The Secret Life of William Shakespeare: A Novel - Hardcover

Morgan, Jude

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250025036 ISBN 13: 9781250025036

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2014

Synopsis

Named One of Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Books of 2014

There are so few established facts about how the son of a glove maker from Warwickshire became one of the greatest writers of all time that some people doubt he could really have written so many astonishing plays. We know that he married Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant and six years older than he, at the age of eighteen, and that one of their children died of the plague. We know that he left Stratford to seek his fortune in London, and eventually succeeded. He was clearly an unwilling craftsman, ambitious actor, resentful son, almost good-enough husband. But when and how did he also become a genius?

The Secret Life of William Shakespeare pulls back the curtain to imagine what it might have really been like to be Shakespeare before a seemingly ordinary man became a legend. In the hands of acclaimed historical novelist Jude Morgan, this is a brilliantly convincing story of unforgettable richness, warmth, and immediacy.

About this title

About the Author:

JUDE MORGAN, who studied with Malcolm Bradbury and Angela Carter, lives in England. Morgan's previous works include Emily and Charlotte, a novel about the Brontė sisters; An Accomplished Woman; Symphony; Indiscretion; and Passion, which was called "one of the best books of 2005" by The Washington Post Book World; and most recently A Little Folly.

From Booklist:

At the age of 18, William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a woman six years his senior and already pregnant. These facts, among a smattering of additional information, are really all that’s known about the early life of English literature’s most celebrated author. From this paucity of hard facts, novelist Morgan sets out to explore Shakespeare’s personal life in some comprehensive way. He is successful in some respects, bringing into sharp focus the voice of Anne Hathaway, weaving in the personalities of Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe, and laying out Elizabethan life in a way that feels authentic. Morgan is no stranger to literary historical fiction, and readers of his previous works, including a novel about the Brontės (Charlotte and Emily, 2010), will note that The Secret Life of William Shakespeare takes liberties with the Bard’s words, motivations, and personality while staying true to the spirit of the Shakespeare we all know and love. An entertaining read. --Heather Paulson

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1250025036
• ISBN 13: 9781250025036
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 448