- Hardcover: 480 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press (7 Nov 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0195160932
- ISBN-13: 978-0195160932
- Product Dimensions: 24.6 x 19.3 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,365,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Stanley Wells has distilled nearly half a century's experience as one of the most respected critics and editors of Shakespeare to produce Shakespeare: For All Time, a definitive account of Shakespeare life, writing and afterlife. The result is a brilliant survey of the world's most famous writer, of whom Ben Jonson claimed "He was not of an age, but for all time," that stretches from his first mention in 1564 in the parish register of Stratford-upon-Avon church, to "Shakespeare's emergence as a truly global writer, aided by the increasing use of English as an international language," watched and read by millions of people throughout the world.
The strength of Wells' book is that it encompasses Shakespearean biography, criticism and history. The early chapters deal with Shakespeare's days in Stratford, his move to London and immersion in the theatrical world, and a vivid recreation of the stage and court of the day. There are short, acute accounts of nearly all the plays, as well as Wells' broader claims that Shakespeare was "a religious writer: not a proponent of any particular religion, but a writer who is aware, and makes his spectators aware, of the mystery of things, of mankind's impulse to seek, however unavailingly, for an understanding of how we came to be on earth". However, Wells also manages to survey the growth of Shakespeare's legend throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, thanks to the dedication of actors, critics and editors such as David Garrick and Samuel Johnson, through to his current ascendancy across the globe in the mass markets of publishing and the media.
There can be no better book on Shakespeare for the general reader than Wells' Shakespeare. It is learned, clear and passionately committed to Shakespeare, who as far as Wells is concerned, "is in the water supply, and is likely to remain there until the pipes run dry." --Jerry Brotton --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
David Bevington and Phyllis Fay Horton, University of Chicago
It is learned, wise, beautifully written, eminently readable... a wonderful tribute to Shakespeare by a scholar who has never lost contact with the stage...
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book arrived well within the time limit and was well wrapped. It is a lovely book to hold, decent size, if a little on the heavy side for some one disabled like me. The contents are well presented, giving an account of his life, followed by a history of Shakespearean plays performed over time until the present day of videos and CDs.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Shakespeare: For All Time
1 Oct 2003
Format:Hardcover
Stanley Wells' latest book combines two genres: Biography (Shakespeare), and History of Theatre (Shakespeare). It is a history of Shakespeare from his time to ours, including Shakespeare's life and subsequent theatrical performance, but excluding critical analysis and interpretation of the plays.
The first 100 pages present a minimalist biography of the great playwright - "minimalist" in the sense that Wells sticks close to the (relatively few) facts that are known, or can be judiciously inferred, about Shakespeare's life, avoiding any temptation to pad out or speculate where the facts will not stretch. I found this approach to be refreshing and useful; it clarified for me what is actually known about Shakespeare's life, versus what has been inferred (or imagined) in other biographies.
The first 100 pages present a minimalist biography of the great playwright - "minimalist" in the sense that Wells sticks close to the (relatively few) facts that are known, or can be judiciously inferred, about Shakespeare's life, avoiding any temptation to pad out or speculate where the facts will not stretch. I found this approach to be refreshing and useful; it clarified for me what is actually known about Shakespeare's life, versus what has been inferred (or imagined) in other biographies.
The remainder of the book deals with the history of Shakespeare in performance, from the playright's time down to the present day, both in England and (in less detail) abroad. The history of the original texts of the plays, their theatrical revisions (or mutilations), the theatres, producers, actors, and critical and popular responses (including Hollywood) are discussed. Given the potentially unlimited scope of this topic, Wells' treatment is brief, selective, and to the point (for example, Joseph Papp's seminal New York "Shakespeare in the Park" is given one sentence in the book.)
To summarize, Wells has, a bit unusually, combined a brief but thoughtful biography of Shakespeare, with an introductory history of Shakespeare in performance. It's a fluently written and engaging overview, and as such, I think that many Shakespeare aficionados, as well as students of the history of theatre, will want to have it.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Not for an age, but for all time
15 Aug 2003
Format:Hardcover
This is a physically beautiful volume. It's an oversize book printed on thick, glossy paper. It's filled with illustrations, both works of art and photographs, from Shakespeare's time to our own.
It's also packed with solid information that's easy to digest. Wells tells everything that's known about Shakespeare's life and speculates on additional possibilities. All that could have made a book by itself, but it's only about a third of this volume.
He also goes on to tell about the writing of the plays and their staging through the centuries. Something I've not seen elsewhere in one volume is a discussion of the many famous actors who've played the major Shakespearean roles.
Above all, this book goes down easily. It's perfectly easy to understand. There is no deep and esoteric Freudian, feminist, postmodern whatever discussion of individual plays or characters.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Everything you need to know in one book
15 May 2003
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ever wanted to read one book to know about the life of Shakespeare and the life of his plays? This is the only book you need. The world's preeminent Shakespearean scholar at long last presents his knowledgable views on Shakespeare's life and how the different ages, including ours, have appropriated Shakespeare for their own. The first 100 pages are straight-up biography, and a spot-on one at that, providing all of the facts that we know and wise, cautious speculation about what we don't. The following 300 pages illustrate how Shakespeare wrote what he did, and how each age has seen and transformed Shakespeare. Most impressive is that each chapter explores theatrical developments alongside textual and editorial innovations. Not ignored is Shakespeare's representations in visual art, music, and opera. A most impressive volume that is written in an easy to understand style. Any person could pick up this book and understand the history of Shakespeare for all time. Highly recommended as a companion volume is Prof. Wells's earlier exploration -Shakespeare: The Poet and his Plays. That volume discusses each individual play and the poems on an interpretative level, and a highly insightful level at that.
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