The years melt away and we are there, right in the world of Elizabethan Stratford and London, throwing light on what we do actually know about the life and times and people associated with Shakespeare. At first glance, Bill Bryson seems an odd choice to write this addition to the Eminent Lives series. It is almost impossible to believe that as infamous as the works of William Shakespeare are, there is negligible conclusive information about him. Also I never really appreciated how he changed the way English is spoken, probably because I don't know enough about the history of spoken English. Bill Bryson is an old friend. This is a great introduction to Shakespeare and probably one of the best biographies you can read about a man we know so much, yet so little about. What emerges is a lovingly rendered biography of an obviously favorite subject. I can't say I know much more about Sweet Will now than I did before reading the book, but Bryson is not to blame. Bryson is good in describing the sixteenth century world of England. A mix of bedrock facts, such as Shakespeare’s date of birth—”By tradition it is agreed to be April 23, Saint George’s Day” (p. 24) in 1564—stand alongside humorous observations: “The Droeshout engraving [of Shakespeare].is an arrestingly-we might almost say magnificently-mediocre piece of work” (p. 4). I am not a big fan of either audio books or Shakespeare, but I needed a short something to listen to recently. Nouns became verbs and adverbs; adverbs became adjectives. The World as Stage. Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. THE WORLD AS STAGE. Expressions that could not have grammatically existed before - such as 'breathing one's last' and 'backing a horse', both coined by Shakespeare - were suddenly popping up everywhere.”, Jerry Dantzic: Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States, The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, Shakespeare: The World as Stage, by Bill Bryson. I still can’t answer that. Bryson’s strength, then, lies not so much in his Shakespearean expertise but rather in his obvious ability to turn a phrase. Having being forced to study him for A-Level English and worship at the alter of Shakespeare like a good student I was also suprised how little is known about him. It’s funny and informative the way Bryson tells it, and I was in awe of this couple’s dedication; Bryson mentions 10 million documents are archived here. Well, that was a quick and easy read, very pleasant too thank you Mr Bryson. More By and About This Author. 9780007197903 - Shakespeare: the World as a Stage Eminent Lives by Bryson, Bill - AbeBooks We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. Bryson plays detective after explaining that this is not his field and he is sharing his finds of what he discovers by talking to a lot of experts. by HarperCollinsPublishing. It really isn't a biography,as Shakespeare the man,remains shrouded in mystery.It certainly came as a surprise to me,that practically nothing is known about the man. He and his family then moved to New Hampshire in America for a few years, but they have now returned to live in the UK. He writes in a way that enables we “everymen” to easily access historical and scientific facts. My best memory of learning about Shakespeare was being asked to write an essay on the use of natural symbolism in "A Winters Tale". At first, it honestly felt like Mr. Bryson was begrudgingly completing a college research paper and, becoming exasperated by the lack of factual information, instead presented a (very interesting) history of Elizabethan London! He genuinely loves his subjects, and it is infectious. The book starts off with anecdotes, one is from late 1900s of an American couple, Charles and Hulda Wallace, who housed themselves at London’s National Archives to search through hundreds of thousand records. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Shakespeare : The World As Stage, Paperback by Bryson, Bill, ISBN 0061673692, ISBN-13 9780061673696, Brand New, Free shipping in the US A portrait of the Bard is presented in the style of a travelogue based on interviews with actors, the curator of Shakespeare's birthplace, and academics, in an account that also shares the author's recollections of his own adventures in Stratford-upon-Avon. Bill Bryson, in his own inimitable way, takes us through the world of Shakespeare as easily as if he were discussing the latest political controversy. So on a trip to the library I chose this one because: people who want to read a book which will teach them nothing in a fun and informative way, Well, that was a quick and easy read, very pleasant too thank you Mr Bryson. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. Overall, this lovely, brief analysis of the life of Shakespeare was a nice supplement to some of the more weighty, academic biographies out there. The 199-page book is part of Harper Collins' series of biographies, "Eminent Lives". Those of you who are familiar with his oeuvre would know that he is a "love-him-or-hate-him" author: people either love his snarky humour, or hate it with passion. Also I really appreciated that he acknowledged that Shakespeare doesn't make any sense some times because for some reason everyone seems resistant to agreeing when I mention it, but come on some times the writing is incoherent. This overview of Shakespeare’s life improved greatly as the pages increased. I enjoyed the book though, I learnt a lot I didn't know before and I think the autho. Synopsis Chapter 5 was about Shakespeare writing style and were he got help from and were his inspiration has lead him to write great plays. Bill Bryson is the New York Times bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods, The Lost Continent, The Mother Tongue, Neither Here Nor There, Made in America, Notes from a Small Island, Notes from a Big Country, Down Under, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Shakespeare: The World as Stage, At Home, and A Short History of Nearly Everything, which was shortlisted for the … November 1st 2007 His prose makes everything he writes so very readable. Bill Bryson, in his own inimitable way, takes us through the world of Shakespeare as easily as if he were discussing the latest political controversy. :). He moved to England, where he worked for The Times and The Independent, and wrote for many major British and American publications. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Being a slightly cocky and beligerent teenager I turned i. One would think that 200 pages covering "nothing" would grow tedious. I am struggling to recall why exactly I wanted to read this. For example, Shakespeare’s multi-year absence from the stage is explained by the closure of all London theaters due to the plague. The book’s somewhat unbalanced biography is similar to all Shakespearean biographies insofar as virtually nothing is actually known about the man, whereas very much has been inferred. The author of 'The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' isn't, after all, a Shakespeare scholar, a playwright, or even a biographer. Bill Bryson, in his own inimitable way, takes us through the world of Shakespeare as easily as if he were discussing the latest political controversy. The book is divided into chapters that establish what is known and what is generally supposed about several periods in Shakespeare’s life and his environment. This 200-page biog contains about as much information as we casual readers need on Shakespeare. I knew the author for his humorous side, and I was intrigued by the gender gap, so I bought it for myself. Shakespeare. He genuinely loves his subjects, and it is infectious. Welcome back. I'm really not a fan of Shakespeare but reading this book really did help explain his popularity, at least in my mind. Shakespeare was both an actor and director and performed at the Globe theatre. LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers All about Shakespeare: The World as Stage (Eminent Lives) by Bill Bryson. And there are merits to both viewpoints. (I’ve listened to several audiobooks where Bill Bryson reads his own work, so when I read his books, I can hear his voice and imagine his smile while I read.). There's nothing wrong with Bryson's writing... but he just doesn't say very much, because there ISN'T anything to say. He was the right age (just two months older than Shakespeare), had the requisite talent, and would certainly have had ample leisure after 1593, assuming he wasn't too dead to work.”, “And there was never a better time to delve for pleasure in language than the sixteenth century, when novelty blew through English like a spring breeze. The book reads much as one would expect and holds no surprises of construction, methodology, or presentation. Shakespeare's biography is sketchy, and ever thus it shall remain. 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