Book Log 2008 #3: Shakespeare by Bill Bryson

I'll admit to having been attracted to this slim biography more for its author than its subject, as I expected Bryson to take his usual whimsical view to English literature's greatest playwright. But he didn't, for the most part.

Instead, Bryson take a fairly straightforward approach, but not so much at who Shakespeare was but who he wasn't. Bryson is quick to note we know almost nothing about Shakespeare other than what appears in official documents and a few written mentions in works by other people. From there, he builds a biography based on what life was like at various places and times, and using that more to deflate theories that are mostly speculation.

So while it's not much of a biography (how could it be?), it does give a fairly objective picture. Just one that doesn't include its subject very much. I liked it, but it's an odd approach that will likely frustrate people looking for a story that's more robust, regardless of its accuracy.