Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Shakespeare
- The World as a Stage
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
This short biography of William Shakespeare by world famous writer Bill Bryson brims with the author’s inimitable wit and intelligence.
Includes an exclusive Q&A session with the author.
Shakespeare’s life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, 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 bestsellers ‘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.
What listeners say about Shakespeare
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris Lilly
- 26-11-14
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 12-06-21
A MUST if you're a lover of Shakespeare
I'm a Shakespeare nut (I've seen 38 different Hamlets and hope to make it 40). And this book is a breath of fresh air amongst the tsunami of learned tomes, and pointless speculations, on the subject.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrea
- 06-08-18
Enjoyable
Bill Bryson is such an easy listen, and I learned a lot. It brought alive the atmosphere of Shakespeare 's life and time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kirstine
- 27-02-22
Enjoyable for Shakespeare aficionados
Despite there being very little known about the playwright, Bill Bryson has gathered together some interesting information tangential to Shakespeare’s life, particularly the dismissal of all the misguided and frankly weird theories that other people wrote his plays. The author fleshes out what was happening the the country during Shakespeare’s lifetime and it was certainly an eventful period of English history.
I guess if you’re not familiar with his plays much of the book will be of little interest other than the historical background. The minutiae of statistics of the playwrights inclusion of certain words etc., are there for true devotees. For me it’s seeing the plays performed that matter and I’m grateful that the texts were saved as it was obviously a close-run thing as it appears that Shakespeare didn’t appear to care about his place in posterity and it was left to others to gather together the material from diverse sources to produced the First Folio. I’m left with the impression that Shakespeare would be amazed at the veneration he attracts four centuries after his death.
I have enjoyed reading several of Bill Bryson’s other books and while I did enjoy the present book I don’t think he was the ideal narrator. He tended to gabble the text which made the quotations in more antique English from the plays and poems even more difficult to grasp. I reduced the speed of the recording which helped.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jen
- 30-09-15
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
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- andy wright
- 23-02-15
Try this much better than you might think
A great listen well worth a visit , you learn alot more about the history of times try it treat yourself
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Buchan
- 23-02-22
A witty and informative introduction to the bard
As is usual with Bryson he writes fluently and amusingly in this guide to Shakespeare.
By its nature this is not an in-depth guide to the minutiae of Shakespeare but an overview of what is, and more often not, known. It was also lovely to hear Bill narrate his own work! All in all a worthy addition to the canon of Brysonia!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Peter Corser
- 15-01-23
A truly informative biography of Shakespeare
What I loved about this book was it did not speculate on things that the author does not know. it was very interesting to hear How Little We Do actually know about Shakespeare. like not really knowing what he looked like.
my favourite chapter was at the end though where Bill debunks all the nonsense about Shakespeare being a fraud.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nigel King
- 04-05-21
Another take on our William
I really enjoyed Bryson’s take on the Shakespeare story but don’t expect any major revelations - because we know so little about him this could accurately be subtitled (if you’ll excuse the shameless pun!) ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ but, nonetheless, worth listening to, I just wish Bryson would sometimes use a professional narrator as his mellifluous tones can induce sleep and possible coma!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- m
- 30-08-16
Shakespeare for all
This book brought Shakespeare and his work and times to life. I have not read or saw any Shakespeare but this great insight into the genius of the man both Will and Bill has give me a thirst for more. Well worth the time for a Shakespeare fan and a novice like myself.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!