Bruce Chatwin

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Shakespeare has constructed the finest biography I have ever read. At times, it even seems that Chatwin's merely a supporting cast member to Shakespeare's storytelling. I found mself limiting how many pages I could read a day so that I could drag it out as long as possible. It's not just for Chatwin fans either. I went into the bio with no knowledge of him.

Nicholas Shakespeare got to the very essence of the man in this superb portrait. Bruce Chatwin, complex to the extreme, could not have been an easy subject, yet Shakespeare managed, in a totally non judgemental way, to give the reader a revealing insight into the life and times of this late, great writer. The good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, he told it as it was, which is what will make this excellent biography endure. After satisfying my cravings for knowledge of all things Chatwin, and savouring every last powerful word that Shakespeare wrote, I was left with one overwhelming question: "Who is this Elizabeth woman - when are we going to hear her story?"...

Finally, a definitive Chatwin biography! I waited years for this -- and I wasn't disappointed. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating writer. The thing to remember about Chatwin is that he was a very English character and I think this may frustrate some non-English readers who -- forgive me for saying so -- may lack the taste or patience to appreciate him (as some of the petulant comments from previous reviewers suggest). He was such a difficult man to figure out even to his friends and I am not surprised that he ultimately comes across as unknowable in this otherwise thorough, valuable book.