The Age of Shakespeare (Modern Library Chronicles): Amazon.co.uk: Frank Kermode: Books

Review

'Frank Kermode's THE AGE OF SHAKESPEARE is an astonishing achievement... No comments are less than telling; most are highly original... Such acute close readings are smoothly integrated into a larger narrative which contextualises Shakespeare within his age.... Clarity of exposition and common sense mark every page... Kermode is unfailingly perceptive...' (THE SPECTATOR )

'.. the most surprising thing about Kermode's survey - one that is full of delightful surprises - is just how much he manages to squeeze in. The brief but authoritative attention given to each play produces elegant one-liners that, like the plays themselves, expand the mind... [Kermode] writes with an unruffled calm that does nothing to disguise the energy and sharpness of his thinking.' (DAILY TELEGRAPH )

'Besides being expert, eye-opening and short, Kermode's book has personal touches that freshen its approach... As always he writes as if he really loves literature. A rare thing.' (SUNDAY TIMES )

'...Kermode can pack more illumination into a sentence than most people can pack into a paragraph. He is a master at opening a sentence with a remark that makes you think nothing especially important is being said, then turning your expectations upside down by adding a pointed reflection... For such a small book, The Age of Shakespeare is packed with information... this is an excellent book, a distillation of a lifetime's critical reflection into a few pages.' (NEW STATESMAN )

'Under [Kermode's] sensitive scrutiny, every phrase, every paragraph, comes alive vividly and dangerously, organically imagined... scintillating insights, entirely characteristic of this friendly, slim volume. Reading it is like spending a delightful evening in the company of Kermode himself, clearly a man of profound intelligence, great wit and immense learning... it is constantly and wittily stimulating, and warmly recommended to anyone who cares about Shakespeare.' (THE GUARDIAN )

'Kermode is incisive on changes in Shakespeare's verse style and techniques of exposition over time, and on the way the choice of rhetorical devices within a play mirrors its overall thematic construction.' (THE OBSERVER )

'Kermode is... very good on on the larger politics of the moment... Kermode is possissed by a vast quantity of common sense - a commodity not noticeably evident in many literary scholars... He is good, too, on the confusing theatrical politics of the period with various companies, theatres, players and writers bying for mastery... Frank Kermode has written a fine introduction to this complex and capricious subject.' (THE TIMES )

'What distinguishes Frank Kermode from the professors andpundits of the Shakespeare industry is his tone: gentle eleegant, comonsensical. He writes with very human excitement about the texts before him...' (THE TABLET )

'... unpatronising, relaxed and readable...' (IRISH TIMES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Many insights 13 July 2004

By Kurt A. Johnson

Format:Hardcover

In this nifty little book, author and historian Frank Kermode gives us a new insight into the life and works of William Shakespeare. Beginning with a quick introduction to Elizabethan England, the author then goes on to trace Shakespeare's life, putting each of the plays into context, relative to what was happening in his life and in England at the time. Overall, I found this to be an entertaining and highly informative read. In particular I enjoyed the many insights that the author gave me into how Elizabeth drama worked and how it operated. I really loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

a masterpiece of clarity 23 May 2006

By hdd

Format:Paperback

This fine little book provides an excellent brief overview of Shakespeare's life, work and times. It's neither too scholarly nor too superficial. Very readable, and Kermode avoids the usual traps of assuming facts about Shakespeare's lifes and works that can't be proved. Good stuff.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Excellent brief intro to Shakespeare 8 Feb 2005

By A Customer

An immensely informative, very readable, and judiciously argued history of the known facts of, and connections between, Shakespeare's life, age, and works - by the writer generally regarded as England's most distinguished literary critic. If you want a more extensive and scholarly analysis of Shakespeare's works, take a look at the same author's "Shakespeare's Language", which is possibly his masterpiece. Oh, and ignore the silly review below.