & Shakespearean scholarship &
spends
were written by not Shakespeare. Its a quite enjoyable, but not very scholarly
introduction to mystery that is the life of the bard.
tongue/made in america mode, rather than his travelogue mode). In which he
mainly points out the paucity of the historical record re the other bill.
Paints an intresting picture of Shakespeare & Shakespearean scholarship &
spends
Show More
the final chapter gently mocking those who believe the plays & sonnets were written by not Shakespeare. Its a quite enjoyable, but not very scholarly
introduction to mystery that is the life of the bard.
Show Less
LibraryThing member felius
Readable no-nonsense biography of Shakespeare, concentrating on what we can actually state as fact about his life. Which isn't much, as it turns out - hardly any documented evidence of Shakespeare's life remains, and this book does a good job of trying to sort through all the speculation to distill
Short and informative, I enjoyed it.
Show More
out the tiny nugget of truth we have available.Short and informative, I enjoyed it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jennyo
This book is one of the Eminent Lives series published by Harper Collins. This series appears to be "Biographies for Those With a Short Attention Span". And at least, in this case, a short biography makes sense because, according to Bryson, even though there are mountains of books that have been
I did enjoy the book, and am glad to know what the biggest conjectures about Shakespeare's life and work are, but I was hoping for a little more of Bryson's trademark snarkiness than I found here. I guess it's hard to be snarky when you're writing about one of your idols.
I do think this would make a great book for junior high and high schoolers to read as they read some of Shakespeare's plays. It would also make a good jumping off point for someone who wanted to do more in-depth study.
I may have to check out more books in this series. The one on Thomas Jefferson by Christopher Hitchens and the one about Mohammed by Karen Armstrong sound especially interesting.
Show More
written about Shakespeare, what we really know as fact could be printed in a one page pamphlet.I did enjoy the book, and am glad to know what the biggest conjectures about Shakespeare's life and work are, but I was hoping for a little more of Bryson's trademark snarkiness than I found here. I guess it's hard to be snarky when you're writing about one of your idols.
I do think this would make a great book for junior high and high schoolers to read as they read some of Shakespeare's plays. It would also make a good jumping off point for someone who wanted to do more in-depth study.
I may have to check out more books in this series. The one on Thomas Jefferson by Christopher Hitchens and the one about Mohammed by Karen Armstrong sound especially interesting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member woodpecker
Very readable and a clear, funny summary of what we know of Shakespeare
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780007197897
Physical description
208 p.; 8.03 x 5.43 inches
Pages
208