Pamela Howarth

Befriend the Bard! Pamela Howarth

This is definitely not a textbook. Inclusive, not exclusive, it breathes life into its subject, Will Shakespeare. A compact and readable biography, it's written for the general reader--the man, woman, or young adult in the street--who would like to know more about this famous man but may be unfamiliar with his life story or the exciting period of English history in which he lived.

This intriguing retelling of Will's life links knowledge and insight with a flair for narrative.

Knowledge. In this well-researched book, you'll find a wealth of fascinating background detail written with historical integrity but poles apart from the standard, hand-me-down information available. It stresses the difference between anecdotal detail and fact, clearly outlining the fascinating options for the parts of Shakespeare's life still shrouded in mystery.

Insight. Part of the fascination of Will's story is that no one knows the answers to many key questions, but this biography identifies what must have been the pivotal moments in the Bard's life. It also puts forward possible theories about the kind of man he was, his personality, and what drove him along the path he took from country town to luxurious royal palaces.

Narrative. This shows a lightness of touch, a dusting of humor, and a deft mixing of colloquial modernisms with familiar phrases from Shakespeare's plays. In each section of the book, there is a short imaginative piece, some written as if by Will himself, and one is the haunting tribute to him after his death, put into the mouth of his friend Ben Jonson.

Everyone loves a success story! This book will involve you in one from the sixteenth century about a lad who was a husband at eighteen, a father at nineteen, and ten years later, a successful playwright and actor-manager in London despite a complete lack of aristocratic birth, upper-class origins, and higher education. This biography emphasizes the novelty and originality of what he was doing because no job like his had existed before. Will was born at exactly the right time with a unique set of talents and the drive to employ them. His fame shows no sign of ever diminishing!

Enjoy the book for its own sake, and befriend the Bard! If you feel inspired to read or watch a play, you'll find just how close Will is, how he speaks to you across the years. He was human, very human!