Entertaining the Alien

36. William Shakespeare: A Popular Life, Garry O'Connor

I think it's interesting, given how much Shakespeare I've read and how much I adore him, that I've never actually read a biography about him before now. I've read a lot of biographical information, but never an actual biography. After reading this one, I want to read more. O'Connor approaches Shakespeare's biography with a sense of respect for the man and the artist, but without a sense of overawe. He spends a lot of time placing each play in the context both of what Shakespeare might have been experiencing himself and of what was going on during Elizabethan England at the time. O'Connor also isn't afraid to point out where he thinks the Bard fell down with certain plays or characters--which is not something I've seen before.

Overall, I think this book did what any good biography or history should do: make me want to read more about the subject. Alas, now my fascination with Elizabethan England is going to be slightly more manic than ever...