Arliss Ryan

Holding on to this book because of its beautiful cover for twelve years, I had already been enchanted by the idea of a biography of Shakespeare's wife. I must admit that I put off reading because of those two things!

Who wrote his plays? That has been debated for ages! Arliss Ryan leads us on a merry romp, having Anne declare to her granddaughter that she wrote many of them, including Romeo and Juliet. Going back to the late 1500s to the early 1600s, requires a ton of research and the author did that. She made a research trip to England and visited the important historical sites in this tale and told the story in the comfortable mode of first person.

We know little of Anne and gave the author license to write an enchanting and very humourous story.

I highly recommend this book for a release from today's woes and plenty of laughter to lighten your mood.… (mehr)

There is much speculation regarding William Shakespeare, known as England's bard, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, a poet and a marvelous writer of magnificent plays.

Add this book to the many speculations. A novel, a tale of fiction, yet a decent portrayal of life in England in the late 1500's. It is written that Anne, older than Will by eight years, seduced him, became pregnant and the family forced him to marry her. Restless and not suited for parenthood, he took his talents to London where he believed he could find some type of work.

Originally, it was a hard go for him. Some reports are that he was a horse groomsman, others believe that he was a poor actor, but of course, history allows us to believe he was by far the best writer ever!

In this story, Anne quickly produces three children, a daughter followed by twins. Leaving her babies to be raised by her in laws, Anne walks to London, miraculously finds Will, and he is not at all happy to see her. Throughout 400 pages, the author has us believe they are ill mated, then we find them together again in a tumultuous relationship.

When one of the twins dies, Will grieves the loss of his son. This is difficult to believe since he never wanted children, and only sporadically saw his them. His life was in England, and not the boring countryside.

When in grief, he is unable to write, Anne takes the quill and brings characters to life, giving Will the credit.

This was a captivating book, but at times it bogged down and was difficult to continue. I did finish it. I can recommend it if you are willing to put much speculation aside.… (mehr)

Who was Anne Hathaway (not the actress but the wife of William Shakespeare)? How did she shape the life of the writer... other than just bearing him children?

A witty and wise Anne, seven years his elder, ‘seduces’ the would-be playwright and a pregnancy forces them into a marriage of discontent. It is not long after that William runs off to London to make his way as an actor with a troupe of players called The Queen’s Men. Anne is soon bored and follows her husband to London, disguising herself as his sister. She sews costumes, keeps house and became Will's muse- of sorts. Did he write the plays on his own or did his wife secretly help him unbeknownst after all this time?

There have been many arguments made over the identity of the true author, many saying William Shakespeare, son of a glove maker, was not educated enough to create such masterpieces. Whatever you believe the idea that his little-known wife helped him is an interesting angle. I’ve got to admit that after about ¾ of the way through it struggled to keep my attention—I felt it rambled on a bit at times. As a Shakespeare fan…overall, it was a good read but not one that I would rave about for years to come. Still interesting nonetheless....… (mehr)