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  • Shakespeare

  • The World as a Stage
  • By: Bill Bryson
  • Narrated by: Bill Bryson
  • Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (799 ratings)
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Shakespeare cover art

Shakespeare

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: Bill Bryson
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Summary

Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions. Some are preposterous, some are conflicting, all are arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard, from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his "second best bed" to his wife when he died.Following his international best-sellers A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Bill Bryson has written a short biography of William Shakespeare for the Eminent Lives series, which seeks to pair great subjects with writers known for their strong sensibilities and sharp, lively points of view.
©2007 Bill Bryson (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London, UK

What listeners say about Shakespeare

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

cuts through the rubbish

If shakespeare interests you in any way this book is wonderful. Bill Bryson cuts through the mountains of information about the bard and gives you the facts. It is a facinating and informative piece of work which is totally and uttterly enjoyable!

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Summary

This is a good book for most people who have an interest in Shakespeare. Bryson has put together all that we actually know about Shakespeare and discussed the well known theories that surround him. Well written and informative whilst being interesting and entertaining, as all Bryson's books are.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another side of Bill Bryson

I have, for a long time, been a 'fan' of the writing of Bill Bryson, however his book Shakespeare not only informs the reader/listener about the life of William Shakespeare, but, also highlights just want a wonderful writer Bill Bryson.

I have most of Bryson's works and this one is as good as the others.

I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

No conspiracy theories here!

An excellent, straightforward guide to Shakespeare's life. Quite brief, but Bryson lays out everything we know about Shakespeare and the world in which he lived without any supposition or extravagant theories clouding the tale. We don't know very much about Shakespeare, but then we don't know very much about any of the Elizabethan or Stuart playwrights - so little survives from that period. Bryson deals with Shakespeare in his context admirably. He resists the urge to speculate or guess about anything we don't know for sure. It's a fascinating listen, and he despatches the idea that Shakespeare did not write the plays with clarity and conviction. The few details we do have about the writer's life are laid out well and this is a really interesting and enjoyable book.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Hurrah for Bryson

Where does Shakespeare rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very highly. As always, Bryson's dulcet tones and arresting wit turns the otherwise inaccessible enigma that is the world of Shakespeare (however you spell it) into an engaging journey. Light is cast on the sometimes convoluted prose of this highly regarded scribe, and goes someway to help the uninitiated understand who Shakespeare is.

What did you like best about this story?

The format of Bryson's informal biography which has the investigative diligence of a journalist forces the listener to challenge more oblique concepts rather than the purely linear biographies one sometimes encounters.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Bill Bryson?

Yes. Bryson has a soothing tone and uses simple but eloquent language - he isn't one of the insufferable lexicon wielding authors who use language to encrypt the message.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. But then having kids means it will never happen

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended. Thanks Bill

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Brevity is the soul of wit

As Bill Bryson points out this is a short book! Why? Because there are so few confirmed facts about about The Bard. That, however, hasn't stopped scholars and academics alike speculating on the most surprising details of Shakespeare's life. Bryson sets out on a fact finding mission with his usual wit, the results are as entertaining as they are informative. I loved it!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Billy B’s voice sped up?

I have listened to all of billy b’s audiobooks. I am pretty confident that his voice has been sped up for this performance.

He is awesome as always, but i am sure his voice has been sped up in post production. Very (but subtly) annoying if this is the case.

Still a big fan, great book and you cant beat his voice.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Easy, not stupid, introduction to Shakespeare

Effortless scholarship, warm and engaging delivery, fascinating topic. What's not to like? Bill Bryson takes his 'ordinary bloke' persona deep into the thickets of Shakespearean scholarship, gives all the facts, of which there are not a lot, punctures a bunch of theories many of which are examples of the High Stupid, and leaves me wanting more Bryson AND more Shakespeare.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Shakespeare

An interesting book, well read by Bryson. I learnt a lot without having to concentrate too hard - exactly what I want from an audiobook

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shakespeare

This audiobook went through Shakespeare's life: what do we know and how do we know it? What are guesses / assumptions.
I really liked it.
One minor niggle: the chapters do not line up with the chapters in the book. I got the feeling that it was converted from CD and each audiobook chapter equals one CD. Odd.

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2 people found this helpful