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Shakespeare. Bill Bryson
Shakespeare. Bill Bryson | Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson's biography of William Shakespeare unravels the superstitions, academic discoveries and myths surrounding the life of one of our greatest poets and playwrights.
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TheBookHippie
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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#weekendreading starting with this one ! 🥶☕️❄️

Andrew65 Looks good. 2y
jewright It drives me crazy how little we know. 2y
58 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Daisey
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

This has been on my TBR for a while, and it was an interesting listen to complement my goal of slowly reading more Shakespeare. With a duration of about 5 and a half hours, it is a brief biography that often emphasizes how little is actually known about Shakespeare while also providing a strong argument to support that Shakespeare truly wrote all the works credited to him.

#nonfiction #audiobook

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I enjoyed this one on audiobook too, it was amazing to me how much we truly don‘t really know. 3y
53 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Readerann
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Switching it up for #Deweys24hourreadathon. Bryson is always loads of fun. Hope everyone is having a great reading day/night! #DeweysOct2020 #readathon

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batsy
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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One for the #ShakespeareReadAlong gang 🗡️💘💀😬

GingerAntics 🤣😂🤣 4y
Leftcoastzen 😂👏 4y
saresmoore Bahahaha! 4y
Graywacke There‘s a theme there... just can‘t quite place it. 😂 4y
88 likes4 comments
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ravenlee
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Mehso-so

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It‘s mildly amusing as a Bryson book, mildly interesting as a biography. The repeated emphasis on how unknowable Shakespeare is made for a challenging time reading about how little is knowable...if that makes sense.

18/20 for #bookspinbonanza, 8/15 for #15Books15Weeks

TheHeartlandBookFairy Shoot, I usually enjoy Bryson! Thanks for the review ☺️ 4y
TheAromaofBooks I've definitely read books where it felt like the author was spending more time telling me what they couldn't tell me instead of focusing on what they could actually tell me! 4y
42 likes2 comments
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ravenlee
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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I‘m passingly familiar with Pearl Buck but have never heard of the others. Also, I‘ve seen this argument before but using the Newbery Award as the exemplar. Valid either way.

AnneCecilie Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish author and her books are still read in the Nordic/ Scandinavian countries. In the 90s they turned one of her books into a movie. The house were she lived is open for visitors and when I visited almost 10yrs ago, there was plenty of people there. (edited) 4y
ravenlee @AnneCecilie after a brief scan she looks interesting, and I‘ll try to find something of hers. I‘ve worked as a bookseller off and on since I was 16, studied literature in college, and have never encountered her before. It‘s strange how some authors stay in demand and others fall by the wayside, with little reasoning for either. 4y
AnneCecilie @ravenlee And maybe some authors are just remembered in different parts of the world, each country has its own authors that is remembered, that is a part of its culture. 4y
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ravenlee
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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I‘m very glad that Anne and Agnes (ANN-uss) are no longer interchangeable. Please don‘t call me Agnes. 🤨 I have a hard enough time getting people to pronounce and spell it correctly as it is.

veritysalter I feel your pain, I don‘t understand what people get mine wrong, and add an ‘a‘ to make Variety????? Or why Apple change it to Verify, every bloody time! (edited) 4y
ravenlee @veritysalter I can understand messing up a name the first time, but not continuously. I spent ages 10-21 seeing my dad‘s side of the family at least once a month, and not one of them could spell my name right. And I had an English teacher senior year of high school who misspelled my name so many ways I can‘t even count them (Ayn, Anny, Anie, Aynn... - and I don‘t go by Annie in the first place!). 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ 4y
Clare-Dragonfly How many ways are there to spell Anne?! It shouldn‘t be hard! 4y
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TheAromaofBooks I had a great aunt who was a total sweetheart but consistently spelled my name Sarha instead of Sarah haha 4y
ravenlee @TheAromaofBooks what? Weird. I struggle with Sarah, to be honest - my sister is Sara, my best friend from college is Sarah, and it confuses me sometimes. It‘s hard for me to add the H, growing up without it. But not Sarha... 4y
TheAromaofBooks If you say it with a hard HA at the end, it sounds vaguely German to me haha 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I get interchanging Ann/Anne or Sara/Sarah since they're all fairly common, but when an English teacher gets it wrong...🤦🏼‍♀️ I have an aunt by marriage who continually writes my guy's name Roger as Rodger. We've been together for nearly 23 years. By 25, I think I'll start spelling hers wrong. 😁 4y
ravenlee @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I kept my maiden name when I married, even though it has its own challenges (believe me!). But I never would have guessed how much trouble people have with my husband‘s last name - Barkley. Seriously, so ridiculous. My sister‘s married name is Crocker and that isn‘t much better for some reason. She mostly says, “as in Betty,” which confuses people even more. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Imagine how difficult it is with the last name Schnorrbusch! People amaze me. 4y
30 likes9 comments
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ravenlee
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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This whole section and following about playwrights and poets stealing plot devices, characters, and whole lines seems very timely, in the context of the fanfic brouhaha.

Clare-Dragonfly Oh, dear. Dare I ask what fanfic drama is going on now? 4y
ravenlee @Clare-Dragonfly it‘s the Omegaverse craziness from last year, but I saw this recent article https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/business/omegaverse-erotica-copyright.html 4y
Clare-Dragonfly Wow, I hadn‘t heard about that! Quite the drama. 4y
ravenlee @Clare-Dragonfly crazy, right? 4y
29 likes4 comments
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CocoReads
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Mehso-so

And I‘m done! Whew. It‘s just under 200 pages and for the most part it was fine but I‘m not big on non fiction (I need dialogue and action to stay engaged) and I didn‘t really learn anything about the Bard that I didn‘t already know but I did enjoy the history of what England was like during his time. But it‘s the first book for my IRL book group this year and I‘m glad I stuck with it. Between a pick and a so-so for me. #24b4Monday

Andrew65 I‘m like you I need action and dialogue to really enjoy a book. Rarely read non fiction. 4y
CocoReads @Andrew65 my exception is true crime. But then at some point-there was action, even if the book dealt with the aftermath. Non fiction isn‘t my jam but I am trying to stretch a little. 4y
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CocoReads
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Finally home from work and a nice dinner out with the hubby, and an ready to start my #24b4Monday I have some nice romance lined up but first, I need to finish up Shakespeare for my book group on Monday. I‘m so close, 34 pages left! @Andrew65

Andrew65 Should be finished in no time. Good luck. 😊👍 4y
44 likes1 comment
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CocoReads
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Took my lunch a little late today. So I‘m by myself. I‘ve figured if I can read a chapter a day, I‘ll be done on Saturday and book group isn‘t until Monday. After a rough start, the book is growing on me.

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CocoReads
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Working this weekend so I have today off. It‘s about 7 degrees out so I actually had time to make a hot breakfast. Biscuits, cheesy eggs, leftover smoked sausage. Not pictured: OJ.

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Litsi
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

This is a must read if you like Shakespeare and especially if you don‘t. He is not the flawless poet or playwright that we have been sold. This is a clear eyed review of his life and times that explores the “did he write them all” theories and tells you alot about what you thought you knew. Hint: that portrait of him may not be him. Someone just said that it was. Read, Read, Read it!

RinaBrahmbhattBarot Is this new one? 4y
Litsi Hmm. I don‘t think so. But is recent. (edited) 4y
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GrahamBarnesy
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

I learned everything I didn't know that I wanted to know about Shakespeare! Bill Bryson researches his topics to death, and his books are must-reads for me. I cannot recommend this one enough!

Blueberry I liked his approach to "who is the real Shakespeare" question. Answer: does it really matter? They are still masterpieces whoever wrote them. 4y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🎉🤗 4y
Linsy Welcome to Litsy! I might need to check that out 💀 4y
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StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Hello & Welcome 👻📚👻 4y
Readswithcoffee Welcome to Litsy ☕️📚📚📚☕️ 4y
CoffeeNBooks Welcome to Litsy! 📚 4y
5 likes6 comments
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Abby2
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

Delightful summary of what we know for sure about Shakespeare. Bryson is always great to listen to.

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Scash1114
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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My first audio book! 🎧
Been a diehard reader for 22years now, and never took the audio plunge before now. Hit a wall at work, and music just wasn‘t cutting it. Got this, The Sea of Tranquility(my faaaav), and Crazy Rich Asians(another fav!).

rretzler I used to have a 30-45 minute commute to work each day and audiobooks were just the thing. Then my commute went to 5 minutes when I changed jobs and 0 when I started to work from home. Just recently I‘ve been getting into audiobooks again, but I have to manufacture things to do so that I can listen - like knitting, laundry, etc. 🤣 5y
Scash1114 @rretzler maybe it‘ll help me get through my yarn stash faster!! 5y
rretzler I can almost guarantee it. 3 blankets, 5 hats, 10 scarves and a cat blanket in the past 6 months! 😂 5y
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zsuzsanna_reads
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

A short, readable biography. It helped me consolidate the various facts I have picked up about Shakespeare. As far as I can tell Bryson keeps to facts and points out what is speculation.

Image: isn't the Dutch cover brilliant?

Lcsmcat I want to read this! 5y
Blueberry I liked his thoughts on who really wrote Shakespeare. 5y
53 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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1. Classic: Shakespeare; Modern: Zadie Smith (Modern Classic: Sylvia Plath)

2. 90% of the time home alone with a book, 10% out with friends.

3. 1920s, especially if it's set in NYC or Paris!

4. @Kelican17 @Melissa_J

#TrivialThursday @GarthRanzz

batsy Oh my gosh, how did I forget Plath 💜 6y
JazzFeathers Oohh! I didn't know you were a fellow 1920s enthusiast. Would you be interested in joinjng my FB 1920s Bbok Club? 😊 https://m.facebook.com/groups/148538995801014 6y
TheKidUpstairs @JazzFeathers oooh! Yes, I would! I just sent a join request (my full name is Megan Young) 6y
TheKidUpstairs @batsy I had to create a new category just for her 😁 The Bell Jar is one of my favourites, and her poetry has always meant a lot to me (along with Anne Sexton) 6y
batsy Plath is definitely in a class of her own 💜 I've loved what little of Sexton I've read and definitely need to discover more. 6y
74 likes5 comments
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samharnold
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is fluid and easy to read, whilst being packed full of facts. I loved the rounded views that the author gave for all arguments. Picked this up because I love Shakespeare. Have left wanting to read more by Bill Bryson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Sarah83
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

I still haven't finished my last year's #tbrbingo card. 🙈

I read this Bryson the last days & even if it is not my favourite one,I really liked it.I have read so much about Shakespeare (even if I read only one of his plays),that Bryson couldn't tell me anything new.But his kind of writing is very funny one the one hand & on the other he is really informative.
If anyone needs a book to start with Shakespeare & his time,I really recommend this one.

Bambolina_81 Great review! I haven't read this one yet but I do like Bryson. Which Shakespeare have you read? 6y
Sarah83 Thank you. 🤗 This one in school. We read it in 'old' English. 😭 I saw some film adaptations, but I never tried a book again. Even if I have several editions at home. 6y
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CouronneDhiver Me either! That‘s ok though... I think it‘s about the journey. ;) 6y
JazzFeathers I'm more or less where you are with my bingo card. Still hoping to finish before winter is over 😊 6y
Sarah83 @CouronneDhiver @JazzFeathers Glad I am not alone. 🤗 6y
WhatDeeReads That‘s fine. I‘m the mod and I haven‘t finished mine either. This about doing a fun reading thing together. 6y
71 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Sarah83
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Since I already knew, that I will have to work this weekend, I didn't join #24in48.

But now after work is done, I sit on the couch and try to find some time for reading and relaxing. 💞

Bambolina_81 How is that Bryson? 6y
Tjackson I recently read this book and really enjoyed it! Happy Reading! 6y
lgshelton Me too girl! I tried doing it around work, and I‘m gonna be pushing it! 6y
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Reviewsbylola Loved this book!!! 6y
Sarah83 @Bambolina_81 I really like it. I like his writing and how he puts so much information in a book. 🤗 Have you read it? 6y
Sarah83 @lgshelton I saw how much you already read. Respect. 👍 6y
Sarah83 @Reviewsbylola I love it aswell. Which of his other book have you read? 6y
Reviewsbylola Actually, I think this is it. I started one other but it didn‘t grab me. I think it was 6y
Sarah83 @Reviewsbylola I read the one you mentioned last year. It was really tough, because there were quite too many informations in it. I started with this one: 6y
77 likes9 comments
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Sarah83
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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It's time to sit down, enjoy the silence and do what I wanted to do the whole day READ!!! #fridayreads

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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I am spending the next year studying Shakespeare and this was my first book about his life! I think Bryson does a great job presenting his life and the various controversies surrounding his works. It‘s a quick read and an informative read. #myyearwithwill

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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Where would we be without Shakespeare‘s words?????

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Tjackson
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Finally getting back to my reading 😀😀😀! All curled up with my kindle and ready to learn more about Will!!!

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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Spending my Sunday morning with the Bard. I am genuinely enjoying spending my time reading, watching, and listening to his works.

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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Fun facts about London Bridge! I would like to see the job description for the keeper of the heads.

Reviewsbylola I thought this book was so fascinating! 6y
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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Growing up in England under Queen Elizabeth was costly.

Snow Geez!! 6y
14 likes1 comment
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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Bryson is a good writer and I am enjoying this book so far. It is going fast, so I hope to finish up and move onto the next Shakespeare book.

Tjackson I will add it to my list of books to read!!!! 6y
7 likes2 comments
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Tjackson
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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My year with Will has begun!!!!

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LauraBrook
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Part 3 (the last) of my enormous Book Outlet purchase. Storage may be a bit of an issue. 🤷🏻‍♀️

LeahBergen I think you took that copy of Endless Night I was going to buy. 😂 7y
SpeculativeFemale Oh, storage issues are plaguing me right now, too. I even moved my "not planning to reread anytime soon, but not willing to get rid of" section to the attic! ? 7y
LauraBrook @LeahBergen Muahahaha! 😉😂 7y
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LauraBrook @SpeculativeFemale I have bins of already-read and TBR in my basement, aside from the stacks all over the main level. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 7y
batsy Amazing haul! Storage is becoming a serious problem for me too 😓 And I've got A is for Arsenic on the TBR! 7y
LauraBrook @batsy I hear you. I swear I have book-buying memory loss, though, in that I forget how much I'm doing and that it should have a place to live. Here's hoping A is for Arsenic is a good one for both of us! 7y
74 likes6 comments
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Ubookquitous
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

Finished the first book for #deweysreadathon #readathon #deweys24hr

I've been reading for about 4 hrs... @DeweysReadathon

TobeyTheScavengerMonk I dug this book. 7y
21 likes1 comment
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OrangeMooseReads
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Book store stop number one produced these lovelies. The most expensive one was $7.00! I love previously loved books. I picked up one for the Man Cub as well because he told me the other day he wanted the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.

ValerieAndBooks I got Ella Minnow Pea today too as part of my book haul 😊 7y
33 likes2 comments
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samharnold
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is fluid and easy to read, whilst being packed full of facts. I loved the rounded views that the author gave for all arguments. Picked this up because I love Shakespeare. Have left wanting to read more by Bill Bryson.

Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻 7y
4 likes1 comment
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samharnold
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Picked this gem up from the library today. Was suppose to be teaching but there is always 5 minutes to indulge my addiction. #bookworm #bookriot #BillBryson #bookaddict

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Brooke_H
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

Succinct biography of Shakespeare. Bryson begins by telling us the very few facts we know about Shakespeare and fills out the rest with discussion of Shakespeare's England, contemporaries, and works. So many crazy facts (in the Elizabethan countryside, the average life expectancy was 27!!). Very readable & enjoyable.

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Mama_Jay
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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Pickpick

It's amazing to me that for all Shakespeare's notoriety we know so little about him!

MrBook Love Shakespeare! It is interesting how mysterious of a figure he really is. Such a thing occurs even today. How many times have we all heard the rumor that Truman Capote was really the one who wrote TKAM, right? 8y
5 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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CaseyMoore
Shakespeare | Bill Bryson
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A very good biography oh Shakespeare.

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