Mrs. Shakespeare: The Complete Works

This book was a little bit Too Much Information. I'm not exactly interested in Shakespeare's sex life.... I'm really wanting to give it 3 stars, except that OK, it could explain some things about Shakepeare and perhaps his writing. I did enjoy reading from Mrs. Shakespeare's point of view, as Robert Nye presents it in his book. It was funny and clever, as well as a fresh breath of air. I could see why perhaps London was not to her liking... It was interesting to gain a different perspective on Shakepseare through her eyes and on daily and family life in Stratford. An OK book that reads pretty quickly.

This book is factually based and yet entertaining at the same time. Mrs. Shakespeare has a way of storytelling that the Bard himself would envy. Not only does she present facts about their life together, she presents them in a way that relates to all people. Who hasn't felt jealousy when their spouse puts work above them? Who isn't angry when they lose a child and have no one to talk to about it? This book is not so much a story of William Shakespeare, but a story of how his wife sees him. Robert Nye does an excellent job of letting us see the other side. We hear about Mr. Shakespeare from his wife, the woman who knows him best. The woman least likely to sugar coat it. We learn about his life in London, who the sonnets were really written for, and the mystery of the second best bed. This book is entertaining and intriguing. I recommend this book to people not only interested in Shakespeare's life, but also interested in thinking about their own life in a new way.

Mrs. Shakespeare has nothing good to say about her husband, the great playwright and poet. However, no one knows what this women endured during their marriage. She is entitled to have a voice in history as well as her husband William Shakespear. I have no less respect for the "Bard's" talent (he was a legend and is still). No one is perfect and most brilliant people have their faults. It was quite interesting reading what she had to say. It helped me tremendously in understanding that era of time and the Bard himself. It also gave her an opportunity to release this bitterness from her inner soul.

Ah--a clever, clever book, indeed! Robert Nye's "Mrs. Shakespeare" is just that. In this very readable, witty, and enjoyable book, Nye's "central character" (Anne Hathaway) reveals to us the "real" William Shakespeare! Written some seven years after the Bard's death, the book draws heavily upon heretofore "unpublished" comments/thoughts/reactions by his widow. No matter.Remember, this is fiction. And while we are not comparing Nye's work "to a summer's day," it is magical in its intent. Nye is quite the scholar, although that seems disguised as he flippantly carries us through Anne's memoirs ("the only happily married couple in all my husband's works are called Macbeth"). Of course, as "Shakespearean gospel," there will be the critics and non-believers. Again, no matter. It's fiction. So a little (well, all right, a lot) of leeway should be granted. Regardless of your devotion (or not) to Shakespeare, this take is still a good one to read. That's not to say it isn't intellectually challenging, and perhaps the more you know about Shakespeare, the more you are likely to catch all the allusions tossed--sometimes willy-nilly-at the reader! ([email protected])