Shakespeare

Bryson's easy to read biography of Shakespeare is short, concise and very informative. Approached by a publisher to write a book on a “notable life” Bryson was surprised to see that no-one had yet chosen Shakespeare. Deciding to stick strictly to the facts in the historical record, Bryson proceeded to research his subject. What he found was the amazing dearth of information on our most famous poet and playwright.

There are no manuscripts in his hand in existence, we only have a few examples of his signature, we don't even know if the three main portraits of Shakespeare are really what he look like. For a man who had such an impact on our culture and language it really is hard to pin him down.

Bryson tells us what he managed to find, through research and interviewing experts on Shakespeare, on where the man came from, what his early life might have been, his rise to theatrical prominence, the plays and their dates, his business dealings, his death and even the ridiculous speculation on who else might have written the plays.

It's very well presented and highly readable. It's not ground breaking, but it is a great way to get the facts on the man behind plays such as Macbeth and Henry V. Don't expect wild theories, or speculation based on little or no evidence. What we get is a very well written investigation into the facts. And I think we can all thank Bryson for that. Very good book.

I appreciate that this was informative and concise, but I found it to be a bit too dry and not particularly revelatory or anything. It's not bad, just not worth recommending.

I listened to this as an audiobook from the library and it had an interview with the author at the end, which is always a nice touch.