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Shakespeare

The World as a Stage

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Shakespeare

By: Bill Bryson
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Summary

This short biography of William Shakespeare by world famous writer Bill Bryson brims with the author’s inimitable wit and intelligence.

Includes an exclusive Q&A session with the author.

Shakespeare’s life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard – from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died.

Following his international bestsellers ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ and ‘The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid’, Bill Bryson has written a short biography of William Shakespeare for the Eminent Lives series – which seeks to pair great subjects with writers known for their strong sensibilities and sharp, lively points of view.

 Art & Literature Authors Drama & Plays Literary History & Criticism Shakespeare Celebrity Funny Witty
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Critic reviews

Praise for ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ (HB):

‘A modern classic.’ The New York Times

‘It represents a wonderful education, and all schools would be better places if it were the core science reader on the curriculum.’ Times Literary Supplement

Praise for ‘The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid’:

'Outlandishly and improbably entertaining…inevitably [I] would
be reduced to body-racking, tear-inducing, de-couching laughter.' New York Times

'Always witty and sometimes hilarious…wonderfully funny and
touching.' Literary Review
All stars
Most relevant
If shakespeare interests you in any way this book is wonderful. Bill Bryson cuts through the mountains of information about the bard and gives you the facts. It is a facinating and informative piece of work which is totally and uttterly enjoyable!

cuts through the rubbish

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An excellent, straightforward guide to Shakespeare's life. Quite brief, but Bryson lays out everything we know about Shakespeare and the world in which he lived without any supposition or extravagant theories clouding the tale. We don't know very much about Shakespeare, but then we don't know very much about any of the Elizabethan or Stuart playwrights - so little survives from that period. Bryson deals with Shakespeare in his context admirably. He resists the urge to speculate or guess about anything we don't know for sure. It's a fascinating listen, and he despatches the idea that Shakespeare did not write the plays with clarity and conviction. The few details we do have about the writer's life are laid out well and this is a really interesting and enjoyable book.

No conspiracy theories here!

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I have listened to all of billy b’s audiobooks. I am pretty confident that his voice has been sped up for this performance.

He is awesome as always, but i am sure his voice has been sped up in post production. Very (but subtly) annoying if this is the case.

Still a big fan, great book and you cant beat his voice.

Billy B’s voice sped up?

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Effortless scholarship, warm and engaging delivery, fascinating topic. What's not to like? Bill Bryson takes his 'ordinary bloke' persona deep into the thickets of Shakespearean scholarship, gives all the facts, of which there are not a lot, punctures a bunch of theories many of which are examples of the High Stupid, and leaves me wanting more Bryson AND more Shakespeare.

Easy, not stupid, introduction to Shakespeare

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loved every minute, listened to all books and this is as good as any other

Quintessential Bryson

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