Shakespeare

In this improbably short book, Edmondson manages to introduce readers to all of the most pertinent information about Shakespeare's life, style, and works, as well as his passionate take on how to and why one should encounter Shakespeare's works in the modern world. In clear, witty prose, Edmondson engages with nearly all of Shakespeare's plays and poems, bringing many of them vividly to life. He is particularly strong in his take on the sometimes-neglected poems—the sonnets, yes, but also "The Rape of Lucrece" and "Venus and Adonis," teasing readers with the surprising eroticism of those narrative poems. The strength of this work comes from Edmondson's crystal clear focus on what he is and is not trying to accomplish. He never allows himself to get sidetracked in centuries-old debates and academic jargon—though savvy readers might have wished for more of his takes on Shakespearean controversies considering the deft power with which he dispatches the famous anti-Stratfordian theories (in which some doubt William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon's authorship) with a simple thrown-off sentence or two. Of particular interest for newcomers is the chapter "Encountering Shakespeare," in which Edmondson lays out various methods for coming to understand and love the playwright, including tips on going to performances and an absolutely fantastic primer on reading the sonnets aloud.