Shakespeare: The Biography

My heart always sings when I pick up a Peter Ackroyd biography. I expect that I shall read an interesting account of the person, but one that does not push any particular bias. I have yet to be disappointed and, certainly, this biography of William Shakespeare never looked likely to buck the trend. Mr Ackroyd respects Shakespeare's position at the pinnacle of British writers without glossing over the deficiencies that any human must possess.

The information concerning the life of Shakespeare is not sufficient to produce a definite story from the cradle to the grave so, Peter Ackroyd gives us what definite knowledge exists and adds the gossip and rumour that surrounds the man. What I particularly like, is that the fact and surmise are show more clearly separated. He sets out the basis for any unsubstantiated details, gives any supporting evidence and leaves the reader to decide how much credence to give to it.

When one is writing about someone who lived in a very different age to our own, it is important that the historical background is set. This book does this in an admirable fashion; the reader is not lectured, but the detail is all there. One other point which is vital when discussing an earlier age, is to see it through the eyes of the moral standards of the time. Ackroyd, by standing aloft from his subject, reports, without any judgement.

The greatest compliment that one can give to any biography is that it sends the reader scurrying to re-read the poems and re-watch the plays of William Shakespeare. I recently read a fictional biography of the Bard and, at the end, felt dis-satisfied and not drawn to re-engage with Mr Shakespeare's work: with this book, I was re-watching the plays before completing the book. Not only does this work bring the man to life, it adds a new facet to the plays and sonnets.

I would imagine that this biography has enough detail to be worth the time for a Shakespeare expert to read,: without question,it is written in such a way that someone, such as myself, with only the most basic schoolboy awareness of the man and his works can read, enjoy and learn. Thank you, Mr. Ackroyd, for bringing William Shakespeare to life for one ignorant reader. show less

This is a fascinating account of William Shakespeare, with much more theatrical detail than I've ever read or heard before. There is more information than can be remembered, but I really appreciated that conjecture was all well backed up with data, mostly financial and theatrical records. It was a different view from past books I've read. I also really liked that he discussed in detail the many suppositions that have been made about Shakespeare and why they may or may not be accurate, if they were probable, possible but unknown, improbable, or nearly impossible. Ackroyd is quite careful not to state anything is absolutely true without lots of evidence and explanation. Granted, that means there's a lot of data and a lot of threads to show more follow, but it's intriguing and well written.

Ackroyd's writing style is perfect for this; at times he puts phrases together like a modern Shakespeare.

This is not the book for a very casual Shakespeare enthusiast; the more you are familiar with him and his plays and theater in general, the more interesting this is. If you are just beginning your study of Shakespeare, I would read a more generalized book first. Also, if you are mostly interested in an analysis of Shakespeare's plays in order to reveal Shakespeare's life and persona, this is not that biography. The plays are analyzed, but with more emphasis on what was happening in England and the theatrical world at the time. How they related to Shakespeare's life at the time was discussed, but because how he felt about things is more conjecture, Ackroyd does not focus on that. show less

A first rate look at the life of England's most famous dramatist. The details are amazing, even the trivial details are interesting. The author makes no claims to know things that are not known, and often will discuss all the differing views on what a piece of evidence means, and discuss the likelihood of each idea. He examines the youth of Shakespeare in some detail, and discusses the ideas about his relationship with his wife. He does not jump feet first into the fray of who wrote Shakespeare's plays, but instead moves ahead with the assumption that Shakespeare himself wrote Shakespeare's plays, while at times discussing the reasons why the other candidates don't work. Upon reading this book, it is difficult to see where those other show more candidates came from, or even the idea that there was someone other than Shakespeare who wrote Shakespeare's plays. Far from being unmentioned in his own time as is often posited, Ackroyd assembles an impressive array of mentions of Shakespeare by his contemporaries, both praise and dismissal. Though he is by no means as often mentioned as many of the other playwrights, Ackryod details the particulars of Shakespeare's life as they are known to demonstrate that the man lived a relatively private and less flamboyant existence than the other playwrights, and also that he is mentioned as the author of his plays repeatedly throughout his life. He also discusses the education and likely apprenticeship of the playwright, and finds the idea that he was illiterate or nearly so to be lacking any evidence or support. A must read for all fans of the bard, because it helps understand his plays better by putting them in the context not only of the time, but the place in which they were written. The main downside is the length, which is daunting, and some of the details are not necessary. But with such well-written prose and such extensive research, that can be forgiven. Just plan on devoting some real time to it. show less

Ackroyd is almost lawyer-like in his reasoning that supports his assumptions about the plays and the life. It will inform my understanding of the Bard from now on. A key point for the author is the Bard's Catholicism, which had an effect on all his writing. Also, Ackroyd skillfully debunks the Oxfordians and others. I like how he explains to readers that it's OK to recognize and appreciate Shakespeare's Genius with a capital G. He was a freak - everything in his life contributed to who he became, but it was that mysterious spark we all wish we had that led to his body of work. He was who he was and who he was was better than anybody else ever. Get over it, Justice John Paul Stevens.

Describing himself as a Shakespeare enthusiast instead of an expert, Ackroyd focuses on the bard as an extraordinarily talented theatre professional rather than rhapsodising about the intricacies of the man's genius. He interweaves Shakespeare's life story with England's dramatic history and the fascinating world of the emerging Elizabethan theatre. Apocryphal stories are identified and plausible explanations for what occurred during the missing years are offered. The great strength of Ackroyd's book is the depth of his immersion in the culture of Shakespeare's age and the sense he gives of Shakespeare as a product of that extraordinary moment in time. His feeling for the role of the theater in Elizabethan London, "a city where dramatic show more spectacles became the primary means of understanding reality," seems to come from an impressively wide reading of Shakespeare's dramatic and poetic contemporaries. Shakespeare emerges as a thoroughly engaging, almost modern man, brimming with humour, eager for social advancement, and carefully tracking the popular trends in entertainment. Students who want to discover whether Shakespeare really was the author of the famous plays will find compelling evidence that only the man from Stratford could have hidden so many ingenious clues in his work. show less

Ackroyd uses his considerable skills to evoke time and place in this biography to present as close to a living, breathing Shakespeare as is possible when so much is unknown. That he does this without presenting speculation as fact is no mean feat. Compare this excellent biography with "Will in the World" or worse, "In Search of Shakespeare," both of which make unwarranted assumptions about Shakespeare through an examination of his work, which is like arguing after reading "The Metamorphosis" that Kafka must have believed he was a bug. In contrast Ackroyd, the quintessential Londoner, takes what is actually known about Shakespeare, places it in context of what is known about Elizabethan and Jacobean London, and brings his subject to life show more without making him a fictional character. While drawing appropriate inferences where possible, Ackroyd stays respectfully clear of speculation about Shakespeare's religious beliefs, his sexuality, and his family life, choosing instead to focus on the more solid ground of his life as a professional dramatist and poet. By doing so, he blows away much of the Shakespearen myth. "He was a man, take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again." show less

A standard biography of Shakespeare, with the lucid, engaging prose of Peter Ackroyd. There are few endnotes, but mostly the sources Ackroyd uses are mentioned in the text. There is a serviceable bibliography. Nice images. Ackroyd is a Stratfordian, and offers reliable, solid evidence that Shakspere the man from Stratford-upon-Avon was the actor AND playwright Shakespeare of London. (No evidence that will convince the average, paranoiac, anti-Stratfordian conspiracy theorist, however, but convincing to me.) Shakespeare the man and Shakespeare the playwright are brought to life in almost novelist-like detail here (as much as is possible with the oftentimes scanty documentation of Shakespeare's life). The story is interesting and show more essential. To me, this is the essential one-volume life of Shakespeare for the general reader for this generation (much like Rowse's was a generation or two ago). show less