This is an accessible and entertaining journey through the life, times, and work of the Bard - "Enigma". Master of language. The greatest comedian in history? The most famous writer in the world. But isn't he a little bit boring? This is an essential guide for anyone who has previously avoided the Bard, and is the perfect introduction for first time students or seasoned theatre lovers. The book contains a full commentary of all the plays by bestselling and reknowned writer Peter Ackroyd as well as full descriptions of the cast and the drama; not forgetting the best speeches, and the wit and wisdom from across the works. There is also an opportunity to explore the poems and a complete set of sonnets, as well as an investigation of who the dark lady might have been. This title contains: the complete sonnets; the greatest speeches; and, the best lines. It is perfect for students struggling through their first play or for theatre lovers anywhere. It is entertaining, accessible, Shakespeare without the boring bits.
A Brief Guide to William Shakespeare
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About the Author
Peter Ackroyd is a world renowned novelist, biographer, poet, TV presenter and historian. He has written a number of ground breaking books about London including the novel Hawksmoor, as well as London: the Biography and Thames: Sacred River. His biography of William Shakespeare was considered by the Independent to 'set a new standard for accounts of Shakespeare's life'. In 2003 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literarure.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Anon
Format:Paperback
Most of the book is taken up with discussing the sources, main characters and plots of Shakespeare's plays, but where there are quotations from the plays (mainly in the chapter discussing the tragedies and in the final chapter called `The Wit and Wisdom of Shakespeare') very little help is given to the reader to enable them to understand the meaning of the text. Similarly, there's almost no help for the reader in understanding the sonnets, the complete set of which takes up seventy pages of the book. It would have been better if only a selection of the sonnets had been included along with an explanation of each one. According to the book's back cover it claims to be `...the perfect introduction to the Bard, ideal for anyone who has ever avoided the man or his work' and `indispensable for students struggling through their first play...'. However, the lack of explanation of Shakespeare's language is disappointing as it is undoubtedly the main stumbling block for people new to Shakespeare. Overall, the book is useful in learning about Shakespeare's plays but not very useful when it comes to understanding the language of Shakespeare.
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