This Is Shakespeare (Pelican Books)

A THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019

'The best introduction to the plays I've read, perhaps the best book on Shakespeare, full stop' Alex Preston, Observer

'It makes you impatient to see or re-read the plays at once' Hilary Mantel

A genius and prophet whose timeless works encapsulate the humancondition like no others. A writer who surpassed his contemporaries invision, originality and literary mastery. Who wrote like an angel,putting it all so much better than anyone else.
Is this Shakespeare? Well, sort of.

Butit doesn't really tell us the whole truth. So much of what we say aboutShakespeare is either not true, or just not relevant, deflecting usfrom investigating the challenges of his inconsistencies and flaws. Thiselectrifying new book thrives on revealing, not resolving, theambiguities of Shakespeare's plays and their changing topicality. Itintroduces an intellectually, theatrically and ethically exciting writerwho engages with intersectionality as much as with Ovid, with economicsas much as poetry: who writes in strikingly modern ways aboutindividual agency, privacy, politics, celebrity and sex. It takes usinto a world of politicking and copy-catting, as we watch him emulatingthe blockbusters of Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd, the Spielbergand Tarantino of their day; flirting with and skirting round thecut-throat issues of succession politics, religious upheaval andtechnological change. The Shakespeare in this book poses awkwardquestions rather than offering bland answers, always implicating us inworking out what it might mean.

This is Shakespeare. And he needs your attention.

Değerlendirmeler

Praise for previous works by Emma Smith "Delightful"